You can’t live in America without knowing who the National Rifle Association is. The NRA are, very simply, a galvanizing force on both sides of the gun control debate. For pro-gun folks, the NRA is a great source of information about proposed legislation and tends to be an effective lobbyist group for pro-gun people. For anti-gunners, the NRA is a very clear target for all of their ignorance-based hatred for guns and gun owners.
So, knowing that anti-gunners hate the NRA, you may get a bit of a chuckle when you think about the NRA’s new goal which is to double their membership from six million to twelve million. Kimberlee Kruesi writes,
“I’m going to break some news tonight. My goal as president of the NRA is very simple, all I want to do is double the membership,” North said in Pocatello, Idaho, while speaking at the state’s Republican Party convention.
The 74-year-old North defended his organization’s work during his 20-minute speech, calling it the nation’s largest “civil rights organization.”
His speech included video testimonials of NRA members sharing why gun rights are important to protect and encouraging the public to visit the organization’s “NRA TV” website rather than using traditional news sources.
Now, considering that the NRA has an overall good track record of supporting gun rights, this is probably a good thing. While the NRA and I aren’t completely on the same page (I am against all gun control other than, if the seller doesn’t want to sell the gun to someone, they don’t have to), I think that a boost to their membership of an additional six million people could have the effect of putting more lobbying pressure on Congress to protect Second Amendment rights, especially in this day and age of shrill, ignorant teenagers leading the fight to make us all helpless victims (David Hogg, I’m looking at you).
And, who knows, with Ollie North at the head of the NRA now, their positions on gun control may turn even more towards my viewpoints, but that is something that only time will tell.
Still, I will admit to finding the NRA’s new goal encouraging for the fight to keep our rights. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out.
The Demoncrats want to punish decent, honest citizens for the actions of the criminals and crazies that are allowed to run loose in modern America! Lock up the criminals and crazies. Problem solved!
Why didn’t the NRA demand that the criminal congressman who is conspiring to mandate unconstitutional anti-2nd/A universal background checks in Florida last month be charged by the state police with violating 18 USCC 241-241, after he is immediately suspended from his office for violating his oath of office? With all the dues I’ve paid to the NRA, Ollie North should call the police and sign the criminal complaint himself!
I read nothing of value in this article and nothing about the heading that the NRA is no good anymore! Why has this article survived?
Increasing NRA membership by a factor of 2 or more is certainly an interesting goal. That being said, with a view to the NRA’s past antics, one might well wonder as to whose side they were on, this noted with great regret. The aforementioned being noted, the following strikes me as a real problem, the solution of which evades me. How to get the majority of gun owners activated, that is off their seemingly dead asses. A relatively small number of people have been carrying the load, a situation that must be changed. The line of thinking that can be characterized as The NRA Won’t Let Them Do That has got to change, and it has to change RDN. The question is WILL IT?
Why hasn’t the NRA focused on the U.N. plan to completely disarm American citizens with their small arms treaty that the the federal government has already agreed to comply with. They are going to turn over records of civilian small arms ownership to the U.N. so when the time comes they can go door to door confiscating firearms. I will not join the NRA nor will I support them for allowing this to happen they have not even mentioned anything about it which means they have sold us out. They cater to both sides and they compromise. Our rights are not to be infringed no matter what there is no compromise when it comes to our constitutional rights our founding fathers specifically stated it in the constitution and there is only one way to interpret the constitution and that is exactly how it is written. The NRA wants nothing more than our money and by doubling the membership they are just doubling the money that they pocket. They are politicians just like the rest. The NRA was at its best and strongest when Charlton Heston was President of the organization. He is probably rolling over in his grave. I will protect my constitutional rights myself I have the ability and don’t need a bogus organization to do it for me for a price of a membership and constantly asking for more donations daily. We the people are more than enough to secure our rights and the rights of generations to come. We the people are the strongest organization in the world. No one has the right to regulate or restrict our natural born rights.
GUN OWNERS OF AMERICA is a lobby group that strikes fear in the black hearts of turncoat Tory republicans, suck ass Rinos and any other person who can’t wrap their cognitive dissonance around the words “Shall Not Be Infringed”. Period! No qualifiers, no exceptions, no deal making, no making Fiat laws that are punishable but never enforced by corrupt state’s attorneys in a nascent totalitarian police state justice system bought and paid for by the Deep State. Gun Owners of America do not capitulate, equivocate, or get blow jobs in the back stalls of the Capital Hill latrines–like some unmentionable long time scam orginizations– for ‘not really caring about stopping and repealing ALL gun laws. Put your money and support in less ‘compromising’ organizations than the NRA.
So what do you suggest Brauwermann? That they cut their membership in half? It cost money to lobby, it costs money to get out the message, it cost money to inform voters, etc. So tell us, how exactly are they suppose to spend their money. What do they finance that you think they shouldn’t. Or are just another George Soros lackey?
NRA is our best hope and protection we have. I’m a life member and will always support it. The Feds don’t keep records over 30 day , but you know who does, the States. I live in the no so great NANNY state of Massachusetts. The only true communist state!
Doubling our membership is a laudable goal and a difficult one given today’s atmosphere of dread of guns instead of criminals. As fear of guns increases, so does criminal activity.
Liberal ‘educators’, along with main stream media, have been busy for generations inculcating a fear of guns in our young who then pass this fear on to their children.
I used to believe that if enough people were robbed, beaten, raped and murdered, this fear of guns would change, however it seems I was wrong. It appears that the average citizen would rather be a victim than a survivor. As criminal activity spirals upward, the disparagy between those who own guns and those who don’t also continues to grow. An unarmed citizenry is not a more genteel one but more servile one.
I would suggest that, along with the drive to increase NRA membership, a nationwide program to educate the average citizen in the safe care and handling of guns, be launched. This might be similar to the Eddy Eagle program for our younger citizens, but broader in scope (maybe ‘a day at the range’ family activity, where proper instruction in all aspects of gun handling and ownership could taught to young and old alike).
As police departments shrink on size and public opinion toward law enforcement becomes more hostile, it becomes more incumbent upon the average person to arm themself for protection. Each individual must decide this for themself without the control of fear and ignorance.
Besides, gun ownership is not just for self defense. Target shooting at the range is a great activity for one and all.
Mr. Crockett’s post is a reminder to all of us that we should invite friends, family, friend’s families, etc to a fun day of shooting. We’ve taught a couple generations some funny things, between classrooms and movies. Mostly, you can’t be trusted with a weapon; neither can anyone else except move stars; and somehow all these criminals that we fear will clearly be disarmed if we infringe on the rights of citizens – oh wait, we don’t call people citizens anymore. The rights of ‘consumers.’
So invite the people you know to go shoot! Frankly, like we should be doing with church also. You can score a two-for-one strike against our liberal education system if you take them to church and then the range afterwards. And lunch, everybody likes lunch. 🙂
Low pressure, geared toward early success, standard range safety lecture, etc. A really big target helps a lot. I remember one young lady that looked very comfortable shooting a pistol – but despite the giant target we couldn’t figure out where she was hitting until she winged the top of the backstop! (no worries, even shooting over the backstop there was no risk to people or property, just a few random corn stalks on the hill behind us). So we worked on sight picture, and instantly she was on target with a usable skill, confident in her ability to safely use the weapon effectively.
I’ve done this several times over the years and have a 100% guest enjoyment record, but admittedly it’s been awhile.
Doubling NRA membership can only be a good thing. I believe association with the Association will help make a connection in people’s minds – yes, I am a gun owner, and yes, these people really do represent me. I’m not a crazy, so maybe the media is lying about NRA members. And if they’re lying about this, could it be that they lie about other things as well? Could it be? What are these people up to anyway?
And that, of course, is a long, long, path to start on.
Even setting up a target and shooting range for BB guns or archery in your backyard or an open field can get a group together and help teach gun safety. In many cities, shooting ranges are expensive, renting out guns and keeping control of safety is hard enough and insurance has to be high.
We should demand that health and safety classes in high school teach proper safety around firearms and that shooting sports are offered.
For all you naysayers above, the Gun Owners of America is a great organization but it does NOT have the national clout or importance the National Rifle Association has, nor can they match the membership. The NRA has spent far more than GOA or Second Amendment Foundation–another great 2nd Amendment organization–in defending Second Amendment cases in courts at state and Federal levels than either organization and those groups would love to siphon off NRA members to pad their own coffers and membership roles. It’s great to be a member of all three but denigrating the goals and accomplishments of the NRA is NOT the way to get ahead.
NRA wants to double membership? Not with their plan to raise dues! If anything they will loose members!
If the gun owners don’t quit with their nit picking about the NRA, the anti-gun loons are going to win!
Joe, apparently you don’t have your glasses on otherwise you’d see the anti-gun groups ARE winning, and the NRA is helping them by worrying more about getting more membership dues to pad their profit oriented pockets instead of fighting them tooth and nail like they promise they will do but never seem to ‘get around to it’.
GUN CONTROL IN ANY FORM IS TREASON ANARCHY OBSTRUCTION FRAUD EXTORTION AND RACKETEERING AND LIEING TO THE CITIZEN GOVERNMENT OF THIS NATION AND THE DUELY ELECTED POTUS AND HIS ADMINIDTRATION ETC AND THE GUILTY SHOULD BE PROSECUTED CONVICTED AND JAILED SUCH!!
I truly feel terrible about the innocent people and families that have been affected by gun violence and the stupid idiots behind them causing all this havoc. I truly don’t know the answer and sure wished I had an answer. I personally own weapons, have a CWP even though I’m not required to have one. I have fought for my country and my right to bear arms. Maybe longer mandatory jail sentences without parole for the first offense for those who shouldn’t be carrying. I can promise you one thing I will never surrender my weapons! I shouldn’t have to pay organized groups to protect my right to have them. Just wished I had answers.
Other countries that would do us harm see our nation as armed and dangerous for them. They see us as a nation of armed citizens and coming against us would be like hugging a porcupine.
Comments are closed.