Why I'm Not Renewing My NRA Membership
- Thread starter jcsturgeon
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Glenn E. Meyer
New member
It is legitimate to debate the NRA's role without insulting other members. None of that please.
IMHO, both parties at the top are not proactive supporters of gun rights. We can find examples of that. It is true that the Democrats tend to be more in pushing an antigun agenda but it is not unique to them.
It is also true that there are liberal strong supporters of gun rights. There should be more and we need to encourage that by not demanding conservative purity as a litmus test for supporting gun rights.
IMHO, both parties at the top are not proactive supporters of gun rights. We can find examples of that. It is true that the Democrats tend to be more in pushing an antigun agenda but it is not unique to them.
It is also true that there are liberal strong supporters of gun rights. There should be more and we need to encourage that by not demanding conservative purity as a litmus test for supporting gun rights.
Concur wholeheartedly with the majority of you of the Democrat Party as the genesis of nearly all gun control legislation.
A Democrat controlled Senate prior to the 2010 election has also given us two new Supreme Court Justices who are not pro Second Amendment.
I have been around long enough to remember when the NRA did not delve into politics ever.The Gun Control Act of 1964 changed all of that. The NRA in reality is the ONLY organization with enough members and with enough testosterone to take on the anti-gun zealots in government. I am proud to be life member.
Concur with Savage99
A Democrat controlled Senate prior to the 2010 election has also given us two new Supreme Court Justices who are not pro Second Amendment.
I have been around long enough to remember when the NRA did not delve into politics ever.The Gun Control Act of 1964 changed all of that. The NRA in reality is the ONLY organization with enough members and with enough testosterone to take on the anti-gun zealots in government. I am proud to be life member.
Concur with Savage99
Mike Irwin
Staff
"Still, Thallub's data on the voting record for the AWB shows that neither party is totally blameless here."
Actually, the Republican Party is fairly blameless on this topic.
Individual members, however, are not.
No party is going to be so monolithic that it can control its members as an absolute voting block no mater what.
But the party itself sets the overall stance through its national committee.
The fact remains... The Democratic Party platform for many years maintained a course towards increasingly draconian gun control directed primarily at the law abiding gun owner. Criminal use of gun control wasn't a consideration, it was all the fault of the law-abiding gun owner. Party members who didn't toe the line were often punished.
Even worse, the Second Amendment was treated as an embarasing anachronism, to be ignored as convenient, and undercut as often and as deeply as possible.
That's changed since 2000, but it's not been out of a new found Democratic party love for the Second Amendment. It's out of the realization that gun control has hurt the party BADLY.
NRA is correct in on aspect, even if they may be going about announcing it in the wrong way -- gun control in the Democratic Party heirarchy is NOT dead. It's dormant. Statements by various high ranking Democratic Party officials like Eric Holder show that clearly.
Actually, the Republican Party is fairly blameless on this topic.
Individual members, however, are not.
No party is going to be so monolithic that it can control its members as an absolute voting block no mater what.
But the party itself sets the overall stance through its national committee.
The fact remains... The Democratic Party platform for many years maintained a course towards increasingly draconian gun control directed primarily at the law abiding gun owner. Criminal use of gun control wasn't a consideration, it was all the fault of the law-abiding gun owner. Party members who didn't toe the line were often punished.
Even worse, the Second Amendment was treated as an embarasing anachronism, to be ignored as convenient, and undercut as often and as deeply as possible.
That's changed since 2000, but it's not been out of a new found Democratic party love for the Second Amendment. It's out of the realization that gun control has hurt the party BADLY.
NRA is correct in on aspect, even if they may be going about announcing it in the wrong way -- gun control in the Democratic Party heirarchy is NOT dead. It's dormant. Statements by various high ranking Democratic Party officials like Eric Holder show that clearly.
Glenn E. Meyer
New member
Mike is correct about the dormant state of major antigun legislation. That's why we need a strong NRA to keep it that way.
Whether the Dems would change to reflect changes in majority American opinion on this social issue is interesting. The Republicans face the same problem as some of their candidates have gone off the deep end on other social issues to appeal to a base subset that doesn't reflect most of the country. What those issues are, are obvious but we don't want to go there.
A party that keeps its hand off your holster and its nose out of our crotch would be an advancement over the current set of ravers.
Whether the Dems would change to reflect changes in majority American opinion on this social issue is interesting. The Republicans face the same problem as some of their candidates have gone off the deep end on other social issues to appeal to a base subset that doesn't reflect most of the country. What those issues are, are obvious but we don't want to go there.
A party that keeps its hand off your holster and its nose out of our crotch would be an advancement over the current set of ravers.
Sparks1957
New member
Point well taken, Mike. There is no doubt that the Dems are ultimately the source of trouble, much of part of the Kennedy legacy unfortunately.
Interesting. In Louisiana the NRA has actually supported some Democrats over Republicans because they had a better record on 2nd amendment issues. I am not sure they are partisan- the points is if more democrats are anti gun then they are going to oppose more democrats. It is simple math. That said, if you think that the 2nd amendment is not an issue that divides people or is political then yes, the NRA is not an organization for you, but don't expect Republicans in mass to come for your guns.
kilimanjaro
New member
When gun control is no longer a political platform, then I will consider the NRA to be overreacting politically. We have to step outside of our personal partisan political boxes and look at the larger picture of a political party that seeks to disarm the general population and demonize those who exert their constitutional rights. We all need to be in the NRA and we all need to be politically active to defend our heritage, regardless of party.
jcsturgeon
New member
Even if you were an extreme partisan and thought that the NRA ought to be completely biased in favor of one side... that still doesn't mean you have to agree the way they they operate.
I read a recent article about the current administration's record on the second amendment and it was just dripping with vitriol. Anyone who would otherwise support the president would instantly be turned off. The points in the article, however valid (not not) were totally lost in the delivery.
That's what I object to most. The NRA conducts its business by fear-mongering, and I am choosing not to support it. FWIW the SAF isn't much better, but I donated $25 to enter their raffle this year.
I read a recent article about the current administration's record on the second amendment and it was just dripping with vitriol. Anyone who would otherwise support the president would instantly be turned off. The points in the article, however valid (not not) were totally lost in the delivery.
That's what I object to most. The NRA conducts its business by fear-mongering, and I am choosing not to support it. FWIW the SAF isn't much better, but I donated $25 to enter their raffle this year.
One party springs to mind, but it barely shows up on the radar to the general electorate.
Really? The guys who got us not one, but two, back-to-back victories in the Supreme Court, along with a raft of other excellent litigation in the Circuit Courts?
I agree that Cox and LaPierre's fearmongering has grown tiresome, but it's not enough for me to walk away from the one organization responsible for (and capable of) keeping things from getting completely hopeless. You know, if you stick around the NRA long enough, you can vote for directors, who then nominate the higher-ups. The organization can be (and has been) changed by its members.
"
Maybe you should look into the Second Amendment Foundation. You know the people behind Heller and MacDonald. You remember those two cases don't you? They were in the news, neither one of which the NRA wanted to go forward.
The NRA is excellent at raising funds.
SAF is excellent at winning court cases.
You join whom you want to. I'll support whom I want to.
NukemJim
Maybe you should look into the Second Amendment Foundation. You know the people behind Heller and MacDonald. You remember those two cases don't you? They were in the news, neither one of which the NRA wanted to go forward.
The NRA is excellent at raising funds.
SAF is excellent at winning court cases.
You join whom you want to. I'll support whom I want to.
NukemJim
Carry_24/7
New member
Guys, this is why conservatives need to watch their mouths when talking about democrats; because not all democrats support gun control....me for example.
When you put everyone in a bowl and start throwing poo, you alienate a possible base of support; me for example.
A great example of this is Mcain/Palin. Prior to him running for President, I had tremendous respect for this guy, read his books, and would have been happy to vote for "him" or would nod affirmative to his presidency. But, the way he ran his campaign turned all of that off. He now has to live with the fact that he created "the Palin legend"....good luck with that. The NRA is doing the same, which is one of the points I believe some folks here are trying to make....not "party poo throwing."
I gave a nod to the mods in one of my posts, but can read that even they are gritting their own teeth to control their words in this....such is how it goes with politics.
Gun rights Is an individual issue, and only becomes a party issue if you, the individual voter allows it....it's your vote.
When you put everyone in a bowl and start throwing poo, you alienate a possible base of support; me for example.
A great example of this is Mcain/Palin. Prior to him running for President, I had tremendous respect for this guy, read his books, and would have been happy to vote for "him" or would nod affirmative to his presidency. But, the way he ran his campaign turned all of that off. He now has to live with the fact that he created "the Palin legend"....good luck with that. The NRA is doing the same, which is one of the points I believe some folks here are trying to make....not "party poo throwing."
I gave a nod to the mods in one of my posts, but can read that even they are gritting their own teeth to control their words in this....such is how it goes with politics.
Gun rights Is an individual issue, and only becomes a party issue if you, the individual voter allows it....it's your vote.
I will support the NRA as long as they support the 2nd Amend. Whether we want to believe it or not, there is a price that was not only paid by lives many years ago for our rights but in $'s today.
Lobbying in Washington's not cheap. Takes big money to fight some of the high-profile anti's that have in their hearts to do away with our gun rights.
Do as you will by not supporting the NRA. You/we may not like the scare tactics but if the scare tactics gets the $ to keep and improve our gun rights, it sure beats the alternative.
Lobbying in Washington's not cheap. Takes big money to fight some of the high-profile anti's that have in their hearts to do away with our gun rights.
Do as you will by not supporting the NRA. You/we may not like the scare tactics but if the scare tactics gets the $ to keep and improve our gun rights, it sure beats the alternative.
I am a life member of the NRA and I do consider them to be more than just a little radical about gun rights.
I would rather them ( NRA) be radical and successful than to have the Brady crowd, which is radical, be successful.
I do get tired of the same pitch all the time. I had to ask them to put me on their "do not promote" list so they would stop the incessant pleas for money.
Geetarman
I would rather them ( NRA) be radical and successful than to have the Brady crowd, which is radical, be successful.
I do get tired of the same pitch all the time. I had to ask them to put me on their "do not promote" list so they would stop the incessant pleas for money.
Geetarman
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