NRA Convention in Denver Cancelled!

R

Rich Lucibella

Staff
Yup. I heard it on CNN. It seems the annual Nra Convention has been pared from three days to one. The Exhibit hall will not be open atb all (God only knows what they'll tell the exhibitors!) All attendees are being encouraged to join Pres. Heston for a morning prayer breakfast.

This really burns my cookies. At a time when I see at least *some* balance in the media's coverage of a true American tragedy, the NRA accepts tacit responsibility for the event by announcing that their message is inappropriate? I thought their message was about education, respect for firearms and firearms safety?

Am I way off base here? Could they not have found a more productive use of the PR by asking Littleton residents to come down for workshops regarding safekeeping of firearms? The responsibilities of firearms ownership? Something?

Might they not have distanced themselves from the violence, rather than sending a message that these Hitler-youth terrorists have something to do with firearms ownership?
OY!
Rich
 
No, you aren't off base. The NRA caved once again. That cow O'Donnell spewed all sorts of vitriol about the NRA and I am sure that spooked them to a large degree.
This move is one more that they won't recover from.....as the old saying goes "Innocent men don't run and hide"

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"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes"
 
Rich, you are right on the money! Once again they walk away with their tail between their legs. Instead of offering information on prevention of future incidents, or at the very least a presence to add support to the community, they back down. It is so frustrating!
 
Had to post again! Where is MOSES? Why didn't Mr. Heston make an appearance on any of the networks? I saw Mr. LaPiere on with Ollie North and that Fascist Lautenburg and some toadie that were trying to stir up the pot.
 
Actually, this is the first time I've wished I WAS a member of the NRA... so I could have the satisfaction of telling them I'm taking my money elsewhere.

[This message has been edited by Jordan (edited April 22, 1999).]
 
Rich;

Nope... you hit an X with that one. I am SOOO POed at the NRA, and have been for quite a few years, I'm of a mind to turn in my Life Membership.

WHAT have they done for their membership recently? Except ask for $$ to "fight" for the cause. But where have they fought? The only fights I see them doing are all defensive in nature... reacting to things. This is a perfect example. Hell I would have made the convention LONGER.

The NRA needs to go on the offensive... use our opponents tactics. Ya know... bring a suit against... oh say NYC for violating everyones right to carry. 2d Amendment grounds, distruction of civil liberties, decrease of public safety... and what ever else, no matter HOW far fatched it may seem.

BUT NOOOOOO the leadership will just stay on the defensive, bickering against each other, trying to keep their prized posistions. Never mind we, the membership, are having our Rights slowly erroded.

"I'm the NRA!" Hell no _I'M_ not... I want to fight an offensive battle... not a defensive one. You can't win a war with defense alone... and that is exactly what the NRA is, and has been, doing for a long time.

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Schmit, GySgt, USMC(Ret)
NRA Life, Lodge 1201-UOSSS
"Si vis Pacem Para Bellum"




[This message has been edited by David Schmidbauer (edited April 22, 1999).]
 
I have not been an NRA member for about four years and was just getting ready to rejoin. Have to wait and see.
Rich;Are you raising that point with the NRA leadership.Can it be connected with FOUP?

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Better days to be,

Ed
 
Those of you wishing to express your disappointment to the NRA, here's a helpful link: nracompromise@everyturn.org
 
Ed-
I certainly do intend to raise the point with the NRA leadership. I am not arguing for anyone to use this as an excuse to discontinue membership dues....after all, we owe the NRA for most of the State CCW wins in the past 15 years and much more.

However, I'm ashamed to be associated with the Teen-Rabble that comitted this crime. The NRA has done exactly that!
Rich
 
So the NRA wimped out again. I hope I can get a refund on my airline tickets. You guys are right about one thing, all they do is ask for more money. Where does all this money go. Let's check out the salaries of the top five honcho's, Moses included. You know, I never heard how the last NRA election came out.. I did vote just for the ones they told me not to. I also wonder? Did they finally kick Neal Knox out permanently. He should be running the show. He want to get aggressive and kick *ss. I'm a lifer too, but the way they been going, I don't know. I also support GOA, CCRKBA, 2nd Amendment Foundation, and the LEAA. It seems to me they are doing more than the NRA.
Paul B.
COMPROMISE IS NOT AN OPTION!
 
Damn them. Besides the people and groups actively destroying the Constitution and Bill of Rights, I have more ill will towards the NRA leadership than just about anyone I can think of in the US. I'm still very pissed off at them for the betrayal of 1986. Yes, I'm one of those very politically incorrect machinegun owners.

But I remain a member of the NRA and encourage everyone I can to join. My objective? To get enough people to maintain their memberships for five consecutive years to throw the bums out!!

Make no mistake. The leadership of the NRA are politicians. If the membership of the NRA suddenly tripled to near 10 million, and the surveys send out to members showed that the membership wanted no compromise...well, the wimps would turn into tigers overnight. To protect their jobs.

I'm the NRA-hopefully the NRA of the future.
 
actually
on the local news, the aired Moses saying that schools need to have armed security, cuz the only thing you can do when someone is shooting at you is to shoot back. then they went to all kind of people who thought it was a bad idea. He might have been on 20/20 also.
Cancelling the convention is justl ike saying guns are bad and they, not the kids are responsible.
 
I just wrote the most heartbreaking email that I will ever have to write.
I've been a member of the NRA since 1979 and my current membership doesn't expire until January of 2005.
Tonight, I've done something that I never dreamed I'd have to do. I cancelled my membership.
I will not be associated with these people.
Am I being stupid for crying over this?

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Your mind is your primary weapon.
 
Ken,

While I understand your heartbreak and your action, I must beg you to reconsider. No, I don't agree with the actions of the NRA, past or present. However, the NRA has the POTENTIAL to be the most effective tool available to us. The only way to make the potential a reality is from within. If you resign in protest you lose your vote. Only by increasing our voting strength within the NRA can we ever hope to change it. You are playing into the NRA leadership's hands by resigning. They want people who feel as we do to resign. Don't do it. Instead work to increase the NRA voting membership of people who feel as we do.
 
Heck, I got so mad after the LAST convention, that I tore the life member sticker off my truck, and drove home halfway through it! I'd gone to the convention hoping to finally hear both sides of the argument between Knox and the current leadership. They didn't address one point he'd been raising, just smeared him with fliers in the halls, and then cut the microphone off when he tried to defend himself against their smears from the podium!
The Rifleman is the pro-gun movement's Pravda, gentlemen; Didn't have a word about those events in it; Never even acknowleges that dissent EXISTS within the organization, let alone addresses any complaints people might have. (I suppose I've wronged Pravda; They at least admitted there WERE disidents.) The last grass roots NRA event I attended nearly turned into a riot, with the members complaining, and Metaska defending our failure to oppose Dole in the primaries.
Face it, guys; We'd probably be better off without the NRA; It just keeps other organizations like GOA down, while compromising our rights away. Only reason I've kept my life membership is so that I can vote for the people they say to vote against, and if they complete the purge this year, I'm cutting it up and mailing it to "Moses" with an explaination.
 
Don't get me wrong. I'm not for keeping the GOA down by joining the NRA. I'm a life member of GOA. I just think that leaving the NRA is a case of cutting your nose off to spite your face- a behaviour pattern I sadly have a great amount of experience with.
 
Following is the text of an email I just sent to NRA HQ. Maybe they'll listen...heck, I just rejoined after 3 years, when I'd let my membership expire 'cuz they were ticking me off. Now I remember why I let it expire....


I am utterly appalled that the NRA has decided to shorten its convention in Denver at a time like this. The mere act of doing this is practically an admission that guns are indeed at fault in the recent Littleton tragedy. As an NRA member, I resent the fact that you have backed down on this issue, and are in many ways saying that we are to blame. I joined the NRA to fight for my rights, not to back down. It's time to stop sneaking around and being apologetic for ourselves. Please step forward and make a strong, visible stand. This tragedy presents an opportunity for the antis to come out fighting. If the NRA decides to cancel events and hide, then we've already lost.

Sincerely,
J Kyle Sweeney
 
Jeez, what an opportunity lost (I agree with each of your suggestions, Rich). Those idjits claim to be fighting for our rights and then turn around and won't make a stand? Gutless wonders. DC's right, innocent men don't run and hide. Guns, like so many other tools we use in society, have an up and down side, but how can the positives get out if the so called advocacy organizations like the NRA won't stand up? **^%@!&%#!#!$!#!^%$#^!%$@%^!@?!!!!!, I'm so disgusted and disappointed with those jerks. M2
 
April 22, 1999
Mr. Jim Land
Vice President and Secretary
National Rifle Association
11250 Waples Mill Road
Fairfax, VA 22030

Dear Jim:

You may recall that we had the opportunity to speak last week when you called my home in search of [name deleted]. You may also recall how proud I was of my Endowment Member status. I have been a supporter of the NRA through myriad controversies, public blunders and misguided compromises. Yesterday, however, your colleagues went too far.

I am absolutely astonished by the NRA's decision to effectively cancel the annual convention in the wake of the tragedy in Littleton, Colorado. Though I did not have plans to attend, your actions have done far more than steal from the Members their annual forum and meeting place. You have essentially admitted to those who would trample our rights that law abiding firearms owners are a part of the problem.

At a time when the media and even the President are showing a glimmer of common sense as to the root causes for tragedies like this, the NRA hangs it's head in shame and announces that it would not be "appropriate" to lawfully assemble and discuss firearms responsibility, safety and freedoms. In doing so, you tell each and every one of our critics that you are not the problem...we, the Members, are. You have stripped each of us of our ability to defend the position that firearms are not responsible for such monstrous acts and left us in the cold. Had the Members acted out of similar motives when Wayne LaPierre made his infamous and damaging "jack booted thugs" statement, there would be no NRA.

Surely, the NRA might have taken advantage of the relatively balanced coverage this tragedy has received. This could have been accomplished by going forward with the convention and inviting the public to attend free seminars on such topics as securing of firearms, proper training of children who come into contact with firearms and basic firearms safety. Instead, your colleagues have chosen to protect their personal positions and polish their reputations at the expense of those who put you in office and pay your generous salaries.

I have no intention of resigning from the NRA. As an Endowment Member, I have paid for the benefits that are available. However, I urge you to remove me from your mailing list and cancel my subscription to your magazine. In fairness to my fellow Members, I prefer to see you save the postage costs. The NRA will never receive another dime from me.

Sincerely,
Richard J. Lucibella
 
I just e-mailed this page to the NRA; Think they'll actually post a response here? If past behavior is any guide, they're not even going to admit that anyone in the membership thinks they made a mistake.

Just had a thought: With the incredible drop off in attendence this is likely to cause, especially among those disgusted by this action, who knows what they'll be able to ram through this year... You don't suppose that could have had anything to do with this decision, do you?

[This message has been edited by Brett Bellmore (edited April 22, 1999).]
 
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