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Should I renew my NRA memebership?

fire suppressor

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2008
Messages
870
Location
Kitsap County
I have about six months left on my two year NRA membership and I need some help knowing if should renew my membership or not. I use to be a dedicated true NRA fan but now I am not so sure. Over the past few years I have experienced increasing arrogance and attitude from the NRA, but I am not sure if it is the NRA or just the local NRA people in my area. I am also concerned with the NRA controlling the market. It seems like more and more everyone has to go through the NRA for classes and certifications. Most recently I had to pass a NRA safety class in order to get my Michigan state CPL. Regardless of the NRA's best intentions it is difficult for me to trust any organization that try's to control everything. I am tired of people looking down their noses at me because I haven't taken this NRA class or attended that NRA seminar. My father taught me how to shoot when I was 6 and he taught me respect for guns. If I ever have a child they will never take any NRA class unless they ask me to take them. My safety and the safety of my child is not the NRA's problem it is mine. And if I ever have a child it is not the NRA's job to teach my children how to shoot, gun safety or respect for firearms that is my job as the child father. Over the last few years I have grown increasingly causes of the NRA and the attitude associated with them. I could use some help, what are other people out there thinking
 
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eye95

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 6, 2010
Messages
13,524
Location
Fairborn, Ohio, USA
I chose not to renew my NRA membership years ago. They do not work for the RKBA.

They work to maintain a structure that they erroneously believe protects our ability to have firearms. What they do is work to maintain a structure in which the government dictates how, when, and where we may carry. Unfortunately, that means that most Americans now believe that the government may tell us how, when, and where we may NOT carry, making usurpations like the impending "assault weapon ban" possible.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk.

<o>
 

unreconstructed1

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2008
Messages
695
Location
Tennessee, ,
I was once a member of the NRA, but haven't renewed my membership in years. Take their position on Romney for instance. The man pushed for, and signed, an AWB in Mass. during his time as governor, and yet the NRA attempted to whitewash that for the election. They have compromised far too much. That being said, I am thinking about renewing my own membership, because they are the most effective political lobby of all time, IF you can get them to take a stand. While I haven't said this for quite some time, my opinion would be to renew, because we may be needing their clout soon.
 

Citizen

Founder's Club Member
Joined
Nov 15, 2006
Messages
18,269
Location
Fairfax Co., VA
I let my membership lapse because it seemed the NRA had become more interested in perpetuating itself than gun rights.

While a member I received request after request for more money accompanied by breathless hyperbole vilifying this or that anti-gunner or anti-gun initiative. Yet, there didn't seem much effort to roll back existing gun laws. Hold the line and compromise seemed more the history. For sure there was no national campaign to roll back the 1986 closure fo the machine gun registry, no campaign to repeal swaths of the 1969 GCA or the National Firearms Act from the '30s. No concerted campaign to beat the ATF into being decent.

If you have money for a membership, you might check out 2nd Amendment Foundation, Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, or Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership. Numbers count. If NRA membership is down by one, but CCRKBA is up by one, the total memberships claimed by the organizations is still the same.
 

ncwabbit

Regular Member
Joined
Nov 2, 2011
Messages
670
Location
rural religious usa
alas, their training, rightly or wrong, is the gold standard states and law enforcement use to quantify their firearms statutes. very similar to safey courses taught by the red cross. used to be a requirement you could not continue with "parametic" training unless you completed the arc's adv fa course...40+ hours worth. at the time everyone had a bad taste in their mouths about the antics of arc reps from the "wars". now every community college teaches and certifies parametics

therefore, whatever the nra does politically that winds your crank the wrong way, understand their training activities are still and imho should be, held in high esteem for content consistency across the US and around the world.

wabbit

ps as in every mass training group there are idiots who fail to follow the established guidelines for training their students and get certified knowning they arent going to follow the instructor manuals. however they are soon recognized within their respective communities and word of mouth causes student to not get their training from them
 

Citizen

Founder's Club Member
Joined
Nov 15, 2006
Messages
18,269
Location
Fairfax Co., VA
alas, their training, rightly or wrong, is the gold standard states and law enforcement use to quantify their firearms statutes. very similar to safey courses taught by the red cross. used to be a requirement you could not continue with "parametic" training unless you completed the arc's adv fa course...40+ hours worth. at the time everyone had a bad taste in their mouths about the antics of arc reps from the "wars". now every community college teaches and certifies parametics

therefore, whatever the nra does politically that winds your crank the wrong way, understand their training activities are still and imho should be, held in high esteem for content consistency across the US and around the world.

wabbit

ps as in every mass training group there are idiots who fail to follow the established guidelines for training their students and get certified knowning they arent going to follow the instructor manuals. however they are soon recognized within their respective communities and word of mouth causes student to not get their training from them

No argument there.
 

fire suppressor

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2008
Messages
870
Location
Kitsap County
I chose not to renew my NRA membership years ago. They do not work for the RKBA.

They work to maintain a structure that they erroneously believe protects our ability to have firearms. What they do is work to maintain a structure in which the government dictates how, when, and where we may carry. Unfortunately, that means that most Americans now believe that the government may tell us how, when, and where we may NOT carry, making usurpations like the impending "assault weapon ban" possible.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk.

I can't say I am familiar with the RKBA
 
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fire suppressor

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2008
Messages
870
Location
Kitsap County
It sounds like what I am hearing is people supporting me not to renew my membership. While this would have surprised me a few years ago it dose not today. While I have not made my mind up 100% I am leaning towards letting it laps. The only thing I may want to keep it for is for the NRA's self defense insurance but I do not yet know enough about the insurance to make a decision based purely on that. The NRA may be the biggest name out there they are no longer the only name or the necessarily the most influential. There are plenty of other organizations out there who I could be a better use of money
 

nonameisgood

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2008
Messages
1,008
Location
Big D
NRA has become too arrogant. The local reps are argumentative and poorly represent the gun community. Wayne L is a blowhard who doesn't speak for me.

I would join again if they would hold a strong line on gun rights, promote open and concealed carry, and generally represent gun owners as good Americans, without trying to make enemies out of those who disagree and call them un-American.
 

fire suppressor

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2008
Messages
870
Location
Kitsap County
NRA has become too arrogant. The local reps are argumentative and poorly represent the gun community. Wayne L is a blowhard who doesn't speak for me.

I would join again if they would hold a strong line on gun rights, promote open and concealed carry, and generally represent gun owners as good Americans, without trying to make enemies out of those who disagree and call them un-American.

+1 well said!

Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk 2
 

Freedom1Man

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 14, 2012
Messages
4,462
Location
Greater Eastside Washington
It sounds like what I am hearing is people supporting me not to renew my membership. While this would have surprised me a few years ago it dose not today. While I have not made my mind up 100% I am leaning towards letting it laps. The only thing I may want to keep it for is for the NRA's self defense insurance but I do not yet know enough about the insurance to make a decision based purely on that. The NRA may be the biggest name out there they are no longer the only name or the necessarily the most influential. There are plenty of other organizations out there who I could be a better use of money

I though that part of the forum rules was to not bash the NRA.

I personally don't care for the NRA and I have thought about joining more than once, I just could not bring my self to do it after doing a bit of research on how the NRA helped to hurt our rights.

Realistically though, the NRA is the only BIG name, at this time, in the gun rights world. There are other groups that you should consider even if you choose to keep your membership with the NRA. Jews for the preservation of firearm ownership, is one. The Second Amendment Foundation, Gun Owners of America, your local gun club (maybe), I am sure there are more. Find one that works best for you.

I personally favor, Gun Owners of America.
 

EMNofSeattle

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2012
Messages
3,670
Location
S. Kitsap, Washington state
To be honest, there's only TWO gun rights organizations I support

the National Rifle Association and the Second Amendment Foundation.

Regardless of my complaints with the NRA, they ARE the number one gun rights group like it or not, they have worked vehemently to HOLD THE LINE since the mid-1980s. if it wasn't for the NRA I doubt FOPA would've been passed and we'd have England-like gun laws. The NRA has political connections and knows how to win elections and install the correct representatives. The NRA does this by adopting the "mainstream" "reasonable" approach, I'm sorry, but how effective do you think the NRA would be if they went around talking about "watering the tree of liberty" or "the second american civil war" and "gun control people are like hitler" rightly or wrongly those arguments make you look like a nut and advance the cause of gun control. Wayne Lapierre may be a shrewd fellow, but he's a shrewd fellow that makes things happen and gets results. he earns every single greenback of his million dollar a year salary from the NRA, and if Wayne wasn't here I would hate to think of how our gun rights would look today. the last "great" NRA president was Heston, since Heston's been gone Wayne is the real guy calling the shots.

Second Amendment Foundation

Is winning our rights back in the courts, they've done this by carefully screening their legal challenges and choosing reasonable battles, and hiring the best legal minds that money can hire to argue their cases. Alan Gottlieb, while he looks pathetic on television interviews, is a business genius who can get things done just like Wayne LaPierre. McDonald v. Chicago, Madigan v. Moore, Sheridan, all those cases were argued by SAF. SAF has some of the best minds on the gun rights side on their board, Mas Ayoob, Kirby Wilbur etc sit on the board.

These organizations are who I donate to, the other groups I have on beef with, GOA, JFPO, you know I can respect their members, but it's not bashing to say these are the lightweights in the RBKA fight. I respect them, but they don't have any real clout, any connections, and virtually no effective lobbying efforts. but join if you want.

The one group I will bash, the National Assoc for Gun Rights, this Dudley Brown guy is obviously running a fly-by-night outfit. his emailers all have urgent threats waiting to occur any moment, you must donate to them immediately, the feds will put Dudley brown in jail if you don't donate to him, you need to donate to see his list of political endorsements, the FBI is investigating him... yada yada yada and that group has no victories of any sort to claim for the money it collects. Steer clear of this group.
 

OC for ME

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2010
Messages
12,452
Location
White Oak Plantation
Do not get advice on how to spend your money from nameless/faceless posters to a gun rights forum.

Please ask yourself one simple question; "What has the NRA done for me in my state."

Has the NRA through their efforts expanded.....er, reinstated your RKBA in your state. Have they worked to maintain what little of your RKBA remains in your state.

Where is the NRA focusing there efforts? Promoting OC in Florida, but not in Missouri, not in South Carolina. Go figure.

It is your money.
 

fire suppressor

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2008
Messages
870
Location
Kitsap County
I have never herd of the Jews for the preservation of firearms ownership. I am going to have to look into them just out of curiosity. I don't want this to come across sounding wrong but in all honesty I did not know Jews as a culture had any interest in gun rights
 

MackTheKnife

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 10, 2007
Messages
198
Location
Jacksonville, Florida
Renew your membership

Although far from perfect, as many have said here, the NRA is the biggest dog in the fight. As I am a Life Member, renewal for me is moot. I am also a member of the Second Amendment Foundation and Gun Owners of America. Wayne LaPierre did not do a good job on his recent Meet The Press interview. His answers were more in keeping with the way a politician responds. And I am surprised that he didn't tell David Gregory that the 30 round magazine used on the show was illegal in DC where the show was taped. And now we are all waiting to see if Cathy Lanier holds him accountable as she has with the veterans who had guns and/or loose ammo in their possession.
And as also mentioned, NRA training/certifications are the "gold standard" for firearms. The gov't recognizes it as an equivalent substitute for military marksmanship instructors.
Go ahead and renew now, in light of what is happening, and see what happens.
 

sudden valley gunner

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 13, 2008
Messages
16,674
Location
Whatcom County
These organizations are who I donate to, the other groups I have on beef with, GOA, JFPO, you know I can respect their members, but it's not bashing to say these are the lightweights in the RBKA fight. I respect them, but they don't have any real clout, any connections, and virtually no effective lobbying efforts. but join if you want.


Why doesn't it surprise me though the basher of minor political parties would also not support "minor" gun rights organizations?
 

Freedom1Man

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 14, 2012
Messages
4,462
Location
Greater Eastside Washington
I have never herd of the Jews for the preservation of firearms ownership. I am going to have to look into them just out of curiosity. I don't want this to come across sounding wrong but in all honesty I did not know Jews as a culture had any interest in gun rights

http://jpfo.org/

They have run into that with their own kind.

But look at Israel, they have some really cool guns.
 

EMNofSeattle

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2012
Messages
3,670
Location
S. Kitsap, Washington state
Why doesn't it surprise me though the basher of minor political parties would also not support "minor" gun rights organizations?

Well you know, if GOA had a strong membership plan, and a legislative agenda they intended to push, and could convince me they had a realistic shot at pulling it off, then maybe I would donate to them. But a dollar donated to a group that has no ability to do anything for me is a dollar wasted.
 

sudden valley gunner

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 13, 2008
Messages
16,674
Location
Whatcom County
Well you know, if GOA had a strong membership plan, and a legislative agenda they intended to push, and could convince me they had a realistic shot at pulling it off, then maybe I would donate to them. But a dollar donated to a group that has no ability to do anything for me is a dollar wasted.

So you continue to keep them small not on morals and ideals but because they are small?

And why we have two major parties in the country bringing us toward tyranny they want to be part of something that can affect change, even if that means sacrificing and compromising liberty.
 
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