Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Amanda Jones
Weaver
RHE 101
20 October 2014
Introduction
The National Rifle Association is a well-known interest group comprised of many different
moving parts. From members, to chairmen and board members, to investors, all the way up to high
profile politicians, there are numerous layers to the National Rifle Association that make it one of the
most complex and successful special interest groups in the United States today. The main
responsibility of the National Rifle Association (NRA) is to maintain the rights implied in the second
amendment and inform the public on their rights to bear arms as a United States citizen.
A Brief History
The National Rifle Association (NRA) was founded on November 17, 1871 by William
Conant Church, writer of the Army and Navy Journal, and General George Wood Wingate, a Civil
War General for the Union. The initial reason for starting the association was to advocate for better
marksmen, or shooting, training for soldiers. From there it went on to establish a need for quality
weapons for soldiers, and from there on out, it became a nationally known organization. They
became informers on guns laws and regulations that were passed. They had several high profile
members on their board, which included President Ulysses S. Grant, and a whole list of others. It
wasnt until the 1970s, however, that the NRA became heavily influential in politics, when the
Conservatives took the NRA under their wing. Since then, they have been a key piece in legislature,
and advocacy for gun rights and practices.
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Methods
I interviewed my father, Christopher Jones, a long time member of the National Rifle
Association and 25 year veteran of the United States Army; my friend, Mackenzie Paulsen, a new
member of the National Rifle Association; and did hours of field work in watching conference
videos, key note speeches, and national convention videos from years passed. The most notable
speaker was from the 2013 National Convention held in Indianapolis, Indiana, where former
Governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin, was the keynote speaker.
Results
There are several working parts of discourse community characteristics that are associated
with the National Rifle Association, so it will be clearer if they are broken down and separated. In
addition, it is important to also discuss the importance of situational literacies, which will be in its
own category, since it is now a direct characteristic.
Characteristics of a Discourse Community
The National Rifle Association is a prime example of a discourse community. The most
apparent characteristics are the lexis, the goals, the intercommunication, and the use of new and old
members.
Lexis: The National Rifle Association has a specific language in which they use to communicate with
one another, which to an outsider, may sound like they are speaking a different language all together.
They use terms that refer to the types of weapons being used, the tactics in which they plan on
passing pro gun legislature, and other terms that are used in how they regularly communicate with
each other. M4, AR15, semi automatic, fully automatic, scope, assault rifle, and other words are
common terms used in describing weapons. Targets, ranges, clay pigeons, and bulls eyes are all
things that one would hear while out on a field range. The only way to learn this lexis is to be around
these members, and to associate with those involved in the community, which could be things like
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conventions and gun stores. Unless someone is constantly immersed in this language and way of life,
it is not going to make any sense.
Goals: The main goal of the National Rifle Association is to protect the rights listed and implied in
the Second Amendment, which include the right to maintain and bear arms.
To achieve that main goal, there are a series of sub goals that have to be achieved. They have to
gain support from the public through fundraisers, they have to have increased and or maintained
membership, and they have to be successful in their lobbying efforts in government. Even beyond the
sub goals that have to be achieved, there are goals that are differentiated between the leaders of the
NRA and the members.
Leaders have goals, which include keeping their place on the board, and voicing the opinions and
goals of the members. They have to be strong, influential, and believable if they want to have their
ideas passed. Members have goals that include being able to afford the $35 a year membership fee,
being able to participate in every event that they can, getting their voices and opinions heard by the
board members, and being equally influential as everyone else.
All of these sub goals and then the sub goals underneath that all lead up to the main goal, which
as stated above, is to protect the rights listed and implied in the Second Amendment.
The reward for these members and leaders is to continue to own their firearms, and ensure that the
United States laws continue to emulate what the writers of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights
intended by writing in the Second Amendment.
Intercommunication: There is a great amount of intercommunication between members of the
National Rifle Association. This is nothing new to their tactics of keeping other informed. They have
been sending out newsletters for years to keep in touch with their members. They continue to send
out newsletters, but with the newer age of technology and social media, the ways of
intercommunication is now limitless. There are blogs, Facebook accounts, twitter pages, and fan
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clubs to name a few. Members can talk to other members and relay information quicker and more
widespread than ever. Thousands of members can be contacted and get information with just the
click of a button. It is incredible how far they have come. Newsletters, memos, emails, alerts, and
notifications are all available to the public, which may be prospective members, and also longtime
members. The ability to intercommunicate with members is endless.
New and Old Members: The National Rifle Association has many loyal, longtime members that have
been there for years, and who will continue to be there for years to come. A group will run out of old
members, eventually, which is why it is crucial to gather new members. The National Rifle
Association does an excellent job of this. They use their old members as a recruiting technique, as
my father, Christopher Jones, longtime member of the NRA, said. He has, since becoming a member
15 years ago, recruited dozens of new members, including my brother who is a new member.
Mackenzie Paulsen said that her father made her a member once she turned 18. It is often other
family members who recruit the new members. There are incentives to keep members as well. Tshirts, hats, jackets, magazines, and articles are constantly sent out to new and old members. It is all
tactics to keep and gain members. Thats how theyve managed to be so successful for so long is by
the constant increased membership.
Situational Literacies
There arent multiple literacies within the National Rifle Association, but it is important to
mention the few examples of situational literacies that can be found within the NRA.
Conventions: Every year the National Rifle Association holds a National Convention where
thousands of venders, supporters, stores, and members meet to discuss the latest in the gun world.
There are always keynote speeches, last years speech was given by former Governor of Alaska,
Sarah Palin, in Indianapolis, Indiana. These conventions are ways to further inform the community
on the goals, accomplishments, and developments within the group.
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Congressional Meetings: This section of situational literacies is the most important part. The
congressional meetings are vital in maintaining the integrity and success of the National Rifle
Association. These congressional meetings get legislation passed, make change, and further the
success of the National Rifle Association. They change current legislation, add new laws, and
increase the power of the NRA.
Rallies: These are opportunities for members to get together and rally for new legislation, where
most members cant go into congressional meetings, since theyre not congressmen and women.
They are able to voice their opinions, speak to other members, and form relationships with those who
have similar views and ideas as them. These situational literacies are vital to the continuation of the
National Rifle Association as a powerhouse in the special interest community.
Conclusion
Many often view the National Rifle Association as a large group of uneducated, gun-toting,
rednecks that dont really know much of anything, except for the fact that they like guns. Looking at
the longevity of the association, the success of their actions, their skill in remaining a powerhouse in
the government, it is clear that this is not the case. After researching the tactics, motives, and success
of the NRA, and then reiterating them in this essay, I hope to have shed a new light on the truth
behind the NRA. I hope that this encourages you to learn more about group, and get a better sense of
what they are truly about. I hope to show that the National Rifle Association is an intelligent,
successful, and powerful group that is a legitimate example of a discourse community through their
lexis, goals, intercommunication, and use of new and old members.