The National Riffle Association: An Institution of Gun Safety and Human Protection - Essay Example

THE NATIONAL RIFFLE ASSOCIATION: An of Gun Safety and Human Protection Background of the Organization The National Riffle Association is a well-known organization worldwide that actually involved the continuous implication of the idea of responsible gun handling ever since the 19th century. It was the year 1871 when NRA helped the entire human society back then to realize what firearms are capable of doing and how they should be well handled by people who owns them. Of course, firearm make-ups before were simple and less destructive in form. However, it should be noted that no matter how less destructive they may seem, guns were made for wars, as defense for people from all the oppressive acts of other people towards each other. Hence, the need to be responsible with regards this matter is an important issue to consider for everyone. For this particular reason, the NRA stands strong as an organization that believes of responsible gun handling from then until now. The History of NRA NRA primarily started out as an organization that is based on the views of two retired army who simply wanted to make the entire human society more knowledgeable about the wise handling of firearms. Col. William C. Church and Gen. George Wingate started NRA in 1871 to be able to promote a sense of scientific process among all individuals whenever they handle firearms. As the US charter in the State of New York approved the existence of the said organization, the First President of the organization in the personification of former US Senator Gen. Ambrose Burnside took responsibility of the position. The first president tried his best to establish the organization's reputation in the society that they are most involved with. It could be observed that with the aim of making the society more responsible in the manner of handling guns for self-protection reasons. It is indeed from the primary aims of the founders of the organization that NRA actually started out to affect the entire human society. Hence, through the financial support provided by the Long Island and Creed Farm, the organization was able to establish a practice range round that would host to train numerous individuals who have their own guns for the purpose of self defense. The Credmor, NRA's first training grounds had then been established during the year 1872. It was the first venue for the first ever annual shooting matches that happened during those years. IT was the year 1906 when the organization began trying to influence the larger population in the human society and that is the youth. NRA began to campaign for having university-based programs that would allow young individuals to learn the right usage of guns. Through the promotion of shooting sports in America, NRA begins to affect a larger population in the American society. With the pursuance of NRA Secretary Albert Jones, the said program flourished to affect the entire American population during those years. Moreover, the growth of recognition that the society has upon these programs affected many among the populations staying within the area. As of today, the same program still makes a great effect on the process by which American Boy Scouts, American Legron and US Jaycees are being trained at present. Up to this day, the organization aims to educate everyone in the society about the need to be responsible and knowledgeable about the right usage of guns and other firearms as well. In an aim to educate everyone, the launching of the NRA Police Firearms Instructor Certification Program in 1960, the association holds a record of having 50,000 certified instructors who handle different courses of responsible gun handling. From this particular program, 750,000 gun owners are given certification every year and are then given the rightful knowledge that they need to acquire with regards the need to handle their firearms in a manner of responsibility and alertness to what is right and what is wrong in terns of using their gin authority or chance to hold a firearm for any reason there is that they primarily applied for. There are actually six major courses of responsible gun-handling that the association hosts for their students or the clients wanting to have their own guns for protection. The said six courses include (a) basic rifle handling; (b) pistol handling; (c) shotgun handling; (d) muzzle loading firearms; (e) personal protection; and (f) ammunition reloading.(Boyer, 2000, 32) Within these courses, the association makes sure that they instill in their students the need to be carefully aware of their possessions and the ways by which they should handle the said items that are under their care. Guns are recognizably dangerous. It could be observed that it is through the educational understanding of owners that the needed measures of limitations and operative proceedings needed to be considered by the individuals under the responsibility of taking serious concern about the matter. Besides all these courses, the organization is also trying to educate everyone else in the society with regards their responsibility in case they see a gun in accident. Through the implementation of the Eddie Eagle Gun Safety Program which was launched in 1988, there had been at least 12 million pre-kindergarten towards the sixth graders who were educated to deal with the situation when in case they see a gun. They were rather ordered by through the program to "STOP. Don't touch. Leave the area. Tell and adult". These particular commands were expected to make the young ones rather responsible in handling guns that they might be able to see in their homes or in other places as well. Ore than that, 15,000 men and women have developed their own personal safety plan using common sense strategies. (Lukas, 2007, 89) The Impact of NRA to the Realization of Civil Society Theory Every year, even before, there are at least an increase of 13% of annual rate of death among humans from irresponsible gun handling continue to affect the entire human society. For this reason, the role of NRA in the society of human population actually means a lot. The civil society theory naturally entices everyone to an understanding of the fact that people have rights.(Hodgkinson, 2003, 31) Along with all these rights is the capability to protect themselves from the social oppressors. Likely, it could be noted that with the rate of gun-based crimes growing, people are now, more than ever, interested in having their own guns at least to protect themselves from any possible attack from criminals. (Hodgkinson, 2003, 43) Today, it is not only the law authorities that are given the certification to handle guns but also regular individuals simply wanting to defense themselves from crime. These situations naturally bring in the need for organizations such as NRA. It could be noted that it is because of this that the association is able to become a vital part of the growth of the human society. NRA today remains as a major organization that is able to handle the needs of protecting the human society from unmannered handling of firearms.(Hodgkinson, 2003, 33) Helping everyone owning a gun realize the responsibility that comes along with the chance of having such an item of defense. Considerably, the courses offered by the organization to handle such responsibilities help everyone make fine decisions as to when they are supposed to use their owned firearms. Making this particular effect on the human society is naturally recognized as the major role of NRA in the community of gun owners around the world. (Hodgkinson, 2003, 56) Recognizing their role as a vital one naturally saves a lot of people from being a victim as well as from being an accidental criminal simply because of irresponsible handling of guns among owners and unknowledgeable individuals. It should also be noted that there exists the NRA foundation as a branch of the NRA organization. The NRA foundation is one of the most important functioning branches of the organization that mainly involves the support of the NRA group to the veterans of the American society. At least 37% of the total funds collected by the organization from the major fund raisings that they perform result to the funding of the said generation. It is through this that NRA becomes socially sourced out in terms of functioning as a group of people simply wanting to make a huge difference in the face of the human society. What NRA's Great Role Is in the Face of Social Advancement With violence rates flooding and spurring upwards, it could not be denied that the need to be educated as to how to protect one's self from attacks of crime and other issues that lead up to the existence of violence in the society. NRA indeed aims to protect and limit the authority of those who own arms of defense. As a group that is funded by sponsors and special contributors, it is expected that the organization would create some efforts of informing the society about their works so as to get the attention of the supporters of whom they know could actually help them create possible ways by which they could operate better for the implication of social knowledge on the different elements of violence control that the group further tries to implicate within the social system. Protection and self defense is certainly becoming one of the most important concerns of the human individuals at present. With this in focus, it is then obvious how NRA's services and idealisms are indeed needed in the human society today. Hence, getting the right support for the organization is certainly needed for better operations development of the group. Yes, NRA shall be able to support the human society as needed only form the support of the contributors to the organization's growth towards future progress in educating the human generations now until the years to follow. Conclusion Learning from the history and background of the major reasons for the existence of NRA, it is indeed undeniable that people ought to take responsible measures of consideration when they own or even when they simply see a gun.(Hodgkinson, 2003, 58) Being so would give great measures of safety for those who are owning and even for those who do not as they are well protected from the possible threats that might be posted by each individual's right to defend themselves from any impending crime. (Hodgkinson, 2003, 76) Towards the future, NRA is seen to remain as an organization who would be able to retain its reputation of making a great impact on the recognition that humans have towards their right for protection and defense. In terms of being funded for the continuance of the operations of the said organization, it could be observed that social knowledge plays a great role engaging the organization in procedures of finding the right kind of support organizations that they need to be able to keep on operating for the betterment of the human society. IT is through this particular process that the organization is able to fid better ways to perform their duties to the human community. NRA is indeed a primary organization that makes the entire human society more responsible, more aware and more educated with regards the important role that each individual play in becoming a huge contributor to the peace and security of all. References: Dave Boyer, "NRA aims gun range at heart of New York," Washington Times, May, 2000. Scott A. Lukas, "A Politics of Reverence and Irreverence: Social Discourse on Theming Controversies," pp. 271-293 in The Themed Space: Locating Culture, Nation, and Self, ed. Scott A. Lukas (Lanham, MD, Lexington Books, 2007) Brennan, Pauline Gasdow, Alan J. Lizotte, and David McDowall. "Guns, Southernness, and Gun Control". Journal of Quantitative Criminology 9, no. 3 (1993): 289-307. Bruce, John M., and Clyde Wilcox, eds. The Changing Politics of Gun Control. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman and Littlefield, 1998. Virginia Hodgkinson. (2003). The Civil Society Reader (Civil Society : Historical and Contemporary Perspectives) . Tufts; 1st edition. Read More