Monac
Member
OK, if you say so. I don't really know the ins and outs of gun control activism. Could I ask why you say that about the NRA, though? I am not going to argue, I am just curious. I had no idea people felt as you do about the NRA. Thanks.
Wayne LaPierre is resigning.
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Basura Blanca
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Too little too late.
And remember, there are people out there celebrating alongside us simply because it's a blow to the organization and the cause, *and* they hate guns.
And remember, there are people out there celebrating alongside us simply because it's a blow to the organization and the cause, *and* they hate guns.
nettlle
Contributing Member
Never too late.
Never ceases to amaze me at the payout CEO's and presidents get when they retire.
Most leave after staying to long and causing serious damage to the company or organization.
They just made our CEO retire after the whole railroad debacle. Where the .gov had to get involved and made things worse.
Mankind has got to know its limitations.
Most leave after staying to long and causing serious damage to the company or organization.
They just made our CEO retire after the whole railroad debacle. Where the .gov had to get involved and made things worse.
Mankind has got to know its limitations.
Ignition Override
Member
Mk-211:
You would seem to know about some of the CEOs (not all) who ran Northwest Airlines in the 80's and 90's.
Sometimes the corruption can be from a VP of Marketing, who can actually Help a Different airline, as he Already has received an offer to go work for them....I won't name names, but I was at a staff conference where this Marketing guy spoke.
And some of them never tried to used all of the route authority (ie Pacific) where the most profit was earned- and the most profitable 747 routes reportedly with flying Cargo.
Back to guns....and what was Wayne's World.
You would seem to know about some of the CEOs (not all) who ran Northwest Airlines in the 80's and 90's.
Sometimes the corruption can be from a VP of Marketing, who can actually Help a Different airline, as he Already has received an offer to go work for them....I won't name names, but I was at a staff conference where this Marketing guy spoke.
And some of them never tried to used all of the route authority (ie Pacific) where the most profit was earned- and the most profitable 747 routes reportedly with flying Cargo.
Back to guns....and what was Wayne's World.
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Frulk
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It could be Mr L. P.’s reason for resignation is legit (health issues).
Or, it could be a cover for him feeling the walls are closing in. Only time will tell. As others have noted, the timing seems, well…suspicious.
As for Ms. James…sometimes the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
Or, it could be a cover for him feeling the walls are closing in. Only time will tell. As others have noted, the timing seems, well…suspicious.
As for Ms. James…sometimes the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
herrwalther
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The day he steps down, I will be signing back up.
LaPierre has a face only a mother could love. I'll say that much. He's not a good face for an organization. It makes him an easier target, and by extension the NRA an easy target.
An observation about the anti-NRA folks. You're loosing (you've lost?) the psychological war in the broader gun debate. You drank the Kool-Aid poured in your glass by the antis and you speak of the NRA as they do.
The NRA has done great good for many decades. I've kept my membership through many years and many changes. No, I don't wear the hat, but, I'm not a hat person. And I told them to stop sending me magazines because they're mostly sales rags.
The NRA ain't perfect. Well, what is?
An observation about the anti-NRA folks. You're loosing (you've lost?) the psychological war in the broader gun debate. You drank the Kool-Aid poured in your glass by the antis and you speak of the NRA as they do.
The NRA has done great good for many decades. I've kept my membership through many years and many changes. No, I don't wear the hat, but, I'm not a hat person. And I told them to stop sending me magazines because they're mostly sales rags.
The NRA ain't perfect. Well, what is?
Old Dog
Member
While most NRA members paid dues out of a sense of loyalty to the cause of protecting the Second Amendment and the RKBA, WLP was taking two-week Caribbean vacations on multimillion dollar yachts and spending six figures on clothing or travel every year, the organization racked up legal fees of $97K per day, lost two million members in five years and revenue went down 44% in the past eight years.
We were NOT well-served by the NRA, haven't been for many years, and for the life of me, I can't understand how so many can still defend the NRA. It wasn't just Wayne.
D.B. Cooper
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The NRA has lost millions of followers. I was relatively late to the party. The NRA has basically collaborated with antigun legislators or, at a minimum, stood by and watched antigun legislation get passed in state after state.
The revelation of LaPierre's corruption was the deal breaker for me. The NRA, uner LaPierre, has, for years now, taken our money to fight against antigun bills, spent it on lavish perks for their elites, and failed to even try to defend the Second Amendment.
D.B. Cooper
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Just because someone opposes corruption and financial mismanagement at the NRA doesn't make them any less dedicated to gun rights. There are those who stood by the NRA, knowing they were mismanaging the organization's financial assets. By their silence, they condoned the squandering of many millions of dollars that could have been better spent fighting the good fight. This is similar to the "my country right or wrong" form of patriotism. I would go so far as to say one of the reasons GOA, SAF, and FPC have outperformed the NRA is because they (at lest to our knowledge) have managed and utilized their financial assets better than the NRA.
Seeing LaPierre go down in this way, even to the extent that the NRA goes down is not unlike the wolf taking down the sick caribou in the herd. In the long run, the herd is healthier and stronger because of the wolf.
I am a member of the NRA and have been since I was 18. I haven't given an extra dime for the last 5 years or so. When they would call asking for suit money I would always explain not until Wayne was out. I am also a member of the GOA and they've been getting the extra cash. I am glad to see him gone it will be interesting to see who replaces him. I agree it should be someone who's interested in fighting for the second amendment and the proper use of firearms.
Ks5shooter
Contributing Member
I dont know what unions you are referring to.But as a retired Teamster going on 16 years I was treated very well.And am still getting a very lucrative pension.Ronald Reagan in your signature was a union busting president(air traffic controllers).To compare the NRA to ALL unions is apples and oranges.My lifestyle and income increased so much as a young man I was able to buy guns,ammo and shoot often.Nobody forces anyone to join anything.That being said you are not forced to join the NRA or union,its all our choice.I am Lifemember and will always talk about the good points of thr NRA to antis not tear it down to give them more ammo to slight our gun rights.
DustyGmt
Member
Same here. 2018 my state passed "historical, sweeping gun control measures" and NRA didn't have a tinkers damn to say about it, not even on their website. No intervention whatsoever, I think about the only thing they did was change the governor letter grade. Stopped being a member then.
I was definitely let down and surprised by that and I was a contributing member all the way back to when I was a young twenty year old father making close to min wage. I give my money and support to other Pro 2A organizations. It's too bad though because the NRA used to be a force to be reckoned with.
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They had their hands on the 1934 NFA as well. So 90 years would be correct.
The problem is that this outcome (WLP stepping down) is not the result of an internal reckoning where a bunch of good guys in the NRA leadership finally managed to push him out, as part of a plan for changing the organization around as a whole.
The reason for WLP stepping down is damage control by the rest of the leadership in light of the upcoming trial. They know WLP is going to be convicted so him leaving now will prevent having to live with headlines of 'NRA top leader convicted of corruption' and his inevitable departure in the future. WLP gets a crapload of money to step down and cries all the way to the bank. The remaining leadership reduces future exposure by being able to say 'oh that guy, who was at the helm when we fleeced the membership for decades, he is no longer here so everything is like super different now'.
The fact that it came to this shows how iron clad of a case they have against WLP. There is absolutely zero percent chance he would be leaving the fat teat he has been suckling for the last 30 years if there was any alternative for him to stay. I would not be surprised if there is a clause in WLPs contract that he would not get his golden parachute if he is terminated for cause (which a conviction for corruption against the organization you lead would certainly be). WLP stepping down now so he can get to enjoy his multi-million golden parachute is his departing middle finger to the membership. And he gets that along with an attaboy and a pat on the back from the remaining leadership.
All that to say, the reason why there is not more hopefulness in light of WLP stepping down is that the rot that he instituted and cultivated over decades is still there. For there to be change there must be an internal realization that something is wrong and a willingness to change. It is very dubious / unclear whether there is such willingness in the remainder of the leadership. Perhaps we will be pleasantly surprised with where NRA goes from here but if I had to make a wager it would be with The Who quote mentioned in other posts, 'Meet the new Boss, same as the old Boss'
Bill_in_TR
Member
As I indicated earlier I won't miss him at all. I became a life member quite a few years ago but haven't given any money in recent years because of his shenanigans. But I believe there are honest, hard working folks within the organization that want to and try to do good for us. I hate to see them and their reputations tarnished and not getting any support. I am honestly unsure about what the best approach is from my perspective.
Oldschool shooter
Member
As a life menber for 30 years, I agree with your idea 100%. It would be good for the organization in multiple ways!
I've been an NRA member for about 20 years. I don't recall when I upgraded to Life, but the decisions was a financial amortization one... one big cost now versus the cumulative cost for 20 or more years in the future. Each upgrade, eventually to Benefactor Life came when NRA offered a special deal for the next level of under $500 (sometimes $300) and the bonus gift was something I really wanted, such as a jacket, range bag, or backpack.
When the corruption issue became obvious, I let my wife's annual membership lapse and decided not to give another dollar to NRA until the situation was corrected, the departure of WLP being only one part of the needed correction.
I did not resign in protest as a Life Member because there are things NRA does that are still highly valuable, including the training programs (general, law enforcement, and youth programs) and the ranges and historical preservation. That last one is apparently in trouble given reports on losses from the NRA Museum act at the headquarters during the COVID closure.
WLP's resignation is not enough to fix the organization. The Board, and in particular the Executive Board and officers, have demonstrated gross incompetence or malfeasance, in particular on financial issues. They allowed WLP to play his outrageous financial games. Some of them appear to have engaged in such themselves, too.
A big example of the misuse of funds at NRA HQ is the Education& Training office, which is staffed with only four employees! Compare that to USCCA's instructor support program with apparently dozens of staff. (I have recurring contact with both.)
WLP leaving is a good beginning, but we still need to watch for impact and actions during and after the NY trial. I have my fingers crossed for long term improvement.
When the corruption issue became obvious, I let my wife's annual membership lapse and decided not to give another dollar to NRA until the situation was corrected, the departure of WLP being only one part of the needed correction.
I did not resign in protest as a Life Member because there are things NRA does that are still highly valuable, including the training programs (general, law enforcement, and youth programs) and the ranges and historical preservation. That last one is apparently in trouble given reports on losses from the NRA Museum act at the headquarters during the COVID closure.
WLP's resignation is not enough to fix the organization. The Board, and in particular the Executive Board and officers, have demonstrated gross incompetence or malfeasance, in particular on financial issues. They allowed WLP to play his outrageous financial games. Some of them appear to have engaged in such themselves, too.
A big example of the misuse of funds at NRA HQ is the Education& Training office, which is staffed with only four employees! Compare that to USCCA's instructor support program with apparently dozens of staff. (I have recurring contact with both.)
WLP leaving is a good beginning, but we still need to watch for impact and actions during and after the NY trial. I have my fingers crossed for long term improvement.
entropy
Member
That's how people like Ilhan Omar and AOC get elected. You have to qualify that to someone who can do the job well. I personally wouldn't care if they were pink with purple polka dots, or looked like Mitch McConnell, as long as they did the job well and didn't line their pockets while doing it.
As far as I'm concerned the problem won't go away until the Board of Directors are elected in a free and open election by the members. Honest organizations don't restrict the BOD candidates to those chosen by the present Board of Directors.
Apparently some of that was caused by Wayne. He gave himself more power and took away power from the BOD.
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