N.R.A. Good or Bad

[John DR]

I've noticed a lot of post on this board and others that chop the NRA, what's up with this?
I've been a life member of the NRA for about 25 years, and I know their not perfect but they are one of the best lines of defense against all the anti's that would like to see all of our guns turned to scrap.
So I guess I would like to hear from both sides good or bad.

 

[Frohickey]

I'll bite.

As a recent gun rights supporter, I've gone from ambivalence to the NRA, to basher of the NRA, and now back to support of the NRA.

I see them as the 850lb gorilla of the gun rights lobby. (Yes, gun rights is a lobby, but thats only because our politicians can't read the US Constitution and BoR.) The NRA has the ear of a lot of people in power, and they know what is possible and what is not. They also know what will turn the undecideds away from us and what will turn them towards us.

Its only recently, IMO, that they have started on the path of incrementalism. The gun ban lobby have known this all along, and have used it against us to great effect. Thats because we have compromised with their proposals, and we have not made proposals of our own. But this has changed, and there are quite a few proposals that our side have made and won.

The NRA has always been about gun safety, gun education. It still does these tasks, but now, it has had to be about gun rights. Prior to that, I think that NRA was on the defensive when a new gun law was passed, it kept trying to see which group was affected by it, and it if it wasn't the majority of its members, it would not push as hard.

What happened recently is that Clinton happened. Clinton was the best recruiter for the NRA. His gun grabbing hands made a lot of gun owners, gun owners who started by owning black ugly guns sit up and take notice. They started joining the NRA in spades. Some of these people really got involved in the NRA, and started applying for and becoming NRA directors. This ends up changing the stance that the NRA takes, and its now starting to become a more strident gun-rights lobby. Plus, NRA directors are usually there for quite a long time, and its usually name recognition that gets them elected. It takes time to develop that, and I would bet that only recently have the balance of NRA directors shifted from hunting/sporting-minded ones to self-defense/gun-rights-minded ones.

It has also taken the emergence of other gun rights organization, like GOA, and JFPO, and others to make the NRA sit up and take notice.

I'm a life member too, but I think that I'm more of the self-defense/gun-rights stance instead of the hunting-minded ones. I would like to see this gun control stuff go away, all the way back to before NFA34. I think that the people bashing the NRA are like me. They just want to see more action from the NRA.

 

[lonegunman]

The NRA is one of the most powerful lobbies in Washington, and liberals are extremely afraid of it. Clinton, Schumer, and others have made this point.

If it were not for the NRA, rest assured that there would already at least be registration, if not confiscation, of firearms.

Other pro-gun groups dont have the clout in Washington of the NRA.

 

[straightShot]

What happened recently is that Clinton happened. Clinton was the best recruiter for the NRA. His gun grabbing hands made a lot of gun owners, gun owners who started by owning black ugly guns sit up and take notice. They started joining the NRA in spades.

Damn. I want to be the best recruiter for the NRA, not Clinton.

Send me an email for a new membership or a renewal. As a recruiter, I can save you $10 off of the $35 fee. It'll only cost you $25, and you get your choice of either the American Rifleman, American Hunter, or America's First Freedom magazine.

Shoot straight,

straightShot

 

[croyance]

For me, as an outsider, there seems to be some flaws.
Before I go into them, I will admit that all people and organizations are flawed. The NRA also is doing more good than harm. People also remember the failures. This is not meant as a slam, but the question was asked.
Picking only the battles you can win, or are already won, doesn't make you look effective. Winning battles others have written off does. Or losing on a bill, but making a point "for the cause" that helps in the long run.
Endorsing candidates that end up turning on gun rights, or waffle a lot on them looks bad.
Some of the things out of Charlston Heston's mouth don't appeal to the non-sportsman. Like saying that nobody needs an AK-47. Yes, I don't need one, but I think I have the right to buy one.
So for now I choose to support individual fights and battles instead of an organization.

 

[whiskey]

Well I have been a member of the NRA for many moons, but that will end today. This afternoon I received a package in the mail from the NRA. I knew right off that it was a video tape (I use the same boxes to mail them.) I go in the house, open the box, which was clearly labeled "Free Gift Inside"! Out falls a video and a grunt call. What did I do next? I threw the box away. DOH! My trash digging wife proceeds to riffle through the trash and ask why I didn't open the letter on the box. I said, "Cause they are probably just asking for another donation for my free gift." WRONG! Seems that if I don't return the video I will be charged for it! Well you can bet your sweet rump that the video, deer call and a well versed letter will be mailed to the NRA in the morning.

Why would an organization that I pay to belong to and that is supposed to try and help gun owners try to intentionally try to deceive it's members?

I still feel that the NRA is the strongest Pro-gun organization around, but they will have to do their best without me. GOA all the way.

 

[Jeff OTMG]

Good, but not perfect. Anyone group who tweaks the anti's as much as the NRA I want to be part of.

 

[Waitone]

The NRA has warts but they are pretty warts.

Until the Campaign finance control bill the NRA limited itself to the second amendment. But like me and others the NRA now sees the need to man the picket line in defense of not only the second amendment but also the first (for now). I am happy to see the NRA ride to the defense of the first amendment. I hope the NRA demanded reciprocity from first amendment groups and they will ride to the defense of the second amendent. I just hope the NRA does not get over extended on this first amendment fight.

That's my hope. A naive hope but my hope nonetheless.

 

[crashburnrepeat]

Whiskey, oh my goodness. I know that this stuff is totally irritating but it's no reason to drop out of the NRA. Geez. I'm not a fervent supporter of the NRA either. I think they have gotten out of touch with the rank and file, the certainly DON'T represent my views on guns. I mean, I don't give a RAT's ASS about a gun that was made before 1950. I don't own a musket nor will I ever. I hunt but don't think the 2nd amendment has ANYTHING to do with my hunting. NRA has slowly traded my rights for stuff They are no pushing to possibly get me thrown in jail forever if I acidentally break one of the assinine gun control laws in this country.


BUT.....


they are the best of the organizations in the country to defend our rights. I vote and call the NRA and ask for more coverage on assault weapons and less on muskets. NRA can be changed for the better but without it, we'd be TOTALLY screwed. We'd be like England gun owners, piddling around in our back yards with our expensive neutered bb guns and air rifles, longing for our AR15's.


I support all the other Gun groups. I'm a member of GOA, JPFO and the NRA. I am the GOA but I pay the NRA cause they do the best job of fighting the tide. I don't know if you've noticed but recently the NRA has been better representing "our" beliefs.


Don't let a little slight push you out of the NRA. It only strengthens the anti's and weakens our resolve.

Join GOA if you want but stay in the NRA


crash.

"Cause they are probably just asking for another donation for my free gift." WRONG! Seems that if I don't return the video I will be charged for it! Well you can bet your sweet rump that the video, deer call and a well versed letter will be mailed to the NRA in the morning.

 

[Courier]

John DR

You hit the nail on the head, good, not perfect, but certainly better to have the NRA than not to have them. I support them.