Nicholas Mulder
Government 2301
Kara Fitts
November 19 2012
The National Rifle Association
The National Rifle Association or NRA was founded and granted a charter on November 17th, 1871. The NRA was originally founded by Col. William C. Church and Gen. George Wingate to “promote and encourage rifle shooting on a scientific basis (nra.org).” The original intent and purpose of the association was to set up a rifle range and to have annual competitions. The founders hoped that the competitions would promote marksmanship among soldiers. Another facet of the organization branched out into was the creation youth programs and sporting events. New firing ranges were opened and more competitions added over the years.
The NRA created and published a magazine, The American Rifleman for members and became more politically involved. In 1934, the NRA established the Legislative Affairs Division that disseminated information to members and asked them to get involved with local and national government. The NRA was specifically interested in laws that included gun rights and the Second Amendment. The NRA established the Institute for Legislative Action, or ILA in 1975, citing a need to defend the Second Amendment from political attacks. The NRA publishes multiple magazines; the most recent addition is named America's 1st Freedom. It was created to “cater to a more mainstream audience, with less emphasis on the technicalities of firearms and a more general focus on self-defense and recreational use of firearms(nra.org).” In 1990, the NRA established the NRA Foundation. It is a tax exempt organization that raises money to educate people on proper use and safety of guns and to support educational projects. According to the NRA, the Foundation is meant to specifically “benefit a variety of American constituencies including youth, women, hunters, competitive shooters, gun