Renewed NRA membership today

[akodo]

Okay, I don't want this to turn into a gun rights groups bashing eachother topic (but of course I can't really control that)

I am sad to admit that I let my NRA membership lapse for about 18 months, and just renewed it on-line now.

I have heard before about how the number of people who claim to be in the NRA is much much greater than the actual number of members. I often wonder how many people are like me, they sign up, and get in the habit of throwing away NRA letters without even looking at them, and then the magazines stop coming and they just procrastinate joining back up for a while.

I know that is what happened to me.

However, it seems to me the NRA has 2 general catagories, NRA life member and NRA active member (paying yearly). I think it would be a good idea for the NRA to have some sort of 'inactive' member catagory for those of us who lapse our membership. Now, being 'inactive' would entitle you to none of the insurance benifits, no magazine, no nada, except your name would continue to be kept on the member rolls, which would make the rolls look bigger.

 

[theotherwaldo]

I'm a lifer. I don't worry about lapsing. I think I get less junk mail, too!

 

[jnyork]

Friend of mine got his house burgled last winter and lost some firearms. He had let his NRA membership lapse about 4 months previously. Too bad, he could have used the $1000.00 firearms insurance.

 

[Pat-inCO]

What would that list actually do? Do you want to be on the list with George Bush Sr.?

Do you expect them to periodically send you a renewal? You showed you do not reply to those.

It is probably far easier for them to just blow away your information and start a "new" membership - once you finally get around to paying again.

As far as the life membership goes, they have multiple payment plans to spread the $$$s over a much longer time frame. I did mine on a quarterly basis, but there are many others.

The bottom line is they have their process structured to save them money.

 

[akodo]

the purpose of the 'list' is so the NRA's membership numbers more accurately reflect the number of people who are pro gun.

The NRA has what, 2 million 'active' members, but wouldn't it be better that even more people are counted? Sure, the amount of funding would be the same, but 12 million members is better than 2 million

 

[jakemccoy]

I don't consider inactive former members as being actual members. Neither does the NRA. It should stay that way. Also, anybody with a large collection of guns and no gun group membership anywhere, they're just freeloaders who will get all quiet when it's time to defend the Second Amendment. They have proven that they don't put their money where their mouths are.

 

[kingpin008]

except your name would continue to be kept on the member rolls, which would make the rolls look bigger.

So you'd want them to lie about the size of their membership, just so they "appear" to be a bigger group than they are?

Think about that for a second, and ask yourself how utterly pissed you'd be if the Brady Bunch did something like that.

Seriously. If you're not a member, you're not a member. If it was due to a lapse in enrollment, just man up and re-enroll, like you did. But to suggest that a group (no matter who they are or what they support) keep inactive members (who may not just be lapsed, but who may have consciously rescinded their membership) on the membership logs is tacky at best, and downright dishonest at worst.

 

[jedwi]

I have been a life member for years and recently signed up the wife. Would get my mother a life membership too, but she's 85. Will just gotypo with the annual membership for her. Just did GOA as well......

 

[gunshow]

I guess you could say I'm an apostate nra member. I despise that organization because I don't believe they truly support the 2nd amendment. I was a member over a decade ago.

I believe I've don't more for the 2nd amendment than 90% of the people who write checks to the nra. I've repeatedly supported gun makers who are targets of the gun banners and batfe, I've gotten people involved and educated concerning those who fight the 2nd amendment (which includes wolves in sheep's clothing). I've helped many people become gun owners, and I've supported organizations that truly support the 2nd amendment (meaning they oppose the 1934 ban, the 1968 ban, the 1986 ban, the lautenberg ban, and they SUPPORT 2nd amendment carry-unlike the nra).

 

[cloudedice]

I signed up to be a Life Member this weekend, but since I went with their Easy Pay Life plan, I won't be considered a Lifer until I pay up in full.

Still glad to be supporting a great organization.

-ice

 

[Matt King]

the purpose of the 'list' is so the NRA's membership numbers more accurately reflect the number of people who are pro gun.

The NRA has what, 2 million 'active' members, but wouldn't it be better that even more people are counted? Sure, the amount of funding would be the same, but 12 million members is better than 2 million

I think something like this would encourage ppl to be lazy & stop paying for their membership.

 

[ImARugerFan]

Friend of mine got his house burgled last winter and lost some firearms. He had let his NRA membership lapse about 4 months previously. Too bad, he could have used the $1000.00 firearms insurance.

State farm covers up to $5,000 in firearms with the regular homeowners policy. You can up it to $10,000 for a slightly increased premium.

 

[cchurchi]

I Will Never Renew My Nra Membership As Long As I Live!!

.....because I have a life membership I will however, send them some money now and then.

 

[Robert Hairless]

the purpose of the 'list' is so the NRA's membership numbers more accurately reflect the number of people who are pro gun.

The NRA has what, 2 million 'active' members, but wouldn't it be better that even more people are counted? Sure, the amount of funding would be the same, but 12 million members is better than 2 million

I'd be interested in the thinking that leads you to conclude that not doing the easy minimum--simply renewing NRA membership once a year--makes anyone "pro gun"?

We should not lose sight of the bright side to your participation in the ongoing struggle for the preservation of our Second Amendment rights. Now--for the whole entire next year--you can get back in the habit of throwing away NRA letters without even looking at them" while continuing to consider yourself "pro gun."

Of course you also considered yourself "pro gun" when you didn't bother to renew your membership in the NRA, and nobody noticed. Not even you.

 

[bluehandgun]

an associate membership is $10 per year...you get all benefits, however it does not include a magazine or voting rights, from NRA FAQ; "Associate Membership has all the benefits of Regular Membership except Associate Members do not receive a magazine, cannot participate in NRA elections, and cannot hold office within the NRA." to me this would be the way to go as it is a lot cheaper than the lifetime membership ($1000)...