After all, if the NRA raising money and supporting candidates is a crime akin to the Holocaust, then what does it mean when anti-gun groups do it?

I ask because they outraised our side.

The Political Action Committees (PACs) for Everytown, Giffords, and Brady collectively brought in just under $1.7 million in September, according to Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings posted this week. Meanwhile, the National Rifle Association’s Political Victory Fund raised just under $700,000 for the month. In total, all of the gun-rights PACs that publish monthly FEC updates took in a little under $1.26 million.

Though closer to parity than in August, September’s fundraising totals mark yet another month that the major national gun-control groups have outraised the NRA and its allies heading into November’s high-stakes election, something they have done in all but one month this year. Barring a momentous swing in fortunes in October, that suggests that the gun-control groups will, for the first time, eclipse the NRA in fundraising and spending in a presidential election cycle.

That fundraising disparity has been reflected in the two sides’ major election spending announcements in the home stretch of the election cycle. The gun-control groups, spearheaded by Everytown and Giffords, have announced a spree of new election spending in recent weeks in races up and down the ballot and across the country. The NRA, meanwhile, has reserved its high-dollar ad buys to just a small handful of key races in states like Montana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

Cumulatively, the NRA has raised $4,883,131.42 through its PAC and super PAC over the first three quarters of 2024, according to the FEC data. By comparison, Everytown for Gun Safety’s super PAC alone has raised $7,015,346.82 year-to-date. Collectively, the gun-control groups have raised $12,568,583.64 over the first nine months of 2024.

Now, there are two ways to look at this.

The first is like I'm choosing to, which is that they'd lose their freaking minds if pro-gun groups raised this much money and scream to the high heavens about the NRA buying the election, etc.

So, turnabout being fair play, I'm mocking them by doing the same.

What can I say? It amuses me.

But this is also indicative of a bigger problem, namely that gun rights supporters are either not donating as much or are just horrifically outnumbered. Neither of these is a good thing for gun rights in this country. 

Folks, we need to step up our game. There is no way this should be happening, especially as the number of gun owners in this nation has increased in recent years. Not just the number of guns sold, mind you, but actual new gun owners.

So what is going on?

I think part of it is the fact that people just don't trust the NRA anymore. Yeah, there have been some moves of late that signal the organization might be reforming, but even that isn't enough when you've got a new leader with allegations leveled against him more disgusting than literally anything Wayne LaPierre was ever accused of.

I'll take spending on lavish suits over a history of animal cruelty any day of the week, and Hamlin hasn't exactly done a good job in denying these, though I'm also not ready to throw him under a bus because, well, media bias is real.

Even before that, though, a lot of people weren't convinced the NRA was moving in the right direction. Yes, Hamlin is a reformer, but Bob Barr is part of the Old Guard, which has a lot of people concerned.

But honestly, we need to get over all of that. 

Anti-gun groups brought in around three times what the NRA raised, and while GOA and NSSF's fundraising was laughable, all things considered. If we don't step up and at least put our money somewhere--and I'm talking to myself as well--then there will come a day when our gun rights might as well just be a figment of our imaginations for all the good they will do us.