Fear as mobilizing tool

I saw a notice in an old Albion College alumni magazine about the book Gun Crusaders: The NRA's Culture War by Scott Melzer. The mag mentions the book because Melzer is a professor at the college. I haven't read it. From the magazine, Melzer's book

examines the National Rifle Association's dramatic transformation from a recreational firearms interest group into a conservative activist organization. The change began to appear, Melzer contends, in the 1960s when gun control legislation was introduced in response to the assassinations of President John Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., and Robert Kennedy. The predominantly male NRA members felt threatened at the same time by movements promoting women's, civil, and gay rights, he says.

"The book reveals how men respond to threats from changes in society," Melzer says. "Fear is a driving factor, and it has been the NRA's most effective mobilizing tool."

Melzer's idea that the NRA is definer of manhood and an enforcer of straight white male privilege must be accurate – all three customer reviews on Amazon gave the book a 1 out of 5.