Q & A with NRA Director Scott Bach
Scott Bach serves on the Board of Directors of the National Rifle Association, but his involvement doesn’t end there. Scott is also the President of the Association of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs, the Garden State’s NRA affiliate that also runs the Cherry Ridge Range, and a contributer to NJ Voices, a series of blogs run by the Star-Ledger.
Scott will be dropping by to chat with bloggers during the Second Amendment Blog Bash, so I sent a few questions his way to find out more about his thoughts for new media and the Second Amendment rights movement.
2ABB: Your blog is one of two pro-Second Amendment blogs in the nation to be affiliated with a mainstream media outlet (The New Jersey Star-Ledger and NJ.com). How did your blog come about?
SB: When a prominent gun ban extremist was given a blog by the media outlet, I requested equal time. The request was greeted with some skepticism and a challenge to first demonstrate my qualifications. After presenting copies of two full-length op-ed pieces of mine that the media outlet had previously published, as well as other credentials, there was no rational basis on which the outlet could refuse and the blog was hesitantly (at first) approved.
2ABB: What differences are there between pro-gun blogging on a mainstream media outlet and blogging on a “private” outlet?
SB: Because the blog reaches a mainstream audience rather than just those interested in the issue, the writing must be based on the assumption that many readers will have no familiarity with the subject matter. At the same time, the writing must also be sophisticated enough to interest the pro-gun community, forceful enough to dispel anti-gun myths, persuasive enough to influence policy makers, and adept enough to avoid giving skeptical editors a reason to terminate the blog. It also needs to be concise, punchy, and educational enough to keep everyone’s interest. It’s quite a task.
2ABB: You have a website, something that’s not common for NRA Board Members. Before you began blogging for the Star-Ledger, did you consider starting a blog on your own page?
SB:I considered starting my own blog in 2003 at the urging of a dear friend in the blogging community, but concluded that I would not have sufficient free time to do it justice back then. But that friend’s suggestion planted an important seed that sprouted when the Star-Ledger opportunity presented itself.
2ABB: Have you received any feedback from New Jersey gun owners about your blog posts?
SB: Actually, I receive a surprising amount of positive feedback about the blog from around the country. I have also learned that it is read by a number of New Jersey mainstream media editors and writers, legislators, and of course, local and national gun ban groups. I have even drawn the fire of the Huffington Post.
2ABB:What do you view as the most important role of the blogosphere in shaping the pro-gun debate?
SB: In my view, rapid and widespread dissemination of information and advocacy is one of the blogosphere’s key roles right now. While our ability to reach the world in an instant is at unprecedented levels, we must always remember that the quality of the message delivered is more important than the method by which it is disseminated.
2ABB: Blogger SayUncle has said that bloggers are the grassiest of grassroots. Do you agree with this, or do you think traditional outreach efforts are still the core of the movement? Is there room for the two to merge?
SB: I actually agree with both statements, because I believe we are in a transition that will span several generations. There are still large numbers of people who are either not online or not fully comfortable being online. Until everyone is online, traditional outreach efforts should and must continue in parallel with blogging efforts. Eventually the two will merge, of necessity. It is also possible that other technologies will evolve and supercede what we now know as blogging, in the same way that music downloads are now displacing CDs.
2ABB: Beyond politics, do you see any role for blogs or other web technology and communities in the shooting sports? As the president of a state association with a very busy range, do you see how ranges could benefit from an active online presence?
SB: Absolutely. Electronic media offer unlimited possibilities to the shooting community, from marketing and communications to training and everything in between. The now-embryonic field of “haptics,” or force-feedback computer and peripheral technology, is of special interest to me. When fully developed, I believe it has the potential to provide realistic firearms training in any environment. In the meanwhile, we’ll have to settle for the mundane, and in that vein, I’m pleased to report that the NJ State Association range may be the first range in the nation to provide free WiFi in its club house.
2ABB: Do you think being active in the pro-gun web community has given you special insight into concerns of NRA members that has helped you in your role on the Board?
SB: Being active in the pro-gun web community has helped me interact very efficiently with more members than ever before possible. I am able to get feedback, and be responsive, with tremendous speed.
2ABB: More than 60,000 people are expected in Louisville at a time when we could be mere weeks away from the decision in Heller. Do you have any predictions for what the atmosphere will be like?
SB: The atmosphere is going to be electric. Between the anticipation surrounding Heller and the daily unfolding Presidential election drama, we’re going to get charged up in a big way, as only defenders of Freedom can. See you there!
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