NRA on the Wane?

[Ranch 13]

Following 'that' - they decided to push Raton - a place that pretty much no one was interested in visiting in the first place, but they managed to make it even more difficult.

 ???Dude seriously 
 ::)Have you never looked at the Whittington center schedule? http://www.nrawc.org/schedule/index.html

 Anybody want to show me another gun organization that puts on as many shoots in as many disciplines?
 Not to mention the range insurance the NRA makes available, without that there would be no shoots... Think the GOA would pickup that ball and run with it?

[c.o.jones]

IT SHOULD BE MANDATORY FOR ANY SHOOTER, BE IT NCOWS OR SASS OR ANY OTHER SHOOTING GAME TO BE A MEMBER OF THE NRA. I AM A MEMBER OF THE OLDEST SHOOTING CLUB IN MISSOURI. IF YOU ARE NOT A NRA MEMBER YOU DO NOT SHOOT ON THE RANGE. IF NOT FOR THE NRA, WHO WOULD BE OUR VOICE? STEP UP PEOPLE........ANY CLOWN CAN BE A NAYSAYER.

[RickB]

I agree C. O. Jones. The way I see gun owners who piss and moan about then NRA while letting others carry their load is if they aren't part of the solution then they are part of the problem and they aren't the kind of gun owners I give a <snip> about.  PERIOD!!!

[Camille Eonich]

These last few posts are prime examples of why the NRA doesn't have my membership.  The bully mentality, the close mindedness, the all or nothing attitude, the blind following without questioning, the do it our way or no way at all because we can do no wrong.


No thank you.


And you can go on trying to bully and closing your eyes to the truth but it's not going to change the fact that the NRA leaves a bad taste in some people's mouth that should be supporting them but aren't.

Oh and the privacy policy thing was told to me by the person on the phone trying to recruit me.  Not available until after you join.  Why would I go to the web and look for it when I was just told by a recruiter that it wasn't available?  Oh but that's my fault too some how.

[Ranch 13]

  Camille, would you kindly show us another gun orginization that does the same amount, or more than the NRA , so that we could all take a look at joining that outfit then?

[Camille Eonich]

Ranch would you kindly show me where I said that there was one out there that does?   In fact I specifically said that I appreciate what they do.

[St. George]

When the NRA gave up it's Washington Headquarters, and pushed for Raton - there was 'nothing' there.

They were scrambling, and their methodology benefitted pretty much only the bigger contributors.

Matter of fact, I talked to a number of different 'recruiters' and reps at the bigger gun shows after that - their interest was only in getting high-dollar memberships and bequeathments - with no real attention being paid to the run-of-the-mill Annual Membership - you know, those guys who really kept their doors open during those dark '70's and early '80's with their piddly, one-year subscriptions that some scraped up the money for...

The Whittington Center came about much later - along with the shooting schedules - but the time frame I'm talking about happened well before that, and maybe it happened 'because' of those Annual Members not joining.

I'm a competitive shooter, an NRA-Certified Instructor and CRSO, and instruct several disciplines regularly, but they need to get their house in order, get a better, more approachable public face, and get a better Public Relations firm in place, so Mainstream America can see that belonging to the National Rifle Association is considered a smart idea, and worthy of their support and membership.

Scouts Out!

[Camille Eonich]

As for the issue of the Privacy Policy, hard to understand the alleged secrecy. A Google search would have taken you to the NRA website. It's there in black and white.

This privacy policy?  http://www.nra.org/privacy.aspx

Have you read it?  It's the NRA's membership privacy policy it only concerns online privacy and what they do with information that they acquire from you when you visit their site.  It really surprises me that so many of you give your personal data so freely without any concern about what they do with that data and who they share it with just because of who they are.    I also find it amusing that some of you want to force people to join and take away their choice.

Anyway, it is still my choice and I choose not to support them monetarily at this time because of the real or perceived items I have mentioned above.

[RickB]

We're better off without your kind of gun owner. I've been a member for a couple decades and have never had a issue with privacy.  You appear to be looking for petty reasons to complain. We'll do very well without you as we have since 1870.

[Ranch 13]

Was hard to tell with all the grousing about the NRA.
 The original question here was why the NRA was taking so much heat, and was it on the wane.
We've explained why the central focus against the NRA by anti gunners, and to look at the shear membership numbers and amount of activities going on in the last couple of years especially and the answer is pretty plain , no the NRA is not on the wane.
 I'm sorry you don't like the privacy policy, I'm not sure what if any information anybody could hope to gain by prying into the NRA's membership rosters...
 So with all the NRA naysayers about, I'ld like to hear just once of a pro gun orginization that does as much or more for the gunowner/user as the NRA....

[Ranch 13]

When the NRA gave up it's Washington Headquarters, and pushed for Raton - there was 'nothing' there.

They were scrambling, and their methodology benefitted pretty much only the bigger contributors.

Matter of fact, I talked to a number of different 'recruiters' and reps at the bigger gun shows after that - their interest was only in getting high-dollar memberships and bequeathments - with no real attention being paid to the run-of-the-mill Annual Membership - you know, those guys who really kept their doors open during those dark '70's and early '80's with their piddly, one-year subscriptions that some scraped up the money for...

The Whittington Center came about much later - along with the shooting schedules - but the time frame I'm talking about happened well before that, and maybe it happened 'because' of those Annual Members not joining.

I'm a competitive shooter, an NRA-Certified Instructor and CRSO, and instruct several disciplines regularly, but they need to get their house in order, get a better, more approachable public face, and get a better Public Relations firm in place, so Mainstream America can see that belonging to the National Rifle Association is considered a smart idea, and worthy of their support and membership.

Scouts Out!

 Beings that you are an  NRA guru of sorts it would seem then you'ld use your position with all your credentials and your long standing relationship with the NRA to make the changes or at least try to make the changes you deem necessary.... Only thing is I don't seem to recall seeing anybody from St. George on the ballot......

[Camille Eonich]

RickB as usual your arguments are substantial and just what I expect from you.  Do you even realize that you are the only person in this entire thread that has resorted to personal attacks and cursing?

Please attempt to restrain yourself from both.  It will be appreciated.

[Ranch 13]

 I don't like the if you don't belong to the NRA you're scum line.
 I do think if you are an NRA member and don't like what you see then as someone above posted then get active and bring the changes.
 If you're not an NRA member then why not give it a try, dollars to donuts, you've wasted 30 bucks on worse things than a one year NRA membership. If after the one year is up you don't like it, then fine, don't bother go ahead and buy you those slurpy's and candy bars, at the minimart with your 30$.

[Camille Eonich]

My husband is a member of the NRA so I'm not disconnected.  My preferred charity is first of all the Shriners and then secondly JDRF. 

I'm not a big sweet eater and what I spend on candy and slurpies over 5 years wouldn't cover an annual NRA membership fee.

[Ranch 13]

 

[Will Ketchum]

My husband is a member of the NRA so I'm not disconnected. My preferred charity is first of all the Shriners and then secondly JDRF.  

I'm not a big sweet eater and what I spend on candy and slurpies over 5 years wouldn't cover an annual NRA membership fee.
[/quote



Camille, as a Free Mason I thank you for that.  I do wish you would reconsider your feeling on the NRA.  They really are our best defence against the anti gun crowd.

Will Ketchum

[Camille Eonich]

Camille, as a Free Mason I thank you for that.  I do wish you would reconsider your feeling on the NRA.  They really are our best defence against the anti gun crowd.

Will Ketchum

I have Will and I do and I will.  Thanks to those of you that have keptthe discussion civil and have kept an open mind too.  There shouldn't be any reason why we can't discuss things like adults on this forum.

[Red Cent]

I generally say thanks, but no thanks. I have been a NRA member for about 50 years. Should have become a life member a long time ago. Too may pluses that overcome the negatives. It would take a book to list all the good things they do with our money. Besides all the legal expense that they incur as principal plaintiffs, they are constantly involved as "friends"  such as the recent rulings by the Supreme Court in reference to Washington DC gunlaws. They are involved in numerous suits against notorious gun control groups such as the city of Chicago. One of the blue ribbon causes they are behind is Eddie Eagle, the school program teaching kids gun safety.
They conduct classes certifying firearms instructors that go on the teach and train the masses on safe gun handling. They are in the forefront in sponsoring a number of generously attended firearm competitions. The most notablle is the Bianchi Cup. The NRA took it over to become the NRA Action Shooting Bianchi Cup. Very prestigious.
The NRA organization is not considered a rinky dink organization. Their approach to marketing is continously tested and is a result of which is best. While it may antagonize some, it is, I am sure, a successful approach.
A lot of trees sacrifice their existence because of the marketing approach of the NRA. Hey, pick up a Sunday paper, throw away all the ads and you may have thirtyminutes of news. Do you think they have not consulted with some of the most sucessful ad firms in the world? Uh huh. How much a year? Oh for crying out loud. That is less than a bottle of Geroge Dickle. Big one that is.

[bowiemaker]

Google "nra unsolicited items in the mail" and you will find a LOT of discussion on a lot of forums and a LOT of members very unhappy about the practice mailing unsolicited items and then demanding action or payment.

I am a member of the NRA and have been for many years. I do very much support and appreciate the work that they do. However, these sleazy tactics really tick me off. I thought the NRA was better than that. I have written NRA to express my opinion but I wonder how many others will just go away in silence.

[Deadeye Don]

Google "nra unsolicited items in the mail" and you will find a LOT of discussion on a lot of forums and a LOT of members very unhappy about the practice mailing unsolicited items and then demanding action or payment.

I am a member of the NRA and have been for many years. I do very much support and appreciate the work that they do. However, these sleazy tactics really tick me off. I thought the NRA was better than that. I have written NRA to express my opinion but I wonder how many others will just go away in silence.

All one needs to do is contact the NRA and ask to be taken off the mailing list.  It is really quite simple. 

[Camille Eonich]

All one needs to do is contact the NRA and ask to be taken off the mailing list.  It is really quite simple. 

The point is that you shouldn't have to do that.  They shouldn't mail you items that you don't order.  At the very least they should include the option on the membership application to opt in to them sending you miscellaneous items.

[Ranch 13]

 You know if the NRA was the only outfit filling your mailbox with junkmail, I can see the grousing about it, but good lord when you take a look at how much crap from companies and organizations you've never even heard of shows up in your mail box, the amount sent by the NRA is tiny at best, and you can bet the money the NRA does generate from those unsolicited mailings does a heck of a lot more good than the junk catalog selling mostly Chinese made trinkets...

[Camille Eonich]

You know if the NRA was the only outfit filling your mailbox with junkmail,

If the NRA were the only thing filling my mailbox I wouldn't have as much of a problem with it as I do.  I throw away probably 30 lbs of junk mail a week.  I don't need anymore and I certainly don't need any more people to contact to get them to stop sending the crap.

BTW, I don't expect any more or less from any other organization that I support but I'm not showing the NRA favoritism just because they are the NRA.  


BTW, I'm not the one focusing on the mailing issues.  It's just one of the reasons that I won't send them money.   


I'm also not a single issue voter.

[Bugscuffle]

We're better off without your kind of gun owner. I've been a member for a couple decades and have never had a issue with privacy.  You appear to be looking for petty reasons to complain. We'll do very well without you as we have since 1870.

Rick, you must take "pompous lessons" from Rush Limbaugh. Who elected you to decide what is the criteria for membership in anything is? So, any complaint that you disagree with is "petty"?

I have gone round and round with Camile a few times on this forum and I can tell you that yes, she is opinionated, but that her opinions are not just the mindless repetition of some undocumented or unverified "fact" that was blurted out by a right or left wing radical. She has reasons for her beliefs, not that I agree with very many of them, but she does try to be reasonable. I believe that you owe her an apology.

[RickB]

I've had a lot of time lately to think about this topic. I've got some answers to you who have a problem with the NRA. And a few ideas.

OK, to address the gripes on here point by point.

Gripe 1). The NRA sends out too many letters and requests for money.
Answer), That is what Civil rights groups do. They need the money of their members to keep up the fight for our rights. It's not cheap to fight the federal, state and city governments. The governments have unlimited tax dollars that they use quite freely to take our rights away from us. If you don't like receiving the mailings then just make a call or send them an e-mail asking them to stop. They will. I did that a few years ago and have not been bothered by it since then. So this gripe is a petty gripe.

Gripe 2). They moved from their original headquarters and are now outside of DC in a different location.
Answer) yes they did. They built a new headquarters close to DC but not in DC. I imagine this was to save money by not locating in the District of Columbia. What does that matter? They still have their lobbyests working in the DC area talking with Senators and Congressmen at the federal and state levels. They have their lawyers working to fight back against cities like NY, DC and Chicago who deny their citizens the right to keep and bear arms. They have been very successful but their is a lot more work to be done. They can't do it without gun owners who help pay their dues. Another petty gripe.

Gripe 3). The person I spoke with on the phone wouldn't explain the privacy policies to me.
Answer). That's because you called the membership line. That is manned by operators who work for a company that not only takes membership orders for the NRA but also for TV ads like Alumawallet and other products. Many companies use these businesses to handle things like customer orders and it saves them money. So the operator you spoke with is not an NRA worker but you want them to have the info you are asking about? Contact the NRA by using the phone numbers listed on the back of your husbands membership card. OR go to their website and read what their privacy policy is. It's as easy as that. But, let me inform you that all they have ever asked me for is my name, my address (so they can mail you your membership card and magazine) my e-mail address, my payment method and what type of membership I was paying for (yearly, 5 or lifetime). If your husband is a member you have already given them any private info they need except for your name and email if different from your husb ands. So this gripe is pretty petty as well. In fact it is so petty it's laughable.

Camille, you say you're not a "single issue" voter. Not many are. But I would venture a guess from your posts that you are a registered Democrat. I would also guess that you are not uncomfortable with the anti-gun bills and laws that have been passed by the liberals since the 1960s. The only people I have ever met who are gun owners and so anti NRA are Democrat gun owners.




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