NRA: Yay or Nay

[jem375]

You can't have it both ways, either you support gun ownership or you don't. If you do, then join the NRA, if you don't, then just sit there as your gun ownership rights slowly disappear like Canada, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, most of Europe , damn the list just keeps getting longer.
Even Clinton made the statement that the NRA was the reason Al Gore lost the 2000 elections, even stubborn people have to realize that if the NRA loses, we lose.
By this time even you doubters should realize that Schumer, Feinstein, and the rest of that scum want every gun you have including your hunting rifles and shotguns, and of course every handgun you own.
Wake up and smell the roses or it will be too late........

 

[TheOtherOne]

NRA? Why, NAY, of course!

I do believe that the NRA is becoming much more interested in just being pro-Republican while their pro-Gun stance becomes a secondary goal. Still, I'm a member of the NRA and plan to continue but better groups like GOA will get more of my support.

 

[Greg L]

For the price of a couple of boxes of ammo you can support more than one you know.

Personally I don't like way the NRA acts when it comes to politics (having them develop a spine would be a nice start but the same could be said for the entire republican party), but their committment to training and shooting sports is unquestioned (Friends of the NRA helped fund my son's Scout troop's rifle range).

So, every year I renew my membership but that is it. Any extra money/money I feel like sending to a political cause doesn't go to them but rather to some other progun organization that I belong to that I feel will make better use of the money (GOA, JPFO, 2AF).

For a couple of dollars a month it is certainly worth it if for no other reason than to see the underwear wadding that happens to various antis when their name is mentioned.

Greg

 

[Checkman]

NRA - Yea.

Everything that has been said about politics is correct. The die-hards die in their bunkers on in Banzai charges. At the very least they are marginalized and ignored. We would all be there if it wasn't for the NRA.

 

[Kharn]

NRA? Yes. They are like an 800lb gorilla. Sometimes they dont do what we want and blunder about, but other times they can really impress everyone when they get the job done.

Kharn

 

[Quantrill]

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!! Quantrill

 

[The Reaper]

The NRA started in 1871 to promote civilian marksmanship. In this goal they are doing a good job. I am an NRA instructor in all but a couple disciplines. I train 100-200 people a year in NRA certified courses. There are over 45,000 NRA instructors out there. Their training programs are recognized by most states as meeting the training requirement for getting a CHP. They also train law enforcement and subsidize shooting competitions. My club is an NRA Affiliate and we get low cost range development assitance and in the past have received over $10,000 from the NRA for range improvements. Last year the NRA gave us $2,200 to support our YHEC (Youth Hunter Education Challenge) team. This is the NRA you are sending your $25 to.

If you choose to support the lobbying side of the NRA then join the NRA ILA, a separate group. Of course some funds cross the boundry, but not a lot so far as I know. Most of it is exhorting the membership to lobby their elected representitives.

Is the NRA the only organization I support, no. I typically donate money to political candidates who are on the same side of issues I'm interested in, and the RKBA is one of my major issues. I also belong to other RKBA organizations.

-Scott-
NRA Patron
GOA Life
VCDL

 

[SC_shooter]

The NRA is worthless. Whatever their political and legislative agenda is, it doesn't have much to do with the Second Amendment. GOA and your state grassroots organization are much more effective.

Paul

 

[dav]

In politics I'm libertarian not republican. But I am aware that libertarian candidates rarely get elected. And, sometimes one has to support the candidate that has a chance, rather than the one one prefers.

Life can suck that way.

I don't like the compromises NRA is willing to make. I don't like the fact that their leadership has political beliefs that influence their actions.

But NRA can be heard, and does do other things besides working on laws.

I am, reluctantly, a member. I'm also a Life Member of those groups whose beliefs I actually believe in, but whose ability to achieve anything is much more limited.

 

[WvaBill]

If every gun owner invested a little over the price of a Val-Pak, would there be any question about the future of an AWB? Doubt it. If every other gun owner invested the price if about 2 1/2 Val Paks, then there would also be a strong force of no-compromise orgs.

NRA has strength in numbers. Unlike the perception I am given of VPC, Brady Bunch, and others who have lots of money but fewer votes. If the NRA is as ineffective as many seem to believe, why do the anti's spend so much time demonizing NRA? To have members and prospective members quit because they begin to believe the bravo sierra.

NRA clout first..be vocal within the org. To maintain its size and clout,NRA engages in battles which by neccesity need compromise, but do you think the gun grabbers will be so cavalier when the new AWB is considered after the last bloodbath IF the NRA maintains membership?

Invest in the 800 lb gorilla. Invest in Silveira. Skip one trip to the range this tear if you don't have the extra $$.

 

[zahc]

In my political science class, the book had a list of most influential interest groups in the US.

1. NRA
2. AARP
other random interest groups

 

[Valkman]

Worthless?? I don't think so. Without the NRA I believe we'd of lost many of the gun rights we still have. They're not perfect by any means but if ALL gun owners joined they'd be alot stronger than they are now, and now they scare the hell out of the liberals. I belong to the GOA also and the CRPA when I was in CA, but I think you join the NRA first and the others after.

Better hurry though, as it'll take 'em about 6 months to process your membership. Never did understand what took so long.

 

[durango]

Option A: Pull your membership from the NRA to punish them for compromising on some issues.

Option B: Keep your membership but stay silent.

Option C: Encourage everyone you know to join and make as much noise as you can about the issues you think are important.

Question: which option would make Brady and Feinstein (etc) happy and which one would not. I tell you they are utterly gleeful over one of them.

 

[natedog]

Which one means yes?

 

[durango]

Option A = No, I give up.

Option B = Yes, I'm happy with the way it is.

Option C = Yes, but I want to make it better.

 

[durango]

I forgot to add for myself... Yes. (and I write letters. Lots of 'em).

 

[PAshooter]

Y'know, it strikes me that if everyone who refuses to join the NRA because they "compromise too much" would send off a check (about the cost of a Val-Pak as another has noted) and then become an active, vocal, voting member they'd have to listen and the compromise would end. So probably would the tide of ever more restrictive gun laws.

Never happen... much less trouble to sit on the sidelines and complain.

 

[Ruger Redhawk]

Yay of course. Without them we would have lost our guns years ago.
Ruger Redhawk

 

[Bainx]

Feedthehogs...great argument.

Some times you've just got to roll with the punches and minimize the damage

this can get you killed

JPFO is about the best organization going. Gut feeling.

 

[js2013]

For the amount of money the NRA recieves they are terribly inefficient and in my opinion, incompetent. They get my $35 per year and no more. Any other donations go to GOA or JPFO.

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

Whatever organization you decide to join, it is important to understand that no organization can change things unless its members are willing to get involved beyond just joining.

During the 2000 elections, the NRA managed to donate a whopping $0.38 per member from its PAC to pro-gun candidates. GOA, with far fewer members managed $0.57 per member (membership fees collected by the NRA are used for safety, education and range-building programs - not lobbying or campaigning). Just being a member of any organization won't help you keep your rights unless you are also willing to support PAC and lobbying efforts and write letters, work the local political system.

 

[MikeK]

Yay. Many good responses, even some I disagree with. I think mdshooter summed it up the best.

 

[mnrivrat]

There are times when I would like to rap Wayne & the boys up along side the head with a 2X4 . There are those times when I think their ego comes before doing what the membership as a whole would like to see done.

With that said; the NRA is still the single most powerful organization and tool we have to maintain out second amendment rights. Just like hunting -when you need to use enough gun for the job , the NRA is still the biggest gun we got.
What we need to do is stay joined and help make it even better. You can't complain about how the game is played unless you are in the game. Any creditable organization that works toward our 2nd amendment rights deserves our support. My biggest personal problem with all organizations that are fighting for 2nd amendment rights is that they don't spend enough of their time and budget informing the general public of the pros and cons of so called gun control laws. I don't need to be convinced . When the masses get their information and opinions from the news they are often mis-informed. If you don't counter that in some way , we will all loose !

You also have to consider the type of people (politicians) the NRA has to work with in order to get anything positive done - not an easy task I'm sure .

 

[Frank5]

I'm a life member of the NRA. They get the most attention in DC & the state capitals. I have however been thinking about joing another gun rights organization in addition to the NRA.

I would tell every gun owner or non gun owner who is with us(I know a few) to join the NRA.

 

[fallingblock]

NRA - Yea!

When the Australian media wishes to bash the concept of private ownership of firearms, they point to the NRA as the villain.

The NRA isn't perfect, but it is big and has clout.

Join if you're not a member .