The nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization is under attack, but why? This is what is happening right now with the NRA and the issues they are championing. Since it was founded, the NRA has done things to help the people of this country and to shape the country itself. There are many controversies going on in politics today that are at the heart of the NRA's philosophy. The NRA does much for the people of this country by impacting the lives of millions of Americans, through its many organizations. Not to mention, the NRA is a non-profit organization and would not be able to have this impact without the help of others. The NRA's biggest stand is the Second Amendment. Their main goal is to do everything possible to ensure that citizens have the “right to bear arms” and that the Second Amendment is not violated. The NRA is a very important organization that has impacted the lives of millions of Americans. While protecting the Second Amendment right, the NRA ensures that all Americans' gun rights are not violated. They will continue to protect these rights today because they believe it was right and because in the constitution it says they "shall not be infringed." The NRA was founded by Colonel William C. Church and General George Wingate after a charter was granted by the state of New York on November 17, 1871. They wanted to "help promote and encourage rifle shooting on a scientific basis", together to assisting blacks so they could defend themselves individually from the KKK. These two men noted that their troops did not have very good marksmanship and that the government was doing nothing to stop the KKK, which was also aided by local law enforcement. While there may be many negative opinions about the NRA in our society, it is clear that the NRA is a great organization that does a lot for millions of people. Works Cited Lee, Jack. “10 Surprising Facts About the NRA You Never Heard.” PolicyMic. PolicyMic, January 23, 2013. Web. March 30, 2014. NRA, Il. "NRA.ORG | WHO WE ARE." NRA.ORG | WHO WE ARE. National Rifle Association, nd Web. March 30, 2014. The NRA. "NRA.ORG | Welcome to the NRA." NRA DIRECTORY. National Rifle Association, nd Web. 01 April 2014.The NRA. "Operations Center." NRAILA RSS. National Rifle Association, April 21, 2009. Web. April 1, 2014. The NRA. "Operations Center." NRAILA RSS. National Rifle Association, 2013. Web. April 01, 2014. Gabbay, Tiffany. "Do you know the history of the NRA and the 2nd Amendment? David Barton's fascinating lesson." The Blaze. The Blaze, 16 January 2013. Web. 01 April. 2014.