I question that as well, but it's also been pretty much debunked. The biggest 'arms manufacturer' donations to the NRA actually come from Midway, which is a retailer, not a manufacturer, and their donations aren't actually from Midway, but donations solicited from users at the end of each sale. If you purchase from Midway, they invite you to donate the 'roundup' to the NRA; if your purchase is $19.50, they'll ask if you want to round it up to an even $20, with the remainder earmarked as an NRA donation.
For the record, I'm not an NRA or NRA-ILA member, though I am a member of the Second Amendment Foundation.
That said, even if we accept that they are in the pockets of arms manufacturers, I don't really see that as being too bad a thing. Arms manufacturers don't have the same degree of exploitative control over their users as, say, telecoms, or software manufacturers.
For the most part, the interests of the manufacturers and gun owners are much more closely aligned than how you find it in the IT arena.
For one, arms manufacturers don't want their name tarnished whenever a nut uses one of their arms to commit mass murder, as well as the headache that inevitably ensues.
That isn't to suggest that they're perfectly aligned of course, but definitely moreso than what we're used to seeing.
For the record, I'm not an NRA or NRA-ILA member, though I am a member of the Second Amendment Foundation.
That said, even if we accept that they are in the pockets of arms manufacturers, I don't really see that as being too bad a thing. Arms manufacturers don't have the same degree of exploitative control over their users as, say, telecoms, or software manufacturers.
For the most part, the interests of the manufacturers and gun owners are much more closely aligned than how you find it in the IT arena.
For one, arms manufacturers don't want their name tarnished whenever a nut uses one of their arms to commit mass murder, as well as the headache that inevitably ensues.
That isn't to suggest that they're perfectly aligned of course, but definitely moreso than what we're used to seeing.