I think it is now safe to assert that the National Rifle Association is now officially a far-right extremist organization. It began its final descent into this realm -- where it had been teetering increasingly in the recent years -- this week, and with this latest outburst, it's now official.

Earlier this week, there was the incident involving that Wisconsin chapter's lobbyist who dared utter publicly what the gun nuts have been telling each other all along about how the "Connecticut effect" will eventually "die down" -- at which national leaders went extra lengths to dissociate themselves from those crazies in Wisconsin, with zero credibility.

And now they've released this video (first to members only, then leaked onto YouTube) -- with a supporting op-ed by NRA chief Wayne LaPierre -- indulging in the most nakedly racial fearmongering you can get away with these days.

It seems that, according to the NRA, you need to buy a gun -- and not just any gun, but a freaking assault-style weapon -- so that you can defend yourself and your family from the horde of rampaging bloodthirsty brown Mexicans about to come pouring over our borders.

No, really. Watch this for yourself.

Matt Gertz at Media Matters analyzes LaPierre's accompanying op-ed:

Hurricanes. Tornadoes. Riots. Terrorists. Gangs. Lone criminals. These are perils we are sure to face--not just maybe. It's not paranoia to buy a gun. It's survival. It's responsible behavior, and it's time we encourage law-abiding Americans to do just that. Since the election, millions of Americans have been lining up in front of gun stores, Cabela's and Bass Pro Shops exercising their freedom while they still have it. They are demonstrating they have a mass determination to buy, own and use firearms. Millions of Americans are using market forces like never before to demonstrate their ardent support for our firearm freedoms. That's one of the very best ways we can Stand And Fight.

Why have they been buying guns? Because the NRA has been telling them since forever that the end of the world as we know it is right around the corner. And sure enough, that black man in the White House is going to bring it about:

Meanwhile, President Obama is leading this country to financial ruin, borrowing over a trillion dollars a year for phony “stimulus” spending and other payoffs for his political cronies. Nobody knows if or when the fiscal collapse will come, but if the country is broke, there likely won’t be enough money to pay for police protection. And the American people know it.

The NRA is the only thing preventing a Mad Max-style apocalypse from descending upon our society, you see. Americans' real enemy, they warn, is our own government. And this is their response:

We will not surrender. We will not appease. We will buy more guns than ever. We will use them for sport and lawful self-defense more than ever. We will grow the NRA more than ever. And we will be prouder than ever to be freedom-loving NRA patriots. And with your help, we will ensure that the Second Amendment remains America's First Freedom.

This is functionally insurrectionist fearmongering, urging members to arm up so that they can defend not just against Mexicans, but their own government.

That's the same view that was being promoted this week from that same Wisconsin NRA chapter, via a "Patriot" news site called "The Reality News":

WAUSAU, Wisconsin— At a state conference this past weekend, the NRA helped distribute a newspaper that called for Wisconsin secession and a new civil war. The article, which appeared in a Wisconsin-based conservative publication called “The Reality News”, was among the literature being distributed at the NRA’s Wisconsin State Convention on February 9th. In “What Would Davy Crockett Say?”, author Karl P. Koenigs calls for liberating “our home country of Wisconsin.” If that doesn’t work, Koenigs advocates “a combo Civil/Re-Revolutionary War” to “restore the Rule of OUR Laws on our elected, non-elected and wannabe elected Republican and Democrat Federal servants through the refreshment of the Tree of Liberty by its natural manure.” The last part is a reference to the Thomas Jefferson quote that “The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.”

You can visit The Reality News site [WARNING: Extremist site] and see for yourself. The Wisconsin NRA figure responsible for the connection, Karl Koenigs, displays the typical far-right antipathy to democratic institutions:

ELECTIONS ARE NOT THE SOLUTION TO OUR PROBLEM; ELECTIONS ARE THE PROBLEM!

As he goes on to explain:

This is a most heinous disease that can only be cured by the constitutional De-Centralized power of our home country of Wisconsin restoring our “supreme Laws” on our Federal public servants within our borders; OR otherwise by a combo Civil/Re-Revolutionary War with the very same goal to restore the rule of OUR Laws on our elected non-elected and wannabe elected Republican and Democrat Federal servants through the refreshment of the Tree of Liberty by its natural manure. (sic)

That's what you call a classic call for violent insurrection.

Nathaniel Downes dug up some further writing by Koenigs, who it seems is also a member of the Oath Keepers (about whom we have written a great deal previously as a far-right "Patriot" organization) and the "Constitutional Sheriffs" (ditto), which unsurprisingly falls into classic Patriot-movement insurrectionist "small cell" organizing:

What YOU and a bunch of Patriots like you need to do is form a coalition to: Form a base “Committee on State Sovereignty” (which is, at this point anyway and likely hopefully never, for secession). Create a framework of communication “nodes” and a communications HQ which will be the Chairperson of the Committee. There shall be a “node” in each State Senate and Assembly voting district in the State. Each “node” leader shall procure 20 – 25+ callers who stand at ready to make calls to their State Senator and Assemblyman upon a signal from HQ to make very well timed and coordinated requests to sponsor and pass initiatives starting with the State Sovereignty Resolution. Produce a very constitutionally crafted State Sovereignty Resolution with Arrest Provision. The Arrest Provision makes it “binding”, in every sense of the term and more than just “feel good” words that are more shallow than a politicians promise. I would highly recommend using the Alternate State Sovereignty Resolution we are, altered for your state, because it is as Constitutional as you can get, no court can rationally argue against it, as it has largely been drafted by the authors of The Declaration of Independence and The Constitution, Messrs. Thomas Jefferson and James Madison and has been specifically drafted for NULLIFICATION of any unlawful Act of Congress or the Executive branch which usurps powers, size, scope or spending that exceeds the eighteen enumerated powers under Article I Section 8 of The Constitution in accord with the 9th and 10th Amendments. This version of State Sovereignty will specifically facilitate the defense to any Federal court challenge of any properly nullified Federal usurpation made by the State, specifically BECAUSE of the wording and the language. If anybody asks me I will forward a copy of ours to you. The State Sovereignty Resolution shall have a provision for a delegation of Senate and Assemblymen to travel to assemble with all the other States; From the coalition muster a delegation of 2 – 4 persons who will be able to lobby, mostly together as is best, the State Senators and Assemblymen and provide valuable feedback from the happenings at the Capitol. The State Sovereignty Resolution shall have a provision for a delegation of Senate and Assemblymen to travel to assemble with all the other States; After the Sovereignty Resolution has been sponsored and passed by at least one house, both would be better, then start working procuring sponsorship and support for the following companion legislative measures in support of and preparation for NULLIFICATION: http://youtu.be/bLjQzlMDX2I All County Sheriff Departments shall be provided a course on The Constitution by The National Center for Constitutional Studies (NCCS) or by Michael Badnarik to ensure that they have a comprehensive understanding of what they have sworn an Oath to protect and defend against all enemies both foreign and domestic.. All State and Local Law Enforcement shall be provided and shall attend a Constitutional course by The National Center for Constitutional Studies or Michael Badnarik to ensure that they have a comprehensive understanding of what they have sworn an Oath to protect and defend against all enemies both foreign and domestic.. All State National Guard members shall attend a Constitutional course by NCCS or Michael Badnarik to ensure that they have a comprehensive understanding of what they have sworn an Oath to protect and defend against all enemies both foreign and domestic. All County Sheriffs and their deputies shall join www.CountySheriffProject.org and www.Oathkeepers.org. Cost for dues shall come out of their own pockets, so that they are personally invested in the program and have financial incentive to know and be involved with these programs. All State and local Law Enforcement shall join www.Oathkeepers.org. Cost for dues shall come out of their own pockets, so that they are personally invested in the program and have financial incentive to know and be involved with these programs. All County Sheriffs Departments shall offer, facilitate and train Constitutional Militia in each corner and center of their county for a minimum of five units. All Militia members shall give the Oath to protect and defend the Constitution from all enemies both foreign and domestic. All Constitutional Militia members shall attend a Constitution course by NCCS or Michael Badnarik paid for by their respective county government. Cities and towns shall contribute to facilitate and provide equipment and gear for their local Constitutional Militia volunteers. After all of the above State legislative measures been enacted and engaged, then the State shall start nullifying all unlawful Acts of Congress AND the Executive branch and all associated usurpation, tyranny, coercion, mandates and Income and other taxation dating back to at least 1913 including all Acts that exceed the eighteen enumerated powers clauses under Article I Section 8 of The Constitution, pursuant to the 9th and 10th Amendments. Result: Balance of the Union follows the same process, U.S. Government dissolved by 2/3rds which exceeds the eighteen enumerated powers, size, scope and spending WE THE PEOPLE granted them to “secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity” (Source: Preamble of The Constitution). STATE SOVEREIGNTY + NULLIFICATION = N.B.C.R. ! These measures are specifically designed to PREVENT an otherwise imminent combo Civil/Re-Revolutionary War to accomplish the exact same thing WE THE PEOPLE can do by peaceful resolve; RESTORE the RULE of Our Constitutional Laws on our elected, non-elected and wannabe elected Republican and Democrat Federal public servants, especially but not limited to the EIGHTEEN enumerated powers in accord with the 9th and 10th Amendments in The Bill of Rights. And to PREVENT WAR and Martial Law, following the collapse of the U.S. Dollar by PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.

This is your modern NRA, folks: The political vanguard of the armed Patriot movement. This is not a healthy development, but it does mean we are nearing the bottom of this organization's long rightward slide.