erely to improve the marksmanship of gun-users and to insure that guns were safely used. The founders of the organization had been shocked in their war experiences with the carelessness and lack of expertise of soldiers.
It was not until much later that the National Rifle Association turned its efforts to influencing Congress on bills that would hinder in any way the rights of citizens to own and use guns legally under the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.
As we read in Landau: " . . . By the mid-1970s, the group turned some of its energy toward ensuring that the right of law-abiding Americans to own guns would not be eroded through governmental action. It established a political action committee as well as the Institute for Legislative Action to lobby for the interests of the organization's members. A membership recruitment drive was sponsored, and within the following decade membership tripled" (Landau, 1991, p. 40).
Aside from its efforts with Congress with respect to blocking bills designed to weaken in any way the rights of citizens to bear arms, the National Rifle Association is also occupied with other activities: "Throughout the years, the NRA has spent much of its funds on offering hunter safety programs, firearms instruction for police and other law enforcement personnel, and training for U.S. shooting teams involved in international Olympic competitions. In 1989 alone, over 26,000 certified NRA instructors trained 750,000 students in shooting-sports safety. In addition, 9,818 NRA certified law enforcement instructors worked on marksmanship skills development with law enforcement officers throughout America" (Landau, 1991, p. 40).
However, by far the greatest amount of energy and funds on the part of the National Rifle Association are spent today on preventing the passage in Congress of bills which would in any way impair the rights of citizens to bear arms as insured by the Second...