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

[jsbhike]

For everyone defending the NRA and saying, "Where would we be without them?"

Be honest, YOU HAVE NO IDEA where we would be. NONE. ZERO. Because they exist they have essentially sucked all the oxygen out of the room. There is little left for any other organization.

Would another organization be better? Be worse? Who knows?......But no one can say they "know" anything about what things would be like without the NRA. There would likely be other organizations to take their place if they were not around and what they would do, how they would do it etc...is completely unknown. I can tell you this much, they do exactly jack and shit here in Texas- the Rep. that covers Texas covers TWO other states, nobody sees her in Austin. The heavy lifting is done by the Texas State Rifle Association- and that's fact- and unfortunately, they are a bunch of Fudds content to play small ball when it comes to our rights.

ETA: I also find it curious that on a board full of LE and Veterans etc...that everyone is so quick to excuse corruption if it's "their guy".... It's kind of sad really. Honor, integrity etc....apparently just words now....No wonder we are where we are as a nation. If you can excuse these things in your own- then you had better believe war is coming or you can simply submit to scumbags of one stripe or another.

Seen several states with legit and active pro 2nd Amendment groups complain about NRA thwarting their efforts by backing anti gun politicians.

[Esq.]

Seen several states with legit and active pro 2nd Amendment groups complain about NRA thwarting their efforts by backing anti gun politicians.

I can't speak to other states but you have jackasses like our House Speaker Bonnen here in Texas that wear their NRA A rating as some kind of magic talisman. As long as he has it he doesn't have to do a damn thing to actually ADVANCE gun rights and he can concentrate on whatever the Doctors, Realtors and Insurance Lobby think is most important and **** the little people and what they want.

[grnamin]

I'm a life member, but I think that the NRA is part of the establishment.

[sundance435]

Lot of interesting things to consider in the comments here so far. My current frustration with the NRA is due, it seems, to the tack they've taken with this Ackerman firm. Their advertising/solicitation/media efforts are at best hyperbolic and at the worst detrimental to 2A rights. I also think there's an interesting case to be made that they are, to some extent, part of the status quo and why our 2A rights will never improve from where they are now. I don't think there's necessarily a conspiracy theory to be made, it's just politics 101 and they're great at that. They (apparently) make more money from fear and are not above manufacturing their own crises, which, again, is detrimental to gun owners in general. They've lost some of their bite with the constant drumbeat of "this is the biggest threat ever", but they still know that their greatest fundraising comes from having an enemy, real or not - again, politics 101.

However, nothing that was reported in the article is really surprising to me. That has nothing to do with the NRA in particular, it's just how the "system" works. Happens in any not-for-profit, for-profit, or government. People use their positions to help themselves and friends - nothing new there. The good ol' boy network is as strong now as it ever was, it's just changed forms over the years. I don't even have a particular problem with the good ol' boy network because when you know how it operates in a given situation, that's an advantage, but I'm more of a realist than an altruist.

That said, there's still nothing out there to replace the NRA that can come close to the degree of success they have and the influence they wield. I think these kinds of articles, like those about Russian involvement in the NRA, are primarily designed to damage the NRA's credibility and standing, though the information itself is probably mostly factual. You could write the same piece about any organization, but it wouldn't get the reads that an NRA article would.

[26 Inf]

NRA isn't perfect and I would like to see some changes, like them growing larger balls and NEVER caving on ANY firearm or firearm accessory related issue, EVER.

That being said, if you are only a member of the NRA, you are doing it wrong. Big time.

26Inf, et al- if you don't like how the NRA is doing things, are you at least contributing to all/some of these?


GOA/Gun Owners of America
SAF/The Second Amendment Foundation
JFPO/Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership
Constitutional Rights PAC (This one goes beyond just 2A, but that's a big part of their mission.
FPC/Firearms Policy Coalition
WAGC/Women against gun control
Citizens Committee for the right to Keep and Bear Arms

_______ <-- Insert local gun rights org.

We need every dog in this fight we can get, including the NRA in my opinion.

I contribute to all fo the above and my local RMGO. How about you guys?

As for me, yes, GOA and NSSF (which you didn't mention). I joined GOA, them sent them some more money, as a result they've been asking for more.

[26 Inf]

I really, really get you....If I was President of the NRA I would send out an information letter every damn month informing people about the Sporter Clause and what can be done to strike it from the 1968 GCA.

Good stuff.

[26 Inf]

NRA members that are aware of those points keep donating, encourage others to donate, and try to get new members.

Their base membership vigorously supports their current operations. Why would they change course to a tougher path that stands a chance of alienating a large part of the people who are their steady stream of revenue?

I don't believe that the base membership knowledgeably supports their base operations. I hope that you realize a good portion of the NRA membership could give a care less about your black rifle - those fuds that often get mentioned.

By changing course, you mean transferring money from the membership to their own pockets by potentially illegal means which might jeopardize the NRS's non-profit status?

I fully recognize the article was intended to be a hit piece on the NRA, to sow seeds of discord. But I also believe that it is factually true. The membership needs to hold LaPierre, North, et al, accountable and start putting the wasted money to work, not destroy the NRA.

[Esq.]

I don't believe that the base membership knowledgeably supports their base operations. I hope that you realize a good portion of the NRA membership could give a care less about your black rifle - those fuds that often get mentioned.

By changing course, you mean transferring money from the membership to their own pockets by potentially illegal means which might jeopardize the NRS's non-profit status?

I fully recognize the article was intended to be a hit piece on the NRA, to sow seeds of discord. But I also believe that it is factually true. The membership needs to hold LaPierre, North, et al, accountable and start putting the wasted money to work, not destroy the NRA.

Here's the problem as far as I'm concerned about all this. The NRA inner sanctum leadership has known about all this for a long time. They rammed through bylaw changes not long ago for EXACTLY this reason- to protect their place at the trough, making it extremely difficult for the rank and file to replace board members etc....That's pretty damn sketchy and convincing to me that they have thought they were in trouble for awhile- they wanted to insulate themselves from the "pitchforks of the riff raff"...... I can't tolerate that level of deception.

Now, don't misunderstand, I'm not talking about a boycott etc...I want a PURGE of the current regime, voiding of contracts, suits for mis, mal and non feasance....And I want it rebuilt like the $6 Million Dollar Man- Stronger, Faster, Better- You get the idea.

[jsbhike]

I don't believe that the base membership knowledgeably supports their base operations. I hope that you realize a good portion of the NRA membership could give a care less about your black rifle - those fuds that often get mentioned.

By changing course, you mean transferring money from the membership to their own pockets by potentially illegal means which might jeopardize the NRS's non-profit status?

I fully recognize the article was intended to be a hit piece on the NRA, to sow seeds of discord. But I also believe that it is factually true. The membership needs to hold LaPierre, North, et al, accountable and start putting the wasted money to work, not destroy the NRA.

I fully understand a large portion of the NRA membership does not support the 2nd Amendment and management supports it even less.

That being said, their advertising schemes to attract money states the exact opposite. So I don't put a lot of faith in people who support what could be considered a fraudulent ad campaign to gain funds getting their sense of right and wrong offended by those funds getting dispensed in a similar manner to how they were accrued.

[themonk]

Nothing changes until you get rid of skeletor.