Secrecy, Self-Dealing, and Greed at the N.R.A.

[Firefly]

Exactly the NRA can suck with or without us. They get too comfortable at times.

I figure we should all just save our money and directly bribe lawmakers and cut out the middleman.

Whydafuk all these people living in McManansions in NoVA and I canr have a 240. I NEED a 240. I have a legitimate need. Not a want nor a desire. Like a need. And NRA hasnt done anything about it.

I wish we could start our own group and just bribe people

[jsbhike]

Tangent, but related.

I'm really glad New York is so crime free it gives them a chance to go after the NRA.

https://apnews.com/abfecc7f1d56498d8b4a1aee6b1f84d8

While I get the jist of it, if you are a member and there seems to be malfeasance that the organization's hierarchy isn't concerned about, why would you not want it getting investigated?

[Grand58742]

While I get the jist of it, if you are a member and there seems to be malfeasance that the organization's hierarchy isn't concerned about, why would you not want it getting investigated?

You trust New York to do an impartial investigation?

I sure as hell don't.

[jsbhike]

You trust New York to do an impartial investigation?

I sure as hell don't.

I really doubt it too. I am not sure if that is due to NY state going after an opponent or faking going after a friend though. This will result in a huge influx of donations to NRA either way.

Do you think NRA's activities match how they advertise/portray themselves?

[OH58D]

Here's my take, from an old fashioned Goldwater/Reagan Conservative. I'm an NRA Life Member and I am concerned about the potential corruption within that organization. Money seems to do that to the best of us. My bigger concern is the erosion of our traditional institutions that we have looked up to and counted on to represent the average American who just want to continue enjoying the benefits our society has offered. It's like everything is slowly falling apart - from all directions, at the Federal and State levels, and perhaps even in local communities.

People like myself, who have been involved politically by voting, supporting candidates and organizations with time and money, are now starting to retract, pulling inward and looking at ways to weather the storm with close friends and family. For someone who has always been optimistic, I am getting a little pessimistic.

[Diamondback]

You're right. But because the NRA is so big, and because so many people think that should just accept their poor management, cronyism, and ineffectiveness because they're the biggest group "defending our rights", it's going to be difficult.

No one wins a war by staying on the defensive. I want an NRA that is looking to not only preserve our rights but expand them, or at least reclaim what we've lost over the years.

Steyr mentioned a ways back that I should tell the next caller that I'll sign up for life if they get the sporter clause removed. How about the NFA? Where are we on the Hearing Protection Act?

Here's what my small monkey brain came up with as ideas for improvement:
1. LaPierre and North need to go
2. NRA leadership has to embrace a more transparent accounting model, where every dollar that goes towards political action, legal fees, advertising, and lobbying has to be tracked, justified, and publically available. Beat them to the punch. "You want to see our numbers? Fine they're on our website; we cleaned house a couple years back and have nothing to hide."
3. Move its main offices off of the east coast. It's a toxic environment. Not only are the local politics inimical, but any locally sourced employees will be suspect.
4. Dump or reinvent the School Shield and Carry Guard programs.
5. Re-frame the narrative with the youth. Something like this: you think this President is a fascist? Look at Nazi Germany. Look at Pol Pot, etc. what did each fascist regime begin by doing? Yup. Firearms confiscation. Now look forward 50, 100, heck just 20 years. Imagine a true dictator in America. Someone who you revile, who is curtailing free speech, searching homes, seizing property, censoring the press, locking up dissidents. This is what the 2nd Amendment was for; Let not the next generation lament a choice to disarm made by this one."
6. Along the same veins, court new members, especially the youth, women (esp. mothers), and minorities. The 2nd protects those who are most vulnerable. Imagine an ad that shows a minority or LGBTQ person being assaulted until they access their CCW or get the AR out of safekeeping and hold their ground (not necessarily shooting). How about a parent (pan past photos on a mantle of spouse deployed) getting kid into car and driving to school. As they're dropping junior off, someone starts popping off rounds.
7. Publically or not, embrace that more members own modern sporting rifles. Leadership has to make peace/amends for the bump stock turd (take em or leave em, it was a turd).
8. As the membership shifts to millennials and hipsters, focus the publications and news on self defense, gun and personal defense technology, and hunting as organic/sustainable food procurement. Less "safaris for under $20k", "handloading for the .30-40 Krag", and "lead is now ok for hunting migratory birds on protected wetlands; you're welcome".
9. Find, take up, and win a bigger battle, as listed above.
10. Equate NRA membership with any other civil liberty protection membership. They protect each other, together they protect us all.

All good, but even before all that they need to have the lawyers re-establish with a new Charter somewhere outside New York. Wyoming would do nicely.

RE #8, IIRC they used to HAVE a CCW/self-defense focused mag, "American Defender" or somesuch, and they killed it. Having AWB-fan Fudds like Joaquin Jackson (is he still there?) on the BOD doesn't help much either. Also, when you look at th so-called "bennies" they offer... do you know ANYBODY who uses their Wine Club? That just reeks of a kickback to somebody's buddy... so they should look more to partner with companies that fit the MEMBERS' interests rather than those of the employees/BOD/Ack-Mac. Maybe look into something like an "Ammunition Subscription" program or something we're likely to use, maybe do a deal with Magpul for special NRA Limited Edition PMAGs or a "Mag-Of-The-Month Club" or something.

As for the excessive compensation, I bet many of us here could fill staff jobs for far less--hell, take care of my relo and costs-of-living, and help with getting my GF a green-card and put her on the rolls as my file clerk/assistant, and I'll sign on for minimum wage plus ten percent. The FIRST qualification for NRA employment should be "are you a Second Amendment activist?"

[Renegade]

AKDoug: If the NRA is so awesome, why cant I buy tommy guns and Colt Monitors like dude did in Highwaymen?

I would actually pay the cuck tax for a brand new 240 if sold at cost.

Because then or now, too many gun owners think NRA can wave a magic wand and make all gun control go away. Unfortunately, it does not work that way. Actual gun owners have to be politically active and elect pro-gunners (NRA has ZERO votes in elections), defeat anti-gunners, and lobby for against gun legislation.

[jsbhike]

No longer issuing new anti-2nd amendment statements.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joaquin_Jackson

A shame that he had a stump to stand on for that and no telling how much damage he did to it over his lifetime.

[jsbhike]

Because then or now, too many gun owners think NRA can wave a magic wand and make all gun control go away. Unfortunately, it does not work that way. Actual gun owners have to be politically active and elect pro-gunners (NRA has ZERO votes in elections), defeat anti-gunners, and lobby for against gun legislation.

No one said anything about a magic wand to control anyone else's anti-2nd Amendment machinations.

On the then, they were formed due to being upset that northern marksmanship was not up to par and the Federal government wasn't able to put down the southern states faster as a result. Expanding federal authority certainly isn't an effort coinciding with the spirit of the 2nd Amendment and the "then" focus was clearly stated by Franklin Orth in 1968, "The National Rifle Association has been in support of workable, enforceable gun control legislation since its very inception in 1871."

Up until the early 1970's they were very actively and openly pushing for 2nd Amendment infringements from local up through federal levels. Only after a guy got shot by a combined local and federal raiding party (based on a bogus tip from a thief) did they latch on to the current fundraising scheme. For awhile Neal Knox attempted to have them make good on their claims and that of course ended up with him getting ousted.

Since that time, they have paid lip service to the 2nd Amendment, but always end up doing things like endorsing anti-gun politicians and laws to infringe on the 2nd Amendment. Those actions they do have control over, but continue to do them anyway.

[Renegade]

No one said anything about a magic wand to control anyone else's anti-2nd Amendment machinations.

No, nobody did. Nor did I say anybody did.