For Release: Friday, May 19, 2000
In reaction to today’s announcement at the National Rifle Association’s (NRA) annual meeting that the organization planned to open an NRA cafe and store in New York City’s Times Square, the Violence Policy Center released the following statement by Josh Sugarmann, VPC Executive Director and author of the 1992 book NRA: Money, Firepower & Fear:
“Today’s announcement by the NRA that they are opening an NRA cafe and store in Times Square is an amazing example of how bizarrely out of sync the organization is with mainstream America. It will go down in history as the worst marketing decision since New Coke. What will their sign say, “Over a Million Killed?” It will quickly become a protest Mecca in the wake of the high-profile shootings that now define our nation, each of which will be laid at the NRA’s doorstep.”
