NRA's Wayne LaPierre on the way out

July 20, 2019: BULLETIN News Bytes 

Wayne LaPierre

Former NRA Ad Agy. Ackerman McQueen says Wayne LaPierre lies

Wayne LaPierre, head gun nut at the National Rifle Assn. (NRA), is almost as astute at lying as Donald Trump. Almost, but not quite. He has twisted facts and spewed propaganda over gun rights and for years and is responsible for the current apathy of the American public over gun violence. But he may now be caught up in a deception he can't get out of...

"At issue is multi-million-dollar litigation between the NRA and its ex-ad firm. In court filings of its own, the NRA has alleged that Oliver North, the groups's former president, was ousted in part because he withheld information from the NRA about payments he took from Ackerman McQueen, which had served as the gun rights group’s primary ad contractor until just months ago. The NRA claims North kept the nature of his deal with Ackerman McQueen a secret from LaPierre and the gun group’s leadership."

The Young Turks put the NRA in its place...

In The Daily Beast, "Ackerman McQueen alleges that LaPierre himself helped negotiate the deal between their firm and North. And they hint that they have documentation to prove it." The NRA, of course, denied everything, but, then, we know how much Wayne LaPierre lies.

The NRA and gun violence are inseparable

The NRA has suppressed facts on gun violence for years, actually since the 1990s when the organization...

"used its influence over NRA member and Arkansas Rep. Jay Dickey to insert an amendment into the federal spending bill that has effectively prevented the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from funding any research on gun violence."

Gun statistics are still hard to come by, with most information coming from private studies done by experts in the field. Because the NRA has bombarded the public with propaganda over the years, and the group repeatedly buys a cowardly Congress with contributions, we now have 393 million guns on the street, resulting in almost 40,000 deaths annually, with over 300 mass shootings in 2018. The NRA's policies are clearly the source of American gun violence.

Before his demise as NRA president, Oliver North warned of financial woes in the organization partly due to $40 million spent on legal fees. There is also the problem of corporate sponsors deserting the group because of their recent notoriety, and banks have said no to working with the NRA. It is clear that part of their financial problem is head gun nut Wayne LaPierre's salary of around $1 million. His side benefits include, according to a leaked letter...

a $39,000 one-day shopping spree for clothes in Beverly Hills, $18,300 for a car and driver while he was in Europe, and $13,800 for a summer intern's rent. The total clothing travel and other expenses were more than $542,000. He also allegedly spent more than $200,000 in air transportation in a one-month period in 2012 and 2013, part of a two-week to the Bahamas over Christmas. 

Showing how low the NRA will stoop in its propaganda, Oliver North replacement, the new president, Carolyn Meadows, said about a leading proponent for gun control in Congress, Rep. Lucia “Lucy” McBath (D-Ga.) that she only won her election because she’s a “minority female.” Great start but this just emphasizes the total sleaziness of this organization.
I have posted on the NRA over the years and actually received death threats for some of my posts. These are obviously the lowlife of the gang of gun nuts, but some members espouse reasonable gun control. Today I join with the gun control advocates who welcome the demise of the NRA. The question is will the congressional gun nuts let their treasure trove go down the tube. The coming months will be interesting.

NRA going down in flames

LaPierre-North

First, National Rifle Assn. president Oliver North asked head gun nut Wayne LaPierre to resign re. challenges surrounding the organization's fundraising and nonprofit status...

"The organization's 2016 election spending, including $36 million to help Trump, has prompted regulators in its charter base of New York state to threaten to investigate its nonprofit status."

And then Oliver North resigned from the NRA in the midst of what he described “a clear crisis,” all of this during the organization’s annual conference in Indianapolis. In addition, "Maria Butina, the Russian operative who used her NRA activism to illegally infiltrate American conservative circles, was sentenced to 18 months in prison." And, apparently North confronted LaPierre with threatening information about the long-time gun lobby chief.

No matter what the reasons, gun control advocates are having a field day in their celebrations of the demise of a group that has spawned non-stop gun violence during the tenure of Wayne LaPierre. The NRA has been at odds with law enforcement for years over its nonprofit status, and its contributions to lawmakers and presidents. But the gang of gun huggers has been protected by a cowardly Congress afraid of losing the NRA's donations.

It was reported that Oliver North "created a committee to investigate alleged financial improprieties at the NRA." Then another report said...

"that a civil complaint in Virginia filed earlier this month and amended Wednesday claims that North has been receiving income from advertising firm Maria Butina while it has been under contract with NRATV to produce a documentary series."

And then if was discovered that Ackerman McQueen "was sued by the NRA earlier this month over allegations that it was deliberately concealing details about how it was spending millions of dollars received by the group." LaPierre has also claimed that North is just in it for the money, which is interesting considering the head gun nut has made a fortune as CEO of the NRA.

In the meantime, 39,773 Americans were killed by guns in 2017; the NRA spent $9.7 million in 2018 to defend Republicans’ complete control of Washington; there are between 280,000 and 520,000 bump stocks in circulation. Check The Trace for more on gun violence. I rest my case against the NRA and Wayne LaPierre.

Please give me your COMMENTS on this issue.

Did Democrats abandon gun control?

Where's the action today?

I just received a letter from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, accompanied by a survey of issues that I think are priority for Democrats. Not one mention of gun control. Of course they asked for a contribution, which they won't get from this family until they address that issue aggressively. Now, I do also believe in the other issues like Medicare/Social Security, healthcare, climate change and the minimum wage, to name a few, but completely ignoring gun control?

You need to watch for my blog post on Monday about the demise of the National Rifle Assn. and its head gun nut Wayne LaPierre, and president, Oliver North. The title is "NRA going down in flames," and reports on how the organization is imploding right in the middle of its annual convention in Indianapolis. It couldn't happen to a better bunch of freaks, and gun control advocates look forward to the day this group of gun violence perpetrators is out of business.

But the above is no thanks to the Democrats' efforts to control gun violence. The NRA's downfall stems primarily from infighting between Wayne LaPierre and Oliver North, plus its huge contributions to Congress and presidents when its non-profit status basically says no. On another note, a Bernie Sanders volunteer called me recently asking for a contribution and, having been a strong supporter in 2016, I told him not until his man got more aggressive on gun control.

There were well over 300 mass shootings in 2018, with that year the worst on record for gun violence in schools. You would think these statistics would give a clue to even the most dullard of Congress. Yet Democrats proudly announced in February that they were no longer afraid of the gun control issue. This is only April and we've yet to hear anything about this controversy being included in the 2020 platform.

I can only hope there are more like me out there that will remain reluctant until gun control is aggressively addressed.

LATE BREAKING: NY Atty. General investigating Nat'l Rifle Assn.

It was announced just hours ago that New York Attorney General Letitia James has launched an investigation into the National Rifle Association. The IRS has been on the edge for years questioning how the organization has made contributions in the millions to Congress and presidents in its non-profit status. One must assume the IRS didn't move because no one, namely a cowardly Congress, didn't act on the matter.

Subpoenas have been issued to members of the NRA, as well as several businesses connected with the gun rights group. It follows the dumping of current president Oliver North by the NRA in the middle of their annual convention in Indianapolis. And that was right after North tried to fire head gun nut, Wayne LaPierre. The wheels are coming off at the nation's largest gun lobby, which will prompt dancing in the streets by gun control advocates.

I'll have a post on Monday, "NRA going down in flames," I hope you will read describing the fiasco going on in this club that is responsible for most of the gun violence in this country. Please give me your comments on what is happening to the NRA and your feelings on this issue.

Oliver North joins Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick with his gun stupidity

OK Corral at your nearest school

It was Oliver North who said earlier...

"the 'disease' causing such rampages is not firearms but 'youngsters who are steeped in a culture of violence' and who have “been drugged in many cases.”

This quote from an earlier post launched North's new career as President of the National Rifle Assn. (NRA), confirming that the NRA's head, Wayne LaPierre, got his brainwashing completed early. Ollie is crammed with enough gun rights bullshit propaganda to last...well, that is something to be determined by the current gun control movement. Actually, he narrowed it down in The Daily Beast article quoted to Ritalin...

“If you look at what has happened to the young people, many of these young boys have been on Ritalin since they were in kindergarten,” North said. “I am certainly not a doctor, I’m a Marine, but I can see those kinds of things happening,”

When I was in the Navy, we called Marines "jarheads," so one would have to assume here that someone unscrewed Oliver North's lid and let all of his brains out. And then the Texas Lt. Governor, Dan Patrick (R) last Sunday, following the latest mass shooting killing 10 in his state, with a vague reference to the 2nd Amendment, stating that, “our teachers are part of that well-run militia,” as if our forefathers had meant all the time that teachers should be armed. School massacres are the focus now but in the NRA's mind everyone should be armed. In other words, create a police state.

I live in Arizona, a few miles from the famous city where the gunfight at OK Corral happened in 1881. They have reenactments of the event three times daily, and gun nuts from the top down, starting with NRA head, Wayne LaPierre, should be required to come and view something that although representing an historical moment, also illustrates the potential mayhem of arming everyone for protection. I have relied on a police force to protect me locally and U.S. troops to do it internationally for 85 years and it has worked well. What doesn't work is leadership like we have today.

Oliver North just completed extensive NRA training

Oliver North-NRA's new propaganda master

One would expect no more from Oliver North, recently elected head of the National Rifle Assn., and true to the cause as dictated by NRA head, Wayne LaPierre, than to blame everything but guns on the Santa Fe, Texas massacre of 8 students and 2 teachers. This gun nut actually dismisses "the role of guns in a spate of recent high school shootings." North's words...

"the 'disease' causing such rampages is not firearms but 'youngsters who are steeped in a culture of violence' and who have “been drugged in many cases.”

Can you believe this idiot? The recent mass killings of students, according to North, are caused by everything but the guns used to commit the mayhem; guns, in this case, which were owned by his father and available to the shooter, Dimitrios Pagourtzis, because the father didn't secure them. Even if he had, Pagourtzis could have easily obtained one under the lax gun laws in Texas. And I don't remember the shooter being on drugs. What did happen, apparently, is bullying of this young man, but it takes some other contributing factor to make him resort to this kind of gun violence.

As has been the case in all the school bloodbaths, the availability of the weapons has been a key component in the carrying out of the shooter's mission. And the flags that are raised by most of the killers, like Pagourtzis wearing a black t-shirt with the inscription "Born to Kill." It isn't cute, nor something to snicker about; it is a serious statement that is a prediction of what that person might do. In this case, he did it. Didn't his parents see him in this shirt, or the students at Santa Fe High? We have become entirely too apathetic over these things, which only encourages the next incident.