Poper
Member
considering the area of Texas is 268,596 SQUARE MILES, I would say 675,000 acres is a laughably small percentage of Texas. Like a little less than 0.4%.
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NRA Membership Required for Gun Club Membership
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I support all three, because the more organizational voices pressing on the legislatures, state and federal, the better. They are complementary, not competitive.
Poper
Member
Agreed.
I continue with my Life Membership with the intent of helping to correct the errors of previous leadership ways. I vote in their elections and I write to leadership council members airing my concerns, grievances and support as I see fit. To throw the baby out with the bath water is truly foolish, IMHO.
The NRA has done more to support the Second Amendment, law enforcement, training of individuals, competitions, hunting and general firearms users' image than all other organizations in this country combined.
Is NRA perfect? Hell no. But neither is anything else created by Man. If you won't be a part of the solution, maybe you are part of the problem? I encourage people to join NRA. Not to just be a member, but to get active in the organization and help shape NRA's future.
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1942bull
Member
I think your point is right in. In my original post I wrote that I supported the SAF and GOA, and I was not an NRA member. I should clear that up. I am not a member of SAF or GOA. I am a supporter. I donate money to them. The only organization I ever joined wa the Corps. When it comes to 2A I give money, and I might start donating to NRA now that they shed that awful PR firm and stopped calling people who do not agree with us traitors. NRA rhetoric turned me off, but it is time for me to rethink donating. I make a contribution in the morning.
mcb
Member
Am I supposed to turn a blind eye to the cronyism and wanton squandering of those funds, donated by member, by Wayne Lapierre and several other near the top of the organization? I can't seem to do that and I realize the influence the NRA has in the political areans and that makes the actions of Lapierre and company that much more aggravating and offensive. At this point in time they only way I can influence the NRA is by withholding my financial support. I will do that until the leadership changes.
Ks5shooter
Contributing Member
If you don't want to join the NRA to be a member,than don't join.Life member for many many years. Its the clubs call if its required. Mine does and I don't have issue with it being a prerequisite. 20 bucks a year cant hurt.
I remember wanting to join the local gun club when I as in my 20s'. I was asked if I was an NRA member and I proudly pulled out my NRA extended pay life member cards.
With a tone of total derision the guy looked at my card and said, "oh, your one of those extended pay members, you can come back when you're a real member." And that was it, I was not able to join or use the range.
I think you can tell, I am still a bit bitter.
With a tone of total derision the guy looked at my card and said, "oh, your one of those extended pay members, you can come back when you're a real member." And that was it, I was not able to join or use the range.
I think you can tell, I am still a bit bitter.
Poper
Member
I understand perfectly.
I will add this piece of philosophy: Do not hate or hold any intense negativity to any individual or organization for anything. For that hate, that intense emotion is destructive to only one person. You.
The object of our hate doesn't know it an if he does know it, he doesn't care. Only WE are harmed by our hate or derision.
JMHO. FWIW.
230RN
2A was "political" when it was first adopted.
But you're talking about two different categories of issues here. One is of possible internal corruption, the other is its effectiveness in defending our gun rights from outsiders.
Witholding your money is one way of expressing displeasure with the first but would seem to negatively affect the other important issue. At least to ny mind.
What's that saying about cutting off your nose to spite your face?
And as for people who "quit" the NRA over its supposed internal corruption, the way to fix that is to retain your membership and watch for the election issues of its official journal.
The ills that are cited aren't going to get cured by walking away from the organization and its issues....
Well, long ago I learned not to get involved in one of those "last word" arguments that gets threads locked.
However, I'm breaking my own rule here. So now that I said it I ain't takin' it back. You go ahead, though.
Terry, 230RN, Life Member since the mid-sixties, when sponsorship was required for membership. See? Even that got changed. =D
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mcb
Member
But you're talking about two different categories of issues here. One is of possible internal corruption, the other is its effectiveness in defending our gun rights from outsiders.
Witholding your money is one way of expressing displeasure with the first but would seem to negatively affect the other important issue. At least to ny mind.
What's that saying about cutting off your nose to spite your face?
And as for people who "quit" the NRA over its supposed internal corruption, the way to fix that is to retain your membership and watch for the election issues of its official journal.
The ills that are cited aren't going to get cured by walking away from the organization and its issues....
Well, long ago I learned not to get involved in one of those "last word" arguments that gets threads locked.
However, I'm breaking my own rule here. So now that I said it I ain't takin' it back. You go ahead, though.
Terry, 230RN, Life Member since the mid-sixties, when sponsorship was required for membership. See? Even that got changed. =D
I have still retained my membership, I am a life member. I still vote but the vote is mostly symbolic since Lapierre's position is appointed by the board not elected. There is no direct way for the membership to remove Lapierre and the nomination system for a large portion board members seats has a gatekeeper committee that ensures the board is controlled by Lapierre and that he remains in power and we saw that too great effect in the last two years or so with the removal of Chris Cox, Oliver North and anyone else that question Lapierre and his wasting of members' donations.
So everytime someone calls from the NRA for money I tell them I will only donate after Lapierre is gone and the leadership restructured so membership has a meaningfuls say in its leadership. I realize this hurts the 2A community as a whole but IMHO Lapierre is doing far worst damage. I simply give my money to other 2A groups that respect my donations more than I feel the NRA currently is.
FFGColorado
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FFGColorado
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Local law says that? Because pretty sure the Federal Government allows shooting, with their restrictions, on National Forest and on National Grasslands.
I get what you are saying tho....
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230RN
2A was "political" when it was first adopted.
I really think an NRA membership being required by a specific club should be up to the members of that local club and not subject to global influence one way or the other. I'm somehow thinking "state's rights," which could be amusing to some, but not to others.
Besides, it's irrelevant to me as a Lifer.
Besides, it's irrelevant to me as a Lifer.
Arizona has more Federal Park lands and Indian lands than that owned by the state and general population.
There are more local gun groups that I support more actively than the NRA, but keep my membership, but don't put the decals on anything anymore.
Bob
There are more local gun groups that I support more actively than the NRA, but keep my membership, but don't put the decals on anything anymore.
Bob
Poper
Member
OK, here's the math: 675,000 acres / 640 = 1,054.7 square miles. Total area of Texas = 268,596 sq. miles. 1,055 mi / 268,596 mi = 0.003928 = 0.39%.
I would say I was being generous when I said 0.4% of Texas was owned by the Federal Gov't. Saying "about 1/2 of 1%" is a very generous error in excess of 25%, is it not?
ETA: According to The Congressional Research Service, 1.9% of the land area of Texas is owned by the federal government. https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R42346.pdf
Arizona: 38.6 %
Colorado: 36.2%
Follow the link above to find all of the states' federally owned land statistics in Table I.
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Poper
Member
This is true. However, many of the land use laws and laws concerning the discharge of firearms on public lands within Arizona have changed in recent years. It used to be that you could shoot almost anywhere on state trust land, BLM land, state parks, National Parks, National Forrests, etc. Not so much anymore. Most require firearms permits and / or hunting licences now. I used to go out on local State Trust land and plink to my heart's content. No can do now legally without a permit and/or hunting license. Not all ranchers that lease state or federal lands for grazing will allow hunters or the general public access to their leased lands. (Contrary to state law, by the way. But just try to get law enforcement to do anything about it. Good luck.
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My club has been a haven for me and hundreds of other members for many years, especially now. I've never met a member I didn't like or at least respect. The volunteers who maintain the place and the paid officers sacrifice their time and energy to keep the place in great shape. I feel blessed to be a member. All of us are NRA members and proud of it.
Poper
Member
You are not wrong, Bob.
Arizona is the 6th largest state by land area.
The Feds own 38.6% of AZ land area. The 21 Indian Reservations have 37.9% of AZ land area. The State of AZ owns approx. 12.75% of AZ land area and only about 18.2% is privately owned. (https://www.azcentral.com/story/new...-gosar-correct-private-land-arizona/25740527/)
In AZ;
(https://azstateparks.com/trails-on-state-trust-land)
This is a recent development (at least recent since I came to AZ in 1986). I am not sure when it changed, but it used to be that AZ residents could use THEIR state owned lands for recreational use without charge and you could shoot on state trust land as long as you were not destructive of native flora or fauna and were a safe distance from any habitable structure. No longer this way, though.
I am sure the destruction wrought and trash left behind at various sites and recreation areas (Table Mesa Recreation Area comes immediately to mind) probably had something to do with it. The influx of a great number of migrants from California has had an influence on AZ politics and local laws, too, so that may also be a factor.
Arkansas Paul
Member
It's required at mine, and was required at the last one I was a member of before I moved where I lived now.
I'm not sure about the one I'm at now, but I think the previous one got grants from the NRA or something along those lines. I know there was a sign when you entered that said the range was sponsored by the NRA. I assumed that they got a larger grant depending on more members also being NRA members.
I could be wrong about that though.
I'm not sure about the one I'm at now, but I think the previous one got grants from the NRA or something along those lines. I know there was a sign when you entered that said the range was sponsored by the NRA. I assumed that they got a larger grant depending on more members also being NRA members.
I could be wrong about that though.
bassjam
Member
NRA membership is required at mine. During my onboarding I asked if they were considering changing that requirement to having a membership at any gun right's organization. There were 2 board members there, they both said that they haven't yet but it's a question that's coming up more and more from club members as the NRA get's more drama associated with them. I've been an NRA member for 19 years, but I'll drop them like hotcakes when that rule changes.
I am only into my 2nd year at one range. Shortly before I joined a person with property in the area claimed a round had hit his outbuilding. Later it was disproved by a ballistics expert. But the club greatly improved the berms and got some grants from the NRA to help.
daniel craig
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But what if it’s not “the right” 2A org? There are many 2A orgs that are very unpopular in mainstream gun culture.
As someone mentioned in an earlier post. That the gun club provide an acceptable list.
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