The National Rifle Association is offering insurance for people who shoot someone, the Associated Press reports. Gun-control advocates say the offer could lead to more violence and give gun owners a false sense of security to shoot first and ask questions later. Some call it “murder insurance,” and say that rather than promoting personal responsibility and protection, it encourages gun owners to take action and not worry about the consequences. They also say it’s being marketed in a way that feeds on the nation’s racial divisions. Guns Down, a gun-control group formed last year, is running an ad campaign to criticize the NRA’s new insurance. “If you look at the way this is marketed, it’s really sold in the context of ‘There’s a threat around every corner, dear mostly-white NRA member,’ and that threat is either a black man or a brown man or some other kind of person of color,” said Guns Down’s Igor Volsky.
The NRA started Carry Guard insurance in the spring. Rates range from $13.95 a month for up to $250,000 in civil protection and $50,000 in criminal defense to a “gold plus” policy that costs $49.95 a month and provides up to $1.5 million in civil protection and $250,000 in criminal defense. The United States Concealed Carry Association has been in the business much longer and provides up to $2 million in civil costs and $250,000 for criminal defense. Carry Guard is more comprehensive and being marketed more aggressively than it has been previously. Guns Down asked the two insurance companies involved with it — Lockton Affinity, which administers it, and Chubb, the underwriter — to drop it. Chubb told the AP that it provides insurance for a wide range of risks and when customers are engaged in “lawful activity,” including hunting, shooting at gun ranges or when a firearm accidentally discharges. It noted that Carry Guard includes training and safety courses.