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Why bas the NRA been cozying up to Russia? Page 4 of 13 Butira, a wekcoming speeeh was delivered by honorary member of The Right to Bear Arms Alexander Torshin. The Godfather and the Godmother? Maria Butina grew up in Altai, a mountainous area in southern Siberia, hot inoved to Moscow when she was aa. Aimost overnight. she gaining notice as the kounder and chair of Russia's gun-rights movement. Reportedly a strong supporter of Putin and his Urited Russia Party,she helped start The Right to Bear Arms about five years ago as a non-profit organization.The group,she vowed,would not be a front for "any bloody lobby" and would be funded through duss frorn members. *I personally have a furniture and household appliances business," she told Russian newspaper lxyestia. "People who give us maney for work, they are usunl gun owners because to have a gun in Russia is very expensive, So these people. they have noney and they give us money," Butina explained in a xolg interview with Townhall's Katie Pavliek. "We have no nroney from government,not one coin fron goyermnent."The group now daims 1o,oox rmembers. Though Russia's constitution does not contain Second Amendnent. Hike gun rights. her rhetorie is remarkably similar to the NRA's. "More legad guns equal less crime," she told the Moseow Tinnes thuis year, "lf a country bans guns, only criminals have access to them. 1B(182107)-25 httpa://hinkprogress.org/nra-and-russian-cousin-18f607d40240