NRA Benefits?

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prickett

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All,
I recently decided that all my shooting buddies MUST be NRA members to continue shooting with me. Sadly, I'm getting resistance. I'm seeking to compile a list of all the good things that the NRA does both for us as individuals and for clubs. Can you guys supply some benefits I can add to my compilation?

Thanks!
 
Let me say up front that I am a lifetime NRA member.

I feel that the NRA has done a good job, but not everyone agrees with me. So my question to the OP is, why do you feel that in order to go shooting with you, they need to join the same organizations that you like. You might consider lowering your standards, to how safety conscious they are, and whether they kick in for gas on the way to the range.
 
Forcing your belief system on your friends is a quick way to lose them. Just enjoy their company. If they become avid shooters they will learn to fight for their own rights.
 
I would not try to force anyone into joining the NRA. There are many seriously Pro Gun folks that have no use for the NRA. I think that is why there is also the SAF, GOA & other organizations. I am a NRA member myself but that was my choice. If you really want to try to get them in you might try dirtyjims approach but I agree with docnyt most folks don't like to be pushed.
 
Just tell them that without the NRA you all would probably be bowling instead of shooting...they probably would have lost their rights decades ago to own guns and be there shooting with you. If that's not enough for them shoot by yourself.
 
If one of my buddy's said I had to join his club in order to continue our friendship, I'd tell him to go get bent...But that's just me.
 
I try to encourage my shooting-buddies to join NRA,as well as help me sometimes by writing e-mails or phone calls to key-people involved with my state's gun laws.
That being said, the majority of them dont want to spend the time doing such things as they haven't become as involved as myself in the RKBA-movement. I have found even my relatives who beatched,pissed and moaned when Obla-bla was going to get elected about how he was gonna "take our guns" but yet they couldnt take 10-minutes out of their day to support our beliefs on the 2A.
Dont try and force it down their throats,as with most things , they will resist further and possibly tell you to go get bent. Instead, mention it occasionally in conversation in positive,meaningful ways,, you'll see better results,, IMHO
 
The NRA and ILA are the 800lb gorilla in 2A advocacy groups allowing it to wield significant influence. The size of the organization depends upon the participation of 2A supporters meaning that the more members means the greater influence.

OTOH, I wouldn't exclude association with other shooters just on the basis of NRA membership. Other 2A organizations like the Second Amendment Foundation do good work in support of gun owners in spite of being a smaller organization.
 
Wow...forcing your belief systems on your friends. Your handle sounds about right.

You're going to lose friends fast doing that.
 
A local shooting club had NRA membership as a requirement, as well as being a citizen. I refused to join. I have been an NRA member on and off for years. But I am not a citizen. I can't support a club that doesn't provide equal opportunity

If my friend told me that we couldn't shoot together unless I had an NRA membership, I would be shooting with other friends, or by myself.

To the OP, how would you feel if your friends wouldn't hang out with you unless you donated to The American Red Cross, or Cancer Center, or the storm victims in the south etc....?
 
Forcing your belief system on your friends is a quick way to lose them.
Click to expand...

I'm an NRA member and I would be offended if you told me I had to be an NRA member to shoot with you. To me, it is akin to saying you can only be a certain race or religion to shoot with me. Even if I happen to fall into the category, I'm offended because it is only a matter of time before you find a way to discriminate me.

I'm also a member of other, smaller RKBA grassroots type organizations. I can see why some 2a supporters fervently disapprove of the NRA. I fully support their right to not be an NRA member and support other organizations.
 
spelsh said:
A local shooting club had NRA membership as a requirement, as well as being a citizen. I refused to join. I have been an NRA member on and off for years. But I am not a citizen. I can't support a club that doesn't provide equal opportunity
Click to expand...
Sounds like you didn't have the option to join...you can't "refuse to join" because you don't meet their criteria of being an american citizen.
 
Sounds like you didn't have the option to join...you can't "refuse to join" because you don't meet their criteria of being an american citizen.
Click to expand...

Techinically correct......there is a way around it, but it requires board approval, a certain # of members to vouch for you, than a comittee meeting etc...etc. Oddly enough, if my girlfriend joins, I can shoot with her!?!?

The point remains the same though. Imagine telling your friends that they can't drink with you, or come to your house for a beer with dontaing to 'AA'?
 
Well there's a lot of replies to the OP, but where are the reasons to join like he asked for? It's just a silly magazine. I'm not a member.
 
Here are a couple that could be useful to let your friends in on:

http://www.nra.org/benefits.aspx

"Annual members receive $5,000 of Accidental Death and Dismemberment coverage at NO COST to you. The plan covers accidents at, or to and from, an NRA event; and accidents that occur during the use of firearms or hunting equipment while hunting. Insurance must be activated at time of renewal. (Does not include Junior membership.)"

"$2,500 of ArmsCare coverage with your NRA membership. This plan covers insured firearms, air guns, bows and arrows against theft, accidental loss, and damage. "

Long shot scenario:---Besides all the benefits that the NRA provides on a large scale, influencing Congress-critters, providing Insurance for Ranges to operate, etc., you could say by being members, if one of them ever got hurt while you all were out, there could be some Coverage. Then in all the haste with the concern for a hurt friend (let's not deal with the Death part), and you lost you guns in the terrible excitement, that would be covered to.
 
Thanks for all the responses. I certainly didn't expect the answers the majority of you gave. I suppose I need to reconsider my stance.

To explain my original thought process:
I'm not really trying to force my beliefs on them, I'm trying to get them to contribute to our fight to retain/regain/gain our gun rights. As Vonderek said - without the NRA we'd all be bowling as a hobby (hmmm, might be way cheaper :). I have no problem pulling the wagon, but would like them to assist.

Several folks mentioned other 2A organizations as an alternative. I'm also a member of 2AF and am ecstatic about the job they are doing. While I encourage their joining other orgs (they currently aren't members of any orgs), joining the NRA gives us numbers that politicians can't ignore. The smaller orgs don't command that kind of respect. If the NRA gets the attention it currently gets with 4M members imagine what they could do with 25M members (half of the gun owners in America). NO anti gun legislation could ever get passed with those numbers.

Regarding the benefits folks provided, I'm not really interested in the hats/insurance/discounts/museums I'm more interested in what they do for the industry. Since quite a few clubs (mine included) require NRA membership, I'm wondering if the NRA helps the club with insurance or something. I'm interested in major accomplishments with regards to legislation passed or prevented. That kind of stuff. IOW, tangible benefits to shooting sports, self defense, etc

Again, I appreciate your responses and will reevaluate my requirement.
 
The NRA is not perfect. But neither are many gun owners that are it's biggest critics.
My take on it that no other organization is as comprehensive as the NRA. The NRA does fight for 2A rights. It also helps ranges and competition programs. This is why many ranges require an NRA membership. This will vary be area. I have seen some support of hunting and recreational shooting. I have become involved in the Friends of the NRA, which raises money for these programs. There are many people involved that have done way more than I. Those same people are involved in other cause to help hunting & fishing.
It is one thing to not support the NRA. There should be no excuse not to support another organization. If everyone one of of do just a little to support 2A rights, the sport or even a fellow shooter on a personal level we protect our interests.
A good way to get your friends to support NRA or another organization is to be a good example of a card carrying member.

I know a guy that is very anti-NRA. He had no problem attending a class at the Whittington Center. I just went by his words. He made more of a case against himself than the NRA.
 
Thanks for all the responses. I certainly didn't expect the answers the majority of you gave. I suppose I need to reconsider my stance.
Click to expand...

Takes a big man to say that. A guy with an open mind will go far. :)
 
I agree. I wouldn't want to shoot with someone who is not an NRA member or at least a member of a similar organization. I'll just enjoy the shooting hobby with my kids and make sure they are NRA members.
 
I'm seeking to compile a list of all the good things that the NRA does both for us as individuals and for clubs.
Click to expand...

The fact that we're still allowed to own most types of guns is probably the best thing the NRA has done for us .....

Whether you agree with them 100% (is there ANY organization you agree with 100%?) or not, they are the strongest force by far in support of the second amendment.

NRA Life
 
REALLY ANOTHER ONE!

All you people do is further isolate the gun community and make us all look like a bunch of hard-nosed wackos that run around with black T-shirts and pasty skin that doesn't accept anyone like us.
 
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