One only needs look at the size of the NRA building...

[Atman]

...to understand a lot about why they need to keep promoting gun sales. It's a huge building, and must be very expensive to run. Who the hell is in there? What do they do? Why does it take so many people to manage an association of like-minded people?

MONEY. The NRA needs to keep the money flowing in from dues and fees, and those dues and fees are based upon keeping as many guns in the hands of as many people as possible. Any support for gun control means supporting a decrease in their own revenue. That's all they care about.

We need to make it difficult for them to pay the rent on that giant building via social pressure. Making our gun culture as unpopular as our former smoking culture or acceptance of getting behind the wheel drunk.

This is America, and the only thing we worship more than guns is money. They'll listen when they know that being ostracized will cost them more than accepting some reasonable restrictions on their product.

[Cooley Hurd]

1. Pic of bldg:

[PatSeg]

6. Holy Crap!!!

Like the Bush Master of office buildings!

[Orrex]

9. That's it? Really, that building isn't all that big

You couldn't even fit one year's worth of US gun-deaths in that tiny place, for instance.

[vankuria]

11. What could they possibly be using all that space for?

[daleanime]

14. Storing the bodies?

[SummerSnow]

17. rooms of weapons

[Skittles]

37. fund raising

[_Liann_]

33. The Civilian Pentagon for the NRA-GOP. N/T

[peacebird]

2. It's purely theatrics. A Big D*ck building to make them look oh-so-important, like the castle in Oz.

but like Dorothy we've now seen the little scared man behind the curtain.....

[vankuria]

38. Bingo!

[tavernier]

3. Holy Cow!

That's the biggest toilet I've ever seen!!

[onehandle]

4. Just another codpiece. nt

[Fumesucker]

5. It wouldn't surprise me if some or most of it is rented to others

I have no idea myself in this particular case but it's not uncommon for a logo to be on the building but that organization only use a fraction of the space.

[Atman]

7. It's uncommon when it's your headquarters.

I used to work in a similar building, the home office of the former Casual Casual clothing chain. Two large buildings, but we had 1,800 stores to run and about 30,000 employees. IOW, a physical product which needed a support structure. But when you "brand" the building like that, especially with such a controversial business, it is unusual to have unrelated tenants. Sure, large banks and insurance companies do it all the time, but who is renting space at The NRA Center?

Of course, I could be wrong.

[Coyotl]

8. Looks like a non-profit running a real estate business.

[reACTIONary]

10. I live in the area and I've visited the building...

... they have a gun museum and a gift shop on the first floor. They also have an indoor shooting range. I went with my son to visit the museum.

[TheCowsCameHome]

12. World's largest sperm bank.

Be sure to visit their ED wing.

[bonniebgood]

13. WTC and Enron was bigger, look what happen to them. nt

[groundloop]

15. Someone should look into executive salaries as well

I'm betting the Pres., VP's, officers, etc. are pretty well paid to run that "non-profit".

[Indydem]

21. It's public record.

They make less than a million each.

[MightyMopar]

22. Less than a million? Doesn't Wayne La Pierre make $950k +?

[Indydem]

23. Did I miss the math class where $950k > $1m?

[MightyMopar]

25. Most people/media would round off $961,074 in salary and benefits as a million

"As for salaries, fifty-six people in the organization earned more than $100,000 in 2010—and 10 made more than $250,000. Lapierre does not top the list. Kayne B. Robinson, the executive director of general operations does. He was paid just over $1 million. Lapierre was second, pulling in $970,000 in reportable and estimated comp.

Chris W. Cox, the executive director of the group’s lobbying efforts, was third. He earned just over $666,000."

http://www.forbes.com/sites/danbigman/2012/12/21/what-the-nras-wayne-lapierre-gets-paid-to-defend-guns/

[Indydem]

26. Is $961,074 worth the lies, hatred and slander

That you gun grabbers heap upon a man defending the second amendment?

[Paladin]

28. A Sincere Vote Of Thanks To You.....

...for waiting until all those school children and teachers were buried, before copping victim status for Wayne LaPierre. Did your guns help you develop such good taste and restraint?

[neverforget]

30. Poor Wayne! Won't somebody please think of the guns!!!!

[nadinbrzezinski]

32. Should I really feel sorry for a scared old white man

Who's only answer to tragedies like this...is more guns, since he serves the companies that produce them, not the membership that wants background checks, universal that is...by large majorities.

[laundry_queen]

36. LOL. You've jumped the shark. Just like the NRA. nt

[ReRe]

16. The manufacturers pay for that building...

...and all their salaries. The NRA is their advertising unit. Just like all the other corporate types who have been coming out of the woodwork against ACA since PO was reelected and BACKING DOWN, this bunch is feeling the pinch too. I can imagine the avalanche of members who have canceled their membership since Dec 14th, and all the more after their big media blitz since last Friday. I'm sure it is causing some duress to the manufacturers and the NRA, and that's why they have come out with "guns blazing", pardon the pun...

[bobclark86]

18. Fun Fact of the Day:

In their 2011 "Gun of the Year" magazine story, a certain shotgun as the "gun of the year." On the FACING PAGE, in big, bold type, was a recall notice for the exact same shotgun.

Nooo... they don't take ANY money from manufacturers...

[Indydem]

24. Funny, because the gun of the year was the 1911 Colt.

Not a shotgun.

Care to provide some documentation?

[ReRe]

35. Yeah right

[Turbineguy]

19. Hospitals could start

sending them bills for gunshot related hospitalizations.

[samsingh]

20. i hear they don't allow visitors to carry guns inside most of the building

they don't believe in the 2nd amendment

[2naSalit]

34. Looks like a lot of glass involved...

guess they have heard of the "throwing stones" parable? It wouldn't take but one nut with one of their favored toys to do some serious damage there, eh?

[villager]

27. Exactly right. Historically, from this point forward, supporting guns is like winking at drunk

...driving, or indoor smoking.

There will always be people who insist it's their right to have these things, but society has now moved passed them.

[Hoyt]

29. A shrine to those who love guns.

[Cognitive_Resonance]

31. One of many right wing rackets. nt

[spanone]

39. guns and jesus....biiiiiiiiig business

[LeftInTX]

40. Where are the armed guards and their towers?