One organization that has not shied away from controversy is the National Rifle Association (NRA). The media saw that name come up time and time again, especially during the Trump presidency. Just as well as any other organization, the NRA plays on its consumer in hopes of raising funds and increasing sales. This tactic, though, is hidden by a facade of promised truth and transparency that the right so often guarantees. But this genuine honesty is too good to be true, isn’t it?

While the right wing has often championed exclusionary policies and beliefs, the NRA website somehow decided to completely omit that behavior and encourage people from a wide variety of interests to join: “Whether you are a hunter, competitor, collector, or just a gun enthusiast, you can revel in your passion and discover new interests through the NRA” (National Rifle Association). This new-found sense of inclusion is definitely worth while when it comes to getting as many donations!

After the NRA wins over some people with seeming inclusion, the next move is to secure members through throwing out lots of statistics and dates; if there are lots of big numbers, then the organization must be for a good cause, right? In just 14 short paragraphs in the “A Brief History of the NRA” section, about 17 dates or years and 13 staggering statistics are thrown at the reader. That doesn’t even include any of the historically significantly people they name, or even the NRA’s involvement in some historical events. It’s a lot of information in a little bit of space.

If I’m being honest, I thought the NRA would play on some of the more ridiculous arguments it has made in the past. While I have my own preconceptions about the association, they at the very least know how to play a person. To be fair, if I saw anything other than indisputable facts, I’d be even quicker to be wary about the organization. It’s obvious that the NRA is trying to use such a strong appeal to logic because numbers are all that are really available; when guns are the cause of thousands of deaths annuals, you can’t make much of an emotional or personal argument. That being said, the NRA does often appeal to “core American values”. Family, tradition, and, of course, freedom are some of the values that the NRA prides itself on seemingly exhibiting. For many, that is as personal of an appeal as you can get.

That being said, even a website like this has some faults. I could not find some evident fallacies, but one way the NRA is able to get some members is by offering a “free gift” that you get to pick. Of course, you only receive this gift after singing up and paying for at least a year-long membership but, hey, at least you get a free knife right? Or, you can pay $1,500 for a life-long membership and receive a cool jacket (you can either pay up front or pay $50 down and then 58 MONTHLY PAYMENTS OF $25)!

I don’t doubt that the NRA hasn’t been successful with its tactics; it is so politically influential for a reason. Still, it was interesting to think about how some of these tactics end up working.