The N.R.A. can kiss the butt of my 16-guage shotgun

On November 20 I wrote about the early December expiration of the law banning plastic guns and speculated on the N.R.A.’s position on extending that law.  I will now explain why the N.R.A. is so powerful, even though many of its policies are opposed by an overwhelmingly majority of Americans.

It all has to do with the concept of “intensity.”  In public opinion studies intensity is the term given to how strongly people feel about a particular issue.  The first thing to realize is that a small portion of the public is not even aware of many issues.  How many people can tell you much about milk price supports, or nuclear waste storage at Yucca Mountain, or the Citizens United decision, or the Delaware loophole?  On that type of issue small groups with good lobbyists and some targeted campaign contributions can exert disproportionate influence.  They have “intensity,” while the rest of the public couldn’t care less.

On some issues, of course, intense groups exist on both sides of the issue.  Anti-abortion groups are somewhat balanced by people who feel strongly that abortion should be a matter between a woman and her doctor.  As long as there is a large cushion of people in the middle of an issue, democracy can handle that kind of intensity. 
When the country becomes too polarized, however, democracy breaks down.  (30% think slavery is necessary, 20% doesn’t care, and 50% thinks slavery is an evil to be ended--well, you know what happened in 1861.)

Now let’s look at the N.R.A.  Most people think you should have background checks for anyone purchasing an assault rifle.  They think assault rifle owners should register their firearms.  They don’t understand why assault rifles, which you can’t use to hunt anything except people, should even be allowed.

But they don’t feel any intensity.  They don’t have any equivalent bumper stickers to counter “The only way you’ll take my gun is from my cold dead fingers” or “Gun control is sighting with both hands.”  

N.R.A. members write letters.  They vote on one issue only.  They give money for campaign contributions.  They are vocal.  They are intense.  And they win.

As an opponent of the N.R.A., I have also become intense.  When some N.R.A. member tells me Obama wants to take his guns, I’m going to tell him he is an ass who is playing into the hands of arms manufacturers.  When somebody tells me about the 2nd amendment, I will point out the words “well regulated.”  And I will note that I, too, have a shotgun, and I, too, know how to use it.  I’m really getting tired of the crap pedaled by the N.R.A.