Nick Hanauer: ‘NRA supporters are bad people’
Apr 4, 2018, 6:58 AM | Updated: 6:59 am
(AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
A Progressive activist best known for demanding $15 now while paying his employees markedly less than that, has declared that “NRA supporters are bad people.” And we wonder why NRA members are so defensive?
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Nick Hanauer is a venture capitalist notably vocal on, well, anything that will get him some attention. He re-posted a CNN article to his Facebook claiming donations to the NRA tripled after Parkland. To Hanauer, he saw this as “[m]ore proof that NRA supporters are bad people.”
Hanauer should look in a mirror. This kind of hateful rhetoric explains why we see such uncivil disharmony in political discussion. I’m sure it makes him feel better than NRA members, but really, how petty can one be? And since Hanauer must not know any NRA members in that echo chamber of his, let’s quickly explain why they’re not bad people.
After Stoneman Douglas, the movement to ban weapons (some want certain guns banned, others want all guns banned) gained steam, pushed along by a willing media that supported the anti-gun message from the media-selected student spokespeople. While Hanauer may not like the Second Amendment, millions of people do. The NRA stands up for this constitutional right. I’m glad they do. When you go after the Second Amendment, we know the NRA will be there to fight for our rights. Hence, when there’s added pressure to do away with our Second Amendment rights, more people will give to the NRA. It makes perfect sense.
This happens with a whole host of issues. For example, when Republicans and President Donald Trump threatened to go after abortion, Planned Parenthood saw an increase in donations because their brand is clear: they support a pro-choice position and will fight to preserve it.
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Hanauer won’t demonize those Americans because he is pro-choice and supports Planned Parenthood. And when you’re an ideologue, you tend to be inconsistent. But this shouldn’t be a shock from someone who paid $7.25 to his workers while demanding the government raise the wage to $15.
Consistency is hard, but I’ll lead by example: you’re not a bad person if you gave money to the NRA if you believe in their cause. You’re also not a bad person if you gave money to Planned Parenthood if you believe in their cause. Real simple.