[Mark Tyson]

... but I hear some bad things. I've heard that they backed President Bush in his election in part because of his stance on abortion. I have also heard that members of GOA are innundated with wave after wave of mail solicitations begging for donations.

I want to join, and I'm not averse to parting with some cash for a worthy cause, but I am hesitant. Can someone confirm or deny these allegations? Can someone comment on GOA as an organization in general?

[blades67]

They sound just like the NRA.

[George Hill]

If you do... you will only get a little window sticker... and more and more letters asking for more money.

Go NRA instead.

[Peetmoss]

I am a member of the GOA and the NRA. I get far more crap from the NRA however.

[Ian]

Since I joined the GOA at the beginning of the year, I've gotten 2 letters and no emails. I've heard some wispy rumors about the GOA heads being religious fanatics or something, but I haven't seen any evidence of it.

[Dave P]

I think the GOA is much more focussed on keeping and growing our gun rights than NRA is - much less compromising. Pratt and co. seem quite intense - I like it!

They don't ask for money often at all. What they do well is send pre-printed post cards that you should sign and mail to your congressmen when a significant issues comes up. NRA sends way-more junk in the mail.

[Cliff]

What Dave P said. I receive lots of junk mail from the NRA,and If memory serves me right,almost none from GOA.

[Jim March]

You know who's actually quietly doing more with less than anybody, in my opinion?

Second Amendment Foundation. They're the ones financing the Ohio CCW lawsuit...and another one soon...:D

[Standing Wolf]

I've been a G.O.A. member five or six years now. I receive occasional solicitations for donations. I send as much as I can as often as I can.

The N.R.A. sends me more solicitations. Again, I send as much as I can as often as I can.

The N.R.A. is kind of wimpy in some ways, but better to do most of the job well most of the time than leave it completely undone.

The G.O.A. isn't wimpy at all.

[Kentucky Rifle]

20 Feb. 2003 I paid dues at a GOA booth at a gun show in Louisville. I figure that they should have set me SOMETHING by now. I realize it takes time to process a new membership~but this long?
Guys with fairly new memberships--how long did it take to get your card and number? Not angry, just perplexed.

KR

[iamkris]

Join every pro-gun group you can. Encourage every gun owner you know to do the same. Tell them to stop squabbling about how is a sell-out, who isn't. We will defeat ourselves if we don't band together.

[Dave P]

Kentucky - they seem to be pretty loosy-goosy on informing you of your membership info. I am not sure they even send you a card - but that is OK by me (less money being spent for adminastrivia).

You can easily call them on the phone (email: goamail@gunowners.org), or just assume you are active. They will send flyers or postcards when appropriate.

[dustind]

I suggest joining every group you believe in, not just one. maybe give donations to one, when they do something important.

[Monte Harrison]

Go NRA instead.Go NRA as well.
Haven't heard the rumors about them being run by religoids. They don't send mail nearly as often as NRA. There is no magazine, only a newsletter. Larry Pratt, the GOA honcho, is seen and heard in the media A LOT, and always makes a strong showing.

[Wildalaska]

Larry Pratt preachin at Hayden Lake...sorry this ones not for me.

WildnocommenthereAlaska

[RNS]

The NRA sends mailings almost once a week. The GOA maybe once a month. I was told the reason you wait for your membership package is they send them out all at the same time to save money.

The GOA sends out a newsletter printed on cheap stock, again to save money.

[Sisco]

I don't get any more junk (probably less) from the GOA than I do the NRA.
Their e-mail alerts are great, complete with pre-written letters to your Congresscritter.

[Shooter 2.5]

Mark, Before joining any organization, you have to ask yourself, what are they doing and what are they planning on doing?

If anyone has a problem with the mailings, before you call the number in the magazine to be taken off the list, ask yourself who is donating that makes sending out all of those letters still profitable. Chances are, someone is donating while someone else is throwing the mailings away.

[Don Gwinn]

I haven't heard of the GOA having any official position on abortion.

Wildalaska, what's a Hayden Lake? Is that some kind of religious thing?

I do second Jim's vote for the SAF. They don't get the headlines, which is sometimes a good indication of who's doing the heavy pulling.

[roscoe]

I gotta be with Wildalaska on this one - it's more than a little creepy that Pratt associated with those guys. We do not need to be tarred with that brush.

I myself was put off by Heston's comments on gays in the military, because it was distasteful to me, and not really appropriate to gun ownership, and because it galvanized gay-rights groups against gun owners. I would be interested to see the NRA's take on Pink Pistols.

I want a group that advances gun rights and does not touch on other contentious issues. My provisional read on SAF is that they are pushing all the right buttons and none of the wrong ones.

[Wildalaska]

Hayden Lake was the Aryan Nations compound....

[Dave Markowitz]

I am a life member of both NRA and GOA. I do not receive any more beg-o-grams from GOA than NRA. Actually, NRA sends more.

GOA does send out a monthly (or so) newsletter and pre-written postcards for you to send to your legislators. You can also sign up for email alerts from them.

GOA is no-compromise on gun control, unlike NRA. :(

[CZ 75 BD]

and don't begrudge either their fund raisers. NRA are much more frequent, glossy and heavy. Mr. Pratt seems to be a commited Christian and ties his belief in human freedom with the pro 2A message.