NRA Blasts ‘Ludicrous’ Effort by San Francisco to Label Them as ‘Terrorists’
The National Rifle Association is blasting the San Francisco Board of Supervisors for passing a unanimous resolution labeling the National Rifle Association as a "domestic terrorist organization."
The liberal city is claiming the gun advocacy group "incited gun owners to acts of violence."
The NRA responded releasing a statement calling the resolution a "ludicrous stunt," according to multiple media outlets.
"This ludicrous stunt by the Board of Supervisors is an effort to distract from the real problems facing San Francisco, such as rampant homelessness, drug abuse, and skyrocketing petty crime, to name a few," the statement said. "The NRA will continue working to protect the constitutional rights of all freedom-loving Americans."
The San Francisco board also proposed the city review all its relationships with companies that do business with the organization.
The resolution offers no evidence in its attempt to blame the NRA for acts of gun violence, like the shooting in July that killed three people at the Gilroy Garlic Festival in Gilroy, CA.
"The National Rifle Association musters its considerable wealth and organizational strength to promote gun ownership and incite gun owners to acts of violence," the resolution claims.
District Two Supervisor Catherine Stefani introduced the resolution after the Gilroy shooting.
"The NRA exists to spread disinformation and knowingly puts weapons in the hands of those who would harm and terrorize us by blocking common-sense gun violence prevention legislation," Stefani told the San Francisco Chronicle.
Reason.com's Jacob Sullum says Stefani is clearly being irrational.
"She is arguing that anyone who disagrees with her about gun control should be treated as a pariah and a murderous criminal, on par with members of the Ku Klux Klan," he wrote in an article posted to the website Wednesday.
Resolutions by the board are not enforceable and not considered law but are only symbolic.
The NRA also posted a video with a response to the resolution, featuring part of a speech given by CEO Wayne LaPierre in front of the NRA's Leadership Forum during their annual convention last April.
"Let's give them a real clear view on who we all are: How many police officers do we have here today? Please stand up. Anyone who works in healthcare, in any way, anyone who works in education, if you work in manufacturing, construction, if you work in a trade — maybe a plumber — and how about stay-at-home moms? If you own your own business? Firefighters out there, if you're in the military or a vet, if you obey the law, stand up and be recognized as Americans," LaPierre told the audience.
"I want all the media to look around this room right now and see us for the American people that we truly are. We are law-abiding Americans who believe liberty is a blessing," he continued. "We love our country. I promise you we're never going to stop fighting for your right and folks just like you all over America that have the right to defend themselves. So, we're not going to give up or apologize that in a dangerous world, the Second Amendment is often all we have. Every one of these Americans are what we're about."
