The NRA

[cdkayak]

The problem is that they arent working together,and theres very little distinction between the two and their two very different objectives.
Add to the that the fact that memberships mandated by gun clubs do not extend to the ILA. SO although it may help their educational ends, it doesnt help to preserve their overall rights.
So in effect we are fighting a lopsided battle with the lions share of voluntary funding going to the education side and not the fight against gun control in the courts.
the problem is many people who donate to the NRA, think they are..

It's your money send it where you want. I'm not going to keep trying to convince you of the value of the NRA.

My opinion:
I think both are valuable entities and I contribute to both with full knowledge what each stands for and their individual purpose.

 

[SnakeEye]

im not questioning the value of the NRA< so save you keystrokes.
im trying to assert the misconception that the NRA fights for gun rights in the courts..
something it legally cannot do and maintain its tax status.

 

[Dirtypacman]

To be blunt the only misconception is that someone that did not research what the NRA and its role in our country is would not fully understand them. I respect your opinion but kindly disagree. I think NRA does a pretty good role telling us WE are the ones that need to be out there promoting the cause and writing our government to change.

 

[FPrice]

For Those People Who Do NOT Know the NRA...

see below.

 

[FPrice]

For Those People Who Do NOT Know the NRA...

Here is a quick overview of the history of the NRA:

http://www.nra.org/Aboutus.aspx

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE NRA

Dismayed by the lack of marksmanship shown by their troops, Union veterans Col. William C. Church and Gen. George Wingate formed the National Rifle Association in 1871. The primary goal of the association would be to "promote and encourage rifle shooting on a scientific basis," according to a magazine editorial written by Church.

After being granted a charter by the state of New York on November 17, 1871, the NRA was founded. Civil War Gen. Ambrose Burnside, who was also the former governor of Rhode Island and a U.S. Senator, became the fledgling NRA's first president.

later...

Through the association's magazine, The American Rifleman, members were kept abreast of new firearms bills, although the lag time in publishing often prevented the necessary information from going out quickly. In response to repeated attacks on the Second Amendment rights, NRA formed the Legislative Affairs Division in 1934. While NRA did not lobby directly at this time, it did mail out legislative facts and analyses to members, whereby they could take action on their own. In 1975, recognizing the critical need for political defense of the Second Amendment, NRA formed the Institute for Legislative Action, or ILA.

still later...

In 1990, NRA made a dramatic move to ensure that the financial support for firearms-related activities would be available now and for future generations. Establishing the NRA Foundation, a 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt organization, provided a means to raise millions of dollars to fund gun safety and educational projects of benefit to the general public. Contributions to the Foundation are tax-deductible and benefit a variety of American constituencies, including youths, women, hunters, competitive shooters, gun collectors, law enforcement agents and persons with physical disabilities.

and finally...

While widely recognized today as a major political force and as America's foremost defender of Second Amendment rights, the NRA has, since its inception, been the premier firearms education organization in the world. But our successes would not be possible without the tireless efforts and countless hours of service our nearly three million members have given to champion Second Amendment rights and support NRA programs. As former Clinton spokesman George Stephanopoulos said, "Let me make one small vote for the NRA. They're good citizens. They call their Congressmen. They write. They vote. They contribute. And they get what they want over time."

Reading more about the NRA should show that instead of an organization that does not fight for our gun rights in court one will find that the NRA is a multi-faceted organization working to protect our rights on a number of fronts, much like the United States had to fight WWII.

Please do some reading.

 

[SnakeEye]

To be blunt the only misconception is that someone that did not research what the NRA and its role in our country is would not fully understand them. I respect your opinion but kindly disagree. I think NRA does a pretty good role telling us WE are the ones that need to be out there promoting the cause and writing our government to change.

YOU DISAGREE...
in the face of fact you disagree.. wow ignorance is bliss..
and if you believe that writing letters effects law in our current system then you are truly living in a bubble..
nowadays, letters and votes dont change laws, lobbies change law. and without hundreds of millions of dollars in kickback money at your disposal to dish out to those who can effect your interests, your individual voice/vote is as good as mute. in a nation whose very govermnetal core is fired by corruption, only the almighty buck placed in the right pockets gives substance to the notion of political action.
hence the NRA-ILA, not the politically impotent NRA..

 

[Dirtypacman]

YOU DISAGREE...
in the face of fact you disagree.. wow ignorance is bliss..
and if you believe that writing letters effects law in our current system then you are truly living in a bubble..
nowadays, letters and votes dont change laws, lobbies change law. and without hundreds of millions of dollars in kickback money at your disposal to dish out to those who can effect your interests, your individual voice/vote is as good as mute. in a nation whose very govermnetal core is fired by corruption, only the almighty buck placed in the right pockets gives substance to the notion of political action.
hence the NRA-ILA, not the politically impotent NRA..

Not to defend myself your comments throughout this thread do that for me. Ignorance is the problem here.

 

[Jose]

how did the NRA reach out and educate your wife?
did they solicit her directly as a non shooter?
where exactly does the NRA reach out and seek new and prospective memebers from "outside" the sport?
The nra seems to only be preaching to the choir in that respect.

And again, i feel many people like myseff are simply not aware of the fact that their dollars dutifully paid will never, and can never challenge a single law..

You know what. QUIT. QUIT YOUR G-D NRA MEMBERSHIP.

Be gone and don't come back. We do not need you nor your "me, myself, and I" attitude.

ETA: Hardly anyone here GAF about why you dislike the NRA. Stop sending your money to them, then you can shut your trap about an organization that you do not belong to.

 

[bpm990d]

He would then be in the esteemed company of GHWB.

Good riddance.

B

 

[Mikey]

There is so much more then just what you see as "lobbying", The NRA may not lobby themselves but the pay millions to lobbying firms to do it for them. The NRA-ILA just happens to be their own direct lobbying firm. Forbes mag offen rates the NRA as the most powerful lobby in the country. The money you give to the NRA goes to the causes of gun rights including lobbying, you just might not recognize the lobbying firms names.

Check out these links.

http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.asp?ID=D000000082&Name=National+Rifle+Assn

http://www.publicintegrity.org/lobby/profile.aspx?act=clients&year=2003&cl=L002320

 

[Lynne]

Just a friendly Motherly reminder to play nice boys. If it's bothering you, don't click on the thread.

 

[Len-2A Training]

. . . or we will close the thread.

Your choice!

 

[Chris]

You can blame the same people that make the gun laws for making it hard for the NRA to lobby and otherwise act on the behalf of its members. Trust me, it would be a LOT easier if one organization could cover all the business. But sine the laws are written that describe how monies can be used and how people can and can't lobby, etc, any organization that wants to do all that the NRA does MUST divide itself to do it.

A great example is the stupid Campaign Finance law that was passed a few years back that prohibits anyone but a news organization from discussing candidates close to the election. In response, the NRA set up the NRA News division so that they could be a legitimate media under that law.

Just because you don't like the way the NRA had to break itself up just to do what we all want them to keep doing does not mean that sending $$ doesn't go to what you want. It just has to get there 'correctly'. If you notice, most of the fund raising mailings are for the ILA.

Even GOAL has to do this. GOAL itself is a political body. The GOAL Foundation is the educational division. The GOAL Foundation has the ability to operate as a charitable non-profit group where the regular business of GOAL can not. It is all done to comply with the laws so that money is used effectively.

Major corporations found all kinds of organizations to represent them to law makers. The corporation itself is limited in what it can do, but the interest groups it is a part of can do a lot more in certain places.

Do not condemn the NRA because it can't be a one front entity. By law it CAN'T. It also should not abandon the principals on which the organization was founded. Education, Training, and sponsored competition is JUST as important as the lobby effort. One of the biggest arguments against the anti-gun fronts is the fact that while they have all these prohibition agendas, they have NO concept of formal safety training. That is akin to banning kids from crossing the road instead of teaching them to do it safely.

While you may not agree with the structure, understand that it is what is required in this environment.

What would be nice is if the political arena were to change so that civil rights were not under attack and the NRA could return the focus on more shooting sports and less on reminding law makers of what their own oath meant when they took office.

Please don't ask me why groups need to divide up their activities like they do. You'd need to ask a tax attorney to explain all the rules and regulations.

The sad part is that groups like the NRA are forced to abide by all the rules to the letter and if they were to stray one inch they would be in a world of trouble. But groups like the Million Mom March who violated all kinds of rules easily get away with it because of favoritism. The Anti's love the laws because they are ignored when they break them and get away with it, but at the same time they can send watchdogs out to nitpick everything the Pro side does.

It is NOT being paranoid. The Second Amendment is under a very violent and multi-fronted attack. The banners are using every dirty trick in the book in an effort to silence, bankrupt, imprison, and denounce the NRA. Instead of getting upset at how the organization has to operate (unless you are a skilled tax attorney and can offer them ways to better run their organization) your best move is to stand fast, look the real criminals in the eye and announce in a loud voice (or letter, or whatever way you can) that they can pull every low handed dirty trick they want, but we are NOT going away.

If that means that I have to send $$ to yet ANOTHER division that had to be created to comply with the bogus laws, so be it.