Common courtesy can go a long way in times of grief. Even the simplest gesture can speak volumes. The National Rifle Association decided to show its true callous nature by soliciting contributions from people in and around Aurora, Colo., to fund its anti-gun control agenda a mere three days after 12 people were shot to death in a local movie theater.

In the wake of this highly publicized firearms massacre, the NRA wanted to thwart any potential gun control initiatives, and solidify the organizations stand that regardless of how much gun violence occurs more guns on the streets are always better.

“The future of your Second Amendment rights will be at stake,” the NRA stated in a letter dated July 23. “And nothing less than the future of our country and our freedom will be at stake.”

This is the same paranoid rhetoric George W. Bush and Dick Cheney used successfully to scare Americans into believing Iraq was stockpiling weapons of mass destruction for an imminent attack on the U.S.

Nobody is trying to restrict Americans from owning guns. It’s a Second Amendment right.

People can debate whether this amendment’s intention could be more narrowly construed to apply only to the idea of keeping a citizen militia, but regardless, home defense by itself is reason enough to allow any American to own a firearm.

Hunting, pleasure shooting or target practice are also fine pursuits.

This letter from the NRA is about making sure executives, like Wayne LaPierre, who provided the signature on this fundraising letter, keep the money pipeline open and flowing in order for the NRA to keep its inflated level of political importance.

The NRA is in a precarious position. It has worked hard to create a false veil of fear that the great unknown is lurking everywhere, and it’s armed. This right-wing advocacy group portrays anyone looking at ways to lower gun violence through reasonable gun control initiatives as being only interested in taking away firearms from law-abiding citizens.

How can average Americans protect their families from the bogeyman without a fully automatic assault weapon in every truck?!?

This is the same position Bush and Cheney found themselves in after overextending their hand. People can only hear so many lies and then they see through the fear mongering.

The NRA knows they are vulnerable. If people grow sick of the violence and recognize some sensible gun control measures would lessen danger in the streets there wouldn’t be a need to send those donations in to keep the bogeyman away.

The NRA netted $228 million of income in 2010, of which 44 percent came from membership dues.

They need to keep people scared.

Sending this letter anywhere so soon after the shootings was ill-timed. Sending it to residents around Aurora was insensitive and narcissistic.

The NRA doesn’t care about people. Victims are collateral damage to its cause. The NRA only cares about its own selfish interests and keeping gun violence a marketable commodity.