Do you belong to the NRA?

Oh, bollocks. The NRA has been the only nationally effective gun rights organization. Not to bash the great work done by many other pro-gun groups, but without the NRA you wouldn't be joining ranges, buying guns, or arguing inanities at THR.

Past annual member and bit the bullet for a lifer in 2006.

Oh, bollocks. The NRA has been the only nationally effective gun rights organization. Not to bash the great work done by many other pro-gun groups, but without the NRA you wouldn't be joining ranges, buying guns, or arguing inanities at THR.

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Poppycock (to say it nicely.)!

That is a popular misconception, as about as truthful as the Republican party is the party of the Constitution. The NRA has been "helpful", to be charitable, in the drafting of more than one or two pieces of anti-2nd Amendment legislation.

They lost me with "Operation Exile". Do you recall that piece of public relations genius? How about their support for the Lautenberg Act/Amendment that ex-post facto robbed many decent people of their God-given rights to keep and bear arms?

They are first and foremost, a bureaucracy, dedicated primarily to their own existence (which means that if they did their job very well their reason to exist would be reduced, if not eliminated). I no longer give to their political action arm (another mooch for donations separate from membership), as I did for years, primarily for their confusion on the real meaning of the 2nd Amendment. They seem to believe that the meaning historically is to provide a way for you to defend yourself against a criminal. Uh-uh...wrong reason. Down deep there is a "sporting purpose" philosophy behind what they do, I strongly suspect.

What they DON'T say is even more important than what they do say in blowing their own horn.

I think it's a great organization if your idea of the 2nd Amendment is your right to shoot birds or sporting clays, and maybe have a pistol in the nightstand. That's not what its' all about for me.

"They lost me with "Operation Exile". Do you recall that piece of public relations genius?"

Do you mean Project Exile? You'd be more believable if you got your facts straight.

It's worked rather well here in Richmond. The drug dealers figured out in a hurry not to carry a gun while they're dealing. They didn't want to be shipped out of state to serve their time away from their family and the prison friends they were used to passing time with behind bars.

John

C'mon, John. Don't be pedantic. We all know what he meant.

Yes

Benafactor....as well as
GOA lifer
CCRKBA lifer
I'm loosing faith that joining these groups really work But I like JPFO's attitude so I'm
now looking at joining them.

That is a popular misconception, as about as truthful as the Republican party is the party of the Constitution. The NRA has been "helpful", to be charitable, in the drafting of more than one or two pieces of anti-2nd Amendment legislation.

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Josey this is my problem right there. I do lament the NRA for putting up with the BATFE...when they should be working hard for its abolishment. (which is why I like JPFO's attitude)

Lifer for the past 12.

The NRA isn't perfect and I disagree with some actions but it remains the best lobby group we have.

The NRA belongs to me.

Yep, wish I had the cash to get the life membership.

not a member of the NRA but I am a member of GOA.

Yep, Just signed up for three years.

And I'm sure the president of NRA thanks each and every one of you members for giving him almost $1 million each year in salary and benefits.
http://www.gunguys.com/?p=1061

pfgrone said:
And I'm sure the president of NRA thanks each and every one of you members for giving him almost $1 million each year in salary and benefits.
http://www.gunguys.com/?p=1061

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You're providing information from an anti-gun website to make your arguement? Here is another gem from that site:

Changing the Way Americans Think About Guns
Before America can enact significant policies to reduce gun violence we must challenge the belief that our citizens are safe in a country flooded with deadly guns; from junk handguns and cop-killing assault weapons to deadly sniper rifles and weapons designed for the battlefield. We have to engage in a dialog about whether Americans can be truly free when gun violence terrorizes our communities, destroys our families, and plagues our nation.

I don't think you're going to have very good luck making your arguement by quoting anti-gun propaganda to a bunch of pro RKBA members of THR.

Using your words...I'm sure the President of the Brady Campaign to Reduce Gun Violence and the Freedom States Alliance (website you pointed us too) thank you for spewing their filth.

"C'mon, John. Don't be pedantic. We all know what he meant."

Pedantic? It's not about book learning and formal rules. Only accurate arguments are interesting. If a person is going to slam something it's best to have all the ducks in a row in order to show that the conclusion offered is based on facts and isn't simply some off the cuff quip. That's not a formal rule, it's just sensible. The question being, did he know what he meant or was he just taking a cheap, but inaccurate shot.

John

ADJECTIVE: Characterized by a narrow, often ostentatious concern for book learning and formal rules: a pedantic attention to details.

____________________________

"And I'm sure the president of NRA thanks each and every one of you members for giving him almost $1 million each year in salary and benefits."

Aw, what's the matter, didn't they offer you the job?

"C'mon, John. Don't be pedantic. We all know what he meant."

Pedantic? It's not about book learning and formal rules. Only accurate arguments are interesting. If a person is going to slam something it's best to have all the ducks in a row in order to show that the conclusion offered is based on facts and isn't simply some off the cuff quip. That's not a formal rule, it's just sensible. The question being, did he know what he meant or was he just taking a cheap, but inaccurate shot.

John

ADJECTIVE: Characterized by a narrow, often ostentatious concern for book learning and formal rules: a pedantic attention to details.

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Yes, I believe 'pendantic' is an accurate discription.

You seem to be one who majors in minors, and minors in majors.

Though the error left the meaning understood (even by you), you accent the trivial in order to deliver a left-handed poisoning of the well, a sloppily executed attempt at an ad hominum punch that doesn't quite connect.

Shall we deconstruct your argument, positing that "only accurate arguments are interesting". You defeat your assertion by understanding the egregious error. You eschew formality? Methinks she doth protesth too much.

And thanks for the definition of 'pendantic'. My, the sweet cut thine own blade makes.

The defense rests.

Lifer!

Heck yeah.

See my signature for the cheap/poor guys way to become a life member! Only a few more years to go for me.

-James

Endowment-Life, TSRA-Life. My wife is also a Life member....

We may not always agree with "every position/every issue" but try to keep in mind that there's probably no organization that's perfect for everybody all the time.

But...we're in the NRA "corner" by choice...

Yup. Just (finally) joined this year.

LBTRS,
I didn't know that gunguys was an anti-gun group. I'm embarassed that I didn't check out who I was quoting.

So I just now went to www.guidestar.org which has copies of the IRS Form 990 which non-profits are required to submit instead of an income tax report. The 2004 (latest available) Form 990 submitted by the NRA confirmed the nearly $1 million paid to the president of the NRA.

You can find out very interesting information about non-profits on the Form 990 reports such as the amount of money spent on administrative, fund raising and services. Also items such as salaries of top people, assets, etc. The Mission Committee of the church I attend uses them to check the validity of the many requests for funding it receives from various non-profits.

pfgrone said:
I didn't know that gunguys was an anti-gun group. I'm embarassed that I didn't check out who I was quoting.

So I just now went to www.guidestar.org which has copies of the IRS Form 990 which non-profits are required to submit instead of an income tax report. The 2004 (latest available) Form 990 submitted by the NRA confirmed the nearly $1 million paid to the president of the NRA.

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We all make mistakes, no big deal. I was not questioning the validity of the information provided, just your source.

It's like anything else on that website (read the headlines on that site) that can be used to make gun owners look bad. I have no problem at all with Wayne making $1 Million a year, he heads a 4 million member organization. That's only $.25 of each annual membership dues. He is the biggest spokesperson for the NRA and to be effective they must generate huge membership numbers and bring in lots of cash and it takes the right person to be able to accomplish this. Wayne has done a good job on both.

I don't think gun owners should chose not to belong to the NRA because $.25 of your annual membership dues are going to the pay the Executive Vice Presidents Salary. That's only 30,000 membership dues each year out of 4 million. I can live with that.

Happy New Year!

Been a member for many years.

NRA

The results are in-line with my expectations.

Discussing the NRA with JohnBT is what got me banned on TFL. I value my THR membership much more than I did my TFL. Where's that Ignore button?

JoseyW said:

I think it's a great organization if your idea of the 2nd Amendment is your right to shoot birds or sporting clays, and maybe have a pistol in the nightstand. That's not what its' all about for me.

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Amen, brother. The 2A has nothing to do with hunting; it's pretty self explanatory, and there is no room for negotiation or compromise.

In his famous 2000 speech, Charleton Heston was holding a black powder musket and not an FAL or an AR- that says it all for me.