The NRA Is Still A No Show In Massachusetts

[Rob Boudrie]

The NRA has events in MA every year. There are opportunities to get involved and I would suggest as with all political organizations, that change from within is much more effective than complaining from without.

Are you referring to the Friends of the NRA dinners? Those are fundraising activities designed to shovel money into the NRA from local residents, not parcel it out to support the action locally.

As K. Dragger mentioned, the NRA funds some legal actions in MA. I think GOALs comment was true to the extent that GOAL receives no funding or indirect financial support in kind from the NRA.

 

[Dennis in MA]

So statistically, only 5% of the people on NES, and thus 5% of the posters on this thread, are GOAL and/or NRA members. (OK, those are separate sets. And while they have overlap, it's probably 7% either-or.)

LOL

I was forced, originally, into GOAL. I had no idea who they were. Glad I was, but had no clue at the time.

Hell, I might go down to the next Marlboro show with 9 $100 bills and hand them to GOAL to fund the next 30 members. Just to bump things up. Gosh! How hard is it to join GOAL????

 

[rwl1955]

I agree with some of what you've said. Granted, we're not the biggest state in the union, but with a 2015 population of 6.79 million people and a anticipated 2016 population of 6.8115 million, we're not on par with say, North Dakota either. I understand that the NRA's chosen claim to fame is that they carry on the good fight at the federal level. I agree and am concerned that the possibility of supreme court changes that Hillary could make, if elected, would spell doom for gun rights and that the NRA can be helpful in getting votes in congress, however, if states rights ( which as seen here in Ma. supersede federal rights) are lost in the process, what's the point of the NRA getting congressional votes only to have them completely voided by individual states? This is why I feel it very important for the NRA decision makers to get involved with individual states gun rights. Once again, without states gun rights, there is no purpose to federal gun rights, since the state can overrule/ void " ALL " federal gun rights, as seen here in Ma..

********
It's already happened, see Draper vs. Healey and the CT. AWB ban and the order to register your "assault weapon" w/the State. We lost in Federal Court in both cases so States can make their own laws governing firearms superseding Federal law. Massachusetts doesn't even recognize the 2nd Amendment never mind respect your rights. AG's from liberal States have joined together to attack the oil companies and demand records from the 70's in their attempt to prove climate change is caused by fossil fuels. The Libs have declared war on us and will use any tactic they can get away with. Laws and common decency mean nothing to anti-American repressives. Obama and his acolytes hate us more than Islamic terrorists and Commie Dictators like the Castro Brothers. WE ARE THE ENEMY. Scalia's death was all they could ask for because he was their Satan.

 

[Chevy 2 65]

********
It's already happened, see Draper vs. Healey and the CT. AWB ban and the order to register your "assault weapon" w/the State. We lost in Federal Court in both cases so States can make their own laws governing firearms superseding Federal law. Massachusetts doesn't even recognize the 2nd Amendment never mind respect your rights. AG's from liberal States have joined together to attack the oil companies and demand records from the 70's in their attempt to prove climate change is caused by fossil fuels. The Libs have declared war on us and will use any tactic they can get away with. Laws and common decency mean nothing to anti-American repressives. Obama and his acolytes hate us more than Islamic terrorists and Commie Dictators like the Castro Brothers. WE ARE THE ENEMY. Scalia's death was all they could ask for because he was their Satan.

And in Maryland the courts struck down the AWB

 

[Gaffer]

I last lived in Mass.in 1983, but as I recall there was some sort of serious flap between the NBA and GOAL, and the NRA said you are on your own. There are probably older forum members who could expound on what the bru ha was all about. Turf battles can do lingering damage!

 

[Alex0311]

I don't blame the NRA for not being super involved in Massachusetts. Does anyone really think that gun ownership will be intact in Massachusetts, given the current trajectory, in a generation or two? You explicitly have *NO* right to bear arms in Massachusetts. None. Allocating finite resources for a Sisyphean Task in a state where almost all of your neighbors hate your guts for owning guns seems kinda retarded to me and a waste.

 

[42!]

I don't blame the NRA for not being super involved in Massachusetts. Does anyone really think that gun ownership will be intact in Massachusetts, given the current trajectory, in a generation or two? You explicitly have *NO* right to bear arms in Massachusetts. None. Allocating finite resources for a Sisyphean Task in a state where almost all of your neighbors hate your guts for owning guns seems kinda retarded to me and a waste.

You may want to consider that something started here in MA can be used as a precedent throughout the nation. Kind of like our State Constitution article XVII was, at least partly, the inspiration for the 2nd Amendment.

Once an infection takes root it will spread and it will be harder to cure. Better to treat it at its first sign than wait.

 

[ggboy]

I believe that there is some kind of state law that basically prohibits teh NRA from direct involvement in Ma, which is why GOAL was started.
ggboy

 

[Woodstock]

Are you referring to the Friends of the NRA dinners? Those are fundraising activities designed to shovel money into the NRA from local residents, not parcel it out to support the action locally.

Actually, the Friends of NRA raises money precisely to shovel it back into the local clubs, junior programs and other shooting activities in the state where it is raised, and none of it goes into political activities. The funds raised by MA Friends of NRA committees is split between local grants to organizations in MA and the national programs like Eddie Eagle. Friends of NRA is part of the NRA Foundation, which as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charity, can't give any funds to the NRA or the NRA-ILA, and receives no funds from them. Several of us NESers work hard all year to raise money for the Friends of NRA. Last year over $40,000 was granted to MA clubs and shooting and archery programs. There's a dinner in Leominster in September, and our Pioneer Valley committee will be selling tickets in our October GunADay raffle soon. https://www.nrafoundation.org

 

[HiCap]

I was under the impression that the NRA left GOAL and Comm2A in charge of MA because they asked to do so. I'm sorry but what has GOAL or Comm2A done (before 7/20/16) to fix the issues here in MA. I know a lot of people on this forum don't share the same views towards GOAL as I do, but how can they sit there and tell us that they were surprised that the 7/20/16 AWB happened???

I still might donate to the GOAL (I have in the past) if they bring a lawsuit or legal action to the AGO, but if they dont then I will continue supporting NSSF because they seem to be the only ones bringing this into the court at the moment. Heck even Smith and Wesson sent NSSF $500,000 to fight the legal battle against the AG.

 

[Len-2A Training]

I believe that there is some kind of state law that basically prohibits teh NRA from direct involvement in Ma, which is why GOAL was started.
ggboy

Huh, do you think Healy put out some notice to that effect??

No such law exists. However, if NRA was actively working MA and visible as such it would lead to complete political disaster.

I was under the impression that the NRA left GOAL and Comm2A in charge of MA because they asked to do so. I'm sorry but what has GOAL or Comm2A done (before 7/20/16) to fix the issues here in MA. I know a lot of people on this forum don't share the same views towards GOAL as I do, but how can they sit there and tell us that they were surprised that the 7/20/16 AWB happened???

I still might donate to the GOAL (I have in the past) if they bring a lawsuit or legal action to the AGO, but if they dont then I will continue supporting NSSF because they seem to be the only ones bringing this into the court at the moment. Heck even Smith and Wesson sent NSSF $500,000 to fight the legal battle against the AG.

Why don't you do some reading of the charters of GOAL and Comm2A? GOAL doesn't bring lawsuits, Comm2A does.

The AG doesn't consult with anyone. Back in 1998-9 Glidden invited the AG's office to the table at their GCAB meetings and the AG refused to work with them. That is just how the MA AG rolls. What makes you think that they consulted GOAL or Comm2A prior to 7/20?

Please try to educate yourself before pontificating from ignorance! And although I am a GOAL life member, I am no longer a GOAL cheerleader . . . however, I do tell it like it is and recognize them for what they do do and what they can do.

 

[M60]

Several members of Comm2A have posted just that in this very thread. I'm not sure that I would want them to post numbers since we aren't the only ones reading this. Face to face conversations with those people may produce more specific examples and such, there are events for that as well (they do shoot you know, not just the legal stuff).

I pm'd a member of Comm2A as you suggested. I couldn't get a straight answer. Kind of like dealing with Healy's office. A simple yes, or no would have worked very nicely

 

[Rob Boudrie]

I pm'd a member of Comm2A as you suggested. I couldn't get a straight answer. Kind of like dealing with Healy's office. A simple yes, or no would have worked very nicely

And what was the question?

[email protected]

 

[HiCap]

Why don't you do some reading of the charters of GOAL and Comm2A? GOAL doesn't bring lawsuits, Comm2A does.

The AG doesn't consult with anyone. Back in 1998-9 Glidden invited the AG's office to the table at their GCAB meetings and the AG refused to work with them. That is just how the MA AG rolls. What makes you think that they consulted GOAL or Comm2A prior to 7/20?

Please try to educate yourself before pontificating from ignorance! And although I am a GOAL life member, I am no longer a GOAL cheerleader . . . however, I do tell it like it is and recognize them for what they do do and what they can do.

Where did I say that the AGO consulted with GOAL/Comm2A before the new AWB??

All I meant is that whenever there is an issue like 7/20 they write blogs and posts and seemed surprised that this happened. You can't convince me that not one person at GOAL/Comm2A didnt see this coming after a large portion of Healeys 'campaign' was gun control. It just seems to me that they should have been hammering her from day one instead of trying to do damage control. That is my view on it. But dont call me ignorant because I dont share the same views as you and others.

Maybe if the NRA had more muscle here in the Commonwealth then things would be different.

 

[flythebluesky]

The NRA bosses (gun manufacturers) don't sell enough guns in MA for them to care.
But they'll take your NRA memberships and spend it elsewhere.

 

[Chevy 2 65]

Where did I say that the AGO consulted with GOAL/Comm2A before the new AWB??

All I meant is that whenever there is an issue like 7/20 they write blogs and posts and seemed surprised that this happened. You can't convince me that not one person at GOAL/Comm2A didnt see this coming after a large portion of Healeys 'campaign' was gun control. It just seems to me that they should have been hammering her from day one instead of trying to do damage control. That is my view on it. But dont call me ignorant because I dont share the same views as you and others.

Maybe if the NRA had more muscle here in the Commonwealth then things would be different.

Seems to me, this happened after a certain shop showed them the AR features etc..

 

[HiCap]

The NRA bosses (gun manufacturers) don't sell enough guns in MA for them to care.
But they'll take your NRA memberships and spend it elsewhere.

You can't say that the NRA is the only pro-gun organization that does this...

- - - Updated - - -

Seems to me, this happened after a certain shop showed them the AR features etc..

Yes and I work at the other gun shop in that town and I can safely say that business increased for us.

 

[Knuckle Dragger]

I believe that there is some kind of state law that basically prohibits teh NRA from direct involvement in Ma, which is why GOAL was started.
ggboy

Such a law would CLEARLY violate the First Amendment. The government cannot ban groups that advocate on behalf of their members:

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

The antis can squawk all they want about the gun lobby, the NRA corrupting Congress, and even that the NRA is a terrorist organization like ISIS. The bottom line is that the activities of the NRA are protected by the First Amendment.

 

[Chevy 2 65]

Such a law would CLEARLY violate the First Amendment. The government cannot ban groups that advocate on behalf of their members:



The antis can squawk all they want about the gun lobby, the NRA corrupting Congress, and even that the NRA is a terrorist organization like ISIS. The bottom line is that the activities of the NRA are protected by the First Amendment.

I have to say it. Just like gun rights are protected by the 2nd "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
Meaning of Infringe --- act so as to limit or undermine

 

[Knuckle Dragger]

-1

I pm'd a member of Comm2A as you suggested. I couldn't get a straight answer. Kind of like dealing with Healy's office. A simple yes, or no would have worked very nicely

For some reason you thought you were entitled to information that the NRA, Comm2A and others have so far not chosen to make public. You were given an answer that that was more than was posted on this forum. I'm sorry that you didn't think you got a straight answer.

I didn't want to ask this question of you on the open forum, so if it's ok, I'll ask here. There seem to be multiple impressions, regarding the NRA's activity, here in Ma.. Is the NRA financially backing your organization, or any other organization here in Ma., that you know of, for the specific purpose of reversing what Healy has done here recently? I appreciate any information that you may be at liberty to share.
Thank you,
M60

You received this answer:

The thing you have to keep in mind is that the NRA is a HUGE organization with a lot of different moving parts. To think of them as a well integrated single-purpose behemoth would be a mistake.

I don't know, nor to I care, what kind of relationship they have with GOAL. NRA-CRDF has partnered with Comm2A on a number of strategic project. In that respect they're a 'force multiplier' allowing us to hire tier-one legal talent like David Jensen. This isn't exactly confidential, but NRA has also come to appreciate that attaching their name to projects in places like Massachusetts is counter productive. Comm2A has ve a good reputation with them. They value and respect our judgement and they don't try to jump in front of our parade.

At a minimum they deserve your support as a member for two reasons. First, the NRA's power is in the number of members and voters they influence. The number of voters they influence is a multiplier of their membership. That sends a message. Second, we need to continue to tell groups like NRA and SAF that we're relevant here in Massachusetts. Unfortunately, Massachusetts residents have a skin-flint reputation with the national organizations. We just don't join up at the rates that folks in other states do and both the NRA and SAF know it. Membership send a message that we're invested.

I'm not sure exactly what kind of response you think you're entitled to.

 

[durask]

******
We are a small right wing minority in a far left moonbat State. The total population of Ma. is tiny compared to many other States. Moonbats are the majority by far and we'll never have their numbers which means we're screwed. We can't even depend on the rule of law because the State courts are packed w/left wing, anti-gun judges who will ALWAYS rule against us. If it wasn't for the NRA and Republican pols we'd be turning our guns in to Obama and his acolytes. Left wing Teachers Unions control the schools which preach the left wing agenda. If Hillary wins, even thou she's nowhere near as anti-gun as the Obama acolytes, we're screwed. She'll get to appoint 2-3 Supreme Court judges who will overturn Heller and MacDonald. The Dems have turned hard left and will use the Obama example to marginalize us if we lose the Senate. Unless Americans wake up in the next 3 months we'll be fighting a losing battle because of the changing demographics and the loss of power. The NRA is still the most powerful gun rights organization and can get the votes in Congress. Without them we're screwed. I'm 61 yrs. old and have seen this State change from Kennedy Dems to far left wing, anti-American moonbats. Just my observations and my opinion.

Well, Kennedy Dems almost pulled off the 1976 handgun ban and confiscation so I do not think they were any better.

 

[Len-2A Training]

Well, Kennedy Dems almost pulled off the 1976 handgun ban and confiscation so I do not think they were any better.

They lost that vote by a 2 to 1 margin. Where do you get the idea that "almost pulled off the 1976 handgun ban"?

I dare say that today due to media meddling, the same ballot question would swing the other way IMNSHO.

 

[mikeboston]

we pay dues to groups like the NRA, comm2A, GOAL and others in order to be heard on a larger scale and our collective interests to be heard and protected both on the National and local level. I'm sure these organizations like other members have mentioned already make a judgement call at what capacity they will be involved based on what's at stake and whether or not public opinion can sway things one way or another. Even minorities are protected under the constitution and yes we are a minority with a strong voice. We are all anxious to know the next step will be because our lives and our families lives are at stake because we are law abiding citizen and we didn't break any law. So having said all that if legal action is on the way it will be crazy for the teams that have been assembled to share any information with any of us at this point since the information is probably extremely sensitive. I don't know of any legal teams sharing information at the early stages of any case or their strategy. Yes we all want to know but with court cases patience and good strategy is key. I will continue my contributions to all organizations working to protect the 2nd amendment both on the national and local level including NES.

 

[Rob Boudrie]

I dare say that today due to media meddling, the same ballot question would swing the other way IMNSHO.

I'm not so sure.

At the same time that AWs and EBRs have become the new boogey men, handguns still retain an image of legitimacy as evidenced by the huge number of states with shall issue CCW. Add to that the fact that under Heller/McDonald (at least for now), the ban could not extend to the home, and such a referendum would be a non-starter.

 

[BREWINZ]

I'm not so sure.

At the same time that AWs and EBRs have become the new boogey men, handguns still retain an image of legitimacy as evidenced by the huge number of states with shall issue CCW. Add to that the fact that under Heller/McDonald (at least for now), the ban could not extend to the home, and such a referendum would be a non-starter.

Yet, handguns account for the largest amount of firearm related deaths. Suicide plays a large role. We're all on the same team, but I'm just playing Devil's advocate. It goes to show that bans don't go by the numbers, but rather fear and political opportunity.

P.S. Totally agree with you.

 

[M60]

-1


For some reason you thought you were entitled to information that the NRA, Comm2A and others have so far not chosen to make public. You were given an answer that that was more than was posted on this forum. I'm sorry that you didn't think you got a straight answer.



You received this answer:


I'm not sure exactly what kind of response you think you're entitled to.

First let me say that I didn't ask for entitlement . I only asked if the NRA financially backed Comm 2A. Rather than answer me with a simple yes or no, in the end I received a response from you that said "what do you think you are entitled to", not "I'm not sure what you think you are entitled to. Oh, and your response also came with your NES negative rep point for me. I have been considering donating to NRA if they haven't forgotten us here in Ma., as well as a donation to Comm 2A, so my question shouldn't have been found to be out of line by you as a representative of Comm2A. Most people want to know that their donations are being put to good use. So did I. Thank you for straitening me out . I now understand that I was wrong and that it is none of my business where my money goes or how it used, thanks to you. Now that I know my place, I wont ask again. For future reference, you may want to consider adjusting your windage and elevation, since you have now targeted a friend of Comm 2A. Nice job.

 

[rwl1955]

"And in Maryland the courts struck down the AWB " You are correct but in States controlled by Dems we're screwed(the whole Northeast and Ca.). The repressives can't get handguns banned so they go after AR-15's because they exploit tragedies for political gain. This all comes from the Obama admin and the DNC. Obama whines about Congress obstructing his agenda and he's right, that's their job to prevent a radical anti-American from changing America. Only a radical anti-American would want to disarm American citizens when we're at war with fanatical terrorists who think nothing of killing innocent civilians. Remember, Obama and his acolytes think WE are the biggest threat to America, not radical Jihadists.

 

[GlockJock]

Such a law would CLEARLY violate the First Amendment. The government cannot ban groups that advocate on behalf of their members:

 

[rwl1955]

"Such a law would CLEARLY violate the First Amendment. The government cannot ban groups that advocate on behalf of their members:" Hillary has told her Moonbats that within 30 days of her Presidency she would offer an amendment to the 1st amendment blocking political speech she doesn't like.

 

[HiCap]

"Such a law would CLEARLY violate the First Amendment. The government cannot ban groups that advocate on behalf of their members:" Hillary has told her Moonbats that within 30 days of her Presidency she would offer an amendment to the 1st amendment blocking political speech she doesn't like.

Is that when we can start the revolution?????