Pat Elder | Counter-Recruit Press | January 2019
While Endangering the Health of the American Public Through Lead Exposure
When I hold you in my arms And I feel my finger on your trigger I know nobody can do me no harm Happiness is a warm gun Bang bang shoot shoot - Lennon-McCartney
The public knows it as the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP), but since 1996 its legal name has been the Corporation for the Promotion of Rifle Practice and Firearm Safety, Inc. A Congressionally-chartered program, the CMP is a prolific small arms and ammunition dealer. Although more responsible nations prudently destroy their aging, warehoused military rifles, pistols, and ammunition, the U.S. government gives it to this private, non-profit corporation based in Anniston, Alabama, home of the Army weapons depot. In turn, the CMP sells the weaponry and ammo to U.S. citizens at discounted prices. This is irrational public policy.
The CMP, according to its annual report, “promotes firearms safety training and rifle practice for all qualified U.S. citizens with special emphasis on youth.” There are 4,664 clubs, teams, and other shooting sports organizations currently affiliated with the CMP, many in the high schools that are associated with Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) programs. The CMP is responsible for training JROTC instructors and certifying JROTC ranges in the nation’s high schools. It has trained more than 4,000 JROTC instructors since 2005.1