The American lobbying arm of the Quakers, the Friends Committee for National Legislation has been revealed as one of 500 organisations and people on the pro-weapons National Rifle Association’s so-called “enemy list“.

According to the FCNL website “Friends seek peaceful and nonviolent solutions to personal and societal problems at all levels. The seeds of war are sown in communities that tolerate verbal and physical violence in its many forms or that tolerate the disrespect of ethnic, gender, racial, religious, and other differences. We advocate policies that encourage community mediation, conflict resolution, and other programs to resolve conflict peacefully and to promote mutual respect. We also advocate stricter gun control and the reduction of gun ownership, possession, and use.”

After several high-profile tragedies in the US in recent months involving guns, the NRA has developed an increasingly bizarre campaign in favour of liberal gun ownership. In one instance they produced a television commercial calling US president Barack Obama an ‘elitist hypocrite’ because the US Secret Service guards his daughters at their Quaker school.

Included in the list are actors, sports teams and even ice-cream makers who are said to have adopted anti-gun positions. Perhaps the list can serve as a reminder to those who aren’t on the list that they need to campaign harder to be recognised by the NRA.