[WT]

The National Education Association, America's largest education organization, announced that it will raise funds that will go directly to teachers and school employees affected by Hurricane Katrina.

NEA has vowed to raise at least $1 million to aid public school employees personally impacted by the hurricane. Funds will go toward housing, food, clothing, or other personal needs.

How much money is the NRA raising to support NRA members hit by Katrina?

Wouldn't it be nice if NRA gave a S&W Model 10 and a box of ammo to every NRA member who had his personal firearms destroyed or confiscated as a result of Katrina? How many Model 10's could be purchased with $1,000,000?

The Teachers take care of each other.

Where is the NRA?

[Kurush]

The NEA is really a union, and it has a different relationship with its members than a group like the NRA does. That said, it's an interesting idea. I haven't heard anything more about the "professional investigators" NRA says they sent to LA, so who knows what they are or aren't doing.

[Henry Bowman]

The NEA is exactly a labor union. The comparison is apples and oranges.

[WT]

Maybe active, powerful labor unions can teach us something.

[buzz_knox]

Maybe active, powerful labor unions can teach us something.

Like taking political stands contrary to the desires of many members?

Like forcing people involved in a trade to become members?

Shielding members who are incompetent from termination by threatening management?

Those are all tactics of the NEA. I don't think the NRA really has anything to learn from them.

Grassroots organizations have many good qualities to learn from; unions don't, and haven't since the unions became political entities interested only in their own growth and well-being, and not those of the members.

[El Rojo]

I always find it interesting the idea that because an individual, a group, or an organization has a large budget or appears to have a lot of money, that they should give away their money to someone's cause or personal gain. Why should it be the NRAs job to give money for Katrina? Isn't the NRA more suited to lobby for gun rights? Wouldn't it seem wiser to give money to the Red Cross or Salvation Army and have them distribute the funds in an area and field they are most suited for? Wouldn't the NRA be stepping over their bounds by giving money that its members designated for 2nd Amendment issues to hurricane relief? If I want to give money to hurricane relief, I will do so. I give my money to the NRA so they can lobby for my 2nd Amendment rights. I give money to the Friends of the NRA so they can develop shooting programs and range land. I do not give them money to help disaster victims. It isn't their job. If I want to give money to disaster victims, I will do so. If I wanted to go buy everyone a revolver, I would do that. I do not want the NRA to waste its money on such projects when they should be spending the money on preserving the 2nd Amendment.

So as not to seem like a heartless bastard, I will donate some money to the Red Cross when I get home. However, that is my choice and I am doing so in an efficient manner. NRA stick to what you do best and what I ask you to do and that isn't disaster relief or a complex, expensive gun hand out program.

[pcf]

$1 million isn't going to go very far. The NEA is a has 2.7 million members, $1 million is a drop in the bucket. They should be able to open up their coffers and offer more than that. (That's what unions are supposed to do, take care of their members in hard times) Powerful union, give me a break the can't come up with .38 cents a member, so they're soliciting funds. This isn't a Union taking care of it's members, it's paying dues and then getting flushed down the toilet.

Yes we can learn something, big powerful lobbying organizations that refuse to compromise and work with politicians to achieve goals, spend lots of money, achieve nothing, and don't do anything to help it's members.

Badmouth the NRA all you want about how we get sold out and screwed over. Just remember the NEA doesn't take no for an answer, they plant their feet and won't budge, and they accomplish miracles for their members. :rolleyes:

[WT]

Like helping out our fellow NRA members in dire need.

NEA is donating about $0.50 per NEA member to help out devestated NEA members along the Gulf Coast. I think that is a great idea. I think it is a very kind and humane gesture.

No, NRA doesn't have to help out NRA members. That is VERY obvious.

I donated money to those destroyed by Katrina.

I guess you guys are right. We shouldn't help out our fellow NRA members.

[Eskimo Jim]

Is there any length that some people here won't go to trash the NRA?

-Jim

[pcf]

WT,
Have you been a Union member? Do you understand what a union is supposed to do?

50 cents a member is an insult. They have 2.7 million members and the best they can do is $1.35 million and then beg for $1 million in donations. With an estimated 10,000 teachers affected by the hurricane, that's an average of $235 a teacher, about two days pay. (not to mention the 800 some odd schools, and hundred of thousands of students) Wow I'm overwhelmed by their generosity.

So WT tell us, as a Union, what is the NEA doing to help out it's members in a meaningful way.

[Titus]

NEA is donating about $0.50 per NEA member to help out devestated NEA members along the Gulf Coast. I think that is a great idea. I think it is a very kind and humane gesture.

Does the $1,000 ArmsCare insurance with NRA membership cover damage from hurricanes?

[WT]

Yes, I was once a union member. Blue collar. Did hard physical construction work. Very tough jobs. Took pride in my work. Then I went to college and after years I went into management.

What I am saying is that the NEA, a union, is helping out its own members. It may not be much financially but it sure is a heck of a lot more than NRA is doing to help out NRA Gulf Coast members.

Just think, a lousy 50 cents per NRA member going to a fund to buy a simple revolver for a fellow NRA member in need.

If we, as NRA members, can't help each other out ...... then what the heck are we?

[JohnBT]

"Is there any length that some people here won't go to trash the NRA?"

Need you ask?

"Just think, a lousy 50 cents per NRA member going to a fund to buy a simple revolver for a fellow NRA member in need.

If we, as NRA members, can't help each other out ...... then what the heck are we?"

Are you volunteering to identify the affected NRA members and take up a collection? Oh, you want the headquarters staff to do it for you.

John

[c_yeager]

NEA members pay on the order of $500/year to be a member of the organization. Often that membership is mandatory for employment. Sending 50 cents/member is less than 0.1% of how much they extorted from teachers this year alone. You have a choice to join the NRA, and it only costs you $35/years, and you get actual benefits like being able to compete in NRA shooting events, not to mention the political activities.

[auschip]

NRA has an insurance policy for members of up to $1000 for guns lost. I'm not great at math, but I think $1000 is more then $235. Not to mention that the NRA wants you to use the $1000 to buy guns, the NEA doesn't want you to use your money to buy guns. You are right! The NRA sucks! :banghead:

[WT]

JohnBT - if NRA wants to loan me the use of an office in their Palace in northern Virginia and give me a mailing list of NRA members in the affected regions of the Gulf Coast, I just might volunteer.

Shouldn't be too hard to review a list of NRA members by Zip code. Post a request on the NRA homepage, maybe an email to NRA members. Maybe tap into NRA's offshore accounts.

If I called S&W or Ruger and asked how much 10,000 Model 10 type revolvers would cost, do you think they might give me a quantity discount?

We could have them engraved "NRA Katrina Special Edition."

Arrange 'gifts' of the revolvers thru local FFL's.

Hey, Wayne LaPierre, wake up! I can hear your snoring from 200 miles away.



Eskimo Jim - its not about bashing the NRA leadership. Its about keeping them on their toes. Sometimes toes must be stepped on.

[Car Knocker]

WT,

And what was the NRA's response to the suggestion that you made to them?

[WT]

Car Knocker - Maybe I'll give them a call tomorrow.


Gandy Dancer
Local 1502 MOW

[Correia]

And why hasn't the NRA cured cancer?

The bastards! DAMN YOU WAYNE! DAMN YOU TO HELL!!!!


WT? No personal offense intended, but this is by far the weirdest anti-NRA thread I've read on THR.

[Jeff Timm]

Before the NEA became a national front for the Democrat - Communist party, we were teaching Greek and Latin in High Schools and had the best educated people in the world. This generation won WWII.

Now we teach remedial math and remedial English in College. In math and science the US of A doesn't even rate in the top 20 internationally.

Being a teacher is great, no work, no standards, no tests and big bucks for 9 months work 6 hours a day, with lots of holidays off. Then they whine about low pay.

The main function of public education under the Democrat - Communists is to bore the kids and get them hooked on drugs, starting with Ritalin.

Geoff
Who doesn't vote for tax increases. :cuss:

[Monkeyleg]

Why isn't the NEA giving money to the poor and the minorities, instead of giving $1 million to middle-class (and probably mostly white) members of their own union?

Sounds like racism to me. Someone call the newspapers.

Oh, wait. The media supports the NEA. Never mind.

[Preacherman]

NEA: "The end is in sight!"

NRA: "We sight on your end!"

:D

[Jeeper]

I didnt join the NRA to make it into a large socialist organization to solve every gun owners problems. If you want insurance then buy it yourself. I dont want to buy it for you. The NRA should lobby, sue and provide education opportunities. I dont expect big brother to bail me out. I take care of my own and carry insurance. I also hope that if the SHTF that the first thing a person with a brain would grab would be their guns.

[4v50 Gary]

NEA - National Endowment for the Arts. They're for preserving that ugly piece of garbage euphimistically called art.

NRA - Supplying 9mm Hi-points to its members to help them restart their collection. ;)

[Art Eatman]

I guess I'm just a hard-hearted ol' SOB. I'd just as soon the NRA used its money for pro-gun stuff, and stayed out of the compassion bidness. Why get in? The feds have already promised billions of your and my tax dollars...

NRA money seems to come mostly from working folks. Its activist enemies have George Soros and the MSM. Let Soros be generous to the refugees.

Art

[Robert Hairless]

My hunch is that the NEA, the BATF, the state of Louisiana, Jefferson Parish, and the city of New Orleans would be very upset if the NRA handed out free guns. I'd bet that the NRA's insurers would cancel all of its policies in a skinny minute for assuming such liability.

But that doesn't mean you have a bad idea, only the wrong channel for it.

This project is ideal for the Gun Owners of America! It's the perfect opportunity for GOA to show its superior concern for those poor people in New Orleans who have lost everything. In fact why hasn't GOA done something like this already?

[Lemon328i]

The NRA has given guns away in its history: During the Reconstruction Period after the Civil War, the NRA armed many different black groups in the South so that they could both protect themselves and polling places from racists (some of whom were law enforcement officers).

The situation with Katrina is entirely different. The NRA really has no call to arm the citizens of the South with close to 10,000 troops and assorted law enforcement in the area.

Your arguments for the NRA "giving something back" sound a lot like the whining of the entitlement generations of New Orleans i.e. the denizens of the 9th Ward.

[NCP24]

I didnt join the NRA to make it into a large socialist organization to solve every gun owners problems. If you want insurance then buy it yourself. I dont want to buy it for you. The NRA should lobby, sue and provide education opportunities. I dont expect big brother to bail me out. I take care of my own and carry insurance. I also hope that if the SHTF that the first thing a person with a brain would grab would be their guns.Well said.

[El Rojo]

Your arguments for the NRA "giving something back" sound a lot like the whining of the entitlement generations of New Orleans i.e. the denizens of the 9th Ward.Amen!!!

How many NRA members in the south really need the NRA to give them a gun? I would bet money that they have plenty of guns otherwise they wouldn't be NRA members living in the south. Why don't we find out what they really need. Guns I am guessing is not something they are short on.

Again, let the NRA continue to lobby for gun rights. If you want to donate money for disaster relief, go to http://www.redcross.org/ or http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/. I am going to make my donation right now.

[NCP24]

Hey what about all those guns that was looted? Sure if you need it for selfdefense (at the time) then it’s a nesscesity. I don’t have a problem with that, but you know as well as I do that most of those weapons will never be returned to their rightful owners.

[Bartholomew Roberts]

The federal government already collects money from me in the form of taxes that are being used to aid both NRA and non-NRA members in the Gulf Coast area.

In addition, my donations to the American Red Cross serve much the same purpose.

Now, I don't send money to the Red Cross so they can protect my gun rights in Congress and I don't send money to the NRA so they can give welfare to people in New Orleans (NRA members or not).

If the NRA would like to set up a separate program relying totally on donations specifically for that purpose, I have no issue with that; but they had durn sure better not take the money I sent them for protecting the Second Amendment and use it on welfare/cheap political grandstanding.

However, I would like to nominate this thread for the "Best Really Reaching to Criticize the NRA" award.

[Don Gwinn]

Being a teacher is great, no work, no standards, no tests and big bucks for 9 months work 6 hours a day,
I wish someone would contact my boss and explain to her that she's not supposed to hold me to the standards, I'm not supposed to have to do any work, I should be getting paid big bucks, and I shouldn't be working evenings and weekends. She doesn't seem to have gotten the memo.
:rolleyes:

[beerslurpy]

My brother is a teacher. Its crap pay and loads of stress 9 months out of the year. On the other hand no one else wants your job and it is pretty hard to get fired.

The way it currently is set up, teaching only attracts the truly dedicated or the medicore.

The NYC public school system was medicore on a good day if I remember correctly. The involvement of the parents and the work ethic of the students was what saved the day at my high school. And there were a few good teachers.

[El Rojo]

I don't think we need another teacher run off thread. We all know what it is like to be a teacher (I do, I am!).

[JohnBT]

"this is by far the weirdest anti-NRA thread I've read on THR."

That's what I was thinking.

Here's the question though. Should the NRA provide locks with the free guns? :scrutiny:

How about a cleaning kit? I mean their cleaning kits probably got ruined too, right?

Targets, they need targets.

And ammo. Are we going to give them guns and no ammo?

John

[Camp David]

Maybe the NRA could contribute flare guns to New Orleans residents, so when the Mayor and Governor order the next evacuation, those that can't evac can signal the Mayor and Governor! :rolleyes: