For those who will say that it's VERY difficult in MA to advocate a pro-gun position, I know it is. Further, I know that GOAL is probably not as well funded as the NRA. However, if you look at the ratings that GOAL has given the legislators in this state, it looks as though there are close to 50% who are for legal gun ownership.
Yeah, but when you have f*ckwits like Jarret Barrios being on the
public safety committee in senate, it's pretty hard to introduce pro gun
bills... especially when that anti-gun other 50% is actively trying to shoot
them down or tank the bill so it doesn't go anywhere. The other problem is even when you can introduce bills (eg the target guns bill thing) it's very
difficult to keep the lard off the bill if you want it to pass. (EG, that bill
got a big part of its sack cut off on the single action revolvers thing being
hacked off before it got voted on.... )
I'm actually pretty -IMPRESSED- with what GOAL has been able to do... one
would think in MA that they wouldn't be able to accomplish anything at
all. Pulling off the licensing reform thing was a major win, given the
circumstances. The fact that there is an organization that tries to do
something in MA is admirable in and of itself. Most people would have
just thrown in the towel a long time ago on this state.
One thing you're probably forgetting. GOAL has only the support of
what amounts to a "minority of a minority". EG, Say concievably there
are 250K gun owners in MA. Of that number, theres probably only
like 10% that really care about gun rights. Then theres a small pecentage
of THAT number that are actually GOAL members. So given the minute
proportional size of the organization, I think they're doing good given
the circumstances. Hell, I'd venture a guess that there are more NRA
members in MA than there are GOAL members. That explains a large
part of the problem....
-Mike