Herschel Smith has some bad things to say about the NRA, and can’t say that I disagree with a single one. Here’s the killer part, though:
The NRA rating system can’t be trusted to mean anything at all, they haven’t won a real fight in God knows how long, they’re in court defending themselves, the best and brightest hopes have left the board of directors, they jettisoned the ones who didn’t (like Lt. Col. Allen West), and they’re eaten up with bitterness and internal politics and squabbles.
They were completely absent this last national election (did you hear anything from them?), and they’re trying at the moment just to survive.
What a wasted opportunity. And all of this – every bit of it – was self inflicted.
Yup. When you have an organization that nominally holds over five million members and you can’t do diddly with it, you deserve to pass into oblivion.
And for those who ask “Who else?”, may I suggest the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF), which actually, you know, takes the anti-2A assholes to court and stuff. Over the past ten years, SAF has done more for our gun rights than the NRA managed in twenty.
@Kim,
Agree whole-heartedly with your assessment and with giving the nod to SAF. I’d also like to humbly suggest that supporting one’s state organization is a worthy endeavor as well. IL State Rifle Association would be mine, and from the really dark days when I was married to Satan and resided in MA, there’s GOAL. Besides membership, I periodically contribute to ISRAs legal defense fund, but I digress a bit. I recall a recent news blurb too about the state association in NJ filing a lawsuit, maybe over concealed carry. Another suit was also recently filed in Kommiefornia over their “legal handgun” roster. Frequently these state organizations team up with SAF for greater access to resources, all of which is double-plus terrific.
On a different note … yesterday I stopped at a favorite LGS looking for poly coated CCI Clean – since August I’ve purchased 2,800 rounds of the stuff (in 400-round canisters). Yesterday they were sold out out, with no idea when the stuff might come back into stock. I’ll have to really scrounge for an NAD purchase. Tis a good thing I’ve laid in a decent supply of rimfire fodder since January. Maybe I should go looking for that CMMG AR rimfire conversion kit for AR practice on the cheap. Hmmm. Sad, lean days ahead probably until at least 2022 …
– Brad
Completely agree.
Unfortunately, there’s a very very nice outdoor gun range nearby. It’s a membership only range so you gotta belong to the club. And one of the range directors is also on the NRA board. So range rules requires every member to also be a NRA member. No matter what arguments are brought forth, the head cheese in charge will not waver.
So for the past 15 years I’ve very reluctantly paid my dues. I quickly scan the monthly magazine for any worthwhile gun reviews and then chunk it in the trash the same day it arrives. I fill out all the raffles, drawings, etc. they send without donating any extra money – hey, if it’s free and I win, tough titty for them.
And for years I’d get at least 2 or 3 mailings a week asking for money. Now that you mention it, I haven’t seen an NRA mailing in several months if not longer. Ha ha. Ha HA HA. HA.
I’m stuck in the same situation as you. Our local gun club maintains a very nice range and its the only game in town if you want to shoot farther than 25 yards or stay away from the crazy meth heads, drunks and assorted lunatics at the state game lands. The gun club requires you to be an NRA member and I’m told that there’s a small pay back from the NRA to the club for requiring 100% membership. Maybe GOA or SAF should look at the same sort of deal as I’d rather be associated with a group that actually does something than send my dues to the grifters at the NRA.
A sadly accurate assessment of a once powerful organization. It is all about the institution and not about the goals of the institution. This looks like a case of Pournelle’s Iron Law in action.
The Second Amendment Foundation made the cases that matter, I support them. They brought us Alan Gura after all.
Didn’t see you bow your head when you said the words “Alan Gura”, ya damn heathen.
😉
Official title : Alan Gura (PBUH).
I was a member during the days of Neal Knox and Harlon Carter.
For a look in to the past (or a trip down memory lane) here is a link to past issues of Guns magazine. List of authors includes Col. Rex Applegate, Col. Charles Askins, and Maj. George C. Nonte.
https://gunsmagazine.com/classic-issues/classic-guns-magazine-editions/
I am an NRA member as a range use requires it.
I also have training certifications from the NRA. They spend some coin there and changing hearts and minds is as important as winning various cases
They do not use there might like I would but I am not some closet liberal like Wayne Pierre.
We are in for a bumpy ride as if Trump does not win this pass we will never be allowed a chance to upset the apple cart ever again. Regardless of what some people are saying
The rule of law must prevail. Starting with that snake in the CIA followed by every one above G2 in state
In some ways I think the NRA has become a victim of its own success.
When the NRA transformed into, first and foremost, a political lobbying organization they set themselves up for failure because without a boogeyman to rail against, there’s no real reason for the NRA to exist. I had been an annual member for 30+ years when I finally let my membership lapse a few years back but by then, every month brought forth another hysterical headline about “gun grabbers” and very little content that was actually of interest to me as a shooter.
Gun banners have reluctantly realized that in a 48/48 nation where control of one or both houses of Congress swings back and forth every few years, they are unlikely to achieve any significant gun control measures at the Federal level so they are concentrating their efforts at state and local levels where they’ve been much more successful (and where the NRA is much weaker because their whole organization is set up for a national fight, not local or state battles.)
Hence the importance of supporting your local org (e.g. Texas State Rifle Assoc, etc). Thank goodness for the TSRA; they badger the state reps and senators ceaselessly (not that many need badgering, but still).
I joined the NRA years ago and upped my membership to Live member several years ago during a discount drive. Instead of $1k they sold live memberships for far left if you didn’t get their leather jacket or some other such chachke.
The NRA is very good at writing Safety courses and possibly running some matches. That’s about it.
The NRA is far to lax in the political front. Their politician and candidate voting guides are near worthless. I use other resources and the candidates own campaign pages to help determine who deserves my vote.
I don’t see the NRA is very active on the lawsuit front. In New England I was told that the NRA did make some financial and advising contributions but I doubt they put in much effort.
What else needs to be said about Wayne LaPIerre and his cronies other than they need to be drummed out of the NRA. LaPIerre has fleeced the NRA membership long enough. Compromising with the anti rights folks isn’t a viable strategy. The anti rights folks want the entire cake and they’re more than happy to steal it one slice at a time. Unfortunately, the NRA is happy to serve it up one slice at a time then scream victory that the hoplophobes only got a small slice.
Meanwhile, the Second Amendment Foundation is winning lawsuit after lawsuit and hurting the hoplophobes in the purse.
No doubt the NRA needs a leadership shake up.
As far as current donations, they don’t get a dollar from me until LaPIerre and company are gone.
JQ
The anti-Second Amendment people need a boogeyman to point at for legislative purposes.
The NRA supplies this need and charges its members to do so.
Firearms Policy Coalition is also filing multiple lawsuits, some in conjunction with SAF. They are also worthy of support
SAF is great at litigation but they don’t do political action per se. GOA is basically useless serving only to hold NRA’s feet to the fire. NRA is our political action arm and they have self destructed. We need to re-establish control or create a replacement. If anybody has any great ideas I would love to hear them. I have suspended my contributions to NRA and am contributing to Knife Rights and the Kyle Rittenhouse defense fund.
btw, free Rittenhouse and imprison the Kenosha DA.
Been a Life member since the 80’s. Sometimes worth it to piss of certain individuals I’ve dealt with over the years. And like my other life memberships, at least I have something to read once a month without expending limited funds.
Another point about NRA membership required at ranges/clubs: When I was VP of the local .mil Rod and Gun club back in the late 80’s, if we were NRA affiliated and had a certain percentage of members in the NRA (forget what the % was, but it sure wasn’t 100), we got a substantial break on our range liability insurance, which the base required us to have to use their ranges. Don’t know if that is still a factor.