The NRA built its political power through the Reagan administration. They had the platform, but were struggling financially by the 1990s. The answer to their problems? Us.
The Clinton administration made cuts to prison constructions in favor of community programs but this made the administration look soft on crime to the NRA’s growing conservative movement. The NRA’s “Let’s Build More Prisons” campaign painted Black people as criminals with weapons, encouraging a culture where prisons and increased law enforcement was needed in their eyes.
The NRA’s propaganda and lobbying pushes resulted in politicians approving the construction of more prisons in more states. There were unintended consequences such as more government debt but that was a small price to pay for criminalizing Black people.
The NRA has become a focal point of conservative politics and culture and it shows no signs of slowing down. Political candidates for 2024 are already rallying behind the NRA’s talking points and supporting NRA policies. We have to collectively organize and protest against them.
Large organizations like the NRA are heavily invested in the mass incarceration of Black people. It’s important for us to understand how certain organizations and companies operate behind the scenes on incarceration so that we know how threats to liberation are funded and why.