Gunfight - the Battle over the Right to Bear Arms in America - Case Study Example

DOCUMENTARY REVIEW NAME INSTITUTION On 21st December 2012, Adam Lanza killed 26 kids and adults with a rifle and took his life with a handgun. The tragedy shocked the nation and grief spread with many calls from politicians and the public to take action on the guns. However, they ran into opposition from the National Rifle Association; a dominant political force. The power of NRA goes inside politics of America’s gun debate. The documentary on the history of the National Rifle Association pushed a common media myth that gun organizations always win and told a story of how the NRA was responsible for several occurrences. The power of the NRA documentary covered its history from when the group became politicized following the mass shooting at Sandy Hook School. The group’s influence on gun legislation is credited to a theory that politicians that oppose this NRA will not win when running for reelection. The president of the United States was at his desk on the day of the Newton shootings and that evening he informed aides in the Oval office that he would prioritize the passing of the gun legislation in his second term. The power of the NRA is a documentary that covered the history of the NRA since when the group became politicized through legislative efforts. According to the documentary narrator, NRA was a decisive fact in Al Gore’s defeat. The NRA came out of the Sandy Hook shootings stronger than ever by the failure of the United States Senate to approve background legislation following a mass shooting after the NRA opposition. The documentary ignores several state level losses that the NRA experienced after the months following the Sandy Hook’s shooting. On Election Day in 2014, Washington voters passed a ballot initiative to increase background checks on all gun sales. Also, the NRA experienced losses on federal level while Dr.Vivek was confirmed in spite of the NRA’s campaign that included a promise to score votes in the favor of Murthy for 2016s election scorecard. The documentary is a balanced view of the NRA’s defeat of federal gun bills in 2013 and 1999. Some footage is not for the weak especially the slaughter at Sandy Hook. There is some candid commentary coming from pro-gun advocates such as Larry Pratt and some complaints from Joe, the vice president. None of the NRA leadership would agree to be interviewed though they had nothing to fear. The program follows an NRA transformation that is devoted to sport shooting and hunting to one focused on beating back gun control in Washington. Gunned down does not explain how the shift in message and direction became so successful given that the demographics and geography of the membership had not changed. One of the critical moments in the NRA’s rise to power lobbying was its decisive role in the electoral victory of George Bush. The story is based on post-election statements by Clinton saying that Gore lost due to NRA voters in Arkansas and Ohio (Anderson 1996). Most of the people in NRA membership live in border and southern states, and most of the candidates are strong south of the Mason-Dixon Line (Feldman 2008). The documentary does not cover a shift in the gun-control landscape that occurred recently. Most towns claim an estimate of 2.5 million supporters that are not bad for an organization that began operation after Sandy Hook (Moore 2001). It is not easy for the gun lobby to be able to paint the production as another form of how liberal Medias scorn the gun value (Winkler 2013). This well-done and enlightening documentary offers an insightful overview of the disciples and patriots in an organization who have won individually in Washington (Bielefeld 1997). Their big campaign contributions help lower the legislation providing for control of guns and regulation. Following the shootings, there was a public demand that something should be done concerning gun control. Regardless of the criticism, NRA held their ground and a part of the gun control legislation was defeated (Spitzer 2009). NRA’s reaction to Sandy Hook’s shootings was to admit grief over the demise of 20 kids and suggest the need for increased guns so as to protect America’s children (Putnam et al.2012). What came out clearly to NRA’s critics and supporters is that the NRA can shoot down the modest gun control legislation (Smith 2012). In the awakening of the shootings at Sandy Hook, Obama’s administration avoided the gun issue and asked Congress to shut down the slow gun loophole that clears gun show purchasers from background checks faced by people who get weapons at gun shops (Witte & Nichols 2011). The major focus of gunned down is tracking how NRA achieved the kind of influence and power it has in less than forty years. NRA declined participation in Gunned down, and it sees it as an anti-gun production (Micklethwait & Wooldridge 2005). The NRA cannot get an admiring assessment of the effectiveness of using its political skills. The documentary is also an outright hit, but it is important of the nation’s gun lobby while being sympathetic to the cause gun control (Chubb & Peterson 1985). The most appropriate argument for the need to carry a gun for self-defense was shown in the murder of a French police officer and his reward for serving his country was a bullet through his head without the ability to defend him (McKay 2009). If people do not stand up for their right to carry self-defense weapons, then the country might end up in that direction. It is important that citizens elect a pro-gun president in the net elections. In conclusion, the gun is a freedom symbol and the only thing that keeps a bad government from taking over. However, for NRA, the gun was not a political issue, but it represented something for hunters. The NRA as a safety organization helps people teach their friends and children on how to store, keep and use firearms safely. NRA’s political support is a conservative Republican group who gives the money and pay for all political battles. Fear is a great motivator for American politics, and when the level of anxiety is high, groups that represent such issues perform well (Samuel 2012). The NRA is patient, and its membership is all about guns. The NRA does not rely on voters but a few Republicans. The NRA will not get an admiring assessment of its political skills or effectiveness in their use. REFERENCES Samuel, L. R. (2012). The American Dream: A Cultural History. Syracuse University Press. McKay, D. (2009). American politics and society. John Wiley & Sons. Micklethwait, J., & Wooldridge, A. (2005). The right nation: Why America is different. Penguin UK. Witte, J., & Nichols, J. A. (2011). Religion and the American constitutional experiment (pp. 170-73). Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Putnam, R. D., Campbell, D. E., & Garrett, S. R. (2012). American grace: How religion divides and unites us. Simon and Schuster. Chubb, J. E., & Peterson, P. E. (1985). The New direction in American politics (pp. 273-306). Brookings Institution. Smith, H. (2012). Who stole the American dream?. Random House Incorporated. Anderson, J. (1996). Inside the NRA: Armed and dangerous : an exposé. Beverly Hills, CA: Dove Books. Bijlefeld, M. (1997). The gun control debate: A documentary history. Westport, Conn. [u.a.: G Spitzer, R. J. (2009). Gun control: A documentary and reference guide. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press.reenwood Press. Feldman, R. (2008). Ricochet: Confessions of a gun lobbyist. Hoboken, N.J: John Wiley & Sons. Winkler, A. (2013). Gunfight: The battle over the right to bear arms in America. New York: Moore, J. (2001). Very special agents: The inside story of America's most controversial law enforcement agency--the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms. Urbana, Ill. [u.a.: Univ. of Illinois Press.W.W. Norton & Co. Read More