Why aren't you a member of the NRA?

Shotgun Minister expressed many of my feelings on this subject:
Arrogance is the reason I don't join. The same arrogance that is the base of these threads. The whole attitude that anyone who doesn't give money to a DC organiaztion is freeloader. If such is true than I submit that anyone who here who does not belong to a computer club is a free loader.

But that's different I suppose. Anyone who questions the almighty authority of the NRA is a bad person. (/sarcasm)
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Grand Illusion (who is evidently suffering under one) provided the sterling example of what Shotgun described:
I'm a member. If you're not, you might as well be supporting the Brady campaign. The NRA is the only organization that is actually accomplishing anything pro-gun.
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Congratulations. You and your organization are both on my ignore list now.

If the Association gets 'fixed', it will be guys like 38splfan that get 'er done. Kudos to you, Amigo.

As for me, I quit them several years ago. Too many compromises (read INFRINGEMENTS) of my 'inalienable right', along with endorsements of several candidates who I knew better than to vote for. NRA will never get another dime of my money.

Drivel like this, from gvf, is precisely why we need to hold the line.
We also would feel much safer if the transportation and sale of illegal handguns was stopped
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What the hell is an 'illegal handgun'? Oh, I forgot. It's whatever you folks say it is. Next week, next month, maybe next year- you will say "ALL of them." Here's a reality check for you- I've been a cop for about 30 years. I will not confiscate guns from my fellow citizens, or arrest them for defending themselves. You will find me standing with them- not against them. I swore an oath to uphold the Constitution, which is written in plain English. I intend to do just that. Anybody who don't like that can go to *.

*Hey- it's Christmas, so I edited out that particular destination. They can however go to certain parts of Memphis, Detroit or KCMO after 7:00 PM, instead.

You guys who are members- you are still my brothers in this fight. Just don't try and lay a guilt trip on me for my decision to invest my 'Pro-2A' time and money elsewhere. Divisiveness will only weaken us and insure our eventual defeat.
 
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Invssgt said:
You guys who are members- you are still my brothers in this fight. Just don't try and lay a guilt trip on me for my decision to invest my 'Pro-2A' time and money elsewhere. Divisiveness will only weaken us and insure our eventual defeat.
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So true! While I am a PROUD member of the NRA, O.F.C.C., Buckeye Firearms Association, and G.O.A., I understand that others might have different views.

I totally agree that DIVISIVENESS WILL WEAKEN US!

Most of us are on this and other gun forums to talk about firearms and ways to promote Second Amendment gun rights, and I realize that there are LOTS of ways to do that.

Tom
 
I've been a cop for about 30 years. I will not confiscate guns from my fellow citizens, or arrest them for defending themselves. You will find me standing with them- not against them. I swore an oath to uphold the Constitution, which is written in plain English. I intend to do just that. Anybody who don't like that can go to hell.
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Thank God for people like yourself.

MOLON LABE
 
gvf said:
No and they haven't been trying to take your guns away either - the fellow members of your society, who elect and toss out governments, do not want their families endangered by criminals, disturbed individuals or addicts having their permission to carry lethal weapons. So, they desire the same freedoms + safeguards they want required in cars, drivers, pilots & aircraft, food preparation in restaurants, the medicines they purchase, and the machinery they operate etc.
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Do you gaze up at the sky and get homesick???

Elected officials want POWER. You acquire POWER in two ways--MONEY and LACK OF RESISTANCE.

MONEY comes from taxes, fees, permits, ordinances, licenses, "one-time use" fees, etc etc. Stop and think: Are you paying less in taxes now than you were twenty-five years ago?

LACK OF RESISTANCE comes by legislating and passing laws, ordinances, restrictions, regulations, etc etc that dictate how a citizen must act accordingly. Stop and think: Are you more free now than you were twenty-five years ago?

The number one job and goal of a politician, once elected, is to STAY ELECTED. Because staying elected equals POWER.

We already collect taxes, fees, permits, ordinances, etc at the point of a gun--a GOVERNMENT gun. But there are those who can and will fight back. Legislate those guns away and you have increased your LACK OF RESISTANCE.

Most citizens don't even know that there is a battle in general aviation about user fees. That idea was 100% originated by ELECTED OFFICALS who want more MONEY. When better than 65% of the general population think that more gun control laws will do no good, why then--by your views--would ELECTED OFFICALS wish to draft and pass more gun control laws?

I'd just as soon trust a rattlesnake as I would a politician.

Jeff
 
Pink Pistols has a list of anti-gun organizations; if anyone here has gone a whole year without spending at least a year's NRA dues ($35) buying stuff from avowed anti-gunners, I'll eat my shorts.

The NRA is a voluntary association controlled by it's members; unlike the AARP, we vote for our board of directors. Several current directors will probably be shocked to be handed their walking papers over comments they've made recently, I've seen it before. If you don't think the NRA is militant enough, join and vote (or even run for the board).

One thing I am sure of: If you won't even join the NRA, you won't be there on THE DAY, you'll be cowering under your bed.

Chest thumping works for gorillas, guerrilla's need to be organized; I've shot with the people at our (NRA affiliated) gun club, I know who I can depend on.
 
Instead of telling people how pathetic they are, why not offer to pick up some folks' first year of membership so they can see how they like it? I'll put up for the first NEW membership to get the ball rolling.

And to steal from John, just in case :):
www.nramemberservices.org/faq.asp

Q: How can I reduce the amount of mail I receive from the NRA?

A: Simply email us at membership@nrahq.org or dial 800-NRA-3888 and request to be placed on the "Do Not Promote" list. This will significantly reduce the amount of mail you receive without affecting important mailings, magazine service, or your membership renewal.
 
One thing I am sure of: If you won't even join the NRA, you won't be there on THE DAY, you'll be cowering under your bed.
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Wow, I'd like to see your logic behind this...because I'm not seeing the connection. Membership in a single organization doesn't necessarily imply willingness to actually stand up and directly fight for your rights, and nor does lack of membership imply a lack thereof.

I won't bother to go into details on why I'm not a member...some has been said, the rest I doubt anybody like you would listen to. I can guarantee it's not because of the cost or because of the mailings. I will say that your attitude as displayed in this thread (though it's not unique, I've seen it before) has probably made me even less likely to ever join.
 
cold dead hands said:
Only because the NRA isn't doing their job. The NRA believes that the 2A includes the words ''except for certain rates of fire and accessories''.

Until they completely back the 2A no money will part from my hands to theirs.

By the way, just how much of a fat cat salary do the leaders of the NRA get? I am willing to bet it takes lots of memberships to pay them.

I am not in the buisness of supporting a buisness that pretends to support education and gun rights when they are actually just another monster industry with a bottom line and a desire to get as much of my money as they can get hold of.
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Where the hell do you get this stuff?

Having an opinion based upon fact is one thing; having an opinion based upon sheer ignorance is another.

Sheesh.

Jeff
 
If you won't even join the NRA, if you are to pure to sully you hands working with people with whom you share most things, how, exactly do you intend to face THE DAY? Alone? To me, this seems a perfectly logical statement, not an expression of arrogance. Or maybe you don't need the NRA 'cause you and your buddies are already organized and dug in, just waiting to start shooting? (sarcasm)
The excuses I hear for not sending $35 (and you get a magazine subscription with gun reviews that have used the same protocol for decades; you don't know what you're missing if all the gun rags you read are afraid to offend their advertisers), well, the only word that comes to mind is pathetic. I say "the NRA are good folks, they're not perfect, but they're trying hard, and if you want them to do different stuff, join, vote, even run for the board", and this is arrogance and a reason not to join? It's not the money, it's the attitude of the members? We wouldn't have guns without the NRA, and that's the simple truth.
 
If you won't even join the NRA, if you are to pure to sully you hands working with people with whom you share most things...
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That presumes that I "share the most things" with the NRA and its members. If there's one thing I've learned around here, it's that an appreciation of firearms and belief in a right to keep and bear them is about the only thing I seem to share with the average NRA member.
 
Juan: I thought that is what the NRA was about? Granted they go about it in a 1/2 azz manner some times but it works.

Well spent $35.00 in my books. I wish the would quit spending so much on junk in the mail!
 
Where I live, the average NRA member is drawn out of the regular population, so they're likely to be different from the NRA members where you live. Wherever you live, NRA members are just regular folks with a magazine subscription; they're already your friends and neighbors. The first step in demonization is to make folks believe that NRA members are "different" from other people; the Brady Bunch seems to have succeeded in this, at least.

Why so defensive? Just try it, if you really don't like it, you don't have to do it again, but at least you'll be able to argue from experience. Or do you enjoy cutting off your nose to spite your face?
 
I think LaPierre is a pretty smart cookie. Sure he is making a good living out of it. So? There will have to be an evolving compromise with the anti -gun bunch or they will simply out vote you. As long as there is gang violence and morons shooting people in schools and malls it is unavoidable. Try to get all you can, but if you try to get everything you will get less in the long run. LaPierre understands this which is the reason he is good for the NRA rather than some all or nothing type.
 
I think LaPierre is a pretty smart cookie. Sure he is making a good living out of it. So? There will have to be an evolving compromise with the anti -gun bunch or they will simply out vote you.
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"Evolving compromise?" :rolleyes: Wow, the rationalizations are getting more sophisticated.

They will "simply outvote" us? Talk about defeatist talk. That is like a football team saying "we HAVE to give them a few free touchdowns or they will simply score them on their own."

When you "compromise" with what you ALREADY HAVE, you've decided from the outset that losing is acceptable to you.

It's kind of like a prostitute saying that she's not a prostitute simply because she won't accept money.
Try to get all you can, but if you try to get everything you will get less in the long run. LaPierre understands this
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That is a great example of where the pro-nra rationalizers MIS-STATE what we are actually saying. The fact is, the nra DOESN'T "try to get all they can." I'm not going to re list all of the examples, many of them RECENT, where nra flat out supports gun control and gun bans. If people won't read what I wrote that's their problem because I'm not going to keep repeating the long laundry list of nra's support for gun control.
 
Yes I am a member. I'm also a member of the Texas State Rifle Association and my local firearms club. I'm also a veteran ( 64-68). I've seen alot of changes in this country. I do not support anti gun organizations if I know about them. The NRA has it's problems like everything else, but the way I see it it's the best thing we got going for us right now.
 
If people won't read what I wrote that's their problem because I'm not going to keep repeating the long laundry list of nra's support for gun control.
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That's because it's BS.

You can spin anything anyway you want anywhere. But the rock-bottom line is, where would your propagandist little butt be WITHOUT the NRA right now?

Basically saying if you can't have it 100% your way 100% of the time (ie, the no compromise stance) is why I consider gun owners who refuse to join or support NRA on that basis nothing more than spoiled pissants.

So you may write letters. So do I. So you may call your elected peons. So do I. So you may belong to other pro-gun groups. So do I. But I also put a minimal $35 a year into a membership that is respected and feared and loathed by our enemies.

To put it another way, I've been in combat situations where I've seen a smattering of gomers coming at us one or two or a few at a time. Big damn deal. That's like shooting fish in a barrel.

But when you get a full frontal assault from regimental strength . . . you ran like hell if you were smart and wanted to survive.

I like the the fact that the NRA will hit our enemies with numbers and force. That packs a huge punch--much bigger than my little rantings to Senator Whoever.

Jeff
 
I'm not going to respond directly to those who like to personally attack people and use gutter tactics to smear those they disagree with. Have a merry Christmas anyway, even though my opinion angers you so much.
 
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