Shotgun Willie

I am in support of gun onwership and the right to defend. That being said, what am I getting out of a membership with NRA besides a 'black and gold shooters hat, and NRA knife and some reading material'. I am accomplishing anything besides giving someone else my money.

I have debated a membership and the issue was recalled yesterday for me. My wife answered the phone even though the caller id said 'private caller'(not sure why I even pay for that service, she doesn't care what it says and answers anyway ). Anyway, after some conjoling on her part, I took the call which was supposed to be a phone survey on gun control. It wasn't quite that. They played a short message about the 'Castle Doctrine" in Florida and at the end asked if I was in support for such a law to be passed in all states. The caller then relentlessly pressed for me to purchase a membership so I could get this great hat and knife. No wasn't good enough for them. I could put that money towards the purchase of a new gun, if I had any money. Don't want the items they are offering.

Not sure what a hat and cheap knife have to do with my support for such laws and how my $90 is going to make such laws happen.

What good does a membership do?

Am I missing something to this whole membership thing?

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Kurt - Shotgun Willie

Bud White

Ohh i hope you got your Nomex on youll probley get flame for this one ..

But let me Say if it gets out of Hand This will be Shut down No personal Attacks


Now to your Question what do you Get Nothing Really Nra has been spinning there wheels a lot and getting no where they havent really helped gun owners at all in past few years as far as im concered

Miggy

Willie, you mentioned the Castle Doctrine and then wonder if the NRA Memberships is any good.... Isn't that a contradiction?

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You have to make the shot when fire is smoking, people are screaming, dogs are barking, kids are crying and sirens are coming.
Randy Cain.

GunFreeZone.net

buzzg

This is fairly long, but it may help answer your question.
The NRA, through its Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) provides a team of full-time lobbyists defending Second Amendment issues on Capitol Hill, in state legislatures and in local government bodies.
In 1986, the NRA and millions of gun owners nationwide applauded as the Firearms Owners’ Protection Act was signed into law by President Ronald Reagan. ILA worked for more than a decade to secure passage of that historic legislation to reform the Gun Control Act of 1968.
While NRA is a single-issue organization, the Institute is involved in any issue that directly or indirectly affects firearms ownership and use. These involve such topics as hunting and access to hunting lands, wilderness and wildlife conservation, civilian marksmanship training and ranges for public use, law enforcement-related issues, product liability, trapping, crime victim rights and criminal justice reform.
The NRA's interest in promoting the shooting sports among America's youth began in 1903 when NRA Secretary Albert S. Jones urged the establishment of rifle clubs at all major colleges, universities and military academies. By 1906, NRA's youth program was in full swing with more than 200 boys competing in matches at Sea Girt that summer.

Today, youth programs are still a cornerstone of the NRA, with more than one million youth participating in NRA shooting sports events and affiliated programs with groups such as 4-H, the Boy Scouts of America, the American Legion, U.S. Jaycees and others.

Law enforcement training was next on the priority list for program development. Although a special police school had been reinstated at Camp Perry in 1956, NRA became the only national trainer of law enforcement officers with the introduction of its NRA Police Firearms Instructor certification program in 1960.

Today, there are more than 10,000 NRA-certified police and security firearms instructors. Additionally, top law enforcement shooters compete each year in eight different pistol and shotgun matches at the National Police Shooting Championships held in Jackson, Mississippi.

While widely recognized today as a major political force and as America's foremost defender of Second Amendment rights, the NRA has, since its inception, been the premier firearms education organization in the world. But our successes would not be possible without the tireless efforts and countless hours of service our nearly three million members have given to champion Second Amendment rights and support NRA programs. As former Clinton spokesman George Stephanopoulos said, "Let me make one small vote for the NRA. They're good citizens. They call their Congressmen. They write. They vote. They contribute. And they get what they want over time."

Now, you can get on board with the 3 million+ gun owners who are members and join the fight, or you can sit in your easy chair and let us do it for you. Consider also joining Gun Owners of America (GOA).
NRA, by the way, took NO to court and got an injunction to cease confiscation of firearms in NO.

Scott

Opinions vary on the NRA and what it does. I am a Patron Member. I do not agree with everything the NRA does or its position or lack of position sometimes, which is why I'm also a Life Member of the GOA and I belong to other "gun rights" organizations.

First off when you join the NRA you are not really doing much to support pro-gun lobbying, the ILA arm of the NRA does that. The NRA promotes shooting sports and training mostly. For example, my former club received about $2000 per year for our Youth Hunter Education Challenge Team. This program introduces kids from 10-18 to the various shooting sports and hunting in particular.

The NRA makes training materials available at nearly cost. I can get a student packet for any of the courses I teach for about $6. This is a book, pamphlets and a rocker patch.

Ranges also receive grant money from the NRA. My former club as an example, received tens of thousands of dollars for range development.

The NRA also runs training programs to train people who want to become trainers/coaches and also in range development. They do charge for these, but again it is subsidized by the NRA to keep the costs down.

The NRA also runs competitions like Camp Perry each year. It takes a lot of money to do this and that is another area that your dues support.

The NRA was founded as a marksmanship training organization, not a pro-gun lobbying organization. As a lobbying organization they are middle of the road. They do not take the absolutist view of the 2nd Amendment that other groups take. This makes them appear weak to some and appeals to others.

The other thing your membership in the NRA does is adds to the numbers when the NRA goes to do lobbying. The NRA can point to 4 million members and say look at all those voters. When Al Gore tells the DNC that the NRA cost him the election and guns are a losing issue, then the NRA and other groups are doing their thing.

You do not have to "buy" the knife and hat plus a membership. You can go to the website or find an NRA recruiter who can do it for less without all the other stuff. The NRA does "push" campaigns to get members. All organizations do this in one way or another.

So at any rate, it is your decision to join or not. I would encourage to join a pro-rights organiztion of some sort. I always encourage people to join a local or state organization first, and then a national if funds allow. I am an OF (Over Forty) and I'm at a point where I have some disposable income, so I belong to several pro-rights organizations. I figure why buy another gun if the .gov will be able to come and take it from me?

Best of luck on your decision.
-Scott-

edit - buzzg was posting while I was posting. Apologies for any redundancy.

buzzg

Thanks Scott for pointing out the difference between NRA and it's legislative arm ILA. I should've done that.

Shotgun Willie

Ahhh, now we are getting somewhere. I was not trying to be cynical in my post. But all I have ever received from NRA was a join now and you can have this gifts. I dont care about the gifts. That is not why I would join. My question has always been 'If I join what am I accomplishing, or helping to accomplish.'. You guys have been the first to really give me any kind of valuable information on this subject.

I wish the NRA would come up with a different approach to gather new members. "Free" gifts doesn't really do anything for me and unfortunatly that is all that I have heard from them. Thanks for the info guys.

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Kurt - Shotgun Willie

Euclidean

I'm GoA and TSRA myself. Look, you can't join every worthy cause, but you can't just sit there and do nothing either. Personally I think globally (GoA membership) and act locally (TSRA membership).

The NRA does a lot of good things, but the GoA is going in a direction I personally support.

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I am The Armed Educator.

Greymoor

I am a NRA life member. I am thinking about joining GoA and I will most likely go the life route there also. Locally I support the MCRGO here in Michigan. Since I do not have the time to constantly fight the leftests. I support organizations that can keep an eye on them and take the battle to them when they rear their ugly heads.

I like each of these organization for much of what they do, not all however. I doubt there will ever be an orgaization custom built for me so I use the tools that I have available.

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Shoot well and be safe

-Don



"The trouble with our liberal friends are not that they're ignorant: It's just that they know so much that isn't so." - Ronald Reagan

Shotgun Willie

Where is the best place to get good information on each of these groups?

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Kurt - Shotgun Willie