Media Tries to Drive Wedge Between NRA Members and Leadership

It started on Saturday with this article in the Washington Post titled "The NRA’s Internal Split Over Philando Castile" that tried to paint a schism between NRA members and the organization's leadership in Fairfax over the response (or lack of) in the death of a black concealed carry permit holder earlier in the week:

After a Minnesota police officer fatally shot a black man on Wednesday, gun control advocates weren’t the only ones criticizing the National Rifle Association. Some of the blowback was coming from within the organization.

The NRA is facing internal division as its members argue that the group did not do enough to defend gun owners’ rights by speaking out on behalf of Philando Castile of Falcon Heights, Minn., who was shot to death during a traffic stop.

Castile had a valid permit to carry a gun. He also reportedly informed the officer who shot him that he was armed in an attempt to head off a misunderstanding.

By Sunday, other publications had picked up the narrative.  The "blowback" referred to was comments posted on the NRA Facebook Page.  The thing is the lack of a response was not driven by a lack of support for the rights of a lawfully carrying individual, or not wanting to support a black gun owner as race hustler Al Sharpton charged,  but following the organization's history of waiting until the investigation is completed before responding.  It's what the organization repeatedly asks for the gun ban lobby and gun ban politicians to do after high profile shootings before they call for more gun control.  It is a matter of being consistent. 

Also on Sunday, NRA News Commentator Colion Noir (an attorney by profession) released a new video commentary responding to the media’s narrative that the NRA does not care about the black community.  He opened the video commentary echoing the emotions felt by many across the country this past week:

“As I watched Philando Castile dying in that car, I watched myself die, and it evoked every emotion in my body.”

Speaking directly to the unjust critics who claimed the NRA was being racist for not immediately issuing statements, Noir goes on to say:

“as a lawyer, I’ve learned to wait for all the evidence before rushing to judgment because emotions can blind you and rob you of impartiality.”

He directly called out Russell Simmons, who previously stated Noir was just being used when NRA News gave him his own show. Noir also takes on Don Lemon for attacking the right of young black men to open carry. He cites the NRA’s long history of defending the rights of African-Americans including Shaneen Allen, Josephine Byrd and Otis McDonald, stories the media has largely ignored, adding:

“The Democratic Party invented gun control after slavery to keep guns out of the hands of black people and they haven’t stopped since. But you don’t tell that story, either.”

Noir also asks where the media was when four people died and 51 were wounded in Chicago over July 4^th weekend.

You can view the complete video below.