

Enemy lists…They go back as far as politics have been a part of our culture. Nixon, Joseph McCarthy, Pol Pot, Stalin, Lenin, Hitler, Saddam Hussein, and Generalissimo Francisco Franco, who is, we believe, still dead. In the 1970s the most famous, though not largest list to date became public, was Nixon’s Enemies List. It had 207 names. This month the National Rifle Association released its own enemies list. It has 525 names, associations, sports teams, and corporations.

A couple of things become apparent while reviewing the NRA list. First, they have no concept of data record formatting. Second, at least some of the folks on the NRA list are dead – which rings familiar to the persistent rumors that many of the NRA “Life” Members are dead as well. Third, unlike Nixon, the NRA didn’t list the politicians who support gun regulations, nor are any of the new media sites – like we here at Addicting Info or Occupy the NRA on the list.

Back to the list. 24 major medical associations, from the AMA to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons populate the list of NRA enemies. And so are the American Bar Association, National Education Association, the Catholic Conference, United Church of Christ, United Methodist Church and the American Jewish Conference. From the world of sports are the Kansas City Chiefs, Kansas City Royals and the St. Louis Rams.

Hollywood is represented by a wide variety of actors…from TV’s Barney Miller – Hal Linden to Rambo – Sylvester Stallone to NCIS’ Mark Harmon to George Clooney, Matt Damon, Kevin Bacon, MacGyver’s Richard Dean Anderson. Also on the list, Sigourney Weaver, Oprah Winfrey, Shania Twain, Meryl Streep and Barbra Streisand – the only person to be on both Nixon and the NRA’s lists.

Former politicians Jimmy Carter, Ed Koch and C. Everett Coop are also listed along with political powerhouse, the AARP, 32Million strong.

It might be easier to write who is NOT on the list.

And that brings up the philosophy of having an enemies list. If a person or group is confident in their position, confident in the support that they have, they would have a supporter’s list rather than enemies list. Showcase the hundreds of public figures, industry leaders and organizations that support your cause, your philosophy. You know, like Ted Nugent and Alex Jones.





But that doesn’t happen…ever. And it is because an enemies list is a weak defense of an untenable position.

Here’s the first portion of the list, which just lists the organizations which they consider “enemies:”

AARP

AFL-CIO

Ambulatory Pediatric Association

American Academy of Pediatrics

American Civil Liberties Union

American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing

American Medical Women`s Association

American Medical Student Association

American Medical Association

American Association for the Surgery of Trauma

American Trauma Society

American Federation of Teachers

American Association of School Administrators

American Alliance for Rights and Responsibilities

American Medical Association

American Bar Association

American Counseling Association

American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

American Academy of Pediatrics

American Association for World Health

American Ethical Union

American Nurses Association

American Association of Neurological Surgeons

American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences

American Firearms Association

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

American Jewish Committee

American Trauma Society

American Psychological Association

American Jewish Congress

American Public Health Association

Americans for Democratic Action

Anti-Defamation League

Black Mental Health Alliance

B`nai B`rith

Central Conference of American Rabbis

Children`s Defense Fund

Church of the Brethren

Coalition for Peace Action

Coalition to Stop Gun Violence

College Democrats of America

Committee for the Study of Handgun Misuse & World Peace

Common Cause

Congress of National Black Churches, Inc.

Congress of Neurological Surgeons

Consumer Federation of America

Council of the Great City Schools

Council of Chief State School Officers

Dehere Foundation

Disarm Educational Fund

Environmental Action Foundation

Episcopal Church-Washington Office

Florence and John Shumann Foundation

Friends Committee on National Legislation

General Federation of Women`s Clubs

George Gund Fun

Gray Panthers

H.M. Strong Foundation

Hadassah

Harris Foundation

Hechinger Foundation

Interfaith Neighbors

Int`l Ladies` Garment Workers` Union

Int`l Association of Educators for World Peace

Jewish Labor Committee

Joyce Foundation

Lauder Foundation

Lawrence Foundation

League of Women Voters of the United States*

Lutheran Office for Governmental Affairs, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Manhattan Project II

Mennonite Central Committee-Washington Office

National Safe Kids Campaign

National Association of Police Organizations

National Coalition Against Domestic Violence

National Black Nurses` Association

National Association of Chain Drug Stores

National Network for Youth

National Assembly of National Voluntary Health & Social Welfare Organizations

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People

National Association of School Psychologists

National Association of Counties*

National Association of Pediatric Nurse Associates & Practitioners

National Association of School Safety and Law Enforcement Officers

National Education Association

National Association of Elementary School Principals*

National Association of Public Hospitals

National Coalition Against Domestic Violence

National Association of Secondary School Principals

National Association of Social Workers

National Association of Children`s Hospitals and Related Institutions

National Association of School Psychologists

National Council of La Raza

National Center to Rehabilitate Violent Youth

National Commission for Economic Conversion & Disarmament

National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA

National Council of Negro Women

National Association of Community Health Centers

National People`s Action

National Education Association*

National League of Cities

National Council on Family Relations

National Council of Jewish Women

National Organization for Women

National Political Congress of Black Women

National Parks and Conservation Association

National Peace Foundation

National Urban League, Inc.

National Parent, Teachers Association*

National Urban Coalition

National SAFE KIDS Campaign

National Organization on Disability

National Spinal Cord Injury Association

NETWORK: A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby

Ortenberg Foundation

Peace Action

People for the American Way

Physicians for Social Responsibility

Police Foundation

Project on Demilitarization and Democracy

Public Citizen

SaferWorld

Society of Critical Care Medicine

Southern Christian Leadership Conference

The Council of the Great City Schools

The Synergetic Society

20/20 Vision

U.S. Catholic Conference, Dept. of Social Development

Union of American Hebrew Congregations

Unitarian Universalist Association

United States Catholic Conference

United Methodist Church, General Board & Church Society

United Church of Christ, Office for Church in Society*

United States Conference of Mayors

War and Peace Foundation

Women Strike for Peace

Women`s National Democratic Club

Women`s Action for New Directions (WAND)

Women`s Int`l League for Peace and Freedom

World Spiritual Assembly, Inc.

YWCA of the U.S.A. *The national organization only endorses federal legislation.

Read the very scary full LIST here.