[Telperion]

Thank you, NRA, for wasting my membership fee to send me some history videotape I didn't ask for and don't want.

Thank you, NRA, for wasting my time to get it repackaged and sent back so I don't have to pay $9.

Thank you, NRA, for not giving me the choice of VHS or DVD, assuming I actually wanted it.

Thank you, NRA, for loudly marking the package "NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION" and thank you, Mr. postman, for leaving it by my door so all my apartment neighbors know what goodies they can expect to find if they decide to break in while I'm away. :banghead:

:cuss:

[TimRB]

Gee, this is the first time I've ever heard anyone complain about NRA mailings.

Tim

[Snaps]

up until hte markings on the package that sounds exactly like the reason why my father is no longer a member of the NRA after years and years.

[cracked butt]

If you read the fine print, they are under no obligation to charge you the price of the video if you don't send it back, they ask for a donation for it.

[R.H. Lee]

1) Chill
2) Move the hell out of SF, it is a cesspool.

[Dot_mdb]

When I got one of those things a while back they said something about not using NRA money for the mailing.

If it wasn't for the NRA we would have lost our gun rights a long time ago. As a gun owner there is no excuse for not belonging.

And after you join if you can afford to give a few bucks to the NRA-ILA then that it is good thing also.

Bill

[Das Pferd]

Anything you receive through the mail unsolicited you can keep. Thats anything even from an organization you belong to if you dont ask for the product.


As a gun owner there is no excuse for not belonging.

I dont belong and never will.

[4v50 Gary]

I sent back the first VHS and had my name removed from their junk mail list. It works. :)

[Justin]

Thank you, NRA, for killing the reauthorization of the AWB a couple months ago.


I'm willing to put up with annoying mail if it means i can keep my civil rights.

[Standing Wolf]

The N.R.A. may be imperfect, but it's our first line of defense.

[luxone]

1. If you would read the information that comes with the video you would see that it states that no membership dues are spent on that promo.

2. You are not charged anything if you don't send the video back!

3. Why do you care about VHS or DVD if you are already pissed over the thing arriving!

4. If you live in an area where your neighbors break into your house based on your mail you need to move!

I'm very disturbed to see how "hip" it is to bash the NRA on this forum. They played a huge role recently in saving us all from 10 more yrs of the AWB! Yes they have made some bad decisions in the past but consider where we may be right now without the NRA.

[luxone]

I dont belong and never will.


Das Pferd,
If you choose not to belong to the NRA thats fine, but you should belong to some pro-2nd amendment organization. If you don't you are part of the problem!

[Telperion]

Thank you luxone and others but I will send it back on the principle of not liking to see things go to waste -- I do not have a VHS player. I didn't intend this to be a NRA-bash, and I wouldn't maintain my membership if I didn't believe in what they do.

As for my neighborhood, I don't expect any problems, but the fact is in the Bay Area advertising that you own guns is likely not a good thing.

[Tharg]

Actually - i kinda understand where the guy is commin from if it says NRA all over it and was left by his apt. door...

I mean - I'll be happy to be proven wrong by stats - but assuming(what most people would assume i think) that most members own and use guns... why label yourself for joey quick fingers who happened to be visiting a friend of his, spotted your box - the cased your appartment? Smaller scale - but kinda the same as having your name posted in a newspaper in a "these people have a CHL" list....

Let the members proclaim as they will - via bumperstickers, talking to people, wearing T-shirts, whatever - but let the member make that choice and distinction - there is no reason to print it all over the boxing on the package if only because things like what happened to this guy happen.

Gratefull to the NRA for thier work - but surely someone just made a mistake on this one - cause it is a mistake.

oh and quit buggin him out for venting.... I get stuff all the time i don't want - even from places where i've joined and SAID i didn't want nothin... its annoying when you say you don't want anything and people send you stuff anyway. as for:

4. If you live in an area where your neighbors break into your house based on your mail you need to move!

Glad that where ever you live doesn't have people walking past your door every day to get to thier door and your compasion for other people's circumstances in the choices they have to make on where they live and how they manage it matter to you. Also - we don't know if he has a box or something to receive his mail in - or if the postal worker was just being a a** because he/she doesn't "believe in guns". Or if the dang thing just wouldn't fit in his box. Either way - don't think its SOP for any mail to just be "left outside the door in a publicly accessable area" - i might call your local postmaster. (or send a letter ... addy: Postmaster (your city/state/zip) - just postmaster - no need to know the guy/gal's name)


J/Tharg!

[PAshooter]

I got one of those a while back. Since it was unsolicited... and I didn't want it... it went straight into the trash with all the other junk mail. What's this "get it repackaged and sent back" stuff? Just toss it.

That was over a year ago. Never got another bill... or another tape from them.

I believe in the organization... they're the biggest (if not the most ardent) defender of our Second Ammendment rights... and I will always be a member... but I won't put up with BS like this.

[MP5]

oh and quit buggin him out for venting.... I get stuff all the time i don't want - even from places where i've joined and SAID i didn't want nothin

I subscribed to a magazine recently, and the wankers have called me four times asking if I want to renew my sub, how I like the service, etc. No way I'll renew now. I didn't subscribe to be annoyed, particularly in the privacy of my own home. When will businesses learn not to piss off their own customers?

[ReadyontheRight]

I believe in the organization. They have their flaws - better Marketing amongst them.

I also tossed the video and did not respond to requests for payment. unsolicited bills for unsolicited merchandies is not a good way to raise $$$ or gain credibility.

[Trigger]

Thank you NRA or stick up for my gun rights.....

No whining allowed...
:rolleyes:

[ScottsGT]

I had Buckmaster try the same tactic with me. See, even Buckmasters can be "Tactical" :D
Anyhow, after the third letter asking for either my money or the tape back, I sent them an explanation of the USPS laws on sending unsolicited mail. And if they harrased me anymore, I would be turning this matter over to the Post Master. Never heard from them again. That damned stupid video is still sitting in front of me right now on my desk at work untouched. I also let the telemarkerter have it when they tried to get me to join up for a second year. I kindly asked him to pass my "attitude" on up to management.

[geojap]

Whenever I visit the West Coast I am amazed at how much people complain there. Every where you go someone is loudly complaining about something that really isn't an issue at all.

Sir, you need to shut your mouth. Be a man. It isn't the end of the world. The NRA is a great organization and it is the main reason that those of us in free states have our firearms.

[Bridger]

There IS a limited mailing list for the NRA.

While I get bugged by the junk mail too sometimes, the NRA is the most effective lobbying group for our cause in the country, and without it we would be in a much worse situation.

4 million dues paying members holds some sway.

For what it's worth, I'm in the GOA too, which mails me only what I have asked to have mailed.

[DevilDog]

Some of the NRA stunts are a pain.

In the current political situation, anyone who wants to keep their RKBA should support a pro-RKBA organization. Pick one, please please please.

[2nd Amendment]

Some stickers on a box could not possibly compete with the amount of advertising I do myself. :) NRA stickers on the truck, an NRA plaque on my office wall, political signage in my yards every election... Point being I am not ashamed of what I believe. It is not something to hide. It is, instead, part of turning the tide. Not to be overly crass here but did the homosexuals forward their agenda this far by hiding out? I don't really care to be compared with them but the point does stand.


As for sending it back, hell, it's a tape, I can always record over it later if I am in need of an extra! :)

[Zundfolge]

"Fighting Gun Control Nazis" is only a very small part of what the NRA's purpose is.

Training, promotion of shooting sports, safety education ... these take up more of the NRA's budget then lobbying.


Basically the NRA is a sportsmens' organization that out of necessity has had to become a political organization.


If you don't want the video, send it back (saves them a little money that way).



If it still really chaps your hide then give to the GOA and JPFO.

[Cosmoline]

I'll stop supporting the NRA when the antis stop fearing and hating it so much. Yes, it is flawed. Yes, it has largely become a PAC for the GOP. But it still scares the bejesus out of Moore & co., so I'll continue to give $$ to it.

[Ohen Cepel]

Yes, they do some things at times that I don't like.

So do women. However, I don't like the option of giving either up:D

[PAshooter]

Great analogy, Ohen :D

[Pebcac]

If you don't want junk mail from the NRA, all you have to do is call them and ask to be removed from the mailing list. I did, and all I get now are renewal reminders.

I renew every year, because the NRA is the only gun-rights group on the Hill with any clout. Without them, we'd be right there next to the Australians and British in terms of gun control laws.

[FPrice]

"Yes, they do some things at times that I don't like.

So do women. However, I don't like the option of giving either up."

ROFL! Best one I have heard all week.

[DF357]

This is done by the History Channel as a fund raiser for the NRA. No NRA money was used. It mentioned you are under no obligation to pay or send it back. Sounds like a fair deal to me.

[magsnubby]

I have several of those videos. I think they're all pretty neat videos. What about the coins that come with the videos? You can't tell me those aren't really neat coins.

Another bonus. They're great for teaching youngsters about gun history. I've shown mine to several of my nice's friends (they're all young teenagers). Not one negative comment from any of them. Every one of them liked and learned from the videos. So if you don't want the videos, give them to somebody who would appreciate them, don't thow them away.

[Dot_mdb]

magsnubby, Great suggestion.

Sure the NRA is a bureaucracy and some of the money they raise goes to keep the bureaucracy comfortable. But lets face it, how many of us would send in a little extra once in a while if we didin't get some of those appeals? You can't really criticize the NRA for helping us to help ourselves.

Bill

[malada]

I too got fed up after a gun video mailing a couple of years ago. I didn't respond and got SEVERAL request for payment or the video back. I sent them a letter saying I had no intention of paying for the video and was not renewing my membership.

A couple of months later I was at a gun show talking to the NRA guy and told him why I quit. That is when he told me you could ask to be taken off the junk mail list. I renewed for the year on the spot and it has been a true pleasure. Not one piece of junk for over a year.

My son graduated from high school last spring. I always wished I had joined the NRA for life when I was his age. It's an election year and I had the extra cash so I signed us both up for life members.

GO NRA and keep up the good work. They are our best bet for gun rights in the future!!:D

[Freedomv]

I have been a life member of the NRA for over 30 yrs.

I would suggest that some people who bad mouth and say thing about what and who the NRA is and why it was organized should actually do some research into the organization. and find out about it's history.

I have yet to hear any of the anti Congressmen and senetors etc mention anyone other than the NRA in their rants against Gun ownership and Gun Lobbyiest. That tells me that they are in the forfront of the battle.

I have worked with them for many years in the shooting sports etc and donate to them when ever I can.
We all have some faults, but the good far out wieghs the bad in my opinion.

Vern

[Das Pferd]

If you don't you are part of the problem!

Ha thats funny. I am not giving my money to an orgnaization that I have no say in. How many members does the NRA have? You know how much they gave to politicians this year? Only about 1.5 million. 1.5 million out of how many millions they collect every year? Wheres all this money going that you people blindly give themI'm not paying so some jack off can sit in a really nice office and do nothing.

I'll spend my time, my sweat, my efforts and my voice. I will also spend money where it needs to be spent on my own. But I will never and have never given to an organization blindly hoping against hope that they do something good with the money only to find out they are taking hunting trips and flying each other around on private jets. Might as well join a union.

You can blame my pessimism on giving money to any organization on my generation. We would rather give our time then our money.

[Tharg]

I still think the major point the original poster was making that whatever coincidences that caused it to happen - he was "outted" w/o his permission....

I don't care very everyone here wears an NRA shirt and on the back it says "xxx is my addy - go rob me of my guns" ... that would be YOUR freedom to do so... it was taken out of his hands via whatever set of circumstances that occured. I've not seen the video - can't comment on its usefullness and or how interesting it is. (altho i DO love the history channel <grin>)

J/Tharg!

[JohnBT]

"You know how much they gave to politicians this year?"

I thought they were supposed to be lobbying politicians, not buying them.

John

[ssr]

Like others say, the NRA is not perfect, but they are the most powerful supporter of gun rights in existence. The are the most powerful lobby group, period. They may not be totally extreme and unbending according to some people, but the antis, and Kerry think they are extreme. The more members they have, the more powerful and influential they can be.

If you don't want the mail, ask to be off their list. Or just throw it away. They are there to support the 2nd ammendment and they need support to do the work. I try to donate whatever I can, so I get alot of mail, but if I have the means, I do it. If you don't want the video, throw it away, or in order to help them and preserve their funds, mail it back.

We all need to help in order to preserve our gun rights, which are under constant attack. If everybody does a little, it all adds up to alot.

[straightShot]

The thing that gets me with these kinds of "NRA rants" is the continual usage of "THE NRA", like we're some sort of behemoth, distant organization. If you're a member, then it's "WE", not they. You don't have to be a paid employee to use the term "WE".

An organization is only as good as its members. Take a kid shooting. Teach your kids gun safety. Also, work on getting pro-gun candidates elected this fall. We owe this to our kids and grandkids.

If you want to opt out of the mailings, you can do so by dialing 1-888-672-3888. It's simple. If you're on the fence and thinking about joining or renewing, do so. If you like, you can save $10 in doing so by going through the link on our webpage (http://www.StraightShotShooting.com). Or, you can give the NRA the extra ten dollars by signing up via the 888 number, and this $10 can be put to good use.

Remember, it's your choice. It's not you against us. It's you and I and our fellow shooters working as a cohesive group of pro-gun activists, teaching our kids and grandkids gun safety, marksmanship, and all that goes along with it to ensure that we have guns for a long time. It's when we lose sight of our true objectives and we lose sight of the fact that there are those who would most certainly trample our right to bear arms that we get in trouble.

Work together. Get pro-gun people elected, and take a kid shooting.

Shoot straight

[Das Pferd]

I thought they were supposed to be lobbying politicians, not buying them.

Money talks in Washington.

[Pebcac]

What straightShot said.

I think a lot of folks miss the fact that there's a lot more to the NRA than just lobbying. NRA sponsors competitions, training, safety education, publishing, and, now, a radio station and news website to get around the un-Constitutional "Campaign Finance Reform."

Most of what information they gather is available for free to the general public via their several websites, and that kind of thing alone costs a fortune to maintain. Just ask Andrew McKelvey how much money he's spending on the AGS without any real membership to help him support it.

[sturmruger]

The NRA is a fine organization. I look forward to the day when I am worth a crapload of money so I can donate thousands of dollars per year to the ILA.

I got that video too I never sent them anything for it though. I think it is still in the plastic.

[blackrazor]

This is why I quit the NRA. It seems to me that they are more interested in soliciting donations and producing commmerative gold plated 1911's than they are fighting for gun rights. If what you really want is an organization that focuses its efforts on fighting Feinstein et al. on capitol hill, you need to dump the NRA and join the GOA. They're way more hard core and no one ever mumbles about the GOA selling out on anything, e.g. the AW Ban. Some of you may say, "but the GOA doesn't have the influence that the NRA has." True, but what is this, a ONE party system? If people were less afraid of going against the grain and followed their beliefs, we would have more libertarians in office, and the GOA would be far more powerful. Just my two cents.

[ssr]

I belong to several pro-gun organizations, including NRA and GOA, among others, and give money to all of them. GOA has it's place, but so does the NRA. Kerry, MMM, Bradys et al always talk about the NRA. How often do they mention GOA? Never.

People. The NRA is there to fight for 2nd Ammendment rights. NRA is not anti-gun! It is the biggest, most influential gun rights organization in existence. It has the most influence and can help all gunowners out the most. It can only help us all the larger and more powerful we can make it. Nothing wrong with being a member and supporting them as well as other smaller groups.

[FPrice]

The fight to maintain our rights is being fought on many levels and in different arenas. I know of no other national organization that touches as many facets of the shooting sports and the support of our RKBA than the NRA.

While they all may have good intentions, unless they work together closely our efforts are just that much diluted.

[RobW]

We all have to hang together or we will be hanged separately. Period.

You ever heard about antis complaining about the Brady Bunch, MMM, Soros?

[luxone]

We all have to hang together or we will be hanged separately. Period.

Well said, thats why I stand by my previous comment which was " if you are not a member of some pro 2nd organization you are part of the problem"!

Das Pferd, the NRA doesn't just give money to politicians. They also spend alot of money on things like firearms education, shooting sports, promoting shooting sports to kids, safety, etc, etc. They also dumped a load of money into a radio station on Sirius sattelite to help them get around "campaign finance reform"! These are all things that I don't mind my money going to. Giving your time to fight for our 2nd amendment rights is GREAT, possibly the best thing you can do, but I still feel like every gun owner should join some pro-2nd organization.

[GLOCKME]

The NRA is the Premier NATIONAL organization..It is the only one that the anti gunners complain about and Kerry says "I do not want to be a spokesman for the NRA"

Thank goodness for that!!!

I just upped my Life membership to Endowment..

Thank you NRA for standing up for OUR rights...:)

[malada]

"I'll spend my time, my sweat, my efforts and my voice."



By all means continue to do your individual effort but being a part of an organization millions strong gets politicians attention. A single voice is easy to over look but a united voice of millions will be heard.

For only $10 per year you can be a member if you don't take the magazine.

[Wolfy]

I don't understand how people don't get it no organization the size of the NRA is going to make all of its members happy all of the time. That is impossible. If not for the NRA we would have no gun rites right now. Washington works on numbers so the more members in an organization the more pull in Washington it is that simple. Even if you don't agree withh all the policies of the NRA join it is $25 a year that is NOTHING!!!! And if we had even 10 million members alot of this antigun BS would come to a halt. So instead of complaining about all they do wrong JOIN!!!!!

I stand with luxone: It would be much better to hang together because if we keep up this divisive retoric we WILL hang seperatly. Stop arguing about the hunter versus the skeet or the handgunner versus the self defense stop all the infighting we have enough enemies without fighting ourselves and helping them beat us. If we don't unite we are done if we do unite we can roll back alot of these insane laws and public opinion.

Stick together on this every gun owner no matter what there discipline is equal to all other shooting disciplines. Join the NRA stick together if you are not completely happy join the GOA also join as many as you can afford fight them on multiple fronts like they do to us you don't have to join just one organization there is no rule that says once you join one that you can't join another. I will join the GOA on Monday to put my mouth were my principles are.

Didn't mean to get on the soap box but please let us unite not argue no organization is perfect and to write off My NRA because of something that irks you is to do your rights more harm than good.

If you need to know where I stand look at my sig line.