National Rifle Association - NRA extremism: echo from Ocean City Maryland

My avocation of finding randomly published letters to the editor and newspaper editorials published in various newspapers has found some gems worthy of Pulitzer considerations. These opinion "finds" are blogged by me, labeled "echos", so as to share with my cyberspace readers. This particular letter to the editor was published in The Dispatch, the Ocean City Maryland newspaper 

NRA’s Extremism Appalls

I recently viewed excerpts from the Town Hall meeting, comments from NRA spokesperson Dana Loesch and comments made at CPAC, conservative organization by Wayne Lapierre, CEO of the NRA amongst others.

I find their continued statements, fostering and promoting distortion of the second amendment to the level of disgust that I must do and say something. I know that I am only one voice and may not be able to move the needle towards sane gun safety legislation, waiting periods and Federal background checks. I am a regular contributor to Republican and Democratic politicians albeit small in most cases. However, I will no longer contribute to or support those elected or running for political positions that support the NRA, are members of the NRA, or take campaign contributions from the NRA. I have instructed those managing personal investments to divest from any funds that are members of the NRA or are associated with the NRA or who promote the NRA. 

In fact, the NRA has taken extreme positions on gun ownership for all and offers no solutions or ideas to sane gun safety or background checks. The NRA organization is a very large part of the problem and is a consistent impediment in what many, maybe most voters believe in, as it pertains to gun safety, restrictions and universal background checks. 

I will pose the following questions to those running for elected positions as a condition of contributing and my vote.

1.  Are you a member of the NRA?

2.  Do you receive campaign donations from the NRA?

3.  Are you opposed to an established Federal background check system?

4.  Are you opposed to supporting limits on the availability of assault and automatic weapons?

5.  Do you support the arming of our educators?

If the answer is yes to any of these, you will not have my support, contribution or financial investment.

Yes, I am only a little part of this process, but enough is enough. It is time to get on the right side of this issue. If enough people feel this way, change will occur. I am so proud of and inspired by the student survivors of the Parkland High school slaughter. They are wise beyond their years.

Palmer Gillis,  Ocean City, Maryland