Paying for `free assembly'

I found the opinion-page article ``Caucus Cuts Deny Free Assembly,'' Dec. 23, fascinating. If I follow the author's arguments correctly, shouldn't we be paying for National Rifle Association memberships for gun owners so as not to reduce their ability to ``engage in effective ongoing political organization''? And by applying those same arguments to the Second Amendment, clearly we should subsidize gun ownership so as not to discourage the right to keep and bear arms. Dustin Harris, Sonoma, Calif.

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