NRA screwing us again!

[NineseveN]

This thread has really brought out some interesting points. My original post, a copy of the GOA press release, stridently pointed out the difference between the 2 organizations. The GOA is a political action group that tends to work on the local level. The NRA tries to be all things to all gun owners and, in some areas, they fall short.

My main problem with the NRA is that they wear the label "Defender of the Second Amendment" which, when taken literally, is true. They DEFEND, because they don't want to offend. They also have gotten so cozy with the GOP that when the GOP does something that is anti gun, like GHW Bush's semi-auto ban, or the ATF's recent restriction on parts kits under this administration, they remain silent so as to preserve their relationships with the GOP. In short, politically they've been co-opted. This isn't to say that they are completely ineffective. The sheer size of their membership gives them indisputable clout when it comes to lobbying, because lobbying takes money. My problem stems from the fact that they eliminate the Neal Knox's and embrace the Charlton Hestons. Understand, Heston is, I think a principled and decent guy, but I don't think he got that the 2A isn't about hunting.

Moreover, I think that the NRA has lost the know-how to go on the offensive. They have lots of political capital that they could use to influence Court Appointments, repeal bad law, rein in the ATF and instead they continue to ride on their laurels. The current issue about S 397 vs HR 800 is a good example; rather than fight for one and settle for the other, they are willing to settle for a bill that's "good enough" and ignore the other bill, even thouygh there's enough support to push it through.

Good post, excellent points.

 

[MBane666]

Just FYI, the National Shooting Sports Foundation — the industry's official lobbying group — worked hand-in-hand with the NRA on the passage of the lawsuit pre-emption bill in the Senate.

NSSF also handled the defense of those lawsuits. Yes, they won every one they went to bat on. Those victories also came within inches of bankrupting the industry. Firearms companies are not large margin operations; they can't pony up $10 million a year to defend themselves against lawsuits.

Yeah, I would have preferred the Senate bill to be 100% snowy white clean, but I also would prefer it not rain on weekends. The real world is often far messier than I would prefer, but so what?

I would also prefer to have Ruger, S&W, Colt, Kimber, Springfield, etc. AROUND to manufacture guns.

Michael B

 

[JohnBT]

"The NRA tries to be all things to all gun owners and, in some areas, they fall short."

They're not perfect? My, my, my, what shall we do? Oh, the pain.

John

 

[ebd10]

"The NRA tries to be all things to all gun owners and, in some areas, they fall short."

They're not perfect? My, my, my, what shall we do? Oh, the pain.

The pain stems from the fact that, the area that they claim as their greatest strength is the area of their greatest weakness. When it comes to Hunting and shooting education, or youth programs, they are unrivalled in their ability. When it comes to fighting for the 2A, they aren't nearly as competent.

In fact, the original charter for the NRA was to promote marksmanship among the citizenry, not to lobby for the 2A. It occurs to me that they are returning to their original mission.

 

[NineseveN]

They're not perfect? My, my, my, what shall we do? Oh, the pain.

No one is asking them to be perfect. Like I said, they are very good in a lot of areas, they just don't cut it where my focus is. And that is fine. Nothing wrong with that. My funds go to a group more in line with that focus. And the GOA is far from perfect as well, they don't even come close in a lot of the areas the NRA is very strong in, I just don't focus on those areas as I feel they are superfluous to the more important issues.

Why you are taking this so personally, or seem to be, is beyond me. We're all on the same team, we simply disagree on our approach to the big game. And that's fine, because there are other avenues available, and that is the glory of a free market, even when it comes to lobbyist and political action groups.

No one should be attacking or insulting you for belonging to the NRA, nor should anyone be particularly venomous towards those of us that take a different approach.

I maintain, that a constant dialogue with your political reps is more effective in many ways than giving the NRA/GOA/JPFO/AOAWHATEVER $20+ a year. Some places, that is not so effective in the current political climate (Kali etc...), but you still have to do it.

I don't expect the GOA or the NRA to win the fight for us, because they simply cannot do that. What I do expect them to do is take a hard public stance on the root of the Second Amendment and alert me of important issues in a timely manner and accomplish as much political activism as possible. And under those 3 conditions, the GOA serves me better overall, even if they don't quite hit the nail on the head with the third based on their lack of size and support. YMMV.

 

[NineseveN]

SAF, NRA ASK FEDERAL COURT TO HALT NEW ORLEANS GUN SEIZURES
BATON ROUGE, LA (Sept. 22) – The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) and National Rifle Association (NRA) joined with individual gun owners in Louisiana Thursday morning, filing a motion in United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana seeking a temporary restraining order to stop authorities in and around the City of New Orleans from seizing firearms from private citizens in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Click here to make a contribution to help fund this lawsuit.

Arbitrary gun seizures, without warrant or probable cause, have been reported during the past three weeks since the Crescent City was devastated by the hurricane. In cases reported to SAF, police refused to give citizens receipts for their seized firearms. Earlier, SAF insisted that police account for all seized firearms, disclose their whereabouts, and explain how they will be returned to their rightful owners. Authorities have not responded.

Gun confiscations have been highly publicized since the New York Times quoted New Orleans Police Superintendent P. Edwin Compass III, who said, "Only law enforcement are allowed to have weapons," and ABC News quoted Deputy Police Chief Warren Riley stating, "No one will be able to be armed. We are going to take all the weapons."

For example, a San Francisco, CA camera crew from KTVU filmed one incident in which visiting California Highway Patrol officers tackled an elderly woman identified as Patricia Konie, to seize her pistol and forcibly remove her from her home. An ABC news crew accompanying an Oklahoma National Guard unit filmed another incident in which homeowners were handcuffed and disarmed, then released but without their firearms.

"We are delighted to work jointly with the NRA in an effort to bring these outrageous gun seizures to a halt," said SAF founder Alan M. Gottlieb. "Our inquiries about these confiscations were cavalierly ignored, as were our demands for a public explanation from the police and city officials about why citizens were being unlawfully disarmed, leaving them defenseless against lingering bands of looters and thugs.

"New Orleans officials left us with no recourse," Gottlieb observed. "It was bad enough that Big Easy residents were victims of the worst natural disaster in the nation's history. That they would be subsequently victimized by their own local government, taking their personal property without warrant, is unconscionable. These illegal gun seizures must be stopped, now."

PS Click here to make a contribution to help fund this lawsuit.


-END-



Good showing on the NRA's part. Credit where credit is due.

 

[FPrice]

NineseveN...

Good showing on the NRA's part. Credit where credit is due.

That's pretty big of you to post this. And I mean that in a positive way, NOT as a put-down.

 

[AirForceShooter]

Good for the NRA.
they got their act together.

Guess Wayne was reading all the gun boards.
Doesn't matter as long as they're going to do something.

Let's see what happens in Texas now.

AFS

 

[FPrice]

Let's see what happens in Texas now.

You expect something like that to happen in Texas?

Shirley, you jest.

 

[JohnBT]

"No one should be attacking or insulting you for belonging to the NRA"

Yo, reality check time... I'm not the one making all the long posts with the tedious claims about the faults of the NRA (or any other organization for that matter.)

Oh, the pain. => <= note the previously used Sarcastic Smiley.

John