I'm not sure the reporter knows the meanings of these words...
Intimidate: to make timid or fearful; to inspire or affect with fear; to deter, as by threats; to dishearten; to abash.
Coerce: to use force, threat, fraud, or intimidation in attempt to compel one to act against his will.
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To be successful in prosecuting a crime under the Patriot Act, it must be shown that the NRA, one, intimidated or coerced the civilian population — which they have done, ceaselessly, for generations.
Unless the general population of the USA live in fear of the NRA, this is false.
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Two, that they have influenced the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion — which they have done, with armies of millionaire gun lobbyists threatening elected representatives with defeat and disgrace if they do not do the NRA’s bidding.
Lobbying and political maneuvering does not fall into the category of intimidation and coercion. This is also false.
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And, three, most crucially, we must show the NRA has attempted to affect the conduct of our government by “mass destruction, assassination or kidnapping.”
We cannot state for a fact, Your Honour, that the NRA has actively engaged in assassinations or kidnappings.
So by his own admission, the NRA does not meet the most crucial requirement to be deemed a terrorist organization.
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Their most recent advertising campaign, which offers up the president’s own children as rhetorical fodder, is ample evidence of the NRA’s willingness — like any terrorist organization — to terrorize children and parents to achieve its political goals.
Wait... advertising counts as terrorism now? So those graphic anti-smoking ads must be acts of terrorism too?
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We also take the view that at the time Thomas Jefferson and other founders ratified the Second Amendment, they did not intend it to be applied to the mass murder of six-year-olds using assault weapons.
This has to be one of the most ridiculous strawmen ever presented. Surely nobody believes the NRA are lobbying for the right to mass-murder children?
I'm no supporter of the NRA, but the entire article is absurd.
And a very poor argument for a lawyer/spin-doctor to make.