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The NRA, says Prescott, misrepresents its members, "most of whom do not support or condone pigeon shoots."
Pennsylvania allows lobbyists to call legislators off the floor to discuss legislation. NRA lobbyists and their PACs have been vigorous in "explaining" the consequences of a legislator who opposes the NRA philosophy--and in backing it up with campaign contributions. During the 2010 election year, the NRA Political Victory Fund donated $4,500 in direct contributions and $389,696.85 in in-kind contributions to Republican Tom Corbett, who would be elected governor.
But the NRA and its allies are now on the defensive, after taking hits by the public for their unyielding stand in support of the right of owning assault weapons with 100-round magazines, for which no hunter or target shooter has any need. Somehow, in a collective mind with scrambled brain cells, the NRA leadership is unable to distinguish between legitimate hunting and animal cruelty.
In Pennsylvania, the NRA is making a stand. Associating with just about the friendliest state for what it claims is "gun rights," the NRA has dug in; it knows that if the state bans pigeon shoots, NRA influence will diminish. And so, it continues to pump out fear-mongering press releases, lobbies hard, and freely spreads what is known as the "mother's milk of politics," all to a group of legislators too afraid to oppose what they think is NRA strength.
This week, we see two conflicting scenes.
There are no cowards in the Olympics.
But there sure are enough in Wing Pointe and the Pennsylvania legislature.
[For the past 25 years, Walter Brasch has been covering pigeon shoots and the campaign to ban them as an inhumane practice. Dr. Brasch was recently honored with a lifetime achievement award by the Pennsylvania Press Club. His latest book is the critically-acclaimed social issues novel, Before the First Snow, that discusses animal rights and issues.]
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