I now know I will no longer support the NRA with my membership due to the swing to support left wing politicians with the endorsement of 58 Democratic candidates. I do not take this lightly and think that all gun owners should think about the support the NRA has given to the left by endorsing these 58 Democrats for election. Most of these are incumbents and are seeking re-election, some are career politicians. It is not like there are not conservative, pro-gun candidates running against them in the race. Does the leadership of the NRA not understand that if the liberal left shreds the Constitution and the Bill of Rights there will be no second amendment to fight for anymore?I hadn't thought about this before, but the NRA really represents the Establishment. They're Beltway insiders - it's what they do. While we shouldn't expect them to focus on more than the Second Amendment, they will by nature be very cautious. That's how insiders play the game.
There's quite a good case to be made that Alan Gura and the Second Amendment Foundation are playing the role of the Tea Parties, in a purely Second Amendment sense. The motivation comes from a feeling that enough is enough. It's reinforced by a feeling that something unique and precious is being slowly lost to a drip-drip-drip assault by forces deeply in bed with a corrupt political establishment. It springs from a resistance to a transformative effort seeking to permanently change this country into something more pleasing to a particular political philosophy. It's being resisted vigorously, not witht he goal of stopping the advance, but of rolling it back and cleaning house.
Looked at this way, the NRA's position looks terrible. Yes, it's not the National Republican Association, but it's deeply implicated in acquiescing to the slow drip-drip-drip decay of our fundamental liberty.
Ed's right, and it's not just their spam and letters begging for cash.
Did they change their name to NOT REALLY AMERICAN?
ReplyDeleteI'm just happy that the NRA is one of the few inside the beltway orgs that HASN'T been infested with mission creep. Do you know how special it is that NRA doesn't score folks on how they feel about abortion or how they voted on some income tax bill? That appeals. And its a temptation that other news pro-gun orgs have fallen for already.
ReplyDeleteIs the NRA perfect in all? No. Are they the best at what they do, lobby about firearms rights from inside the beltway? Yes. Am I happy I became a life member? Yes. Am I gonna send them any more money in the future? Probably not.
Early on the NRA took some heat from those RINO lovers ad RedState because of their endorsement of Democrat Ted Strickland in the Ohio gubernatorial race over his opponent John Kasich.
ReplyDeleteHowever, if you look at the candidates' voting records in Congress, you'll see that Strickland went against his party vote after vote on guns including voting against the Clinton gun ban. His "Republican" opponent Kasich on the other hand voted like a Kennedy whenever he got the chance including voting FOR the same Democratic Clinton gun ban.
Why on Earth would anyone expect the NRA to endorse a gun banner over a solid, historically pro gun candidate no matter the silly little letter beside their name?
I don't call cutting a sweet deal for yourself and throwing the rest of the 2A organizations under the bus "mission creep". As for supporting the "DISCLOSE" act in exchange for your sweet little deal with CHUCK SHUMER; I call that perfidy - I USED to support the NRA because they were the most effective 2A organization out there, but I'm damned if I'll support anyone who treats with the enemy (Shumer) at the cost of our other liberties.
ReplyDeleteMy money will go to JPFO and VCDL.
Nice Alan Gura/SAF analogy, it fits!
ReplyDeleteAs for throwing the rest of the 2A orgs under the DISCLOSE bus, the NRA was the only one that was going to be subject to the regulations, my understanding is GOA’s independent expenditures amount to nearly nothing, and GOA is the only gun rights group besides the NRA (which has huge expenditures) that would conceivably have been affected by it at all.
If your position is to yell "the emperor sucks!" Once you become the official 'department of the emperor sucks', then it's no longer in your best interests to get rid of the emperor.
ReplyDeleteWhat makes me sad is finding out that a Public Relations firm basically took over the NRA some years ago and it's no longer the same organization it was when Harlen Carter was there.
ReplyDeleteIt's become a self perpetuating institution dedicated to money first, issues second.
Yes, it is part of the establishment and we owe just about nothing to them for the Supreme court's ruling on the second amendment.
I quit belonging several years ago and if I ever get a job again the money goes elsewhere.
Tie yourself to one party and that party can ignore you. Reward both parties for good behavior and both parties start to pay attention.
ReplyDelete58 Democrats voting our way on guns is an accomplishment to be proud of, one I would have told you was impossible just ten years ago.
Everything inside Planet DC's gravity field is distorted. It's not just the NRA, it's also all the other lobbyists, journalists and DC-based "conservative" pundits we all love. It's a corrupt patronage culture down there, and there's not a damn thing anyone can do about it.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the Free-loader zone. In my experience, most people who have issues with the NRA are free-loaders. They feel slightly guilty that the rest of us are financially supporting our second amendment rights. So they bash the NRA to make them feel better. Actually, they never really intended on using there own time and money to support the NRA or any other pro-gun organization.
ReplyDeleteWe have made the NRA one of the most powerful organizations in Washington. We need to continue to be members. If you don't like the candidate they support then don't give to the PVF. You can still be a member and support the ILA.
Join the other pro-gun organizations, send them money. Volunteer for your favorite candidate. Do something besides whine in the comment section on a blog.
Do something besides whine in the comment section on a blog.
ReplyDeleteHow do you know they're not doing just that? What an @$$hole thing to say. (Sorry, BP, I had to...)
Ahhhhhh...
ReplyDeleteIt's good to be back! Nice post amigo, and something I will have to think about before I send my next check in. To be honest, I will probaly renew my membership, they do, after all, wield an immense amount of clout. But I think I may look at some of the other organizations and see what they are about.
Best Regards,
Albert A Rasch™
Pictures from the Front: Kandahar Airfield Bread Maker
Wow. For the folks that are truly active in their chosen second amendment organization and political candidate(s); I apologize if my comments offended you. By active, I mean volunteer for phone banks, recruitment events such as gun shows, contribute beyond the dues, life members etc… You were not my intended audience. I really did not think you would be offended as you probably felt my frustration with “free loaders”.
ReplyDeletePistolero – What I said brought that out? Maybe we watch too much cable news. As on those 24x7 talk shows; the focus goes from the issue to the person or a particular term used. It allows us to get all indignant and offended without having to focus on the real topic. Are we really so frail that we are offended so easily?
This is a real serious issue. We are taking about weakening our most powerful ally in the protection of our second amendment right. I do not think this is a good idea in any way. It should be debated by folks that really are active in our activity not some “free loader”. We may not agree with the NRA in all cases, but neutering your strongest fighter does not make sense to me. The NRA does change, how much more involved with Mcdonald is the NRA than Heller. We need to change it as members, not freeloaders.
Please consider your actions fully.
As on those 24x7 talk shows; the focus goes from the issue to the person or a particular term used.
ReplyDeleteCry me a river, dude. I don't think you have the least bit of business whining about the lack of civility here considering you were the one who referred to those who have issues with the NRA as "freeloaders." Most people? Until I see data backed up with audio and/or video evidence, along with more evidence that your "experience" can be validly and accurately extrapolated to the population at large, you were making a nasty stereotype. Just like the people on the talk shows you deride.