NRA members

Without the NRA, the largest private association in the world, the USA would have lost the 2nd Amendment in either 1968 or 1993. If you don't like the firearms laws we have today, just think how much worse it would be without the NRA. Registration, storage requirements, discretionary licensing, no semi-autos, no handguns, all of it would be in place.
 
The constant junk mail and junk e-mail, even with the opt-out, can get pretty annoying.

That said, I have been a yearly member for three years and just recently re-upped for 5 more years.

I want the NRA in my corner like many countries want the U.S. military in their corner. You may not entirely agree with them, but it's hard to argue with an Apache gunship / the ability to severely harm the election chances of an anti-2A politician.
 
I've been a Life Member since the Mid 70s. It use to be a requirement to compete in many of their competitions. Also use to be a requirement to purchase firearms from the CMP (then, DCM).

Like anything or anyone else you can please everyone because everyone has different opinions. But, its huge and do to its size it does scare politicians. I'm sure we would have a bunch more gun laws without them and the gun laws we have are being whittled away a bit at at a time.

Again, not perfect but there has only been one perfect Man and no perfect women.

Now as to something we tend to overlook in talking about the NRA is the other programs, that training and competitions.

My club has received untold numbers of grants to help with our ranges. This is a small community, a hair over 3000 people in town and a bit over 6000 in the county. We have a nice indoor range, 300 yard outdoor range, and a great trap range, most paid for by NRA Grants. Not to mention the money they provide to our junior and 4-H programs. We couldn't have done this without the NRA.

Betterment of Marksmanship was the original goal of the NRA and in that, I doubt anyone can dispute they've done, and are doing a great job.

Yes I'm a life member, if I wasn't, that would be the first thing on my TO DO list.

The NRA and CMP are the two best programs in the country when it comes to shooting sports, I support both whole heartedly.
 
Life member. I've certainly had my differences with them, but at the end of the day, the gun culture wouldn't be around without them.
 
Some of us do and some of us don't remember the seventies and eighties when the anti-gun faction was at its height. Actually it continued all the way to the 1994 Assault Weapons ban, before things started to turn toward the RKBA a little.

There were no positive gun shows on the big three networks, PBS, or cable. Every news report, sit com, movie of the week, docu-drama, etc portrayed firearms in a negative light. The rampant anti-gun message was pervasive, in your face and it looked like they were winning. Things have slowly turned our way and thanks to the court decisions of the last few years, the future is looking even better.

It was NRA pressure and funding that brought those lawsuits and led to the AWB being left to expire.

I've read the negative opinions of some of the NRA's policies and decisions over the years, I've disagreed with them myself. However, if there is anyone who thinks the NRA wasn't largely responsible, for stemming the anti-RKBA tide, they need their head examined.
 
When I was in the Army, all of the folks in the Marksmanship Training Unit were NRA members.

The NRA has a long long history and tradition. A history of advancing firearms knowledge and training for our military.

Our society at some point changed somewhat and views on firearms changed (in certain demographics), and we began to see, what was at that time new, gun control legislation. The rise of the anti-gun movement caused a reactive change in the NRA.

At one time the NRA was viewed primarily as a training organization - not a polictical organization.

I can also say that the views of the active duty people toward the NRA was much different than the views I ran across in the Army Reserve. I never ran across anyone on active duty who had a negative view toward the NRA.

I had to do my 5 year re-up for my clearance while in the reserves, and I had to put down what organizations I belonged to. I laughed and said that the only organization I'd ever belonged to was the NRA, so I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem. The G2, said "The NRA? I'd be more worried about the NRA than anything else..."

She obviously was anti-gun (hard for me to understand a military person being anti-gun, but they're out there)

She was full of ****, because almost no one in the military shares her point of view of the NRA.

She was wrong, because I had no problem renewing my clearance whatsoever.

I did tell her that the NRA was responsible for probably 99% of all of the know-how, expertise and training that she ever went through for rifle or pistol training. She said "No they're not". So I left it at that. I was an Staff Sergeant, she was a 1st Lt - no use arguing (on so many levels).
 
Many of us are members. I just sent off the check for a renewal.

However, in this thread - let's not go down the bash road - yet again.
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Since the moderators have already stated we cannot actually voice a full and uncensored opinion I will remain silent.
 
Been a member for many years ... I also pay for a membership for my wife, who isn't a shooter but understands very well the need for fervent support for the 2A ... and now I get TWO magazines every month, not just one ... if you understand how vital the 2A is for our future, IMHO you have to be a member, whether you agree with every stand they take or not ... there are millions of non-members who benefit from the work the NRA does; it's basically the cost of one mediocre meal out. Imagine if the NRA had 8m members instead of the 4m it has now ...

And hey, Mike38, lifelong rider and charter life member of the AMA ...
 
Since this was an OP Merry Christmas start - I feel full of good cheer and don't want to referee the usual flame fest.

Start a complaint thread on a depressing day. I'm just waiting around till we leave for a holiday yummy feast.

:D - Don't be a grinch!
 
I'm a member of the:

  • NRA
  • Illinois State Rifle Assc.
  • Second Amendment Foundation

I live in the Chicagoland area. I like to leave the NRA magazines, and the ISRA newspaper in laundrymats/public locations for others to read after I'm done with them. That way at least one "city mouse" can see that guns and a gun culture exist for law abiding citizens.

Between that, donations to the organizations, taking friends and family to the range, as well as the ocassinal letter to my representatives, I believe I'm doing my part.
 
"Since the moderators have already stated we cannot actually voice a full and uncensored opinion I will remain silent."

:rolleyes:

We're just a pack of repressive bastards.

Here's our Christmas gift to you....

A forum that you get to use FREE of charge.

A forum with NO pop up ads.

A forum with NO embedded ads.

A forum where your e-mail address IS NOT sold to anyone offering a wad of cash.

All that, and you get pissy when a member of staff asks members not to go down the old rhetoric road in this one thread?

God life is tough.

Why don't you e-mail Rich Lucibella, the man who is responsible for this site, and let him know that our jackboots are crushing your skull?

And while you're at it, maybe you can take some time out of your snit to actually thank him for what he's kind enough to give to you, free of charge?


I've got this one, Glenn...

Ho Ho Closed. :mad:
 
You know, thinking about this some more, no, I'm not going to close this thread. Or, I should say, I'm going to reopen this thread.

We're going to continue, but we're going to honor Glenn's request.
 
I know the Eatman family folks have been Lifers since back in the '30s. Me, I still remember the NRA's 1967 and 1968 efforts, quite well, thank you. Without the NRA? No handguns; all long guns registered. That would have meant no IPSC, no IDPA, no CHL. Probably no high-power competition. No tax money spent on any shooting facilities. No CMP.

All fifty states like Illinois, Massachusetts and California except "worster"? Better to count the blessings you have, rather than whine about what you don't have.

NRA ain't perfect, but it's done a lot, even when getting anything done our way took a bunch of arm-twisting of Congresscritters. We managed to get the sunset provision into the AW ban, even though the Brady Bunch had the votes. And we've been shafted, more than once, even after we thought we had a deal.

All in all, the NRA accomplishments make for a much merrier Christmas, if you think about it some. Could have been a buinch less Ho, ho, ho!
 
I'm going to reopen this thread.
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Awesome! ^ Haven't seen this before. ^

Art mentioned IL. Having escaped IL for TX, I appreciate the increased level of gun rights here and know what it feels like to have a FOID card, waiting periods, no CHL.

It really makes me appreciate having more gun rights and I thank my adoptive state (ahem, Republic) and the NRA in part for that.
 
Awesome! ^ Haven't seen this before. ^
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You really have to do some digging, but it has. Probably been a blue moon more often, but we have...

I've always done the 3 year gig. Always been apprehensive on joining the NRA for life, just in case they go south on what I believe they should stand for and future actions. Right now, though, I'm thinking it's a silly excuse. They recently offered a lifetime membership to me that's as low as I've seen it since the late 90's. I might have to give in...

WVsig said:
Since the moderators have already stated we cannot actually voice a full and uncensored opinion I will remain silent.
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You know, I normally understand newer members being uneducated on the difference between giving thoughtful, intelligent opposing viewpoints and bashing. I can even see one acting pretentious in twisting one's statement to make it their reality. But an established member?

It isn't even worth spending anymore time on that note....
 
:rolleyes:I belong to the NRA and I do not care for all the asking for money. I give them what I can but if you do not care for the mailings, you have a round file that you can use. No extra effort used in the disposal.
 
I am a member again. I joined via the Bass Pro Shops online deal that cost something like half off, and you got a gift card that made it dirt cheap to join.

It was a good deal, but let me warn you -- DO NOT use your favorite E-mail address when you join. Ever since the day it went active, I get soooo much spam, and I'm pretty sure that Bass Pro Shops or the NRA is the culprit. Probably BPS.
 
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