GOA or more NRA?

[DannyLandrum]

Yeah, both of course - but the GOA and SAF are *much* better than the NRA , where your dollar goes further and accomplishes more (and doesn't get tainted by association with a group which has 2-time convicted serial poacher, and draft dodger Ted Nugent on the board).

I'm a life member of both, though I rescinded my life membership of NRA due to that and Dana Loesch's badmouthing of atheists (this helps the cause how?)

The more money these groups have, the better - give till it hurts.

There are other groups too - NAGR and others. It's about time to make a donation to SAF, I reckon... https://www.saf.org/

 

[JN01]

2016:

1. Exposing Hillary Clinton’s Anti-Gun Agenda”–As the November 8 presidential election was approaching, GOA “[published] several YouTube videos, articles and Social Media posts that exposed [Hillary Clinton’s] gun-grabbing agenda. GOA also educated millions of voters around the country, helping to elect many pro-gun Representatives and Senators in close elections.”
2. Killing the Anti-Gun “Sentencing Bill”–GOA fought this bill in the Spring of 2016. In essence, the “Sentencing-Bill” would have meant that “a military veteran who is suffering from PTSD — and who has been labeled as a prohibited person — would get increased penalties for simply possessing a gun under this bill. All this would happen to decent gun owners, even while penalties for drug traffickers would be reduced.” In late May, GOA published Senator Tom Cotton’s (R-Ark.) announcement that the “Sentencing Bill” was dead.
3. GOA Influenced Supreme Court–On February 29, 2016, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas broke with his 10 years of silence on the bench to ask about misdemeanor offices being used to suspend Constitutional rights. GOA points to a Mother Jones’ report which said, “[Thomas’] questions were based on the brief filed in that case by Gun Owners of America. And the anti-gun lawyer in the case, representing the Obama Administration, was reportedly ‘stumped.’”
4. GOA credited as “THE organization” which led fight that killed “no fly, no buy”–According to GOA, their “grassroots opposition” to “no fly, no buy,” caused Senator Harry Reid to say, “Gun Owners of America is even worse than bad.”
5. Successes in backing “Constitutional Carry”–GOA supported legislation that abolished the requirement for a concealed carry permit in four states in 2016. Those states–Idaho, Mississippi, Missouri, and West Virginia–“now bring the total number of Constitutional Carry states to twelve.”
6. Led Push for “Constitutional Carry” at federal level–“GOA’s grassroots deluged congressional desks with thousands upon thousands of emails and postcards in 2016, resulting in more than 150 Representatives and Senators cosponsoring Constitutional Carry reciprocity legislation.” GOA believes national reciprocity can be a reality once Donald Trump assumes office in 2017.
7. GOA’s Erich Pratt named “Gun Hero”–GOA executive director was awarded “Gun Hero of the Day” by The Truth About Guns because of the way he destroyed a CNN anchor’s gun control arguments in January. He was invited back on the same show in June and afterward, “media outlets said the CNN host was ’embarrassed,’ ‘schooled’ or ‘crushed’ during the debate.”
8. GOA grassroots encouraged state legislators to override veto’s of permitless carry–“In two of the states where Constitutional Carry passed this year, Gun Owners of America energized gun owners and legislators to override gubernatorial vetoes. The loud, collective voice of gun owners in West Virginia and Missouri overpowered Bloomberg’s money and his misrepresentations about permitless carry.”
9. GOA succeeded in defeating pro-gun control SCOTUS nominee Merrick Garland–GOA was quick to lobby Senators to oppose any SCOTUS nominee put forth by Obama in the wake of Antonin Scalia’s death. And when “a couple of Republican Senators initially favored holding hearings or a vote to place Obama’s anti-gun nominee, Merrick Garland, on the court,” GOA launched a grassroots “blitzkrieg” that convinced the Senators to drop the idea.
10. GOA rallied Maine voters to oppose Bloomberg-backed gun control on the November ballot–GOA rallied Maine voters to oppose Question 3, a Michael Bloomberg-backed gun control initiative that would have expanded background checks in the state. The initiative was “backed by millions of Bloomberg dollars” and it lost.
11. They Did Not Conspire With The Opposition Behind Closed Doors To Usher In More Gun Control Like The NRA Did. Do You Think Its A Coincidence That Before Trump Did The Bump Stock Command....he met With the NRA? And before Scott signed that FL. Bill he met with the NRA. Another coincidence?

I'll give them #1 and 7, I have on occasion seen GOA spokesmen counter media assertions with facts, they do a good job with that. #3 should be a feather in their cap. In the rest of your points, it seems the GOA is being given sole credit for issues that a number of gun rights groups worked on- it would be hard to say which, if any, particular group was most responsible. In particular, giving them credit for defeating Obama's SCOTUS pick is really reaching- lots of people and groups were opposed to him for various reasons, not just the gun issue.

You may think that fund raising by the NRA and SAF is a dirty thing, but money buys exposure and access. If the GOA had more of both, perhaps they would be able to accomplish more.

 

[bob40caliber]

The real big money.....the money the NRA really cares most about is the unseen millions of dollars they get from the gun manufacturers.
So if a panic occurs, the gun manufacturers businesses go crazy.....the Gun makers have a good year and they donate even more to the NRA.
So, more anti-gun laws, the rumor of more laws and laws about things most people do not care about like bump stocks are used to whip up more panic. And who really benefits from all this....the Gun manufacturers and the gun store owners and the donations to the NRA.
It is a strange world we live in. The horrible freedom stealing, anti gun laws that screw all of us out our rights---are ACTUALLY really good for gun manufacturers, gun stores and NRA. Their profits to through the roof. And when things are calm and no threats to the 2A exist.....gun sales dip terribly and gun makers close factories and the NRA has less money to use however they see fit.

 

[Bottom Gun]

I've only heard the left whine and snivel about the NRA. I don't recall ever hearing liberals complain about any other pro gun organization. That tells me they consider the NRA to be the biggest threat so that's where my money will go.

 

[Guy B. Meredith]

I've only heard the left whine and snivel about the NRA. I don't recall ever hearing liberals complain about any other pro gun organization. That tells me they consider the NRA to be the biggest threat so that's where my money will go.

The political left uses the NRA as their scapegoat and I'll support the NRA just to work the media war, but in the meantime the SAF is eating their lunch. Fools. And just as well as that makes the SAF's job fractionally easier.

 

[bob40caliber]

Yes. That is right. It makes all the other groups find a little easier road.
You kinda wonder how long that will last? Maybe forever?