[AV8R]

Most are aware of some of the controversial positions the NRA has taken lately. My question is, OVERALL is the NRA good for RTKBA? Do they not play an important role nationally to keep the fight against gun control alive? Or are they self-destructing?

I'm asking this in general, and I'm looking for opinions from non-members, happy members, and not so happy members.

 

[Rammstein]

I feel it is obvious how I voted. And instead of writing something new I'll just repost what I wrote somewhere else.

To me, the NRA is now part of the problem.

Allow me to explain myself. This is going to be a long read, but I feel it is important to give you the full picture.

According to Wayne LaPierre himself, he is working with Rep. McCarthy and other anti-gunners on gun control legislation. You may remember Rep. McCarthy as the lady that is trying to get the new Assault Weapons Ban bill passed. If you have not read about what all will be banned in the new AWB you really should read it.

Also, the NRA's conduct in the Parker case can only be described as abhorrent. For those not familiar with the case I am talking about I will recap. Parker was the case in which the D.C. court of appeals ruled that the Second Amendment of the Federal Constitution confers an individual right to the citizen of D.C., thus they have the Constitutional right to keep and bear arms in their homes in a manner they choose. Where the NRA comes in is that first they tried to bring in their own case which was not perfect. Let me make it clear that Parker was *the* most perfect case we could bring against the DC gun ban. It was not a criminal trying to keep his guns. It was not advocating people be able to carry guns in public. It was a case that was narrowly tailored with honorable people.

So, the NRA realizes that their case is going to fail, and as well it should because it was poorly planned. They then try to MERGE the two cases. This was rejected out of hand. They appeal and it is again struck down. Once they realize they are not going to get a piece of this fantastic Second Amendment pie, they get people in congress to introduce legislation that would in effect negate any win that Parker had. In fairness, I must mentioned that the NRA issued an amicus brief in support of parker at the last minute. Though I imagine they only did this so they could save face with their membership and say they had a hand in helping Parker along.

And finally the part I find most reprehensible, the NRA killed legislation (HB 89) that Georgia Carry Organization, an organization that I am a member of, was successful in pushing though the state House . HB 89 would allow anyone, not just persons with a Georgia Firearms license, to put their legally owned firearm anywhere in the car they so desired; whereas currently you must have a GFL to do so. We got it through the House and into the Senate. Once in the Senate we got it pushed through the Judiciary committee and then it went into the Rules committee. And that is where it sat.

It sits there because the NRA had a piece of legislation they too wanted to make law in Georgia. Their bill, SB 43, was a bill that would allow employees to keep legally owned firearms in their cars on their employer's property without penalty. It seems like a good bill at first glance, but on further inspection you will find that the NRA compromised heavily in making provisions for lots that have gates or have 'guards' and the like. Furthermore, there was an issue of property rights vs gun rights in the middle of all this. That issue was what stalled their bill. The NRA turned up the pressure on Georgia legislators and told them if they did not pass their bill then they would give them a failing grade. Our Assemblypersons did not take that threat kindly and in a collective FU effectively killed off their legislation.

So out of options, the NRA turned their sights on the only pro gun bill in the Senate. They had their language from SB 43 added into our HB 89. With the NRA having left a bad taste in their mouth the members of the Rules committee decided not to vote to allow a full vote of HB 89 on the Ga Senate floor. This left our bill to just sit there as the current session of the General Assembly closed until next year. Our efforts to get good law passed was thwarted by the NRA.

To me, the NRA is now part of the problem

So, overall if we look at this as a test.... if you pick the wrong answer for most of the questions.....overall....how did you do on that test?

 

[AV8R]

Just giving this poll the cursory BUMP. The results so far are interesting.

 

[Rammstein]

I'd like to hear from some of the people from the "Yes, but they could do much better" vote.

 

[Macktee]

I'd like to hear from some of the people from the "Yes, but they could do much better" vote.

I'm one of those people. I do think, overall, the NRA is working for us but, like the ACLU, they seem to get tangled up in things. HP89 is a prime example of the NRA doing harm rather than good. I understand politics is all about compromise, but it's difficult to cut deals with people who are determined to destroy our rights.

Gun rights, like abortion, is a black or white situation. There are no shades of gray.

I don't understand the strategy of the NRA. Sometimes, they get far too strident. Remember "jack-booted thugs"? Other times, they seem a little too willing to compromise.

Maybe they know what they're doing, but I don't understand how they can work with people who have attempted to severely restrict the rights of gun owners in the past and will continue to work toward their eventual goal of confiscating all firearms held by civilians.

Compromise always involves giving up something.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Like others have said they are the 800lb gorilla. Right now, they seem to be the only national organization with real clout. Until a better alternative comes around I will continue to be a member.

I worry about the mental health checks that they seem to be advocating. Does this mean that those with Prozac and other depression drugs be ruled as mentally incomptent? Probably not now, but eventually as our rights slowly decay.

 

[Rammstein]

Like others have said they are the 800lb gorilla. Right now, they seem to be the only national organization with real clout.

And they will continue to do that unless you stop supporting them and support a no compromise gun lobby like GOA instead.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

It is quite maddening. It's like people that say then want change but say they have to keep voting for the same person cause "well...everyone else is doing it..."

There is another animal that just goes along with the crowd, and like the child's game says: "The sheep says: BAAAHHHHHH"

I expect to hear no bleating from people on this site.

 

[Doc Holliday]

I didn't join the NRA "just because everybody else is doing it", I did it because I wanted a subscription to American Riffleman and a black and gold shooter's cap. :lol:

If you are comparing me to the Sheeple then you are incorrect with your judgement. :evil:

 

[Rammstein]

No Doc, not saying you are. Just that the people who blindly follow the NRA are.

 

[Macktee]

No Doc, not saying you are. Just that the people who blindly follow the NRA are.

That applies to people who blindly follow any lead be it health, religion, politics, clothing styles, cars, entertainment, etc., etc., etc.!

Unfortunately, humans are pack animals. We tend to live, dress, speak and act like those we most associate with and distrust those who aren't like us. Oh, there are some who are stridently individualistic (like Wiley), but even he, like the rest of us, goes along with the crowd to a greater or lesser extent.

So, keep pushing Ramm. You're asking good questions and making a valid argument for more independent thinking by the rest of us.

 

[tj2000]

NRA????

I don't understand why the NRA does some of the things they do but they are the only orginization out there that can go toe to toe with the government right now.

Like ANY orginization that is run by people, they will make some really bad decisions.

We have a choice: we can either stay with them and try to help them back on their original path, or we can stop supporting them and watch them fall.

One thing I have learned is; the easeist thing to do is quit. It's much harder to stay and fight for what is right.

This is not an indightment for those that aren't members of the NRA, but it is for those that are in the NRA and do nothing to help them get back on the right path.
It is easier to critisize somthing from the outside looking in.
Just like those that critisize the elected officials and don't VOTE!!!

So as you can see by my replie I beleive in what the NRA fights for but they can do better. So I choose to stay and help them back on the right path.

Ok, I got my flame suit on now, :flame:

 

[Rammstein]

tj2000,

Instead of supporting people who are unabashedly working against gun rights in some aspects, would it not be better to stop supporting them and support a group who does not compromise?

It is like voting with your wallet. If you show them that you will not support their antics then they will stop. But supporting them no matter what they do teaches them nothing. The surest way to see the change is stop the flow of money. People start to listen when it affects their bottom line.

Edited to add:
That is why I cannot, in good faith, join the NRA. Because all they will see is someone is joining their organization and they will translate that into thinking that I approve of their actions.

 

[GeorgiaGlocker]

I was one who voted yes, but could do a better job. No organization is perfect. Yes, they make mistakes. Obvious ones at that. But I still support them in holding up and improving my 2nd amemdment rights. There is power in numbers. The NRA has almost 4 million members from what I understand. But our leadership at the top must understand what the membership is all about. The worst thing the leadership can do is to take us for granted. They need to listen to us. Hear our concerns. Many states have the same concerns. But some states have very specialized concerns that need specialized attention. The NRA needs to be aware of these needs in all of the 50 states. A hard job to tackle no doubt.

As my sig line states I am a bewildered member but still a member. I hope the NRA hears our concerns here in the great state of Georgia.

 

[Rammstein]

I hope the NRA hears our concerns here in the great state of Georgia.

I do too. I want to be a member, I really do. It is just every time I think to myself "ya know Matt...maybe you are being too hard on them.....maybe you should become a member." they do something that just leaves me scratching my head.

 

[Gunstar1]

I hope the NRA hears our concerns here in the great state of Georgia.

I do too. I want to be a member, I really do. It is just every time I think to myself "ya know Matt...maybe you are being too hard on them.....maybe you should become a member." they do something that just leaves me scratching my head.

I feel exactly the same way. I almost clicked on the link below and then the stuff in DC happened. Then I think, well thats just in DC, not in GA. Then the NRA hijacks HB 89 and threatens everyone who might vote for changing it back with a bad rating.

 

[GeorgiaGlocker]

I hope the NRA hears our concerns here in the great state of Georgia.

I do too. I want to be a member, I really do. It is just every time I think to myself "ya know Matt...maybe you are being too hard on them.....maybe you should become a member." they do something that just leaves me scratching my head.

I feel exactly the same way. I almost clicked on the link below and then the stuff in DC happened. Then I think, well thats just in DC, not in GA. Then the NRA hijacks HB 89 and threatens everyone who might vote for changing it back with a bad rating.

I can understand how you can be upset with the HB 89 fiasco. I am too, but I was already a member. I hope the NRA gets the message. I believe that USMC-R is informing them of our great displeasure with how they handled HB 89.

 

[Rammstein]

I believe that USMC-R is informing them of our great displeasure with how they handled HB 89.

And I await their response.

 

[mzmtg]

I believe that USMC-R is informing them of our great displeasure with how they handled HB 89.

And I await their response.

I think we'll be waiting for a long time on that one.

 

[AV8R]

I'm an NRA member as well. I don't agree with some of the things they do, either. But, overall I feel that their lobbying power is something that needs supporting.

A "no compromise stand" is great in theory. There are some causes that support the need for that stand. I'm not so sure that specific issues within the whole realm of RTKBA will get solved with such a hard line. If it came down to putting up a fight to keep the 2nd amendment from being abolished, then yeah... NO COMPROMISE. But we have to work with people in a bureaucratic government. We have to be able to appear flexible. We have to be prepared to shuck and jive a little to gain some ground.

I'm not saying that the NRA should be soft and giving. I'm saying that the NRA should be supported and changed as often as needed to keep the right things in focus. They aren't going to do the perfectly right thing 100% of the time, and as members we should call them on everything that's not being adressed properly. After all, isn't that what we do with respect to our elected officials? A lot of people vote along party lines because of core issues. Yet no party please anyone 100% of the time. We call and write our elected officials when they do something that we don't agree with. We don't just turn our heads in disdain and refuse to vote, do we? Hell no, and doing this to the NRA isn't going to help them with the problems they are experiencing/creating.

First thing I can think of is for the NRA to have liasons with organizations like GCO. They MUST be able to collaborate with folks on the state level before they start putting their messy fingers in our pie. There has to be more communication so we aren't fighting each other.

 

[Adam5]

Good post AV8R, my thoughts exactly.