[Uncle Billy]

Identifying one's self as pro-gun immediately implies an alliance with the NRA in the minds of almost everyone who gets that news. Along with the NRA comes some far-right politicians who bring all their politics along, most of which have zilch to do with gun rights. This defines the NRA as an advocate of all of Conservative and far-right politics including those well beyond just gun rights. While the NRA has done a lot to protect and support our rights, it has tainted its message and thus tainted open support for gun rights in general with this unnecessary and unfortunate alliance with politics and perspectives that unnecessarily limit its appeal, and which an increasing number of citizens are abandoning.

In short, it is impossible to speak in favor of gun rights or even to identify positively with guns in general without simultaneously and unavoidably associating one's self with all of Conservative and further right wing politics and perspectives, an unavoidable marriage created by the NRA, one that thanks to the NRA's powerful voice and visibility doesn't need mention of the NRA to have effect. I don't blame WWP for avoiding that, its agenda has nothing to do with the politics of guns or is it limited to the politics or perspectives of the right that openly and positively attaching itself to guns would imply. This earns them my support, since their mission is one I believe in, and it's clearly the totality of what they are about.

This and other indications of the evolution of attitudes toward the positive aspects of gun ownership and use (self protection, the healthy and philosophically consistent aspects of hunting one's meat, for examples) are growing beyond the out-of-date assumption that being pro-gun is identical with having pro-right or pro-Conservative perspectives.