Remington is the oldest gun manufacturer in the United States and after almost two centuries of production, the company filed for bankruptcy last month.

This battle shows the flaw with National Rifle Association (NRA) and its supposed protection for gun owners and why students who support the organization in hopes of protecting their gun rights are acting against their own interest.

The NRA’s Mission is “To protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, especially with reference to the inalienable right of the individual American citizen guaranteed by such Constitution to acquire, possess, collect, exhibit, transport, carry, transfer ownership of, and enjoy the right to use arms.”

However, the NRA’s actions after yet another school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School show that the NRA cares not about the Constitution, nor the second amendment, nor any individual right of an American citizen.

As Vann Newkirk II wrote for the Atlantic, arming teachers is both absurd and contrary to the Second Amendment.

At its most basic level, the Second Amendment intends to give power to citizens in order to curb a repressive government. Considering that almost 90% of the teachers in the country are public school teachers, and therefore agents of the government, arming teachers is simply expanding the power of the government.

Why does the NRA support this legislation that is so completely contrary to its stated mission?

Looking at the history of Remington and its current bankruptcy battle bores this truth out. Anytime since the Sandy Hook massacre in 2012 that gun legislation seemed like a possibility, sales of Remington have skyrocketed.

Not because of efforts from the grassroots, but because of an effort from the organization to use the prospect of legislation as a marketing tactic.

Since the American people elected Donald Trump in the fall of 2016, sales for the company have plummeted along with their share price. They have struggled to maintain their level of sales because the NRA does not have this marketing opportunity

In addition to using donations from members to “lobby” politicians, the NRA has created an entire media network in order to promote the major gun companies.

With fewer eyes on the issue of gun control, the NRA struggled to maintain its level of donations. This changed after the Parkland shooting.

Lower dollar amounts of donations made it harder to maintain the lobbying efforts of old from the NRA.

Most significantly in its past, the NRA lobbied for the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act in 2005, which protects gun manufacturers from suits related to the use of their products. This does nothing to protect gun owners.

In fact, this, much like arming teachers, restricts their rights.

Why did the NRA support this legislation that completely limited the rights of individual gun owners and, in turn, is so contrary to its stated mission?

Simply: the National Rifle Association does not exist to protect gun owners, but in fact gun manufacturers.