Gun lobby's scare tactics didn't work

Since the election of Barack Obama I have noticed a bit of silence from the National Rifle Association (NRA).

Perhaps that is because the NRA spent millions trying to defeat President-elect Obama and despite their efforts Obama was elected with a solid majority of the electoral and popular vote. In fact, in key battleground states like Nevada, Ohio and Pennsylvania, where the NRA spent heavily, Obama was the victor. In the year 2000, the NRA claimed that they were responsible for Al Gore losing states like Nevada and Ohio so what do they have to say now?

What is clear is that the scare tactics that the NRA used to inform voters that Obama would be the most anti- gun President in history simply didn't have an impact. Obama proved you can talk about having reasonable regulation of firearms without fear of a backlash at the ballot box. The fact of the matter is President-elect Obama is where most Americans are on the gun issue, which is supporting a person's ability to own a firearm while also supporting policies like criminal background checks on all gun sales.

Voters are tired of hearing the same old rhetoric from the NRA and the election results proved that their bark is worse than their bite.

Thomas Mannard

Executive Director

Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence