Singer-songwriter John Rich is one of the most well-known voices in country music, having begun his career with the band Lonestar and then joining Big Kenny to form Big & Rich. He has also produced three solo albums and has worked as a songwriter and producer for a number of other country artists. Even after achieving recognition and renown in the music world, he has never wavered in his support of the Second Amendment and the National Rifle Association. In this critical election year, Rich spoke out about the importance of our right to keep and bear arms.
"It seems like I've been an NRA member all my life, and I've learned the single greatest thing you can do as a member is to encourage other like-minded patriots to join the NRA family," Rich said in his "I Defend The 2nd" video above. "Even with the unprecedented attacks to destroy the Second Amendment and our way of life, how has the Second Amendment survived? How? Well, I'll tell you how. Freedom's greatest ally, the NRA, with inspired forethought, established the NRA Institute for Legislative Action in 1975, better known as the NRA-ILA. This brilliant establishment correctly foresaw the battles that would be coming our way which attack our Second Amendment rights."
While the National Rifle Association has been in existence for more than 150 years, for most of that time, the association focused on marksmanship training and competition shooting. In the late 19th century, when NRA was founded, nobody considered that there might be political attacks on the rights of Americans to keep and bear arms. As anti-gun legislation and political attacks on the Second Amendment mounted during the 20th century, the NRA founded ILA as a dedicated division to prevent further infringements on firearm ownership.
"The NRA-ILA is a political and lobbying arm of the National Rifle Association," Rich said. "ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. You know their work. Every election, in your NRA magazine, we receive posts on the candidates running for political office and in our voting districts. They are ranked on voting records on their firearm issues. And believe me, there can be a huge difference between some of these politicians campaigns and how they actually vote."
Throughout the country, NRA-ILA also works to enact laws that recognize the rights of law-abiding citizens to carry firearms for personal protection. This legal team also works to pass preemption bills that prevent legislative attacks on gun owners by local politicians, as well as legislation that prevents legal suits from bankrupting firearm manufacturers. But none of this work can be done without the support of gun owners across the country. NRA counts on its members to accomplish its goals, whether it's in legislative action, training, grants, competitions and more.
"You see folks, our strength is in our numbers. If you've let your membership lapse, please renew it right now and sign up your spouse and your circle of friends," Rich said. "We have a huge task coming up in this November election. It's a massive opportunity to set the country on a better path, and believe me, the outcome will affect us for generations to come. A strong NRA is needed now more than ever before, so please join us."
