The Left Fires a Counter-Volley

IF there’s one political group every American knows, and maybe fears a little, it’s the National Rifle Association. As the Supreme Court gears up to hear arguments on the Second Amendment’s meaning-in the context of the District of Columbia’s firearm laws, which virtually ban handguns and require that long guns be “unloaded and disassembled or locked”-anyone on the street could tell you where the organization stands.

The NRA is known for pushing legislation and influencing elections, but few would be surprised to learn that it has funded research as well. In early 2003, it pledged $1 million for a Second Amendment professorship at George Mason University. It received $80 million in membership fees alone in 2004, and even some experts on the “anti” side say they’re outgunned when it comes to influencing the courts.

About the Author

Robert VerBruggen

Robert VerBruggen is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute.

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IF there’s one political group every American knows, and maybe fears a little, it’s the National Rifle Association. As the Supreme Court gears up to hear arguments on the Second Amendment’s meaning-in the context of the District of Columbia’s firearm laws, which virtually ban handguns and require that long guns be “unloaded and disassembled or locked”-anyone on the street could tell you where the organization stands.

The NRA is known for pushing legislation and influencing elections, but few would be surprised to learn that it has funded research as well. In early 2003, it pledged $1 million for a Second Amendment professorship at George Mason University. It received $80 million in membership fees alone in 2004, and even some experts on the “anti” side say they’re outgunned when it comes to influencing the courts.