A Challenge to All

[Jimineer]

I just joined the NRA for the first time. I challenge anyone else that has not joined to consider doing so as well.

Can we use this thread to track how many followers we can get to do so as well?

I hope this doesn't violate THR rules......its for a good cause, obviously. I've also posted in a forum that appears to get more "traffic" so it may not be in the most appropriate forum. Again, sorry if a violation.

Please Join and let everyone know by responding to this post so that others will do the same and join.

Thanks.

 

[Jimineer]

So far a resounding flop

 

[JoeMal]

I would assume most of us here are already members

 

[Larry Ashcraft]

I would assume most of us here are already members

Right, preaching to the choir, as it were.

Still, not a bad idea.

 

[Nico Testosteros]

Not gonna do it. I'm not a joiner and they are too reactionary for me.

 

[Gordon_Freeman]

I've been a member for the past 3 years. Without the NRA, no private citizen could own firearms, and that's a fact. If we all quit the NRA, this country would have similar gun rights of Canada, Australia, and all the other countries who don't have gun rights.
I don't receive junk mail from the NRA.

 

[Nushif]

[...] too reactionary for me.

While I am a joiner ... that's my stance on it. Like any other large organization they got caught up in their cause after a while and started interpreting it. 8(

 

[ArfinGreebly]

Clout

Well, certainly we don't want to join an organization that actually carries any amount of real clout in the political and legislative arena.

That would sully our principles.

Personally, I'm waiting for a huge organization to appear that completely complies with my personal policies.

Then I'll join. That is, after they've proven they're worthy.

One thing's for sure, I ain't joinin' no association that don't meet my standards, no matter how many years they've been in the game.

Heh. I ain't no fool.

 

[Ignition Override]

Nico Testosteros:
I had seldom ever touched a gun until age 52, back in '07.

My vague impressions (years ago) of the NRA left me a little bit skeptical about the association, but they were based only upon the very flawed, distorted and typically fragmentary, ignorant, deceptive media objectives.

Hours of independent reading along with many chats with law-abiding US citizens (civilian and military) have totally changed my impressions, and left me frustrated with the agendas of most of the media.
Any large group becomes a bit unwieldy and is forced to accept compromise.

I'm thankful that the NRA, CMP and other associations keep us from being totally controlled by the ignorant, hysterical policies as is the case in the UK, Australia etc.
Total government control is the mantra of the anti-gun types.

 

[PhotonSD]

I am a member, but if memory serves it is time to refresh my membership. Thanks for the reminder.

 

[isc]

I would give the NRA more money if thwy wouldn't keep soliciting me fotr donations after I pay dues then sell my info to telemarketers afterwards.

One year I signed up but changed my name slightly to see what they did with my personal info. Sure enough, my Nomme de guerre was getting junk mail for the next two years. I can only assume I would have been getting phone calls if I gave them my number.

Paying the telemarkters and bulk mailers has to have cost at least 1/3 of my $30 donation and that doesn't even get to the money they spend on their high overhead.

I no longer donate to the NRA, I switched after they endorsed and campaigned for Harry Reid. The GOA or Jews for the protection of Firearms is a much better steward of my donated money

 

[ObsidianOne]

Already a member

I enjoy my yearly free hat, window stickers, millions of letters asking for further donations (Maybe this is what they spend my dues on ), and my American Rifleman subscription.

I recently received a home defense DVD that had a cool collectible NRA coin with it.
Said that if I want, I can keep the DVD for $12.95, or if I don't want it, to throw the case away, put the DVD in the prepaid envelope and send it back and keep the coin for free.
But if you read further, it says that since I did not order the DVD, I can "consider it a gift".
I'm wondering if this is a morality or stupid test

Unrelated, anyone ever notice we have more angry smilies than anything else?? :banghead:

 

[ultradoc]

Life member since about 1995

 

[pockets]

Deleted

 

[lizziedog1]

I won't join or be part of any organization that would have me as a member.

 

[earlthegoat2]

Im a member. Not because I agree with everything they do though.

I dont agree with everything the Repulicans do either. Lesser of two evils so to speak.

 

[JoeMal]

For those of you mentioning the amount of junk mail you get from them; you can call them or go online and stop that mail. They will only send you your renew application and your magazines.

 

[mljdeckard]

Mine had lapsed, I renewed recently.

Is the junk mail and offers from partners annoying? Sure. Does it generate revenue they use to fight for me? Yes. Keep it up then.

Imagine how effective they could be if only HALF of the gun owners who luxuriate in the protection they provide would join and help the fight?

And I use the 'round up' options when I order from Brownell's or Midway. They even off your total to the next full dollar amount or two to put in a trust. They donate the interest to the NRA, that way it never gets smaller.

 

[ForumSurfer]

After seeing even my local liberal media outlets pushing their anit-gun agenda...
http://fayobserver.com/articles/2011/03/31/1082762?sac=Home

I decided to join the NRA and GRNC.

While every organization has certain questionable practices, this is unavoidable and they can't appeal to every gun owner everywhere.

If I don't join some organization who is in the fight or if I'm not out there lobbying constantly and talking to reps...well then I'm doing nothing but blowing hot air on a forum and I'm not even in the fight to keep my rights.

These other organizations are actively working to retrict our rights every day. They are working to get their word out by pushing their agenda in local news media (and local government in this case). The way I see it, we need someone working against them, even if we don't wholesale agree with the group.

YMMV.

 

[Toforo]

For those of you mentioning the amount of junk mail you get from them; you can call them or go online and stop that mail. They will only send you your renew application and your magazines.

+1 B'Jillion

For those that SAY they receive all of the unsolicited email, snailmail, spam, requests for donations - etc....
....it is ENTIRELY the choice of the member - and it's been that way for quite a while.

It's as simple as a phone call to make the changes to your membership as to what you receive (all the crap AND donation requests AND NRA ILA Alerts/Legal News) - or you can receive NOTHING but your free magazine, or JUST the magazine and Donation Requests - or even request NOTHING, including turning down the free magazine.

You can make this change at ANY TIME during your membership, when you renew, when you initially join, or when you upgrade to one of the Life Memberships.

If you have an "online" NRA account (as easy as joining THR here) you can also make the changes and adjustments there.

The NRA is NOTHING if not RESPONSIVE - they do NOT want "unhappy members" due to spam/solicitation issues - they recognized this issue long ago.
Even if you do nothing but join and DON'T CONTRIBUTE, you have helped their cause by making their membership base larger.

By MY CHOICE - I recieve NOTHING from the NRA but "The American Rifleman" magazine in the mail every month.

By MY CHOICE - I receive email NRA "Alerts" that specifically have an effect on MY STATE and MY AREA - no more, no less.

If you're over a certain retirement age (not sure the specific one) you can buy a "Distinguished Life Membership" for $300.00
If you're a Disabled Veteran, regardless of your age, you can buy the same "Distinguished Life Membership" for the same price - $300.00

In my OPINION (YMMV) -
as gun owners, NOT being a member of the NRA because of advertisements and solicitations that are YOUR CHOICE to receive or not receive would be like NOT VOTING because of all the campaign literature thrown at you or because of the registration paperwork.

 

[ForumSurfer]

One more thing...here is my 2 cents:

If you don't join some pro-gun rights organization that is out there working proactively for us or you aren't personally contacting your representatives multiple time a month, then you have zero right to complain when we lose ground and some of our rights are taken away.

It's akin not voting and then complaining about the election results.

 

[USAF_Vet]

My membership expires today, actually. I'm going to eventually renew, if only for the magazine subscription and the free coffee cup.

Seriously, I do plan on renewing my NRA membership, eventually.

 

[AuthorityDenied]

I consider any gun owner who is not a NRA member to be a 2A freeloader, period. I challenge you to name an organization who has done more to preserve our RTKBA than the NRA. We would not have our 2A rights with out them.

 

[forgetitohio]

I'm up for renewal. I can tell by the amount of mail I'm getting.
Got a nice flashlight last yr. Still works!

A state is a perfect body of free men, united together to enjoy common rights and advantages. - Hugo Grotius

 

[USAF_Vet]

I don't see the NRA being the only obstacle in the way of removing the 2A from the Constitution. I know a lot of gun owners who ar not NRA members, mostly veterans, and I would not consider them freeloaders. As a member of the VFW, AMVETS, and soon to be a member of the IAVA (Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America) I can tell ya that the NRA is not alone in their fight to preserve the Second Amendment.