NRA
National Rifle Association. 4.3 million membership. Advocators and protectors of the Second Amendment. Sponsors safely training and marksmanship competitions. Founded by William Conant Church, George Wood Wingate and General Burnside in 1871.
Brady Campaign
Formed in 1971 and renamed in 2001 in honour of James Brady, the campaign lobbies for the gun control in the states.
The NRA website is a stylish, modern and coherent display of the organisation. The imagery used depicts the power American landscape and symbols of patriotism in the form of: the flag and the bald eagle and unsurprisingly a copious amount of guns. The website uses a subtle contrast of formal and inform to create an official impression upon the viewer. This the results in the website having authoritative and professional connotations, this effect then gives power to the organisations mandate, as people are receptive to the authority of the website and are more likely to accept the viewpoint presented.
As advocates of the Second Amendment, the NRA's view of gun control and ownership is obvious. They are rigorous campaigners for the prevention on restrictions on gun control. Members of the NRA treasure America's right to bear arms and its website is a clear indication of this. The site offers multiple information guides to what the NRA stands and what it means for the American people. It champions the careful use of firearms and sponsors courses and programs in gun safety. Sections of the site detail the opportunities for young people and how they too can celebrate the Second Amendment and wield a fireman.
Overall the site is sophisticated but at the same time all inclusive representation of the NRA's mission to continue the tradition of the right to bear arms. Men, women and children are all represented as well as various backgrounds that stretch from: family, hunting, military and political. This spectrum of inclusion creates illusions of the fundamental importance of gun ownership upon American society, it in itself becomes a symbol of Americanness, supported by the patriotic imagery that is used.
However this portrayal of the NRA is a muted version of the real life representation of the NRA. The group are a very vocal element of the pro-gun point of view, and their actions often result in controversy. This aspect of the NRA is not to be found on the website, which instead presents the more wholesome family value image. Michael Moore's 2002 documentary Bowling For Columbine, offers an outside (and biased) perspective of the NRA. In the documentary, Moore through an interview with Charlton Heston a prominent figure in the NRA, presents a mocking and disdainful perception of the NRA.
The NRA website uses non-threating, positive language and patriotic imagery to present a organisation grounded in the tradition and greatness of America. It creates a perspective that confirms American society's values and preconceptions in order to promote its message and illustrate a perception that the NRA is and the ways firearms are used in conjunction with it are devoid of the association of guns and violence. There is no mention of the multiple shooting tragedies that have occurred in America or the gun violence that is prominent in urban areas. The NRA site is a propaganda forum for the preservation of the Second Amendment that presents itself as a organisation that is devoted to the safety and non-violence enjoyment of guns.
Brady Campaign's website, like the NRA uses symbolic images and colours to associate a sense of Americanness to the charity. However there is less adornment on the Brady Campaign website, suggesting a more informative site and also illustrates its nature as a charity. The site uses facts and statistics and real life tragedies caused by gun violence to incite sympathy from its viewer. The Campaign page leans heavily on news story and headlines to create authenticity for the page, utilising shock techniques to cause a sense of responsibility for gun owners.
The overall impression of Brady Campaign's website to the NRA site indicates the imbalance in public opinion towards gun control. The NRA is a flashy website that seems more like a business site than a homepage for a organisation, whilst the Brady site relies on the power of the news and figures to impact and effect. This inequality is connected to the economical importance of gun sales as evident in this article from Forbes.com, (http://www.forbes.com/sites/frankminiter/2012/07/05/google-sadly-joins-the-anti-gun-brigade/).
In conclusion, both website illustrate the attitude towards gun ownership and the Second Amendment in American society. By comparing the two sites it becomes clear that public opinion is vastly in favour of the freedom the right to bear arms offers and conveys that despite the obvious tragedies that seemingly lax control of firearms results in, the attitude it firmly anti gun control.
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