I wouldn't doubt professional do-gooders and bleeding hearts are seizing on these genuine issues to not only publicize a worthy cause but to boost their own careers.

But this only tends to counterbalance the fact that organizations like the NFL (and yes, the NRA) are primarily machines for making money, and they have considerable resources available to devote to the public relations effort whose major purpose is to deflect negative public opinion and allow them to continue uninterrupted their mercenary activity.

Its all public relations--propaganda, lobbying, litigation, advertising. Guys in suits.

I guess its like war, there may be a good side and a bad side, but in the trenches, they're pretty hard to tell apart.