A case for leaving the NRA

By John Oceguera

Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2015 | 2 a.m.

I am a law-abiding gun owner. Some would even say I am gun enthusiast. And yet, this month I ended my life membership to the National Rifle Association, and I encourage other like-minded NRA members to do the same.

Deciding to speak out and become Public Enemy No. 1 of the NRA wasn’t easy, but it was necessary. I’m a father and a husband. Keeping our families safe is priority No. 1 for me.

When I first joined the NRA, the organization was focused on promoting gun safety. But today the NRA is focused on advancing an extreme political agenda, spending tens of millions of dollars to ensure Congress blocks even the most reasonable and responsible measures to keep guns out of the hands of known criminals, the mentally ill and even suspected terrorists.

The NRA may have a stranglehold on Congress, but I refuse to support this broken system. If you agree, I hope you will join me in this effort and end your NRA membership. Only by acting together can we make clear to Wayne LaPierre and the rest of the NRA leadership that it’s time to stop blocking responsible measures that can save lives.

The response I received since leaving the NRA has been varied. Comments have ranged from threats to political attacks to statements that aren’t fit to repeat in any civilized forum. But I’ve also received heartfelt thanks and notes of gratitude — including from fellow gun owners.

To be clear, I’m not giving up the guns I own, and I’m not suggesting other responsible, law-abiding gun owners be forced to give up their guns. What I support are reasonable measures that prevent dangerous people from legally buying guns. Sadly, the NRA’s strident approach has been a barrier to these common-sense reforms.

I grew up in a family of hunters and sportsmen. One of my most prized possessions is the rifle my grandmother used when she was a member of the University of Nevada rifle team. When I was in high school, I would wake up early to go duck hunting with my friends before school.

But times have changed since I was a high school student, and for the safety of our country, we can’t pretend otherwise. As a firefighter and first responder for more than 20 years, I’ve responded to dozens of gunshot victims. Both my father and a close friend took their lives with guns they probably shouldn’t have had, given their backgrounds. And just this year, there have been more than 350 mass shootings that have terrorized children, parents and communities across this country.

Enough is enough.

If other gun owners want to see any reasonable action to help curb the epidemic of gun violence in this country, then you, too, must act quickly and resign from the NRA. Together, we can bring sanity and safety back to our communities and back to our country.

John Oceguera is a Democrat and a former speaker of the Nevada Assembly who is running for the state’s 4th Congressional District seat.