A new anti-NRA coalition made up of gun control activists like Parkland student David Hogg, who spearheaded the March for Our Lives movement after the tragic shooting incident in his school, as well as a number of renowned celebrities including Alyssa Milano, Jimmy Kimmel, Alec Baldwin and Amy Schumer have pledged to take on the National Riffle Association and reduce its influence in U.S. politics through boycotts, legal action and demonstrations.
A number of celebrities and gun control activists have formed an anti-NRA coalition to reduce the association’s influence in U.S. politics
Anti-NRA Movement
The teenage activists from Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school have teamed up with a number of influential personalities, grassroots safety organizations, and policy experts to wage a war against the NRA in an initiative to enforce new gun reforms and reduce the Riffle Association’s influence on American lawmakers. A number of celebrities such as Jimmy Kimmel, Alec Baldwin, Alyssa Milano, and Amy Schumer have also lent their voices to the new anti-NRA initiative.
The coalition has already sent an open letter to Wayne LaPierre, the vice president of National Riffle Association, to condemn its efforts in influencing American politicians’ stance on gun laws. In the letter, activists vowed to continue fighting for gun reforms which could have prevented the tragic Parkland shooting incident which resulted in the deaths of 17 innocent people. The letter openly accused the Riffle Association from preventing every important gun reform that could save thousands of lives that are lost every year in gun violence incidents.
A Murderous Organization
The new coalition has vowed to expose the NRA and its role as a murderous organization that has profited from the unjust killing of thousands of innocent Americans who become victims of shooting incidents.
The coalition also plans to target influential politicians who have received campaign donations from the gun advocacy group including President Donald Trump who benefited from NRA’s prowess during his 2016 election campaign. The organization spent more than $11 million to help Trump win the presidential race while another $20 million were poured in the elections to prevent Hillary Clinton from becoming victorious.
More than half of the lawmakers in Congress have longstanding relationships with the NRA and received millions of dollars from the gun advocacy group in campaign donations
NRA has been funding politicians since 1989 and has spent billions to win political support in Capitol Hill and block gun legislations that could work against the organization’s interests.
NRA’s Influence in Capitol Hill
Republican Senator Marco Rubio from Florida openly admitted to receiving donations from the NRA. During a Town Hall hosted by CNN in Florida, a Parkland shooting survivor publicly asked Rubio if he would ever deny further campaign donations from the organization, to which the Senator responded, “No.”
Sen. Rubio’s hesitant response at the CNN Town Hall is further proof of the NRA’s influence on politicians and how lawmakers have become dependent on funding from the gun advocacy group and the support of its powerful allies.
CNN reports that gun rights groups have poured almost $10 million into congressional campaigns last year alone, along with additional $1.4 million from gun manufacturing companies to block new gun reforms. 307 members out of a total of 535 Congress House and Senate members have accepted some form of monetary support from gun lobbyists.
Gun rights groups have poured almost $10 million into congressional campaigns for more than 300 members of the congress
Exposing Gun Lobbyists
The anti-NRA coalition, called NoRa, says that its goal is to expose all politicians who have participated in the blocking of key gun control legislations in taken money from gun lobbyists in return for their support. Activists plan on using various awareness campaigns to remove these lobbying legislators from office.
Alyssa Milano, who actively participated in last year’s #MeToo movement said that the Parkland shooting incident inspired her to take action and stop the gun lobbyists from shedding more blood, which is when she decided to join the NoRa coalition. Milano, a mother of two children, says that the lack of security in educational institutions keeps her up at night, worrying about her kids’ safety. Since legislators have failed to take action against gun violence, it is up to the members of NoRA to enforce gun control laws that will ensure protection for innocent Americans against shooting incidents.
The anti-NRA initiative is being funded by private donations which have totaled to $25,000 since February.
