Wayne LaPierre is resigning.

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

Reminds me of the "Shootout at the NRA" as the New York Times put it back in 1977, when the Old Guard was ousted and the NRA reinvigorated under Harlan Carter.
Given that this "anti-corruption" case is being brought in a notoriously anti-2A/RKBA state, its political motives are obvious.
In defense of WLP I like to quote Trump-"They're not after me, they're after you. I'm just in the way."

 

[GEM]

The NRA had to convince Trump not to ban all semis and diverted him to the bump stock ban after Las Vegas. But it was Chris Cox (dumped) that supposedly did it. The NRA had problems with Trump as he had some nasty anti positions. He claimed he was the greatest defender, blah, blah and Scotus made progress but he wasn't optimal. Take the guns first and go to court later - want to use that as a campaign slogan. They had nowhere to go as the Democrats were totally antigun - rock and hard place.

 

[ilbob]

No one is perfect and no organization is perfect. The NRA had a lobbying style of getting what they thought was gettable. They did not want to be seen as losing as I think they thought it would make them look weak. So they declined to support marginal candidates that had really good 2a politics but no matter what were going to lose badly.

They also tended to let state and local groups deal with state and local issues which overall was probably a good choice although sometimes it seemed like they were absent from the table. But this practice did force a lot of gun owners to band together at the state and local level to assert their rights and this has made the local groups a lot stronger. State legislators tend to prefer getting pressured by their own constituents anyway so it is a good thing in my view for national gun rights groups to take a back seat when it comes to state and local affairs.

 

[PWC]

One of Donald's boys...they're outdoorsmen and well heeled too.

 

[Nature Boy]

I hope the competitions portion of the NRA take the change as an opportunity to make improvements. They’ve been a mess for a while now

 

[CapnMac]

but honestly think the whole board needs to go.

They also need to change to by-laws back, that way people can be removed.

The BOD that turned a blind eye to the problems

The above are very key items needing addressing. The fact that there was an entire, separate Executive President Election/Selection cadre, that was not answerable to the 'common' members, has been the reason WLP was as stuck in as a fat tick on an old hound dog.
"We" could vote, every year, for the figurehead BOD, but, "we" could not vote to unseat the Executive President. And that was the major thing wrong with the organization.

And, yet, despite this, the NRA, at a tenth the size & budget of other Beltway lobby groups could outswing nearly all of them. If largely despite WLP.

If Leticia gets her wish, and the NYS NRA charter is revoked, that could be a good thing, as it would mean re-forming the NRA, and its bylaws, in a new State.
(As a fascinating aside, WLP tried to do just that, create a new Charter in Texas, which would be "funded" with all of the liabilities (e.g. negative cash) and declare bankruptcy, to get around the current New York State problems.)

and become more along the lines of the FPC and GOA.

Which have had their own recent issues, despite only being a tenth the size of the NRA. All of our Rights organizations ought be on their toes.
Perhaps we ought hold their feet to the fire and insist that they each have some one actually visible in "the gun space." Not just people who make a once-a-year trip to pigeon shoots or the like. While acknowledging that people who are in our "gun community" are precisely the sort who do not want any of the Beltway to "rub off on them." The place is a horrible swamp that has sailed right past Sodom & Gomorrah in depravity and filth.

They had their hands on the 1934 NFA as well.

Well, true enough, those early members were part of why the Handgun ban--the original centerpiece of NFA--was removed. Now, they were unable to get all the "shortened" stuff removed as well. They could not have seen why that would be an issue 90 years' later.

 

[AlexanderA]

The basic problem was that LaPierre was never a "gun guy." He was a professional Washington insider (lobbyist), and evidently his priority was to milk the organization for every dime he could get, rather than to achieve actual results for the members.

I've been an NRA Life Member since the early 1970's. I realized they weren't helpful after the 1986 Hughes Amendment fiasco. (They should have pulled the plug on FOPA after Hughes was added.) I've never forgiven them for that.

 

[D.B. Cooper]

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.

I'm not sure that's how large corporations work. This is the corporate world, not a direct democracy. Shareholders-and only certain shareholders at that-usually only those holding class A shares, elect a board and the board chooses a CEO. Be careful what you wish for. Exxon is dealing with environmental activist board members now because enough activists owned enough shares to make it happen. Imagine, enough anti gunners buy memberships in NRA to control who is on the board.

 

[D.B. Cooper]

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'

That will still be the headline if LaPierre is convicted of wrongdoing.

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'

I was the one who posted that, but I didn't know it was from The Who.

 

[D.B. Cooper]

Nobody forces anyone to join anything.That being said you are not forced to join the NRA or union,its all our choice.

That's not entirely true. At every union shop in which I worked, union membership was a condition of employment, and union dues were automatically deducted from your pay before you were paid. Resign from the union, lose your job immediately. My current job is such closed shop.

That isn't to say there is nothing good to union membership or the NRA. Like the NRA, they provide certain benefits, but, taken on the whole, they aren't the bastions in their fields that they were in years past.

 

[Ks5shooter]

Exactly you can stay joined to the NRA if you don't like what they're doing you can leave and cancel your membership. If you don't like the situation in the union you can leave and work non-union. That is the best part of living in United States of America you have choices.

 

[wayneinFL]

I like SAF, GOA, and the state organizations. But I can't think of one that promotes safety and responsible gun ownership like the NRA does.

And none of them, including the NRA or NRA-ILA, are spending a lot of money in the political arena. They're not in the top 800 groups in campaign contributions. It's all the activism of the membership.

 

[Old Dog]

LATEST BOMBSHELL:

NY AG James flipped ex NRA CoS Powell, will testify against NRA.
https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/ny-ag-letitia-james-flips-nras-former-second-in-command/

 

[Monac]

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.

Thanks for your reply, D B Cooper. These were things I did not know.

 

[D.B. Cooper]

Exactly you can stay joined to the NRA if you don't like what they're doing you can leave and cancel your membership. If you don't like the situation in the union you can leave and work non-union. That is the best part of living in United States of America you have choices.

Yes and no. You have freedom of choice, but you can't escape the consequences of your choices. I'm tied to the union. If I want to leave the union, I have to retrain and find a whole new career path. It's not worth it at my age; I'll never recover the costs of retraining.

 

[D.B. Cooper]

LATEST BOMBSHELL:

NY AG James flipped ex NRA CoS Powell, will testify against NRA.
https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/ny-ag-letitia-james-flips-nras-former-second-in-command/

The plot thickens. I wonder if this will turn into a massive house cleaning at NRA like a bunch of mobsters ina. cheap crime movie all "singing like birds" on each other.

I'm getting popcorn.

 

[Speedo66]

I only hope Leticia James can claw back from him the millions of dollars of NRA funds that LaP has used in his legal defense.

Same for the “I didn’t know it was wrong to use NRA money for everything I ever needed to live the high life with” funds.

The NRA is registered as a non profit in NY, but certainly not for him and his cronies. The term “cash cow” comes to mind.

 

[Viking357]

I am happy that WLP is going away, I believe the bylaws should be revised and the BOD be limited to 10 max. This is a first step in a long road to recovery for the NRA.

 

[Megawatt maker]

Yes and no. You have freedom of choice, but you can't escape the consequences of your choices. I'm tied to the union. If I want to leave the union, I have to retrain and find a whole new career path. It's not worth it at my age; I'll never recover the costs of retraining.

I'll second this. I too, work on a closed shop state. While not even close to perfect, I know I'm better off with the union..in this particular line of work...than without it. Simply look at simular jobs in non union plants and see how low wages, and horrible rules and working conditions.
I leave the union..it means starting completely over. It ain't happening in my mid 50s. It's better, and we..the membership..have been having better luck..changing the ways of the union from the inside..to the point we endorsed Trump last time, and will again.

Unlike the NRA..I really have no choice...but unlike the union..I'll rejoin the NRA happily if they get the house in order.

 

[Megawatt maker]

I am happy that WLP is going away, I believe the bylaws should be revised and the BOD be limited to 10 max. This is a first step in a long road to recovery for the NRA.

No. Every 3 years, subject to the the vote of the general membership. This executive fir life is just crap.

 

[D.B. Cooper]

Unlike the NRA..I really have no choice...but unlike the union..I'll rejoin the NRA happily if they get the house in order.

Pretty much where I'm at, too. I've read a lot of statements from people saysing they won't return to the NRA until it can prove that it's doing what its core mission is-defending the 2nd Amendment. While I agree with the sentiment, I also understand that they can't do that without support from us. Remember the old bumper stickers and t-shirts: "I'm The NRA."

 

[SunnySlopes]

I think it's a great first step but honestly think the whole board needs to go.

It might have already been referenced, but, from another forum:

"..they have to get the 76 member BOD to 9 or less directors as a 76 member board rarely comes to alignment to give direction to the NRA executives. Numerous studies have shown that board of directors totaling 10 and above are ineffective.."

The board is as corrupt as wayne and needs to go as well.

 

[Elkins45]

A good start. Now let’s clean out the BOD. The raving pedophile would be a good place to start.

 

[Riomouse911]

Now we will see if the problem was LaPierre or if the problems run deeper. While I celebrate his resignation as positive first step, my next concern is that we are about to meet the new boss, same as the old boss. Time will tell, but it's probably time to re-join the NRA.

Tossed in a little The Who reference, nice!

I’m glad he’s gone. I think he used the NRA as his personal piggy bank, lets hope that the gifting ends with new blood at the helm.

NRA Benefactor Life Member here.

Stay safe.

 

[old lady new shooter]

I'm not sure that's how large corporations work. This is the corporate world, not a direct democracy. Shareholders-and only certain shareholders at that-usually only those holding class A shares, elect a board and the board chooses a CEO. Be careful what you wish for. Exxon is dealing with environmental activist board members now because enough activists owned enough shares to make it happen. Imagine, enough anti gunners buy memberships in NRA to control who is on the board.