[fjolnirsson]

Howdy!
Alan Fud started a thread about positive gun commercials, and was wondering why we hear so few, and why the NRA or someone similar isn't funding them. So, perhaps a mass mailing/telephone campaign is in order.
In furtherance of this, I was wondering how many of the 10000 High Road members belong to the NRA? Enough to apply a little pressure?

[gunsmith]

between us and KABA, Packing.org I bet they're allready feeling the heat.
If you're not a member,be sure to join when/if the AWB sunsets,so we can keep it sunsetted ( sunsetted aint good english,I know,but I aint no rhodes scholar ya'know)
Here in SF bay area the NRA and affiliated groups are active and they're a bunch of fine folks.
I have a feeling gunnies stick together more in CA because we are an oppressed group.
BILL JONES FOR SENATE! :cool:

[Moparmike]

I didnt used to be a member of the NRA. I am now, but it is a conditional thing. If the AWB sunsets, I re-up. Otherwise, I send a double donation to the GOA and CC it to the NRA telling them that they should have fought harder.

I need to join the GOA too...

[Sisco]

NRA & GOA.

[Night Guy]

I signed up for one year. If I can go buy newly manufactured standard capacity magazines this September, then NRA will get more of my money.

Otherwise I'll go with one of the other organizations.

[Firethorn]

I joined the NRA with a many year membership when I purchased my first gun. Then I read about the CCRKBA opening an office in London. I looked at their site and joined. Now I'll have to look at GOA. Oh well.

NRA: They've done too much 'compromise' and back room dealing.
CCRKBA: They're not as big, but they still have balls. And membership is cheap.
GOA: Looks good, but I don't have the money at the moment.

[Billmanweh]

I don't agree with everything they do, but I am an NRA member. I think I'm about to take advantage of the life membership deal going right now for $283.

[Shooter 2.5]

I'm a member of the NRA and the TSRA. I try to give to other groups like the Second Amendment Sisters and the Citizen's Committee to Keep and Bear Arms. I stopped giving to the GOA because they haven't demonstrated a single incident of actually accomplishing anything other than it's members critizing the NRA.

Anyone who really fights for the Second Amendment would know that we still don't have the votes we need in the govenment to pass some good legislation. When we have the votes we can stop compromising. Until we drive out the anti-gun dem party, we can't pass Laws like the Manufacturers Protection Act.

[FPrice]

NRA (Life)
SAF (Annual)
CCRKBA (Annual)
Massachusetts GOAL (starting Life Membership)
USPSA (Life)
SASS (Annual)
Chicopee Sportsmans Club (Annual)

Each one of these organizations, in it's own way, does something to support the RKBA. Either by direct political action, promoting safety and a good public image of shooting, or both.

[Billmanweh]

Until we drive out the anti-gun dem party, we can't pass Laws like the Manufacturers Protection Act.

Not to take the thread off on a tangent...

But I don't see how 1805 helped gun owners. Gun companies, yes, gun owners, I don't know.

Secondly, how long are we going to complaing about "democRATS" when the president has said publicly that he would sign an AWB and something like 20% of republican senators voted for it as well.

[FPrice]

"But I don't see how 1805 helped gun owners. Gun companies, yes, gun owners, I don't know."

It helps us gun owners indirectly. The less money gun companies have to spend defending themselves against nuisance law suits, the less they have to raise their prices to cover these costs, and the less likely they are to get out of the gun manufacturing business.

If the gun grabbers cannot get to us gun owners, they will try to destroy the gun manufacturers.

[Billmanweh]

I'll just have to agree to disagree

I'm not going to get in line to exchange my gun rights in order to save Glock a little money in legal fees

[Swamprabbit]

I'm not going to get in line to exchange my gun rights in order to save Glock a little money in legal fees

I have given this quite a bit of thought because I first felt the same way. What changed my mind was to look at the fact that cities such as New Orleans and Chicago were using endless tax dollars to wage war against private sector businesses who couldn't match the cities' financial ability to fight the suits. I just don't think this is fair! Liability suits, where someone sues over an alledged product fault, is one thing - but a city government deciding to use taxpayer dollars to put people out of business is another. With that, I became a supporter of the efforts to stop it on just a matter of principle

[Leatherneck]

Same as MoparMike, I just recently rejoined after a hiatus of about ten years when I felt they were too willing to deal away our basic rights. I still feel that way, but they arguably do some good along the way, and the bigger they are, the more clout they have in this critical time of potential renewal of the AWB.

But if the AWB gets renewed, I'm outta there like a dog on fire :scrutiny:

TC
TFL Survivor

edit to add: I also support GOA and VCDL.

[Shooter 2.5]

Billmanweh

That means 80% of the Republicans support the Second Amendment.

Why are you ignoring the 90% of the dem party that voted for the Assault Weapons Amendment? The dem party has been actively taking away our Second Amendment Rights since the mid 1960's. The leadership in the dem party is all anti-gun. Every single anti-gun legislation has been introduced by the dems.

During the Wisconsin CCW fight, 100% of the Republican Party was on our side. It only failed because of the dem party, as usual.

If you want your Second Amendment Rights, vote a straight Republican Party ticket and drive the dem party out of office.

[Billmanweh]

I guess I'm just saying that a group where 1 in 5 will happily take away our gun rights (including the president) is not anything to get excited about

but I agree that it's the lesser of two evils

[mcneill]

I guess you can just call me a joiner-

NRA Patron
TSRA Life
NMLRA
SAS Associate
JPFO


No, the NRA is not perfect, but it's the strongest thing we've got.


Jim

[Kamicosmos]

Aye, NRA member here.

[Abe]

I think I'm about to take advantage of the life membership deal going right now for $283.

Billmanweh: do you have a link to this?

- Abe

[Nathaniel Firethorn]

I don't agree with everything they do, but I am an NRA member. I think I'm about to take advantage of the life membership deal going right now for $283.Figures... I just paid full price for mine. :(

- pdmoderator

[Billmanweh]

This deal can be had under the Charlton Heston Legacy points program.

Call the life membership number. 1.800.672.3888, option #3

Remind them about their offer. You need 600 legacy points to get a life membership for $240. You get the points by;

You start with 50 points
Renew your membership for one year for $35 (100 points)
$8 strike force contribution (100 points)
Provide your e-mail address (50 points)
Sign up and use the NRA credit card (150 points for signing up and 150 the first time you use it [you're using it to pay for the membership])

When the card arrives, call the NRA and charge the $240 fee to the credit card, which gets you the last 150 points you need. $283 if you're already an NRA member. You can do everything over the phone. The person I talked to yesterday at the NRA said it's good through Sept.

[Shooter 2.5]

Billmanweh,

Where do you get that "happily" stuff? Bush said we have enough gun control and he said he would sign the AWB IF it reached his desk. So work so it won't reach his desk.

If you missed hearing him saying it before the election, chances are you didn't vote for him in the first place.

[TimRB]

Most here would agree that Dianne Feinstein is one of the worst enemies of the RKBA, so I went to her web site http://feinstein.senate.gov/ and took a look around.

Using the resident search feature, I got 36 hits on "NRA". I got 0 hits on "GOA". I could find no reference to the organization "Gun Owners of America".

Feinstein is, I would bet, in a better position than anyone here to judge who her political enemies are, how they fight, and how well they fight. She seems to think that the NRA is a heavy hitter.

Some on this thread will, for various reasons, abandon the NRA and join the GOA. The GOA is a very fine organization, and though I don't belong myself (maybe I'll remedy that) I encourage everyone to join pro-gun lobbying groups. But if you leave the NRA to do it, remember you are weakening the NRA.

Tim

[Eskimo Jim]

Annual Member of NRA

[lee n. field]

I've been an annual member for a number of years. I usually end up re-upping at the last minute, as will be the case again this year. I really don't have much to do with them other than getting the magazine.

[Billmanweh]

Where do you get that "happily" stuff? Bush said we have enough gun control and he said he would sign the AWB IF it reached his desk. So work so it won't reach his desk.

So, given the chance, the president will sign away our gun rights? So work extra hard so he never gets the opportunity? And we're counting him as being on our side? I'll have to put myself in the group who thinks republicans just don't want to strip away our gun rights quite as badly as democrats.

[Ala Dan]

N.R.A.

As my signature line has always stated:

Life Member
Since September 9th, 1975

[tcdrennen]

Life Member: NRA, GOA, CRPA
Member: GOC, Liberty Belles, SAS, AFA, JPFO, KABA.com, Costa Mesa-Newport Rifle Association, West End Gun Club, IDPA, USPSA

All of them have some influence, none of them are the only answer - my only problem with any of them is when they bad mouth each other. the Brady bunch likes nothing more than pro-gun people attacking each other, it gives them reams of quotes to use against us all.

"We must all hang together, or assuredly we will hang separately." - B. Franklin

[Logan5]

Just a thought, but maybe the reason Anti politicians and groups don't mention any pro-gun orgs other than the NRA is strategic? They do a decent job of convincing middle of the road types that Charlton Heston's "cold dead hands" thing is sort of absurd. If they started mentioning GOA, JPFO, and all the state associations, and SASS, and on and on, they couldn't help but make people aware that there is a really broad spectrum of wholesome and really fun firearms related hobbies that tons of normal people enjoy. They'd rather be able to smear gun owners as "Billy-Bob in the duck blind with the AKM making duck giblets."
You're not going to hear Feinstein calling out the Pink Pistols, that'd be her taking a swing at the tar baby, I think.

But anyway, yeah, NRA life member, and CSRRA.

[general]

Sig line says it all.. think I'll take advantage of that Legacy program and become a life member.

[TimRB]

Interesting thought, Logan. Hitler established that giving the people a single group to hate is a powerful unifying force.

Tim

[iamkris]

Life NRA and ISRA (Illinois)

[Wedge]

NRA and NYSPRA...when I finally have more money I will join many more but I am very broke.

[Jrob24]

I just joined. I didn't for a while because I resented some of their leaderships screw-ups. Despite that they are doing a lot of good and more members gives them more influence which helps us.

[Shanghai McCoy]

NRA,NMLRA,KMA,KSRA. The wife also belongs to the NRA,NMLRA,and KMA.
We are both NRA pistol instructors and have worked on FNRA committees
so you could say we are "Active" members.

[fjolnirsson]

Moderators:

Any chance of floating this for a few days?

[TheBluesMan]

I don't know about a few days, but I'll float it for a little while. :)

-Dave

NRA
GOA
SAF
NAHC
KABA
JPFO
NAHC
SAS
OGCA

[fjolnirsson]

Fair enough. Thanks, man.

[Hawk]

GOA life member for a while now.

NRA - just upgraded to life when the AWB extension amendment went down while Feinstein and Schumer were still high-fivin'. BTW - that's a really nice jacket you get with the life membership.

JPFO - not a member but my name scrolls by in the end credits of "Innocents Betrayed".

TSRA - so far, nothing but good intentions.

No plans of joining any other at present.

[CasualShooter]

NRA (Life) also Wife (Annual)
L.E.A.A. (Life)
Capitol City Gun Club (Life)
Pioneer Gun Club (Annual)
Kansas State Rifle Association (Annual)
NMLRA (Annual)
Western Missouri Shooters Alliance (Annual)
Kansas Second Amendment Society (Annual-Family)
SAF (Supporter & Gun Week Subscriber)

... and that reminds me, I need to rejoin GOA and CCRKBA -- appears that I've somehow let my memberships lapse in these -- completely unintentional -- must fix that. :D

All of these organizations are worthwhile and we should support as many as we can. For many reasons, it is important that we have multiple voices in this fight. Of course, we are most effective when we are all saying the same thing. A certain amount of disagreement and discussion amoung ourselves can be healthy; but, it can also be counter productive when it provides intellectual 'ammo' to our enemies to be used against us.

At any rate, whatever you may think about some of the efforts of the NRA, They ARE the 900 LB. Gorrilla on the block and they are considered by many to be one of the most effective lobbying organizations in the country. :eek: The more members they have, the stronger their voice and the bigger their stick.

EVERYBODY should belong to the NRA. We are very fortunate to have that organization. :)

[Michigander]

NRA (begrudgingly and conditional)
MCRGO (Michigan Coalition for Responsible Gun Owners)
MGOUC (Michigan Gun Owners UC)
MUCC (Michigan United Conservation Clubs - not necessarily second amendment oriented, but they do aid the cause to some degree)

[Billmanweh]

slightly off topic...

but what kind of things does the TSRA do?

[geekWithA.45]

NRA, annual (will up it to life in 2 years if they don't bleep up)
GOA, annual
NJCSD, (New Jersey Coalition For Self Defense) Founding Life Member
KABA, on occassion
JPFO, on occassion
CCRKBA, next up on my list

[AZLibertarian]

NRA Life Member here. New member in IDPA.

Mrs. AZLib, although not completely opposed to my hobby, thinks I'm kinda' off the deep end with some of this, so the $ that goes towards it can sometimes become an issue in the house. I give to NRA-ILA and NRA-PVF when I can get away with it.

Logan, I agree that having a spectrum of organizations that are all saying the same thing would be a good thing. I hadn't thought of it the way you present it. I'll put some more thought into GOA.

I'd like to think that most of us have taken the effort to write to our congress-critters regarding issues related to shooting. Individually, we can look at shooting as a fun hobby, a crime-control deterrent, a means to put some meat on the table, or a fundamental part of our Rights. We often use these reasons in our letters to Congress. And I'm not going to pretend that I don't like the idea that informing them of my NRA membership helps me hold their feet to the fire. Not to sidetrack this thread, but how many of us have written similar letters to the NRA? If one is becoming frustrated with the NRA's actions, or lack thereof, doesn't one owe a few minutes to write them a letter or two before simply not renewing that membership?

[MaterDei]

NRA & TSRA.

What would I do without my American Rifleman magazine??? Based on this thread I'm going to check out the others mentioned and mayhaps join them too.

[Yowza]

I just started on a life membership in the NRA after letting my yearly one lapse. I did have a GOA membership a while back, but that expired some time ago. I need to join again - I like their no compromise approach. I've also given money to KABA.com on occasion (entered their raffles).

Rick

[hansolo]

NRA - annual
California Rifle & Pistol Assoc. - annual
JPFO - Charter Member/annual
GOA - annual

[CarlS]

NRA annual member. Wife is an NRA annual member

[Michigander]

AZLibertarian,
Not to sidetrack this thread, but how many of us have written similar letters to the NRA? If one is becoming frustrated with the NRA's actions, or lack thereof, doesn't one owe a few minutes to write them a letter or two before simply not renewing that membership?

I have written the NRA a number of times. I'm still awaiting a response. Even my devoutly anti-2nd Amendment Congresswoman writes me back! Not sure if I'm going to re-up with the NRA. Maybe GOA instead.

[AZLibertarian]

Michigander,
I've written the NRA too, and have yet to get a response. I'm not sure I expect one, although if they did send out a simple form response it would suit my purposes. I get varying levels of response from my congress-critters. I get regular responses from Sen. Kyl and my Congressman, Jeff Flake (even got a phone call from him once :D ), but McCain differs from me so often that I rarely get a response of any kind from him. As far as I'm concerned, he represents himself only.

[jimpeel]

I not only belong to the NRA, I also give NRA discounts to NRA members checking in to the motel I manage.

[FPrice]

According to the results so far about 89% of us belong to the NRA, with varying degrees of satisfaction.

[patentnonsense]

Lots of people talk about GOA or NRA as if we had to choose one -
we don't.
I signed up for Life Memberships in both right after the AWB fight.

During the AWB fight I found that the most current political updates were coming from my state association, TSRA. (http://www.tsra.com ) They're nice people and they have good links, so I joined them too.

I gave up NRA 10 or so years ago, in their compromising period.
But right after they showed balls AND muscle in beating back the AWB renewal, I signed up for the Life Membership (on the time payment plan).
The NRA is our best political asset, and the fact that enemies of the Bill of Rights fear it is to its credit. After the AWB the anti-Bill of Rights forces fear the NRA more than ever. I reluctantly admitted that I ought to rejoin, and then had to conclude that, if I was ever going to rejoin, the time was RIGHT NOW. New memberships right after NRA has done the right thing will help encourage them in staying the course.

Nobody has to support the NRA - but anybody who cares enough about the US government to complain about it should be supporting something. Besides, supporting the NRA seems more likely to make a difference than supporting Diebold ever will!

[patentnonsense]

Quote from the desegregation era:
"I support the Constitution - all of it."
I like that attitude.

Too many people here talk about pro-gun or gun rights - and yes I know what you mean - but for me the issue is the the Constitution of the United States. It's been shredded AMAZINGLY during my lifetime, and every time the Constitution is disregarded it weakens.

I'd join the ACLU if they had the integrity to support ALL of the Bill of Rights - but they don't.

[Russ]

I've been a member for 20 years or so. About 14 years ago I went on the "east pay" Life Membership. They credited me for 2 years of my $25 annual dues and I paid the remianing $450 over a couple of years every quarter.

After I became a Life Member, I don't get nearly the mail soliciting funds as I did when I was an annual member. They went to bat in California near the 2000 election showing a half hour infomercial that I thought was very good. Still didn't help the sorry electorate out there but the NRA really spent some cash trying. I get so tired of people saying they just sit by.

If you want a group that sits by, join GOA. I used to go to their website for updates about CA. Significant anti-gun legislation during the Davis years and they covered about 10% of it. IMHO, that group is in business to pay Larry Pratt a fat salary and little else.

[SodaPop]

I joined the NRA the Monday after the first Million Mom March.:rolleyes:


I tried to buy a Beretta 92FS for 4 days and couldn't get it because the FBI data base was down. I just happened to go down the entire time the march was going on.

Sure it was down.:fire:

[Art Eatman]

2nd Generation Life Member; upgraded to Endowment.

Sponsor, Whittington Center.

Life Member, TSRA and IPSC.

Contributor to GOA and CCRKBA.

TSRA was asked about, earlier: It's a very effective lobbying group and watchdog for RKBA in Texas. We contributed quite a lot to Texas' CHL laws, and have staved off much bad legislation from the antis.

Art

[Ben Shepherd]

NRA: life
GOA: life
CCRKBA: annual
JPFO: annual(and I'm a mormon)

[fjolnirsson]

Hmmm. 1150 views, but only 260 votes. How much effort does it take to vote on a simple poll? No wonder we are losing our 2nd amendment protections. Nobody can be bothered to click a mouse, how do we expect them to vote? This was pathetic. Honestly, if you're already here, viewing the poll, how much effort does it take to answer the D#$%#$ poll?

Oh, well. Thank you very much to those who made the effort. I guess I'll start getting ready for the day the grabbers show up at my door. I used to think people here cared. If this is the best we can do, it's all over for gun rights.
:barf:

[Moparmike]

Hmmm. 1150 views, but only 260 votes. How much effort does it take to vote on a simple poll? No wonder we are losing our 2nd amendment protections. Nobody can be bothered to click a mouse, how do we expect them to vote? This was pathetic. Honestly, if you're already here, viewing the poll, how much effort does it take to answer the D#$%#$ poll?Some people view the thread multiple times to read the replys.

And just because there are 10,000 paper members doesnt mean that they all read the L&P threads daily. Honestly, I dont think that more than 500-800 truely post daily, and not in all sections. There might be someone that only posts in the Reloading forum daily or something. Take it easy. Dont condemn everyone just because the whole community didnt show up to our rally.

[fjolnirsson]

Good point, Mike. I guess I'm just frustrated at the seeming apathy I see. I suppose other people can have lives outside of the high road. It just seems to me(and not from just this thread), that people are more than happy to gripe about loss of rights, but nobody wants to do anything about it. I'll try to be more positive.

[HBK]

NRA, GOA.

[grampster]

Life member NRA

Solid contributor ILA

[general]

fjolnirsson:
The only ones I post heavily in is L&P/general. And I usually follow threads to the end (yes - sometimes the bitter end as well)
So - at least I didn't vote twice.....
:eek: :D
or did I??????:evil:

[boyscout]

I have been a member for many years. Just signed up for life.

[NoHarmNoFAL]

I'm a year to year member of the NRA. I passed on the lifetime membership because I felt more in control of the purse strings so to say. If the ban get renewed then I am done with this organization for LIFE.

[csmkersh]

lnirsson wrote:
Alan Fud started a thread about positive gun commercials, and was wondering why we hear so few, and why the NRA or someone similar isn't funding them.

The NRA has run up against the left wing media in the past on this issue. CBS, ABC and NBC has refused to run the NRA's commercials but has accepted so-called PSAs from anti-organizations for free. The NRA has run full page ads a number of times in US Today.

Even if you don't belong to the NRA, consider sending a few bucks to the ILA or the PVF once in a while. The annual dues can't be used for politics.