Contact the NRA

[DireWolf]

...and the public would say, "WTF does that mean?"

Yeah, probably still needs a bit of work...But I think the general concept is sound.

You may have hit on one huge problem with compromise in general - much easier to scream "ban everything! Bump-stocks evil!", than is to propose a real compromise involving actual details...

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[Grant H.]

It's been very enlightening seeing the "die-hard" believers come out of the woodwork. The NRA continues to erode our constitutional rights, slowly, and asks the people they claim to defend to pay for it.

The NRA is a multi-million dollar operation that ceases to have a purpose if gun control goes away... They aren't dumb, they are acutely aware that if they succeed, they get less money...

And many here want me to believe that they want to succeed???

Good luck.

[Gman]

Good luck.

If the police were successful eliminating crime we wouldn't need police, so therefore the police want crime, right? After all, they want a paycheck.

I wish you luck with success on your one man campaign to keep our rights.

[Gman]

Your police department analogy is a very poor one. It is impossible to eliminate crime. Yet, it is possible to end the "gun control" fight.

A better analogy is the gov't. When a department of our gov't becomes redundant, too large, or unnecessary, surely all the people working within it will say "time to go guys" and join the unemployment line, right?

I disagree with your disagreement. It's also human nature to give up freedom for perceived safety. This is why we are where we are.

You can make the same arguments for anyone that gives to pretty much any 'non-profit' organization. Does Susan G. Komen want to eliminate the cause that profits so many? Does anyone really believe that we can eliminate poverty?

We are one man campaigns when we vote. Outside of that, our politicians don't listen to individuals. We don't like it, but that's how it is. If you can think of a better lobby for our interests, please share.

[DireWolf]

The NRA is an organization with the strength of numbers but a severe dearth of leadership.

Fix the one to properly leverage the other, and the result may be remarkable.




ETA: Without a complete replacement/overhaul in both leadership and strategy, I agree with the sentiment that the NRA is worse than useless and we're far better off without them (nature abhors a vacuum, and something else can take their place if unwilling/unable to undertake the necessary changes)

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[Zundfolge]

I don't know who's worse. The "true believers" that refuse to criticize the NRA when they're wrong, or the knee-jerk NRA bashers that act like the NRA is as bad as Brady or something (no, I know the answer).

In this case, I think the NRA is trying to direct some sort of inevitable action against bump stocks into a less damaging direction ... I think they jumped on this bandwagon a bit too soon, but if it does ultimately come down to us having a choice only between legislation or an ATF ruling, the ATF ruling is far and away the better of two bad options. If there still exists a third option of doing nothing, that would of course be better but that may not be a possible choice (of course had the NRA remained silent that choice might be more viable).

[Justin]

Option 3 is to make bump stocks a hill to die on, claim you will make no concessions, and then get butt hurt later as legislation is passed that not only bans bump stocks, but also anything else that the graboids can shove into a hasty bill that gets pushed through before anyone with any influence can try to push for a more rational approach.

[Gman]

Please, don't hold back. Tell me how you really feel. You don't know enough about me to make the claims you just made, but please, if it makes you feel better, fire away.

I've contacted my Congress critters numerous times. I have yet to get a personal response. What I do get is added to their email list. If you think that they handle, see, read any personal contacts, you're living in a dream. This includes phone, mail, and email. When people show up to get in a Congressperson's face at a town-hall meeting, they just stop having them. It's nice to think that we the people have so much influence, but it just isn't the case. Lobbyists on all sides get more face-time with our politicians than any of us. It's unfortunate, but it's true. The NRA has had sit-down meetings with the President. How about you?

When people showed up to testify at the background check and magazine hearings, how well did that go for 'we the people'? On the other hand, Bloomberg seems to have had quite the influence.

If you're a member of the NRA, I find it perfectly responsible to contact them and let them know how you feel. To think that they have less influence than the people, that's just not the case. For now, we have the best government money can buy.

When millions of armed Americans show up in DC, then you'll see the power of the people. Until then, this is a game to the politicians.

[OtterbatHellcat]

Hell, at least you guys are still posting.

[Gman]

The media thinks the NRA are still influential...and still the bad guys;
Reuters: NRA opposes outright U.S. ban on bump stocks used by Las Vegas killer

The powerful U.S. gun lobby, the National Rifle Association, said on Sunday it would oppose an outright ban on bump-stock devices that the killer in the Las Vegas massacre of 58 people used to turn rifles into automatic weapons and strafe a crowd with bursts of sustained gunfire.

The NRA, which has seldom embraced new firearms-control measures, stunned gun control advocates last week when it issued a statement voicing willingness to support a restriction on bump stocks.

On Sunday, the organization said it was open to regulation but opposed any legislation banning the devices.

"We don't believe that bans have ever worked on anything. What we have said has been very clear - that if something transfers a semiautomatic to function like a fully automatic, then it ought to be regulated differently," Chris Cox, the NRA's chief lobbyist, said on "Fox News Sunday."

I think this is a tactical move because "function" has a very specific definition. The guidance that BATFE operates under allowed bump-stocks under Obama, and they would be the ones performing the 'review'. Others disagree with me, and that's fine. I hope I'm right, but maybe I'm not. I don't have a crystal ball.