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SNIP
Groups fill NRA void in gun rights movement
By GREG BLUESTEIN (AP)
ATLANTA — The gun rights movement may have more momentum now than ever, but the groups behind it aren't all united.
Many are grass-roots organizations formed in the last few years because the powerful National Rifle Association was too busy, or too big, to help fight city and statewide gun laws. The constellation of smaller splinter groups are more aggressive and will play a leading role in hashing out the scope of the Supreme Court's latest ruling supporting gun rights, in part by filing lawsuits at the local level.
. . .
One of the most influential upstarts is Opencarry.org, which this year led a high-profile campaign to urge Starbucks and other retailers to allow gun owners to carry their weapons openly within the stores. The NRA never endorsed the campaign.
"The NRA has, by necessity, had to focus the vast majority of their resources over the last few decades at the federal level," said John Pierce, who co-founded OpenCarry.org in 2004. "They're focused on general gun rights, what we can do to protect the most gun owners."
The NRA's Arulanandam said the organization has fought for the right to carry concealed weapons — although some critics say the group isn't doing enough. It has also helped push legislation across the country that requires officials to issue firearms permits to people who meet requirements, stripping them of discretion. The NRA also supports pre-emptive legislation that reaffirms Second Amendment rights.
The group showed its influence last month when NRA lobbyists persuaded the Democratic-controlled House to exempt it and other large interest groups from identifying top donors.
"On any given day, the NRA is the only entity that is fighting at every possible level — the legal level, the international level, the federal level and the state and local government level. Our challenges are multiple because we're active on multiple playing fields," Arulanandam said.
___
Online:
http://www.nra.org
http://www.opencarry.org
http://www.wisconsincarry.org/
http://www.georgiacarry.org
http://www.vcdl.org
SNIP
Groups fill NRA void in gun rights movement
By GREG BLUESTEIN (AP)
ATLANTA — The gun rights movement may have more momentum now than ever, but the groups behind it aren't all united.
Many are grass-roots organizations formed in the last few years because the powerful National Rifle Association was too busy, or too big, to help fight city and statewide gun laws. The constellation of smaller splinter groups are more aggressive and will play a leading role in hashing out the scope of the Supreme Court's latest ruling supporting gun rights, in part by filing lawsuits at the local level.
. . .
One of the most influential upstarts is Opencarry.org, which this year led a high-profile campaign to urge Starbucks and other retailers to allow gun owners to carry their weapons openly within the stores. The NRA never endorsed the campaign.
"The NRA has, by necessity, had to focus the vast majority of their resources over the last few decades at the federal level," said John Pierce, who co-founded OpenCarry.org in 2004. "They're focused on general gun rights, what we can do to protect the most gun owners."
The NRA's Arulanandam said the organization has fought for the right to carry concealed weapons — although some critics say the group isn't doing enough. It has also helped push legislation across the country that requires officials to issue firearms permits to people who meet requirements, stripping them of discretion. The NRA also supports pre-emptive legislation that reaffirms Second Amendment rights.
The group showed its influence last month when NRA lobbyists persuaded the Democratic-controlled House to exempt it and other large interest groups from identifying top donors.
"On any given day, the NRA is the only entity that is fighting at every possible level — the legal level, the international level, the federal level and the state and local government level. Our challenges are multiple because we're active on multiple playing fields," Arulanandam said.
___
Online:
http://www.nra.org
http://www.opencarry.org
http://www.wisconsincarry.org/
http://www.georgiacarry.org
http://www.vcdl.org