This week, the National Rifle Association is holding its four-day convention, and it has turned into an important organizing event for both the organization’s gun-owning membership, as well as groups combating gun violence — who see the annual gathering as an opportunity to urge its members to demand common sense gun reform.
Several anti-gun violence protests are planned on the margins of the NRA convention in Dallas, Texas on Saturday, including a rally led by Manuel Oliver, whose son Joaquin died in the February mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida that killed 17 people.
Other groups have organized various initiatives this week as a counterpoint to the rhetoric of the NRA convention itself, from anti-gun violence position papers to rapid response live tweets to speeches delivered at the event, including addresses from President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence.
Meanwhile, the Washington, DC-based Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence published its annual report on the NRA this week, which is timed each year to coincide with the convention.
Brady’s co-president Kris Brown spoke with Think Progress about outreach her group has planned during the convention, the goal of which, she said is the “awareness-raising of NRA members.”
Why is it important for Brady and other antigun violence groups to be active during the NRA convention? What message are you hoping to send to members there?
What I would hope is that members who agree that common sense gun reform is in the interests of all Americans will lift up their voices. Because right now the NRA is being led by individuals who will do the industry’s bidding at any cost — not the members’ bidding. That hurts us as a country, it hurts us as a society, and it hurts the average gun owner, who is a responsible gun owner.
Last I checked, most Democrats support extreme risk laws and expansion of the background check system. They are in favor of disarming criminals. Just like some brave Republicans who refuse to pander to the NRA. Stop being so obvious in your pandering. #wecallbs @Bradybuzz https://t.co/5A4T3jWerB
— Kris Brown (@KrisB_Brown) May 4, 2018
The average NRA member feels complete disgust and shock at positions that the NRA is taking, rejecting the notion that the background check system should be expanded for example, when 97 percent of Americans support expanding and protecting the background check system.
These are radical positions that the NRA is taking — not consistent with the views of the vast majority of gun owners — certainly the vast majority of gun owners that I talk to. I hope more of them will show up at this convention and ask those questions and demand some change of the leadership.
In the aftermath of the Parkland High School shooting, the US Congress voted to abandon the so-called Dickey Amendment that dated back to 1996, banning gun research financed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Can you explain why that’s significant?
The Dickey Amendment — which we have a major issue with because of its chilling effect on the CDC conducting research — was not actually styled as a complete ban. What it basically said is, they couldn’t do any advocacy with respect to any research that they conducted, which the CDC really interpreted as a prohibition because at the same time, funding that had been earmarked for gun violence prevention was zeroed out. It was removed entirely.
The lack of research on gun violence obviously sticks out like a sore thumb given the number of people impacted, both in being shot and injured, and shot and killed in this country.
There’s ample evidence from various interviews done with folks from [the Department of Health and Human Services] and the CDC that they did not touch gun violence research with a 10-foot pole because of fear of congressional retaliation. So we do applaud what Congress did in the omnibus to clarify that gun violence research was allowed. What didn’t happen there, is funding for it.
We still are very eager for legislation to be put into effect by Congress that actually provides specific funding for the CDC to do the research. They’re very far behind in this space compared to where they should be, and given the hundreds of thousands of people who are shot each year with guns and the average of 36,000 people a year who die from gun violence.
Yes, Chicago has issues with gun violence because your Vice President weakened Indiana’s laws and made it a chief exporter of crime guns to Chicago. @Bradybuzz will support candidates who support strong gun laws everywhere. #Midterms2018
— Kris Brown (@KrisB_Brown) May 4, 2018
Congressman (Jay) Dickey (R-AR) himself came back and said he wished he had never put that language in the appropriations bill. Certainly, the result has been that the CDC has not conducted any meaningful gun violence research since that rider was put into effect. And $100 million that has been designated for gun violence research was removed. All of which behind the scenes was at the behest of the NRA.
Why does the research on shooting deaths have to be done by the CDC? Are there other entities — public and private universities, for instance — who can conduct this research?
It is our government’s office focusing on research and intervention into public health problems and issues in this country. That is why they are uniquely qualified. We really need to have a massive infusion of dollars to research this issue in the way we would any other epidemic. We have an epidemic of gun violence in this country impacting hundreds of thousands of people literally, and the CDC has not conducted research in this area for more than a decade.
We’re pushing very strongly for the CDC now to move forward with research and have sent over a list of various kinds of topics that we think should be covered given the multifaceted nature of the problem. We have people in urban communities who are impacted by gun violence, who are at risk just walking down the street. We have an epidemic of suicide — a growing proportion of middle aged, white men — who are taking their own lives with guns. And we have, obviously, a rash of mass shootings involving largely teenage boys committing these crimes, and we need to have a multi-faceted approach to research.
What convinced Congress to finally vote on a measure to the end logjam over federal funding to allow research into shooting deaths and injuries in the US?
It reflects the sustained pressure from activists, particularly students and parents following the Parkland shooting. We obviously had a huge public outcry from people, frankly on both sides of the gun debate, people who were longtime NRA members taking their assault weapons and turning them in, because they’re so disgusted with the string of mass shootings that we’ve experienced and with the fact that the vast majority of Americans support these kinds of efforts.
Trump speaking about limitless right to carry guns, oh except at the convention when he is speaking. Now that is too dangerous! Just leave those guns for our schools and kids. Protect the President by removing guns and protect kids by arming teachers.#wecallBS @Bradybuzz
— Kris Brown (@KrisB_Brown) May 4, 2018
Are you encouraged that the research now will resume quickly?
With the language that was put into the omnibus, there’s nothing rationally standing in the way of the CDC to move forward with this research. The lack of research on gun violence obviously sticks out like a sore thumb given the number of people impacted, both in being shot and injured, and shot and killed in this country.
A lot of recent attention has been focused on assault rifles like the AR-15. How central are mass shootings in America’s gun violence epidemic?
Assault weapons are part of the problem here (but) mass shootings represent two percent of gun shootings in America still, despite the fact that they grab the headlines. And suicide is a key component of this. Two-thirds of all gun deaths are suicides and they’re on the rise with key demographics and populations, including the highest rate — white men who are middle aged, roughly between the ages of 40 and 65.
There are particularized kinds of approaches that can drastically reduce injuries and deaths from guns, and we’re not doing the research to help make sure that the right kind of messaging and communications are out into the public to actually save lives and reduce gun injuries and gun deaths. And that to me is a uniquely American problem with the right kinds of solutions sitting right before us if we just have the CDC focus on the research.
.@NRA's Wayne LaPierre says NRA membership is at a record high. Even if that's true, NRA membership does not outnumber the more than 90% of Americans that want stronger gun laws like universal background checks. IN FACT, many NRA members want stronger gun laws too! #NRAAM
— Brady Campaign (@Bradybuzz) May 4, 2018
It’s just that Congress — through the NRA — told them a while ago not to do it or not to publish anything that they do, so in effect the same thing, related to guns. We think that’s wrong and un-American, and people have died because they haven’t done the research that they are supposed to do.
[This interview has been edited for clarity.]