It’s been an absolutely remarkable and chaotic week. And as I write this, it’s only Wednesday.
From a very public shooting in Kansas City, where over 20 people were injured and one person died, to the closing arguments in New York for the trial focusing on the gross mismanagement and fraud at the National Rifle Association, this has been a very busy week.
I’ll start with the situation in Kansas City, and the tragic events following the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl victory parade. A celebration of a million Chiefs fans was marred and overshadowed by a shooting that took place near Union Station in a crowd of parade goers there to celebrate the big win.
Kansas City police have confirmed the shooting is the result of a personal dispute that ended in gunfire. Sadly, parade attendees were caught in the crossfire. There is no link to terrorism or extremism of any sort. Thanks in large measure to the heroic actions of bystanders, three people are in custody, two of whom are under 18. One person has died and over 20 others were injured, including 11 children. It’s a horrific and tragic ending to what was supposed to be a celebratory day for the community.
As you might expect, many in our nation’s political class are once again calling for a ban on all sorts of guns, and the passing of more gun control laws designed to “stop the violence.” This despite the fact that millions upon millions of gun owners do NOTHING wrong every day and hundreds of millions of guns are NOT used in crimes daily. But somehow, we’re supposed to believe that more laws designed to restrict these guns and lawful gun owners are going to help? It’s in our nature to blame something, someone. We’ve got to find a scapegoat because it makes us feel like we’re doing something.
Except we’re not. We’re advocating punishment for everyone who’s not a criminal. It’s upside down world.
Here’s what people really don’t want to talk about… we’re broken. And by we, I mean society in general. For too long we’ve refused to call things right and wrong. For too long we’ve avoided the serious social and cultural issues that are the root cause of violence. All the laws in the world… even an outright ban on every inanimate object, won’t cure the depravity and evil that lives in human hearts. Maybe instead we should be asking ourselves what in the world would lead these two young people to illegally carry guns? Where did they get them? Why did they feel they needed to use them, especially in a crowd of people? Our collective moral compass needs some serious fine-tuning.
Let’s be real… we already have multitudes of city, state and federal laws restricting access and the use of firearms. The challenge of course is that criminals don’t care. No, you won’t solve crime by ignoring why people become criminals in the first place. You won’t solve crime by allowing criminals to walk free, sometimes after multiple infractions. You won’t solve crime without creating a culture and society of responsibility, accountability and a true respect for the value of every human life.
Speaking of accountability. Closing arguments are wrapping up this week in the lawsuit between the State of New York and the National Rifle Association. I’ve avoided saying much about this because honestly, a lot of what I was hearing was rumor and hearsay, and I don’t trade in those sorts of things.
Unfortunately, based on the trial, it turns out that many of those rumors were true. There were also many new and serious revelations that I didn’t hear about. Testimony coming directly from the people formerly in charge at NRA confirms it. So why did it take a trial? Why did it take bringing the NRA to the brink of extinction to have this all come to light? Well, in a nutshell, the apparent disappearance of accountability and responsibility.
What the jury will decide is anyone’s guess. And what it means for the future of this historic organization is uncertain. What is clear though, after six weeks of courtroom revelations, is that there were, and possibly remain, a lot of things wrong at NRA. Sadly, the court is now going to play a huge role in just what sort of Spring cleaning process needs to take place and whether or not the organization can move forward at all.
I for one, hope the result isn’t too damaging. It’s my belief that our industry needs a strong, vibrant NRA. But it needs to be an organization clear of any questionable activities and with its full voice, the voice of millions of Americans, focused on the fight over our 2nd Amendment rights and growing the shooting sports industry.
Accountability. Responsibility. We must do better. We must be better. And we must demand these things of everyone around us.
Until next time,
Kenyon Gleason
NASGW President