The Origins and Evolution of the NRA | FRONTLINE

The Origins and Evolution of the NRA | FRONTLINE
Discover how the National Rifle Association (NRA) was transformed from a gun-safety organization in the 1960s into a powerful political lobby, in this video excerpted from FRONTLINE. In the wake of the high-profile assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy, President Lyndon B. Johnson attempted to strengthen gun control by banning mail-order sales and restricting some purchases. This began a push within the NRA for stricter support for the right to bear arms and against gun control. As more gun-control bills were passed, highlighted by President Clinton’s crackdown on assault weapons and the passage of the Brady Bill in 1993, the NRA strengthened its lobbying role to increase opposition to such laws.