I don't think NRA members are bad people at all. I think they're responsible gun owners that want to become politically active and make their voices heard in this democracy.
I've been to dozens of concerts where attendees proudly wore NRA hats and t-shirts. In fact, the NRA partners with a number of artists for their NRA Country brand and puts on shows across the country every year.
Individual NRA members, black and white, are publicly questioning why the organization has virtually nothing to say about Philando Castile. Just like with background checks - which most NRA members support - the NRA is out of step with its own members.
Country lyrics often reference the NRA and firearms ownership as a way of life. Artists such as John Rich, Toby Keith, Sara Evans and others regularly play shows at the NRA Annual Meeting, which thousands of NRA members attend.
For years, I've gone on television and made the case for the Second Amendment - the right to bear arms. I've pointed out that criminals don't follow gun laws, and I've defended the NRA and its members - law-abiding gun owners like me who have nothing to do with mass shootings or violent gun crimes.
The NRA is funded by weapons manufacturers, and those same manufacturers know that they stand to lose some business if we pass common-sense gun legislation. As a result, the NRA contributes money to politicians to ensure that gun control never happens.
The true gun safety advocates, as they have been for centuries, are the millions of members of the NRA and other training organizations.
I am a gun owner and a hunter and a gun rights supporter.
At its core, our military is comprised of service members who are proud of their country and are willing to go to great lengths to protect American virtues of liberty and justice. I was one of them.
I am in support of the NRA position on gun control.
The gun dealer is not only paying these two police officers, but more importantly, the gun dealer has said he will never again sell more than one gun to a customer. This is exactly what we're trying to get the gun industry across the country to do.
Through your individual leadership, millions of gun owners across the nation made their voices heard sending an unmistakable message: stop President Barack Obama's destruction of our liberty and restore our Constitution.
When the NRA is funding your campaign and giving you, you know, millions of dollars, are you likely to pass gun legislation or support it? No, and I think that's the reason why we see members of Congress refusing to do anything.
As a lifelong sportsman, I am proud to work with our state and federal partners to make elk restoration in West Virginia a success story.
The NRA appears to have evolved into the lobby for gun and ammunition manufacturers rather than gun owners.
The NRA has become financially dependent on more and more guns being sold - especially the expensive ones. In turn, the NRA has stated that its top legislative priority is to protect gun makers by advocating for legislation that benefits them.