Former NRA lobbyist discusses bridging America’s stark divide on gun reforms

Geoff Bennett:

As we've been discussing on this program, gun policy is a challenging issue to tackle. Even though polling shows Americans of all stripes want something to be done about gun violence and mass shootings. Our next guest, a former gun lobbyist, says bridging the divide has much to do with how we talk about guns and gun reform. Richard Feldman joins us now he's the president of the Independent Firearm Owners Association, and was a lobbyist for the NRA back in the 1980s. It's good to have you with us.

And one of the reasons we wanted to speak with you is because you wrote an op-ed several years ago now in which you said that you believe there's a way to achieve meaningful gun law reforms without alienating millions of responsible gun owners who don't believe that criminals, unsupervised children or mentally ill people should have access to any kind of weapon. So what is it? How should both sides approach this debate?

Richard Feldman, President, Independent Firearm Owners Association:

If we are serious about changing policy, and not just affecting politics, I think in the current situation, post Texas and Buffalo, we really need to have a task force of people, experts, both in firearms, technology, mental health, that really look at this thing, and come up with the kinds of solutions that aren't going to be easy. And they're certainly not going to be inexpensive.

If it's done correctly, with the assistance and involvement, not 100 percent support necessarily, but involvement of firearm owners. It stands a chance, a real chance of success and moving forward.

Geoff Bennett:

So when you say if it's done correctly, what exactly do you mean?

Richard Feldman:

If it's politicized, it's pretty much dead on arrival, that's always been the problem with this issue. We have to align policy considerations with the politics of this issue, so that we're not cross pressuring one against the other. That's what leads continually to defeat.

Geoff Bennett:

So when let's take, for instance, the policy of universal background checks, what do gun owners hear differently when there's a conversation about that specific policy issue?

Richard Feldman:

If you use the word universal, that means every one, every time and every situation, that's what gun owners subject to. Why should I have to put my wife through a background check? Or my kids? I know, if they're convicted felons. I know if there's a problem.

What the bulk of the whole effort with background checks was always to ensure that people who you don't know largely commercial transactions, go through a background check, because in a commercial act, transaction, at a gun shop, at a gun show, on an internet sale, or at a flea market, you don't know who you're selling the gun to.

So if we just adjusted ever so slightly, I think we get far more support. And we could have moved that forward over 20 years ago when I represented the firearm industry.

Geoff Bennett:

There are people who will hear you say that we have to change the way in which we talk about gun ownership that Democrats need to change their messaging. And they will say that at least the last two or three decades, Democrats have changed their messaging. They talk more about gun safety now and less so about gun control.

And that on the right, there are Republicans in particular, who consider the second amendment to be as sacred as scripture, and that no matter how you talk about it, there is a certain group of gun owners who just will not subscribe to any sort of significant changes on gun legislation. What's your response to that?

Richard Feldman:

I think there's great truth in what you just said. Everyone right now is distraught about the terrible tragedies this week in Texas and last week in Buffalo.

But what we do know is that gun owners or some good proportion of them are going to use this issue. They're going to say, these politicians are suggesting that I limit certain guns that I own. I didn't misuse any guns in the last two weeks or ever, but somehow they don't trust me. But they are asking me to trust them.

American politics doesn't work that way. It's the government that's supposed to trust the people, and when they don't trust the people, and that's the interpretation gun owners often make. Those individuals aren't going to trust those politicians, and it costs them elections.

So if the Democrats are serious about maintaining control in one house or the other of Congress, many state houses, they're the ones that have got to compromise their approach to the gun issue, not necessarily the results, but their approach to those results.

Geoff Bennett:

Richard Feldman is president of the Independent Firearm Owners Association. Mr. Feldman, we appreciate your time and your insights.

Richard Feldman:

Thank you.