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John F. Kennedy Belonged to the NRA
His views on the Second Amendment, Civil Rights, and the meaning of Liberalism in his own words
Nine American Presidents have belonged to the NRA, from Theodore Roosevelt to Donald Trump. So have Supreme Court Justices, members of Congress, and other government officials. Even Michael Moore, surprisingly, was a member, though he says he joined to disband the organization.
It was founded in New York City in 1871. While originally founded to educate gun owners and advance rifle marksmanship, the NRA has become more political in modern times. While it continues to teach firearm safety courses and help gun owners advance their skills, it is also now a lobbying organization for gun rights.
Interestingly, John F. Kennedy, one of our great Democrat Presidents, a man admired and even revered by people around the world (he has streets named after him in India), was a lifetime member of the NRA.
On January 29, 1961, he gave a speech to commemorate Franklin D. Roosevelt, another great Democratic President.
In the speech, he says:
Franklin Roosevelt assumed the leadership of a stricken and demoralized nation. Poverty, distress, and economic stagnation blanketed the land. But it was not long before the…
