As of today, fellow High Roaders, count me in as both a member of this forum, and (thanks in no small part to legislative efforts like HR 1022) as a new member of the NRA--I joined for a year, and also kicked in $25.00 to their ILA.
You see, I've been a shooter since my family introduced me to firearms and started taking me to gun shows when I was 12 or so, and have been a proud gun owner since last fall. I came of age during the Clinton "Assault Weapon Ban" era, and so grew up doing my best to promote our gun rights (I was always the student who wrote the paper on why gun control is ineffective when given a "free topic" essay to write in Citizenship, Writing and Lit., or American Government class, and spent countless hours explaining to--well, ok, sometimes hotly debating--friends and acquaintences as to why the right to keep and bear arms was important) in a time when said rights were increasingly under attack.
With the advent of my becoming an internet addict, I began, starting with AWBanSunset.com back in the "countdown to expiration" days, hanging out on gun forums, trying to better educate myself and listening to veteran activists explain what was and wasn't effective in trying to persuade others. I found THR around the middle of January, and was impressed by the (mostly) civil discourse, and the diverse political views--as a left-leaning libertarian, there are some gun forums where I just wouldn't be considered proper company.
Thankfully, I hope at least, this isn't one of them.
Now that the recent shootings at Virginia Tech have greatly expanded the "turn-the-whole-world-into-one-big-soft-politically-correct-padded-room" crowd's calls for yet more pointless laws, I've finally decided to go from
hahaha oh well.
is, and so made the transition from NRA some-time supporter to paying member.