I see a lot of discussion on this board and my own politics board about the NRA.

I feel blaming the NRA is like blaming the boogie man.

Gun violence in this country is OUR fault, not the NRA's fault. It's too convenient to always blame someone else, rather than to blame ourselves.

We need to stop pointing our finger at the NRA and blaming them for this nation's gun violence; we need to start taking responsibility for own inaction. The real culprit is ourselves for failing to enact strict gun control laws, and for not holding our elected representatives accountable.

If we can make it illegal for people under 18 to drink, and make it illegal for people under 18 to smoke, and make it illegal for people under 18 to have sex -- then we should make it illegal for people under 18 to own or shoot a gun -- even a toy gun. Did you get that last phrase?! DO NOT BUY TOY GUNS FOR YOUR 5-YEAR-OLD TO PLAY WITH! We need to create a new culture that does not worship guns.

If your elected representative does not vote for gun control, then you need to vote the bum out of office! And tell everyone you know to also vote them out of office.

I thnk the NRA deserves some blame. They've made it their mission to frustrate every effort to control gun proliferation. Their official position is that we can't have too many guns, the more the better.

I agree with both of you and would like to add that in the US society in general is encouraged to be violent.
Start with the death penalty, move on to assassinations (Bin Laden, for example) , drones massacring civilians and so on. Officially sanctioned/promoted violence. Gun controls alone will change little until this shyte is addressed, but one has to start somewhere if one is to finish.

While I'm one who believes the 2d Amendment is largely misinterpreted, I'm not diminishing the role of US culture generally ~ but I think the NRA plays a VERY BIG role in that culture, along with some newer extremist groups like Gunowners of America ~ if you haven't done so, I posted an excellent "early history" of the NRA a couple of days ago ~ it's beginnings were laudable ~ but it's original ideology has morphed into being a tool for the weapons manufacturers because of $$$ ~ and the mindset of today's NRA honchos has warped itself into being one of the largest purveyors of false fears to justify more/bigger weapons and looser laws to allow anyone to own/use any weapon for virtually any reason ~ I personally see that as extremely dangerous and an enormous disservice to the general public ~

Sooz