Just Joined The NRA

Are you a member of the NRA?

  • Yes.

    Votes: 145 83.3%

  • No.

    Votes: 18 10.3%

  • I used to be, but they are not hard-core enough.

    Votes: 8 4.6%

  • I will join now!

    Votes: 3 1.7%
  • Total voters
    174
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M

mattw

Member
Joined
Feb 19, 2005
Messages
1,880
I am a new member of the NRA. With all the crap about HR 1022 and the election coming up I don't think that we can afford not to have any THR members that are not supporting our biggest ally.

Here is an e-mail I sent to the NRA after I got my membership confirmation:

To whom it may concern,

Hello, I am one of your newest members. I am sure you must be inundated with e-mails so I will make this one brief. Thirty-five dollars may not seem like much money, but when you are a college student who makes under one thousand dollars a month and has a three hundred-fifty dollar a month truck payment, a one hundred-twenty two dollar a month loan payment, and a wedding to save for; thirty-five dollars means something. On top of all my self-imposed expenses (tuck, wedding, loan) I also have residual expenses such as gas, food, clothes, and school supplies. It does not take a math-whiz to understand that I am strapped for cash.

That being said, I would like to let you and the NRA know that the thirty-five dollars I just spent on a one year's membership is one that I do not regret. I am actually even contemplating purchasing a membership for my fiancee, as well! With the upcoming presidential election I can only hope that my contribution will have been soon enough to help. I had been thinking about joining the NRA for a long time and a new piece of tyranny known as "HR 1022" being introduced by the misguided Ms. McCarthy is what made me realize that I can not stand idly by any longer. I know that the NRA will put my thirty-five dollars to good use and I would just like to give a sincere thank-you to all the fine, hardworking people at the NRA for helping to represent myself, the responsible gun owner, and the rest of America in the fight against those who would have us disarmed.

From my cold, dead hands,
Matthew Wicks
Click to expand...
 
i did the same thing. i have just recently gotten into guns and just a couple days ago decided it was time for me to join.

but after you pay the money online they just say "thanks"

i guess ill be getting some stuff in the mail?
 
My dad's been a member for a long time. Basically they just send you your magazine subscription and letters asking for more money. I joined because I figured it can't hurt, and I really like American Rifleman. I wrote that e-mail to hopefully light a fire under some of our fellow THR members who are not NRA members.
 
Are they going to send me a little sticker to put in the back window of my truck?
 
They will constantly ask for more money

Just the nature of lobby groups.
It might take several weeks to start getting your monthy publication. I think it took about six weeks for mine. I don't remember ever getting any bumper stickers though.
BTW
Thanks.
Like them or not, they are the driving force behind RKBA.
 
I agree. But I don't want this to turn into an NRA right or wrong debate. We've got too many of those threads already.

I'll just say that the NRA has a certain finesse that others like GOA don't seem to have and I think that the NRA is more palatable to the general public and politicians because of it.
 
im not a member yet, but my step dad was for a long time. he competed in a lot of their competitions. he told me one year, cant remember the year tho, he came in second in the nationals, and would have come in first, but his the bulls eye on the target right next to his..lol...that would have been a real let down
 
The NRA is #1, period.

I did a college term project on gun control, and in the course of my research decided to join (Not like I was coverted from an anti or anything; I've been pro-gun ever since my dad taught my to shoot when I was a kid). I don't remember if I ever checked off any "don't contact me about donations", but I can't hardly remember ever being asked by the NRA for money.

For everyone who complains about the NRA... look, the NRA is IT. Every other group just helps keep 'em competitive.

The #1 reason why I think that the NRA is the best, other than the fact that they are the biggest by far... only the NRA is truly democratic. Every other national group is run by a closed leadership circle, as far as I can tell. No other national group sends me ballots with my magazine subscription.
 
I have never understood why people get so bent out of shape about the NRA asing for money. They're a lobby group. That's part of what they do.

The letters are delivered to my house by the postman. I pick them up when I pick up the rest of my mail, so I don't have to make a special trip or anything. When I look through my mail, I can tell it's a solicitaiton letter right away. There is a large plastic can between the mailbox and the house. If I don't want to contribute to this particular cause, I drop the letter into the plastic can. A couple of days later, someone comes by and empties the plastic can. No problem.

My wife and I are both members. VCDL too.
 
mattw, good for you. Be nice if everyone belonged.
The NRA does a lot of things including lobbying. Can't do much without the ear of polititans and lawyers and that takes money. Although at times I've disagreed with the NRA on certain things, they're still the best thing going for all shooters or gun owners. I just don't understand some here that bash the NRA for one reason or another and I think I've heard about every reason going why they don't belong or quit. All they're doing is cutting their own throats where it comes to gun ownership. Agree with CajunBass, if you don't want to send money for a particular solicitation, how long does it take to throw it away.:(
 
Good on ya for joining!

The NRA is not just a lobby; NRA is also very involved in police training, training of private citizens, firearms and safety education for people of all ages, sponsorship and promotion of just about every shooting sport you can think of, gun collecting and historical preservation, support for hunting and wildlife, just to name a few.
 
Matt, well done for joining. I'm not sure about GOA's rules/practices, but I do know that the NRA is not allowed to use membership dues for legislative efforts... so your $35 will go toward paying the slaries of the officers, producing the magazines, and other NRA overhead.

They are only permitted to spend "donations" on legislative efforts, so that is why they ask for more money- it's the only way they can actually get stuff done, and it's why I send them a little bit extra when I can. Not much, $15 or $30 here and there, but every little bit helps.
 
See my signature line. Just signed up 5 new members last week.

I also chair a "Friends of the NRA" committee.
 
Long time member here....

I have been a gun owner, shooter, hunter all my life. The club I belong to requires membership in the NRA. Besides, belonging to the NRA is so politically incorrect these days, I just have to do it......chris3
 
I let my membership lapse years ago, partly because of the cost, and partly over some minor policy issues. Now that America is at war with enemies both foreign and domestic, I have rejoined.
 
I am, of course. You must be. Imagine if all of the freedom loving gun owners out there were part of the NRA. The NRA would have a ton of weight to throw around in DC. We'd never compromise on an issue again because we'd have the power to get almost anything we wanted. Hell, if just most of the freedom loving gun owners out there were part of the NRA we'd be repealing anti-gun legislation like the '86 machine gun ban like crazy...

If only people would actually stand up and put their money where their mouth is...
 
There may be a lot to criticize the NRA about, but they are still the largest, most powerful, pre-freedom lobbying group out there. Every gun owner should be a member.
 
I quit them when they let the 86 machine gun ban slip by without as much as a heads up. I heard about it from someone in the NFA community and when I called them they said "...Oh yea, we heard about that....", but did nothing to tell the rest of us. :fire: Luckily, I got my last gun through the week Reagan signed the bill. (the Democrats are not the only ones who are not our friends)

I figure if they are going to "chose their battles", instead of standing behind any and all of us, they are not really anyones friend, and they, and Zumbo, et al, are not all that far apart. I remember La Pierre on Meet the Press, or one of those Sunday morning shows holding up a 7.62x39 and a 30/06 and telling the world just "how much more powerful" the hunting rounds are over the assault weapons rounds are.... jeez, why not just tell the world what we already know, that the hunting rifles are just as, if not more dangerous?! What the hell was he thinking, and how come he wasnt run off then, like Zumbo was now?

As for all the constant harassment and money they take in, just think about how many votes they could buy down in DC if they gave up all those fancy offices and salaries, worked out of a storefront and paid off those who needed our money the most. ;)
 
I just joined the NRA with a 5 year membership. first time. Now I'm an official card carrying member of the NRA & ACLU.
 
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