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kitty wrote:I just noticed this thread, and thought I would give my thoughts on the NRA.

I believe the NRA is an important organization and they have done a lot of good. The problem I have is mostly with the annoying mail I get almost daily from them. We joined for the first time last year and only signed up for an annual membership. Almost immediately after joining we were already getting renewal notices in the mail; we just joined for crying out loud. For the $35 or $40 we spent to join, they probably spend two or three times that on all the junk mail they send me asking me to contribute more money or to renew.

We will probably renew our membership, since it's expired, I just wish they would not bother me with a bunch of useless mail.

As has been pointed out in this thread, you can go to their website and opt out of the mail.

Anygunanywhere

mr.72 wrote: it is exceedingly difficult to start anything new and have it take hold when it must compete with the well-established incumbent, even if that incumbent is not potentially as effective as the newcomer would be.

Mr.72, if you have the better mouse trap.......

Like Ned Pepper (Robert Duvall) said in True Grit, "That is awful bold talk for a one-eyed fat man."

In all honesty, Mr.72, I have really liked some of the positions you have taken on a few topics and heve learned a few things since you joined us here, but I think this one is a stretch.

Monday-morning quarterbacking is all well and good for the sports guys, but that is just entertainment. We need workers to join in the fray that have passion and tact.

You have both.

Come on over to the good side of the force.

Anygunanywhere

Nice response, sir.

Anygun

mr.72 wrote: Bringing this back on topic, I think in 16 pages of discussion here it has become clear to me that some gun owners have some legitimate reasons for not supporting the NRA completely. Many of the people who are strong supporters of the NRA seem to be unwilling to address the concerns of these people. Instead they intend to convince these people to kind of hold their noses and support the NRA anyway since the NRA is the only chance we could have at defending our 2A rights.

I beg to differ with you, Mr.72. Those of us that are "strong supporters" of the NRA just might be happy with the way things are.

Why should I vote to change the NRA to suit someone else?

As has been stated here, no organization will be 100% to everyone. If the NRA changes to suit someone else then I might not like it.

As I read these posts it appears that the ones most opposed to the NRA are harboring hurt feelings and allowing their ideologies to get in the way of their joining. Fine. That IS their choice.

They can stand by their ideology when the knock at the door comes.

Their choice, their freedom to do so.

If you have not noticed, over the years the only group to compromise has been us. It needs to be our CHOICE to now, this day and time, to draw a line and tell the antis that we will not tolerate any more infringements. Period. I think that that is worth someone "holding their nose".

If that ideology can not convince people to join up, then that is their decision. If the Libertarians have such a problem with the NRA then let them AND their party focus their time and money on the RKBA as effectively as the NRA and prove their worth to the cause.

The NRA is not going to change unless we vote to do so. Convince me that I need to.

Respectfully,
Anygunanywhere

I want the NRA to be as lustful for blood in the fight for the second amendment as the Brady bunch and their minions of orcs are in trying to confiscate my RKBA.

I want the NRA to be as forceful as a rabid journalism grad student defending the first amendment.

I want the NRA to be as immovable as a NOW chapter president screaming for the right to choose since it is a person's right to choose to keep and bear arms.

I want the NRA to be held in as high esteem by the media as a follower of lord BO screaming on the news that they want some stuff and money and firearms.

Anygunanywhere

flintknapper wrote:
What other organization(s) do you propose could be put in place (in a short amount of time, with the same or greater membership, with the experience of the NRA, the political connections, the revenues, etc)?

Mr.72 Rifle Association?

Anygunanywhere

jimlongley wrote:

SCone wrote:Sorry if my post read that way. The body of the Constitution takes the collective view and that is why the 2nd Amendment was needed. It does not make any changes to the body of the document, but it does add the part about bearing arms being an individual right.

Thank you.

I still don't see a collective view in the Constitution, but you have made your statement more clear to me.

I think that those who view the collectivist thought in the body of the constitution derive that view from the fact that the constitution defines and details the militia. We know and understand that it is the duty of armed free men to squash tyranny and that the second amendment is there to enumerate this need for an armed free citizenry. People seem to forget that in order to have a citizen militia you must have armed citizens - hence the individual right.

Nowhere in the constitution does it mention WHEN we need to sqash tyranny as armed citizens thus requiring the individual RKBA be utilized as intended.

To borrow from the SCOTUS ruling on obscenity, "It is difficult to define tyranny, but we know it when we see it".

Anygunanywhere


Anygunanywhere

Our right to keep and bear arms would still exist even if the second amendment were to be repealed.

Rights exist outside of and separate from the document.

Anygunanywhere

Worrying about executive pay is one of the things most commonly heard these days from those who advocate "spreading the wealth". I really do think that if we work on the top five or ten issues that would make the NRA a more effective organization executive pay would not be one of them. I also truly think that the NRA executives earn every dime they make.

Anygunanywhere

seamusTX wrote:P.S.: If anyone is offended by the tone of the preceding message, I apologize.

But not too sincerely.

Thank you for your attention.

- Jim

Nice post, JIm.

Sometimes the truth offends people.

Anygunanywhere

I blong to several organizations not related to firearms/RKBA and they all send me junk mail.

I throw it away.

IMHO, this is a poor reason for not joining an organization that supports our RKBA. It can be annoying, but it is far and away less annoying than AWB, microstamped ammo laws, GCA, NFA, and all of the other infringements.

If we are to focus on issues, let's talk about real issues.

I do agree to some degree on the spokesperson comment, but when our beloved leader Charlton Heston was at the helm, we had a dynamic, well spoken, poised, and influential individual standing up for our fight. The message was the same and the anti's response was the same. This makes me think that no matter how smooth the delivery, our message of freedom and the RKBA will still invoke disdain from our foes.

Anygunanywhere