Maybe. Or maybe we've got a logical bias. What if the NRA listed the 3944033 different laws and regulations they helped defeat in the last 30 years? Naturally, we'd look at it and say, "Well, that one wasn't going anywhere" and "they just gave that money" and "well we just have the NRA's word they made that go away." Our premise is that hte NRA didn't fix EVERY gun law that went against us, so no one can prove to us that they did their job. We are a conclusion looking to cherry pick the data to prove our point.
I agree, perfect shouldn't be the enemy of good. Can they name any major successes in the last 10 years? Do they outweigh all the bad they've done for us? Did Wayne get us
anything under Trump?
Again - powerful people in the gun world -those that are fighting for YOUR rights - they respect and support Wayne.
I can respect their opinions and disagree. I have a friend who designs firearms for one of the big names - he's of the opinion the NRA should be dissolved. I tend to disagree with him, too.
I'm not sure that hte NRA was ever set up to be a total right-wing arm of gun owners as we wish them to be today. Historically, they've been there to educate and support. I wonder if it was US who shifted, not the NRA.
You're right, they were created as an educational org. And they still do an ok job of that, though most of the new material they've generated lately seems to be rehashing others' work. Nonetheless, their history is replete with good things in education.
It's worth remembering, of course, that the initial sales pitch for starting the NRA was to teach marksmanship to Americans. The premise being that this would generate a pipeline of skilled folks ready to serve in our military and to help freedmen have the tools to protect themselves.
Fast forward 100 yerars, we saw the Cincinnati Revolution in '76. Enough of the membership felt that the org was faltering; that by positioning itself as serving sportsmen and hunters, it had taken too soft a stance. After this event, the organization was redirected towards taking a hard line position in protection of rights. 50 years later, it seems that - despite the "cold dead hands" and "most important election ever" rhetoric - they're drifting back towards that hunter/sportsman's rights org.
Is the NRA definitionally a hard-nosed rights group? No. Is it in their history? Absolutely. Is it reasonable that the membership are murmuring for another reset? Sure - this is what democracy looks like.
Not to say they SHOULDN'T fight for our rights vehemently. But it was a different battle in 94. Remember, Reagan, Ford and Carter (giggle) were in support of AWB94. Hell, a pile of Republicans voted for the thing. (And strangely, a pile of Democrats voted against it. - It was a very bipartisan bit of legislation. And the Dems lost their shirts in the next election because of it.) But I'm not sure I can "blame" the NRA for it's passing.
Was the passage of the AWB the failure of the NRA alone? Of course not. I'll grant that was kind of a cheap shot on my part. And I'll be the first to admit that they pump money to GOAL on the back end, to help with efforts here. They deserve credit where it's due.
They also deserve to draw fire where it's due. The NRA told Trump to ban bumpstocks. They've been on the side of Red Flag Laws. They worked to block CC in NH. They poopooed Heller until it was clear he was going to win.
Meanwhile, what have they done about the new PMF updates from Biden's "AFT"? What are they doing about the pistol brace junk? Where were they on the HPA? Have I missed all the help they're giving for the CC movement that has now passed in half the states of the Union?