A hearty hallelujah! to Fargo Mayor Dennis Walaker for telling the National Rifle Association to shove off. The NRA targeted the mayor because he's one of dozens of U.S. mayors who are members of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, an organization that opposes illegal firearms. Apparently "illegal" isn't good enough for the NRA.

The campaign thus far has consisted of some 30 e-mails and letters urging the mayor to leave the organization. To his credit, Walaker did not respond to the campaign until questioned by a Forum reporter.

The Fargo person who apparently takes his marching orders from the NRA, Mark Mazaheri, is shocked the mayor won't talk to him about the issue. He should not be shocked. The NRA has its position; the mayor has his. Both are clear. No amount of "talking," especially the NRA's style of talking to people who don't see things the NRA's way, is going to change minds.

An NRA postcard about the mayors' group features the reddest of red herrings. It says the group was founded and funded by "activist antigun billionaire and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg." Well, ain't that damning? Is it supposed to suggest Walaker and Bloomberg are soul mates because Fargo's mayor agrees with New York City's mayor on a specific - and we might say, sensible - position on (and we stress again) illegal firearms? Gosh, they might even see money for roads and bridges the same way. Our guess is Bloomberg would support Walaker's conclusions about Fargo flood control. In the NRA's eyes, curse Walaker for being associated in any way with Bloomberg.

This is the sort of non-issue nonsense that compels thoughtful people to think twice about taking the NRA seriously.

Mazaheri and his NRA masters have an agenda. The mayor has a city to run. On balance, we believe the mayor's work is more important than the NRA's ham-handed attempt to "talk" to him.