Finally joined NRA...

[gym]

I re joined after a couple years of not being a member, only for money and medical reasons, I just hadn't been shooting for like 5 years. But I still haven't gotten my response after a month.

 

[Big Wes]

I used to be a member, but when Wayne sold us out a few times, that was enough for me.

When the Govt. decides to come and confiscate your guns, well that to me, will be a good day to die. "With out the 2A we have no rights at all."

I'll make no further comments on this thread.

 

[DagoRed]

Like others, I believe in the NRA and the work it does as a rule. But, I get sick and tired of constantly having my mailbox bombarded with NRA solicitations for money, and of course renewals. Renewal mail so much, I lost track of when I actually did expire. Don't even get me started on the constant phone calls from the NRA.

 

[Sam1911]

But, I get sick and tired of constantly having my mailbox bombarded with NRA solicitations for money

As mentioned four (well, now FIVE) times in this thread (posts 18, 41, 46, and 74) and probably 100 times in other threads on the NRA, getting all mailings except a yearly renewal notice and your magazine stopped is only a matter of an email or phone call.

I'm sure they're working on a telepathy version that stops the unsolicited mailings the moment you're first annoyed by them, but until they get that perfected you'll have to actually call and tell them to stop the junk mail.

 

[jcwit]

One more time, call the 800 number on the back of your membership card "the call is free" and ask for your name to be removed from the mailing list, as soon as it gets processed thru the system you no longer will receive the mailings.

BTW its my understanding the NRA does not actually send out the mailings and offers, a seperate fund raising company does this so as to get a piece of the action and the NRA gets whats left.

Remember if nothing else this does keep Americans working so even then there is a benefit.

Finally in reality is it honestly that difficult to just throw it away with out complaining. Do folks run down to their local hardware store and complain about the latest sale flyer?

Latest count now 6 times.

 

[galena]

To the OP: Welcome. I have been Life Member since 1972 and upgraded to Benefactor and Patron when I got the chance and just gave my Son a Legacy Life membership. The NRA isn't perfect but putting up with some junk mail is a small price to pay for what they do. To the NRA bashers it is my humble opinion that were it not for the NRA, private ownership of guns would have been banned a long time ago. Keep shootin'

 

[USAF_Vet]

I will probably rejoin. I miss getting my monthly American Rifleman magazine.

If only the offers were for stuff I'd actually use instead of coffe cups and hats, maybe a pistol magazine or a set of scope rings or sling studs... you listening NRA?

 

[Strykervet]

As mentioned four (well, now FIVE) times in this thread (posts 18, 41, 46, and 74) and probably 100 times in other threads on the NRA, getting all mailings except a yearly renewal notice and your magazine stopped is only a matter of an email or phone call.

I'm sure they're working on a telepathy version that stops the unsolicited mailings the moment you're first annoyed by them, but until they get that perfected you'll have to actually call and tell them to stop the junk mail.

Yeah, I'm glad I joined, but I HATE junkmail and solicitations. I do hope they cease unecessary mailings when I get to that point. As it was, I had to remove my mailbox and use PO Boxes exclusively. Then I can request only first class mail, and no "current occupant". The junk mail I had started receiving was just ridiculous (this was before I joined NRA, I just did that, and I haven't received anything yet). So right now I'm fine.

But with USAA, the isurance company I went with when I was still service, no matter how many calls or emails, it was near impossible and took the better part of two or three years off and on of getting it to stop. I had to threaten to drop them a few times. All I wanted was my policy bill, my dividend check, and any pertinent information regarding deals and offers

As it was, they sent so much that my PO Box was getting so full I had to check it everyday, and if I only checked it once a week, there would be a locker key to open the locker FULL of USAA magazines, letters, sales material, on and on... They could offer a better deal on insurance if they cut this junk out. Why send ALL this to me anyway, I already have a policy!

So if the NRA gets to be like this, I'm not going through it again. I gave them my proper info, but if they abuse it and then don't respect my wishes about the junk mail inundation, will cancel it. If I can in fact opt out of the excessive junk, I will stay a member and renew my fees when necessary, and even go lifetime when I can.

Thanks for the heads up, I'll call 'em when my package arrives.

Oh yeah, and I kind of like getting the American Rifleman issues as part of the deal. Wish they had a reloading specific magazine though. All in all, a good deal if you go through Shooting USA, where they "pay" $10 for you making it $25. BTW, the best shooting shows are not Sons of Guns (for SURE) or Top Shot... The best shooting shows are the shows that come on Wenesday on (Outdoor Channel?). Most of the week is it about hunting, but on Wednesday it is almost all shooting shows, including "Impossible Shots", "Gun Nuts", American Rifleman, Best Defense, and of course Shooting USA, who drop the $35 fee to $25 for the NRA, and there are other shows too. They rerun them most of all day and evening Wednesday on that channel so most people get a chance to see then all. Very informative shows, if you have cable and get this channel, you should most definitely check it out Wednesdays. "Impossible Shots" is my favorite shooting show, period. Jerry Miculek is on there often.

So watching the shows, knowing NRA funds most of them ("American Rifleman" is show, so come on!) and I needed it anyway for the range, they do good work for 2A defense, I'd been putting it off, and it was $25 instead of $35 through Shooting USA online. Just time to do it.

I vote in all the elections. I moved to WA to get away from the non-democratic South (I miss the South, I miss everything about it except the government --very controlling an out of date, very interested in harrassing the people that live there). Lots of laws with high penalties that apply to poor people but not rich people, hardly anything, if ever, to vote on besides old white men named "Bud" and "Honest Pal" and such. Representatives didn't listen, and having issues on ballots for the people to vote on just didn't happen. The whole game is/was rigged.

By virtue of the army, I ended up in WA, and the people are okay, they are good people, the education rate is the highest in the nation I think, crime is low and ghettoes are very, very rare (I've been here 10 years and I've yet to sea ghetto that comes close to Memphis, Nashville, B'ham, Houston, Cincinnati, etc.). Education is no doubt an important reason. But we also vote a lot up here and not just for "leaders". We vote for those sure, but they can and do get replaced often, even recalled right away if they totally screw it up. The local runners tend to be a lot like the average person from this area, the western 1/3 or 1/4 of the state. They may be "liberal" or whatever, but they are very responsive to helping constituents and tend to vote for what the constituents want. Voting for the right people, then writing and letting them know in other ways that we wanted suppressor use here, led to a "liberal" congress re-wording the law allowing their use. It's how democracy works.

The other things we vote on ourselves are voter initiated ballots. Enough signature and we can pass our own laws. They've had them to reduce penalties for soft drugs, thus reducing jail costs and time, and helped lower hard drug use substantially. The governement or cops never would have taken it on themselves, but the voters did and now it is law, and whether they like it or not, that is how it is. We also can limit what our states can borrow and how much they can raise taxes. They still try to sneak it through and sort is an ongoing battle, but ultimately, they lose and we win. When out governor recently signed a bill about the budget or something (can't recall for sure) she didn't want to, but said she had to because it is the will of the people. How many other governors will do what they don't want to in front of cameras because it is the people's will? For the most part, I feel our local government, state and down, works pretty well here (except for whoever designs the highways! UUUGGHH!). Sure got me active, and I've seen a huge difference in just the ten years I've been here. This is a very fine place to live, and folks are tolerant.

But on the federal level, which is pay to play and can only be engaged in by PAYING MASSES, who in turn hire full time lobbyists and lawyers, among financing other campaigns, the NRA is the only one that is persistent and carries weight. You don't have to agree with their political picks or everything they have to say. Just know they'll preserve the 2A at all costs and that is good. As far as voting, think for yourself and definitely vote on the local stuff, that impacts you more daily.

For those of you in WA, I feel so strongly about this that if you complain ammo cost is the reason you won't join NRA, then sign up at Shooting USA for $25 instead of $35 and I'll give you some plinking ammo. Of course you'll have to come pick it up at a few different locations I can meet at and bring me your NRA proof. How many and calibre depend on just that, but I have most common loadings and load for accuracy. I can do this for a limited time until I run out. That is an even better deal for those putting it off, no? They are reloads, but they are each hand weighed and dead accurate (what I use in my weapons exlusively). If that doesn't do and you are in the Olympia to Seattle area, you likely just don't want to join.

 

[crazysccrmd]

I actually just joined the NRA today. I'm one of those guys who's been meaning to do it for a while now and it so happened that today when I went to Cabelas they were signing people help. Helps that it was a discounted $25 price and they gave you a $25 Cabelas giftcard for doing it, but still. I don't always agree with the NRA's stance on everything but having someone funding pro-gun legislation and fighting the anti-gun stuff is worthwhile. I plan to opt out of all the extra junk mail for two reasons - 1) I don't want that crap cluttering up my mailbox, and 2) the less money they spend mailing me things to throw away the more they have for lobbying, etc.

 

[Art Eatman]

A few points:

Until around 1966 or 1967, the NRA was mostly oriented toward shooting and hunting. Our 2A rights were not much of a major issue, before then.

The ostensible reason for gun control laws is to reduce the rate of violent crimes involving firearms. However, for those who give credence to mostly-gun-neutral number-crunchers, some facts obtain. One of the better research items is that of Wright, Rossi and Daly, whose "Under The Gun" was published by the Univ. of Fla. Press in 1985. A primary conclusion was that no gun control law ever passed in the state of Florida had ever affected the rate of violent crime where firearms were involved.

So, looking back: Until 1934, the USPS would deliver your full-auto Tommy Gun as soon as your check had cleared with Abercrombie and Fitch in New York City. Between 1934 and 1968, the USPS would deliver a 1911 or a Garand to your front door.

In the early years of the "Yellow Sheet", you could buy and sell long guns, face to face between individuals, without worrying about residency of a state. Open carry was legal in California, as were AR-15s. Waiting periods? Nope. Reporting of the number of purchases in a given time period? Nope. Restrictions on the type of ammo? Nope.

A ban on the mythical "assault weapon"? Nope.

Since gun control laws have proven ineffective in reducing the rate of violent crimes involving firearms, what's the point? As Tamara says, "Ignorance is no excuse for a law."

The obvious question, seems to me, is whether there is any sincere desire to reduce crime, or just control the freedom of honest people to enter into freely-traded items as was the situation prior to 1934.

If you compare the status of laws prior to 1934 with those of today, I submit that your and my freedoms have been notably reduced.

I report. You decide.

 

[Strykervet]

I actually just joined the NRA today. I'm one of those guys who's been meaning to do it for a while now and it so happened that today when I went to Cabelas they were signing people help. Helps that it was a discounted $25 price and they gave you a $25 Cabelas giftcard for doing it, but still. I don't always agree with the NRA's stance on everything but having someone funding pro-gun legislation and fighting the anti-gun stuff is worthwhile. I plan to opt out of all the extra junk mail for two reasons - 1) I don't want that crap cluttering up my mailbox, and 2) the less money they spend mailing me things to throw away the more they have for lobbying, etc.

I like that, I'll probably do that. I HATE the junk mail, especially since I have a small PO Box that work fine otherwise.

Wish I'd known Cabela's discounted it to $25 AND gave you a $25 gift card! I just got $10 off from Shooting USA --paid $25 instead of $35. I get the American Rifleman magazine too.

If you watch the (Outdoor Channel?) on Wednesdays, they have a LOT of good shooting shows, several of them, that run from just before or after noon, all the way through the evening (most repeats of the several shows they have that week so everyone can get a chance to see 'em --"Impossbile Shots" is my favorite!). During the rest of the week, it is all hunting and fishing shows I think, so just Wednesday is dedicated to shooting. "American Rifleman" is one of the shows they have, and that is where they offer the $10 off membership.

I am so glad I finally did it. Believe it or not, my wife actually tried to prod me to join awhile back too... She may join also when we have a little more stabe financial atmosphere too.

I really think it is a good thing for all firearms owners to do. It might even be a good idea to have a good program to get everyone buying a firearm to prove or join the NRA at a very reduced rate when buying a firearm. Members just show the card, new owners join and get a package about safety, info, training events, etc. Just a good idea in general, IF we can get all the shops on board...

 

[Sulaco]

I just pay 10 bucks a month and don't get the magazine. I called one day and asked to be removed and I haven't gotten anything but my annual renewal ever since (and that was years ago).

Next to my tithe, my NRA dues are the second most important thing I pay for.

 

[ProShooter]

For those interested, we offer the one year membership at the $25 discounted price on our website. Here is the link - https://membership.nrahq.org/forms/signup.asp?campaignid=XP019625

 

[Sgt_R]

I don't always agree with the NRA's stance on everything but having someone funding pro-gun legislation and fighting the anti-gun stuff is worthwhile.

Agreed. I just signed up for the free 6 month membership (oddly enough, also a requirement to join my local range), but I figure I'll throw $25 at them before the freebie expires.

Like many (most?) in this thread I don't necessarily agree with everything the NRA has done, but as with anything else in politics, you take the good with the bad.

R