NRA support

[hatidua]

The NRA isn't perfect, but no 2A organization that I can think of swings as big a bat in DC so I send them the annual check and a little extra to NRA-ILA from time to time.

As far as those that whine about junk mail from them, you simply call the NRA and ask to be taken off the junk mail list. I've not received a single piece of mail other than my ONE annual renewal letter in close to 20 years. A 90 second phone call to opt out of junk mail is not that hard guys...

[JohnnyDrama]

I've been a long time member. I opted out of the junk mail way back and have probably only received a handful of letters in the last twelve years. Without the junk mail pleading for money they're not so bad. I figure they deserve a little extra as well just because they are such a big target for the anti's. With all the anti action oriented at the NRA other organizations are free to do what they got to do.

[belizejet]

Interesting things to think about. I'll still send my support though. They carry the biggest bat for sure.

[Aloha_Shooter]

NRA will never work its way into oblivion. True resolution is not on their agenda - things like D.C. v. Heller were independent actions that the NRA opposed until they realized they couldn't oppose and jumped on the wagon at the last minute.

It is always in the NRA's interest to have controversy and future gun control issues. ($_$) They do assist with this issues; but they don't seek long-term resolution.

It will never be in their interest to resolve issues permanently with things like amendments or Supreme Court precedence. Other groups have to take those issues on, and without pursuing the resolution avenue, we are just fighting a losing battle.

That sounds more like RMGO than NRA. NRA opposed the legal strategy in DC v. Heller because they were afraid of a loss at the Supreme Court level sealing a national precedent that can continue to be argued when the state-level precedents conflict. They got onboard when it appeared the legal strategy was a winner. It's unsatisfying but it's smart politics -- and by the way, shopping cases and forums is exactly what the liberals do to us. It's worked fairly well for the liberals until recently -- and is still working for them on other issues.

Lastly, I digress with their training monopoly. NRA Certified Instructor (mandatory here) what a flipping joke. There is no qualifications needed and no firearms knowledge needed. Someone who has for the first time picked up a gun in a certification course can become an "instructor" which they wave around like they have credibility. Their curriculum is at times, quite stupid depending on the application.

No argument here but the Boy Scouts and some states mandate NRA certification because it's an easy out legally and financially. They don't have to create their own courses and assume liability for the courses or instructors nor oversee administration of the certifications, just point to a certification source they consider acceptable and require it.

E.G. NRA has priority on always keep the gun unloaded (doesn't work for concealed carry). It's actually the "unloaded" guns that cause the vast, vast majority of all firearm accidents. You know what's better? Always TREAT IT LIKE ITS LOADED. If they properly explained the why, then perhaps accident numbers would be further reduced.

Ummm ... WRONG. First, the NRA's priority in instruction is SAFETY. Second, the rule as taught in class is "always keep the gun unloaded until ready to use." Self-defense and home defense firearms are presumed to be ready-to-use at the owner's discretion so there's no problem keeping them loaded. Third, NRA instruction is to treat every firearm as if it's loaded until proven otherwise. As a certified instructor, you should know these things already so I'm confused by your misstatement.

[Bailey Guns]

I'll ETA too: Their forced curriculum in some states is ridiculous. Many States REQUIRE NRA Basic Pistol for Concealed Carry permits.

NRA Basic Pistol leaves students incredibly ILL prepared for concealed carry. But they legislate themselves into receiving more $ for this crap. They aren't a saint, they are a for-profit enterprise masked as a non-profit lobby.

That's not the fault of the NRA. State curriculums are up to state legislatures. The NRA just happens to be the largest training organization in the country and they're not state specific. That's why the NRA Basic Pistol class is generic. I'd say the Basic Pistol Class, while not exactly what I teach, is certainly worthwhile to a novice shooter. An instructor's responsibility is to always build on to and expand a student's knowledge base.

Their training methods and information are dated, no doubt. But that doesn't mean it's a bad place to start.

[Bailey Guns]

E.G. NRA has priority on always keep the gun unloaded (doesn't work for concealed carry).

Ummm ... WRONG. First, the NRA's priority in instruction is SAFETY. Second, the rule as taught in class is "always keep the gun unloaded until ready to use." Self-defense and home defense firearms are presumed to be ready-to-use at the owner's discretion so there's no problem keeping them loaded. Third, NRA instruction is to treat every firearm as if it's loaded until proven otherwise. As a certified instructor, you should know these things already so I'm confused by your misstatement.

Exactly. That's even NRA Rule #3...hardly the priority.

[Irving]

Now that they've gone away from the fudd centric system they had before. I support them.

This is how I feel. As far as junk mail goes, you'd be surprised how much of an impact even 1% retention makes. They wouldn't do it if it were only a waste of money.

[TheGrey]

Last year, my husband joined up. I wanted to join as well, but they "couldn't" sign me up. Instead, they wanted me to call the following week and give them my money. The reason they couldn't sign me up at the same time? "They weren't set up for signing us both up at the same time."

A massive Association that isn't set up to take in new memberships for a husband and wife? Excuse me? What the hell is that about?

They called my husband every other week, lobbying for donations. He asked them politely to take us off their calling list, and they started calling MY phone number to solicit for donations instead. Me, who was not a member because "they weren't set up for that."

Then there were the mail solicitations. Good lord, how much do they pay for postage and brochures, letters and other correspondence? I also have to wonder if they sold our information, because the "pre-approval" offers for re-financing and credit cards have increased exponentially.

Personally, it was irritating in the extreme. We support organizations that we believe in, but we also want to be left the hell alone. We're not an endless supply of funds, and resent being treated as cash cows. We may join again, but we're going to have to establish some firm boundaries with this association before we do so.

[asmo]

Top 3 reasons why the NRA is not the be-all and end-all in the 2nd amendment world:

#1) The NRA's 1st, 2nd, and 3rd priorities are making money for the NRA - they don't actually give a shit about the guns, your rights, or anything else unless it helps them to make money. Do not ever, for even a brief second, think that the NRA is there to help you - they are there to perpetuate themselves.
#2) The NRA's choices for political endorsement have nothing to do with your gun rights. They have to do with who can provide them access to power and who they can bully (via threat, coercion, blackmail, or motherhood and apple-pie). Again, its not about your rights - its about their pocketbook.
#3) The NRA does not actually want to push the envelope and try to really settle the 2nd amendment debate or create long-lasting, far-reaching, set in concrete rulings. They prefer to mire around in city/state legal battles that go back and forth but do not really change anything important. This allows them to aggressively attempt to get more money out of people by claiming that they are doing something good. If they actually did their job and pushed hard for a strong ruling (either way) on the 2nd amendment they would effectively put themselves out of a job - and that goes against #1 above.

Now, that said, I am a Benefactor, Golden Eagle, Political Action Major Donor, and a bunch of other stuff. It just so happens that the NRA's desires and my desires overlap to a certain point. There are MANY other pro-2nd amendment orgs that are WAY more effective than the NRA when it comes to major legal work being done (SAF, CalGuns, Cato Institute, Independence Institute, etc.); but the NRA has a name that equates to a large swinging dick, and they have leveraged that power effectively for many years. However, I believe that their time in sun is _slowly_ coming to an end unless they can pull their head out of their backside and start actually doing stuff other than fear mongering and begging for money.

I have said all of the above to the NRA board directly (verbatim) in 2010 and 2012; I have also said it on a number of occasions to high level members of the NRA staff. For the most part, they agreed with me.

[asmo]

Also, to answer your question a bit more: http://jpfo.org/articles-assd02/nugent-open-letter.htm

Everyone should read that.