By Dave Workman
Senior Editor
The newly-formed American Rifle and Pistol Association (ARPA) officially launches on July 4, but skeptics are already coming out of the woodwork, questioning whether this organization will soon be revealed as a front group for Democrats to split the gun vote during the 2014 mid-term elections.
There is some speculation that ARPA – which bills itself as “R + P” – is a new version of the now-defunct American Hunters and Shooters Association (AHSA. That group turned out to be a something of a shill, quickly endorsing Barack Obama for president in his first run, and then disappearing from the political landscape after he was in office.
Skepticism is already being shown by the Truth About Guns and the Shall Not Be Questioned (former Snowflakes in Hell) websites. The latter already suggests that ARPA is “the latest not-really-pro-gun group.”
Washington Whispers noted that the Texas-based group “hopes to set itself apart by being more focused on members” than the National Rifle Association. This is reminiscent of how AHSA introduced itself five years ago.
“None of the members of the leadership team are representatives, agents, or employees of the firearms manufacturing industry in any way; nor do they claim to be firearms experts of any kind; nor are they law enforcement personnel, politicians, or firearms industry lobbyists,” the group’s website candidly acknowledges.
TGM attempted to reach a spokesman for the group, but did not receive a response.
ARPA also claims to have been “specifically created to offer a truly member-centric deliberative forum and educational portal for innovative ideas regarding SANE™ gun ownership and SANE™ firearms management. SANE™ is R+P’s acronym which represents Safety first and foremost, Advocacy on behalf of its membership (not the firearms industry), the Social Networking of its members, and Education via a wealth of informational resources, available to all Americans, gun owners and non-gun owners alike.”
In its statement of principles, ARPA says that it “seeks to work with state and local governments to help establish effective training and licensing programs designed to increase public safety while protecting eligible citizens’ rights to keep and bear arms.”
ARPA CEO Waylan Johnson was quoted by Washington Whispers stating, “The NRA represents the firearms industry. There’s not a lot of membership input.”
This is a claim often repeated by the gun prohibition lobby.
