The National Rifle Association (NRA) offers a wide range of training, education, and safety courses for hunting, shooting, and self-defense. It has programs for civilians, young hunters, and law enforcement officers. The organization is politically active in preserving the Second Amendment and informing its members of legislative alerts and policies related to firearms. However, the NRA’s lobbying attempts to end the ban on assault weapons and exemption of arms manufacturers from civil lawsuits have sparked debates on gun control laws and gun violence in America.
The National Rifle Association (NRA) was founded in 1871 to “promote and encourage” shooting rifles with an emphasis on science. Since its inception, it has become the first stop for those interested in hunting, shooting and self-defense, whether in the law enforcement or civilian sectors. A wide range of training, education and safety courses are available to its millions of members. The organization created the first hunter education program in 1949, and now such education courses are held in every state in the United States and throughout Canada.
Civilian programs through the NRA are extensive. They include basic education programs, such as those for rifle, pistol, and shotgun, as well as programs focused on self-defense and gun safety. For example, the Refuse to be a Victim program teaches personal safety techniques that people can apply in their daily lives. There are also recreational and competitive shooting competitions and courses in shooting, gun knowledge, and hunting. Beginners, intermediates and experts can all find a course that suits their needs and level of expertise.
The organization also focuses on programs for young hunters. One example, the Youth Hunter Education Challenge, teaches the next level of hunting skills and safety training for those who have already completed basic hunter safety lessons. There are also youth shooting camps, scholarship programs, wildlife art competitions, and grant programs. One of the most far-reaching programs is the Eddie Eagle Gun Safety Program, which teaches kindergarten through sixth grade students what to do if they see a firearm and no adult is present.
The NRA also has a Law Enforcement Activities Division that works to provide law enforcement officers with a certified training program designed to teach them how to survive a deadly situation. These programs are led by well-trained and highly respected former police officers. Law enforcement agencies may also participate in national competitions, such as the National Police Shooting Championships.
This organization has been politically active since its creation. While educating its members, it also works to spread myths related to the firearms industry and sports associated with firearms. Its lobbyists work primarily to preserve the right of law-abiding citizens to acquire, possess, and use firearms for lawful purposes, as established by the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution. Additionally, it is dedicated to informing its members of legislative alerts, news updates, and policies related to firearms.
The NRA has several publications covering a variety of topics, including American Rifleman magazines, American Hunter, America’s 1st Freedom, Shooting Illustrated, NRA InSights, Shooting Sports USA, and a variety of shorter reports and columns.
In many quarters, raising this group can spark a heated debate about gun control laws and gun violence in America. An estimated 28,000 people are killed by firearms each year, and gun violence is higher in the United States than in many other countries where firearm laws are stricter.
The Violence Policy Center has released findings that Al Qaeda terrorists can obtain firearms fairly easily in the United States, with many of the weapons so powerful they can accurately shoot a 9-inch (22.86 cm) diameter hole in a wall made of concrete more than 100 yards (91.44 m) away. As a result, many people believe that the laws surrounding the ownership and purchase of firearms should be stricter, although this goes against NRA policy. Some people are shocked by the organization’s lobbying attempts to end the ban on assault weapons that can fire bullets in rapid succession. Others question whether arms manufacturers, protected by lobbyists, should be exempt from nearly all civil lawsuits. The debate will certainly continue for years to come.
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