If you’ve been on social media much in the past few days, you’ve probably heard that Mr. Colion Noir has joined the NRA as a contributor. For those of you who missed it, the promo video is below. The video is very well done, and does a great job of highlighting exactly why the NRA asked Colion to join their team.
If you follow Monderno, especially on Facebook, you probably know that Colion is a good friend of mine. If I told you that him joining the NRA was a surprise to me, I wouldn’t be telling you the truth. For quite some time now I have been looking forward to this news getting out. To see why, let’s start by examining what this means for the NRA.
What This Means for the NRA
The United States, gun control, and the NRA are all at a critical impasse right now. Our right to keep and bear arms is under attack in ways that we have never seen before, and at all political levels.
Given the unprecedented political timing, I honestly believe that hiring Colion Noir is best move the NRA has made in a very long time, and perhaps ever. Here’s why.
First, the obvious. If you’ve spent any amount of time watching Colion’s videos, you’ve no doubt picked up on the fact that he’s an intelligent, funny, well-spoken young guy. If you didn’t stereotype the way he dresses (which I give him grief about all the time…ask to see his Louis Vuitton man bag sometime), then his “Urban Gun Enthusiast” moniker should have tipped you off to the fact that he’s also an urbanite.
Young, cool, urban…this ain’t your daddy’s NRA. And you know what? That’s exactly what the NRA needs to reach a younger generation.
Reaching Gun Owners
There are a lot of gun owners in the U.S. – some estimates say around 80 million adults own a firearm. The NRA has around 4.5 million members, and is the longest standing Civil Rights organization in the U.S., but do the math. Roughly 75 million adults own one or more firearms, but do not belong to the NRA.
Clearly the NRA isn’t reaching them, and I believe a big reason why is that there’s a culture shift going on in the firearms community.
Call it Gun Culture 2.0, 3.0, 3.1.7.9182…call it whatever you want, but the next generation of gun owners looks a lot more like the “Urban Gun Enthusiast” than it does Wayne LaPierre. Is that a slight on Mr. LaPierre? Of course not, it’s just the reality of the situation. The younger generation of gun owners does not feel represented by the NRA.
People, generally speaking, relate to people who look, talk and dress like they do. They connect with people who live where they live, who share the same life experiences. And by any estimation, the next generation of gun owners connects with Colion Noir.
Reaching Non-Gun Owners
What about the larger gun control debate, with people who do not own guns? Who do you think is more likely to be able to reach the non-gun owner? The traditional NRA, or Mr. Colion Noir? The answer to me is obvious.
So for the NRA, hiring Mr. Colion Noir is a huge win, both in reaching gun owners, and in engaging non-gun owners in the gun control debate. And this engagement with non-gun owners, I believe, could have a very real impact politically.
Politics
Like it or not, Democrats are the party of gun control. A lot of you Democrats get your feelings hurt about this, but it’s just simple fact. No, I’m not saying that every single Democrat is for gun control, nor I am I saying that every single Republican is a shining beacon for Second Amendment preservation, because some aren’t. But there’s no denying that most gun control legislation is introduced and voted for by Democrats.
It’s also a fact that the biggest and most well-funded obstacle that Democrats face in getting the gun control they want is the NRA.
Given this, I think that the NRA hiring Mr. Colion Noir scares the living hell out of the political left. Think not?
It’s All About 2014
Gun control, in its current form in Congress (Feinstein’s so-called Assault Weapons Ban), has virtually no chance of passing. In order for the Democrats to have any chance passing significant gun control under Obama, they must retake the House in 2014.
To retake the House in 2014, the Democrats need to continue to win the Black, Hispanic/Latino, and 18-29 year old demographics in a big way. In 2012, President Obama received 93% of the Black vote, 71% of the Hispanic/Latino vote, 60% of the 18-29 year old vote, and he only won the popular vote by roughly 2.5% (very cool Demographics interactive reporting tool here).
As we’ve already discussed, the traditional NRA had virtually no chance of reaching these demographics, but what about now? What if the NRA can use Colion to reach both gun owners and non-gun owners in these demographics, and turn a significant percentage of them away from their voting trend of voting Democrat?
What impact would that have on the 2014 elections?
Wrapping Up
That’s why I have been looking forward to the news getting out. Hiring Colion Noir is a huge win for the NRA, for gun owners, gun rights, and has the very real potential to have an effect politically.
Unless I’m very much mistaken, we’ve only seen the tip of this iceberg.
I saw this news on Facebook but I hadn’t thought about the political impact. I was just hoping to see Noir debate Piers Morgan.
I hope you’re right and he does have an impact on the 2014 elections. I’m so sick of the Democrat gun control bullshit I could puke.
Great videos from him. Maybe he can reach out to more younger generation and get more people involved..i think it is a great move. It has got my attention lately.
I was ecstatic at the news! I don’t know Mr. Noir and I’ve never met him but based on what I’ve seen of him I think he should be the new face of the NRA. Yes, I am talking about his succeeding Wayne LaPierre as EVP.
If that happens I’m gone !
I think this is a GREAT move on the NRA’s part.
I was very excited to see his teaser.
As a liberal democrat who views gun ownership as crucial to the revolutionary spirit of liberalism, I hate how democrats insist on trying to force gun control down our throats. Gun control turns a lot of voters into single issue voters, and when the democrats lose the senate in 2014, all the slow progress the left has been making on issues like our police state, the war on drugs, LGBT rights, and the growing inequality of radical capitalism run amok goes out the window. We lose, as f***ing always, because out of touch asshats like Feinstein, Bloomberg (R) and Cuomo want to strip us unwashed masses of the power to oppose the serfdom the 0.01% are imposing on us.
Stephen, they know that no matter what they do you will still vote for them just because they are democrats. Anyone who has been paying attention knew what Obama was going to do in his second term, it was guaranteed. If he can get away with it he will ban every gun possessed by private citizens, and quite possibly all the Swiss Army knives.
For the record, I didn’t vote for Obama (either time), i voted libertarian in 2008 and green in 2012..I don’t support people who execute U.S. citizens without due process, spy on civilians, threaten them with indefinite detention, condone torture or engage in unlawful wars. Among many other complaints.
As a die-hard gun rights activist, i didnt and still dont believe the propaganda that Obama planned on going after gun rights if he was reelected. Had Sandy Hook and Aurora not happened, we wouldn’t be having this conversation because our nation of soccer moms wouldn’t be shocked into reactionary responses, and gun-ban democrats would still have 0 pull on the issue. Just because the man clearly doesnt respect the 2nd amendment doesnt guarantee he’d make it an issue, when it was (is?) so clearly a losing issue for his party.
But that world of what ifs doesn’t matter anymore. Now we are in for a fight.
This is a good move for the NRA. I wonder who the idea man is there. I would certainly like to see Democrats reminded that this is a losing issue for them, but the idea of the state being lilmited in power is something they simply seem to find intolerable.
a/ Author: “It’s also a fact that the biggest and most well-funded obstacle that Democrats face in getting the gun control they want is the NRA.”
Funny, I thought it was the Republican majority in the House and Republicans and the the blue-dog Dems in the Senate.
b/ Some other guy I need to watch out for:
“As a liberal democrat who views gun ownership as crucial to the revolutionary spirit of liberalism, I hate how democrats insist on trying to force gun control down our throats. Gun control turns a lot of voters into single issue voters, and when the democrats lose the senate in 2014, all the slow progress the left has been making on issues like our police state, the war on drugs, LGBT rights, and the growing inequality of radical capitalism run amok goes out the window.”
Really?
i/ re the “police state”, its THE LEFT BRINGING THE POLICE STATE. Who runs DHS for the last 8 years, gumby?
ii/ war on drugs, lbgt, BLAH BLAH BLAH, you mean your insidious and continuous attempt to dumb down and keep stoned and sex-freak out and destroy Western Civ?
NO THANKS, Libtard-anarcho-islamo-marxists! Make sure you wear your rainbow colored toe tags with your multi-partners listed when you bring your bong to the trenches.
iii/ “the growing inequality of radical capitalism run amok”…. Barack Hussein Obama has put NO ONE IN JAIL for the DEMOCRAT-INVENTED-and-maintained mortgage meltdown scam, and he has MASTERED the art of radical capitalism, handing out BILLIONS in tax payer funded grants to HIS DONORS.
iv/ When I want more communists to have guns, I”ll lift up the toilet seat and tell you.
Fuck you.
Wholeheartedly agree with Dr. L. Furthermore:
1: DHS was run by a republican administration from 9/11 until Obama was sworn into office in 2009. The growth of policing powers in the name of security is a bipartisan assault on liberties by the statists in both parties.
2: Criminalizing private behavior that harms no one. Your moral indignation isn’t reason enough to strip others of their liberties. And as far as Western Civilization, Western Civilization is based on Greco-pagan principles of republican government. Homosexuality is a common feature of that civilization. Eulogize the death of Western Civilization when its relevant, not on this matter. As for drugs destroying Western Civilization, feel free to complain about those filthy hippies and their intoxicants as you swill whiskey and huff Marlboro’s, while watching ads for Cialis, Cymbalta, and Concerta on your television. I promise not to accuse you of hypocrisy.
3: I don’t deny Obama has been a disgrace when it comes to going after the corrupt financial industry. It’s one of the reasons why i didn’t vote for him in either election. However, let’s not pretend that John McCain or Mitt Romney would have behaved any differently. Two sides of the same corrupt coin.
4:At this point, you have now referred to me as an anarchist and a communist. If you don’t know the difference, I suggest you pick up a book once in a while. You might learn something.
Also, what gives you the right to decide if communists can have guns? How is that any different than Feinstein and her ilk deciding whether you can have guns?
God (if you believe such things) gave you the gift of a brain. Try to put it to use from time to time.
“1: DHS was run by a republican administration from 9/11 until Obama was sworn into office in 2009…”
BLAH BLAH BLAH…BLAME BUSH
Only someone with their head up obama’s rear end would fail to see the difference between what Bush did with the Patriot Act (which I did not support then or now even though I WORKED to elect him 2x while you and your ilk were marching in the streets with flag-draped coffins stabbing our troops in the back) when Bush used it to listen to conversations tween the U.S. AND THE MUSLIM WORLD, vs what Obama and Holder have and are doing with Fast and Furious and buying BILLIONS OF ROUNDS OF AMMO AND 2700 ARMORED VEHICLES.
If you thinks that Bush’s fault, you’re even more stupid than you appear in your original comments.
“2: Criminalizing private behavior that harms no one. ”
Why don’t you make sure YOUR kids are driven on a school bus where everyone can smoke pot and snort meth, and have sex with boys.
“Your moral indignation isn’t reason enough to strip others of their liberties.”
DEATH TO DRUG DEALERS.
“And as far as Western Civilization, Western Civilization is based on Greco-pagan principles of republican government. Homosexuality is a common feature of that civilization.’
Common feature, YOUR ASS. Its well known that tolerance for homosexuality and pederasty is part of what doomed ancient Greece. You want to stick your dick up some guys rear end, who cares, but DONT TELL US ITS NORMAL AND DON’T TEACH IT TO OUR KIDS, you f*cking Godless perv.
ANd f*ck your straw man on booze and cialis. With schmucks like you in charge, THERE”D BE MORE OF IT BEING ADVERTISED.
“3: I don’t deny Obama has been a disgrace when it comes to going after the corrupt financial industry. It’s one of the reasons why i didn’t vote for him in either election.”
You mean you sat home or PaulTarded your vote HELPING OBAMA GET ELECTED.
“However, let’s not pretend that John McCain or Mitt Romney would have behaved any differently. Two sides of the same corrupt coin.”
Oh, OWS, VOMIT. AND YET YOU DEFEND OBAMA.
/cough cough.
“4:At this point, you have now referred to me as an anarchist and a communist. If you don’t know the difference,”
I know the difference BECAUSE I WAS BOTH decades before you should have run down your father’s leg, and I know you breed each other.
“Also, what gives you the right to decide if communists can have guns? How is that any different than Feinstein and her ilk deciding whether you can have guns?”
Because if you can’t see the EVIL that is communism, THEN YOU ARE FEINSTEIN IN DRAG. and you can KMFA.
PS – I have been an NRA member for almost 2 decades, and a JPFO member for over one. You want to join the NRA to preserve gun rights to PRESERVE THE CONSTITUTION, great.
You want gun rights so you can destroy this Republic and use your weapons to support groups that want to shred the Constitution?
WEAR A TOE TAG.
1. Um, yes. It’s very easy to blame Bush for a lot of terrible things, as a lot of terrible things happened under his watch. Under the policies of the DHS, established by Bush, our police were given hundreds of millions of dollars in military equipment, effectively turning them into what is eesentially a paramilitary force. Obama didn’t scale this back at all. That pisses me off. I DO NOT LIKE Obama as a President; I think he’d be a pretty cool guy to know but he is essentially the same sort of absolute statist as every president since at least Reagan, and realistically probably a lot longer. I did not vote for him in 2008. I did not vote for him in 2012. If it makes you feel more comfortable with your propaganda positions to assume all leftists love Obama, fine, but ignoring reality, as always, makes you looks foolish.
Also, i didn’t realize not wanting to send our nation’s children to be slaughtered in a pointless war is turning my back on those very soldiers i dont want to seen blown to bits.
2. We have laws on the books that prevent bus drivers from operating vehicles under the influence of our nation’s preferred legal drug, alcohol. If we can legalize alcohol reasonably, there is no rational argument for criminalizing marijuana, other than you want to protect the profit margins of the beverage industry, big pharma, and the private prison industry.
What doomed ancient greece, was the rise ancient rome, a greater superpower in the region. What doomed ancient rome has been debated for centuries, but some very convincing arguments have been made that christianity did that.
I am amused that you call me a communist, and then accuse me of commercial advertising, the most capitalist of enterprises.
3: So anyone who exercises their most American of rights, the right to vote, in favor of a party other the two corporate sponsored, do-nothing parties, is a retard? Our first past the post system does stack the odds against a 3rd party, but remember, there was a time when the Republican Party was some laughable 3rd party. The only reason 3rd parties don’t win is that no one votes for them. How do you change that? Obviously, you vote for them.
And once again, I do not defend Obama, as much as you desperately need me to.
4:Anarchists and Communists generally hate each other. Learn your history. Read a little about the Anarchist/communists split among Republican forces in the Spanish Civil War. Read About the Anarchists who fought valiantly against the Bolsheviks in the Russian Civil War. Mortal enemies, many say. They certainly don’t “breed each other”, unless you mean to say statism breeds libertarianism and vice versa.
Communism is no more inherently evil than Capitalism. Each system has awful consequences for people. As with most things in life, the answer lies in moderation.
Additionally, the constitution does not establish an economic system; merely a political system. The only reference to economics at all in the constitution is the commerce clause, which merely states the Federal government can regulate interstate commerce. The only mention of property in the constitution is in the 5th amendment’s due process protection and just compensation protections. Neither of these necessarily provide that capitalism, especially the strict form of capitalism promoted by so many right-wingers today, is the only viable or acceptable economic system under the breadth of the constitution.
What the constitution does contain are things like the equal protection clause, the full faith a credit clause, the necessary and proper clause, and the establishment clause. There is also Article V, in case the majority of Americans woke up tomorrow and decided they wanted to live in the christian fundamentalist theocracy you seem to so desperately crave.
Before you pretend to defend the Constitution, maybe you should read it.
I’ve said Mr. Colion Noir should be an official NRA spokesman since I head old Wayne monotone through what should have been a Charlton Heston moment…
My recent CHL class of 24 students had these demographics:
8 white males approximate ages 40 – 45
4 white females approximate ages 28-40
4 Hispanic males approximate ages 25 – 35
5 black males approximate ages 28-35
1 Vietnamese male approximately 45
2 Chinese / now newly naturalized citizens, approximate ages 40-45
I’ve observed similar demographics at practice sessions (over the past two years) at various indoor and outdoor shooting ranges. Most are shooting AR type rifles and high-dollar semi-auto pistols. The idea that gun owners are old, white rednecks is nowhere near the truth, and it’s great to see the NRA represented by a someone that does not resemble the media’s stereotypical gun owner. Mr. Noir, welcome to the NRA. We need your assistance in getting the truth out.
Reading this makes me want to do my own study on the different demographics.
So, perhaps my old age is catching up with me, or I’m just an idiot, but does anyone know how the heck your register to comment on Colion’s website? I can’t figure it out for the life of me….
That’s because his website is on hiatus right now. You’ll be able to register once he resurrects it.
Cool. I was wondering the same thing myself. Thanks.