Yesterday TRMS devoted most of the show to the 2011 NRA Convention in Pittsburgh. It's good TV (look, it's Rachel Maddow surrounded by conservatives with guns!) and a stark example of what we mean when we talk about social privilege.
John McCain's daughter Meghan, a proud NRA member, invited Maddow on a "date" to this year's convention in an effort to give a fresh perspective on gun culture. Maddow is a vocal critic of the NRA who happens to enjoy hanging out at the shooting range, so they had plenty to talk about.
At this point, just to be fair, I should say that there were probably many people at that convention who could have debated this more effectively than Meghan McCain. ("I don't think that's necessarily true, but... You're arguing very well, Rachel.") That being said, compare her perspective to that of Rev Ricky Burgess, City Councilman for Pittsburgh's poorest and most crime-infested district.
This side of the gun culture debate is often brushed aside because, generally speaking, the members of the NRA don't experience it. Some have experienced violence, but not in this deeply-ingrained way that cripples an entire community.
"I wish the NRA was having their convention in Homewood so they could see first-hand the effect of their lobbying on my community," Rev Burgess says. "For them it's fun, but for me it's life and death."
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