The debacled circus-act that is the National Rifle Association has its new over-the-big top, ringmaster. Jim Porter, an Alabama attorney and slack-jawed son of former NRA president, Irvine Porter, is set to lead the clowns this coming Monday, reports CNN.
Porter is the NRA’s current first vice president, previous second vice president and, in classic NRA style, is no stranger to right-wing conservative lunacy. NewsMatters.org reported Porter jabbering a slew of outrageous, gun-nutty hyperbole. Last June, at a New York Rifle and Pistol Association meeting, he threw around such erroneous claims, accusing Attorney General Eric Holder of “trying to kill the Second Amendment at the United Nations.” NewsMatters further reported that this demagogic attempt to rouse listeners at the New York meeting is Porter’s “blatant misrepresentation” of the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty. The treaty focuses, not on private ownership, but international arms trading.
Porter is a self-touting Southerner, which isn’t bad in itself, but he does nothing for his southern upbringing except make it look like a gaggle of redneck jokes, punchline after back-wooded punchline. “Now y’all might call it the Civil War,” squawks Porter, woodenheaded, “”but we call it the ‘War of Northern Aggression’ down south.” By implying that he is speaking for all Southerners, Porter exudes an out-of-touch perception of the whole country at large and boasts a misplaced sense of self-righteousness. He fits right in with the NRA seeing as how the gun-lemmings manipulated the Senate into voting out a bill that almost 90 percent of the country supported.
Thankfully, he plans on remaining out of the spotlight and hopefully he will keep to that. Porter has admitted to being uncomfortable in front of the camera, although, his rage-mongering speech in New York last year alludes to the opposite. In the meantime, NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LePierre will continue as the NRA’s official blabbermouth.
All-in-all, business as usual for the NRA, rabble-rousing the ammo-heads with fears of “Northern-like aggression” and flipping giant wads of cash for Senate votes like it’s an antique arms auction.
Joshua de Leon is a writer and researcher with Ring of Fire.
