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A Walk In the NRA's Shoes..

tr foxtr fox Member Posts: 13,856
Many of you here HAVE walked in the NRA's shoes and therefore this post is not directed at you. In fact, I will mention no particular person by name because my intention is just to give a feel for the other side of the argument. My intention is NOT to criticise anyone in particular.

In regards to the argument that the NRA has "beytrayed" us, or "cooperatived" with the anti-gunners, or sold us out on having machine guns, etc., you might want to try and visualize how it feels to be on "the front line" of being an active NRA member. By that I mean get WAY out of your comfort zone of debating with friendly neighbors, co-workers or friends and see if perhaps some of your anti-NRA feelings don't change.

For one personal example: My wife is a teacher at a large, metro grade school. To help raise funds for the Friends of the NRA (FNRA) she took some tickets to try and sell at her school for the Oct. 2 FNRA banquet. The money raised by the FNRA banquet goes to charitible purposes such as helping Boy Scouts of America shooting activity, programs that introduce women to the shooting sports, even helps fund some police NRA training as well (I think) funds the Eddie Eagle program. So you would think that, even if the regular NRA was not well received, the FNRA would be, right? Wrong. My wife decided to approach another female teacher whose husband works for the MO. state conservation dept. My wife thought that at the very least her efforts would be kindly declined. Wrong again.

When my wife made her sales pitch, this woman said "Oh, we want nothing to do with NRA people". Now this is a rude and ignornant statement coming from this woman because it should have been obvious that, since my wife was offering a FNRA ticket, obviously SHE WAS ONE OF "THOSE" NRA PEOPLE! How nasty and rude, and my wife has worked, and will continue to work, with this woman. My wife even continued by trying to explain that the FNRA was the "non-political" side of the NRA and did chartiable work (mentioned above) but with no change on the part of the rude woman. Funny thing is that she admitted her husband owns several guns.

And try to imagine how it feels to ask a store manager if you can set up a table outside his front door and solict funds for ANY progun organization. That manager MUST not do anything that will offend a large part of the commuity because if he/she does, then his store risks losing business and going broke. Now Cabella's in K.C.K. was kind enough to let us set up a table, but if we had been urging people to sign a petition to let any and all gun oweners own a machine gun, I seriously doubt that Cabella's would have been willing to let us associate with their store.

It is not that I am against machine guns for the lawful citizens. I am just grateful to wake up each morning and see that I still have a reasonable amount of gun rights. I only have time, money and energy to try and hang onto those rights. I DON'T have the same to try and expand my rights into owning a machine gun BECAUSE REGARDLESS OF HOW YOU VIEW THE CONSTITUTION at the present time the politicians, the citizens, the law enforcement commuity and other ARE NOT GOING TO LET THE AVERAGE CITIZEN WALK INTO A GUN STORE AND WALK OUT WITH A MACHINE GUN. Fair or legal or not, doesn't matter. These are just the facts of the situation.If you think otherwise then you are living on a different planet than I am.

My whole long and wordy point is that, just as with people trying to survive in a difficult world, maybe, just MAYBE the NRA has done some things just to survive. So give the NRA room for doubt.



Quote "Somehow government decided that the Constitutional Bill of Rights has become the Bill of "Suggested" Rights and are to be rationed to the citizens as the power elite sees fit"

Comments

  • calamitywoodcalamitywood Member Posts: 939 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I'm on your side TR. All the various gun groups may argue this point or that action performed by the other like one family member rails against the other. However, when it comes to facing the anti-gun crowd we need to present a unified front and let them know that we may not always agree but were still "family".
    P.S. hope you got your sar stock to fold, like your response to the know-it-all lol
  • tr foxtr fox Member Posts: 13,856
    edited November -1
    [8D]

    Quote "Somehow government decided that the Constitutional Bill of Rights has become the Bill of "Suggested" Rights and are to be rationed to the citizens as the power elite sees fit"
  • dsmithdsmith Member Posts: 902 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I can understand that the NRA has gets a lack of sympathy from the uniformed populace. I used to sympathise with their cause until I realized how much of my rights they had already given up. On the issue of the "controversial" guns like full autos, and stuff like that, their beliefs are on par with the Brady Campaign's.
  • mcasomcaso Member Posts: 1,120 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Every time we loose a battle we loose part of the war! Every time we win a battle we win Nothing. How many battles have we lost!
    We loose more and more every day. This matter can and will only be won in front of the Supreme Court. The Court has already made all the right rulings now some one must put them together in one case and take it to the Supreme Court. This takes time and money. The NRA says it protects the 2nd and collects our money to do so. Protection can only be done in Court anything else is just bubble gum patching the dike. The NRA way has been to slowly loose our right under the 2nd. The court case should have been filed years ago. Yet it still has not been done. Say anything you want to say. Facts are facts and WE ARE LOOSING. WE are loosing because the organizations that are claiming to protect the 2nd are using the same unsuccessful battle tactics. The P R that they put out is how many they claim we won. Lets see we beat back 9 attempts and lost 3. Look, look at our record we lost 3 and but we "won" 9. And there are people gullible enough to buy it. WE are LOOSING and we need a new game plan.
  • tr foxtr fox Member Posts: 13,856
    edited November -1
    My view is much different. We are losing because LESS than 4 million of the more than 64 million gun owners will get off their lazy * and actually do something to try and protect their gun rights.

    The NRA does the best it can, but it is not all powerful and it is unable to just up and do anything it wants. But if you truly do want to see the demise of the NRA, just sign up as a Brady Campaign Member. That will do more to put a nail in the NRA coffin than all the griping any one does here.

    Quote "Somehow government decided that the Constitutional Bill of Rights has become the Bill of "Suggested" Rights and are to be rationed to the citizens as the power elite sees fit"
  • mcasomcaso Member Posts: 1,120 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    tr - none of what you wrote has anything to do with my point. We need a law suit taken to the Supreme Court. That is the only way we will win this. The stage is set. The NRA is not doing the best it can. For some reason the NRA does not want to fight the war, only little battles. Some we loose and in the others we win nothing just maintain the status quo. In other words we march in place until we take a step backwards! Then we again march in place until we take a step backwards! And none of this really has anything to do with the 60 plus million gun owners that do nothing. It has to do with there not being a game plan designed to fight the war.
    No one is talking about the demise of the NRA or nails in a coffn. Unless of course you consider any one who can see the continual error and wants it corrected. Someone who says the leaders have either lost touch with the war effort. Or no longer have the heart to fight it. So we are stuck with scirmishes where we loose and at best remain the same as someone that wants the demise of the NRA. If that is the case may I suggest that you re-evaluate the workings of your brain activity. Because no one is saying, suggesting, or in any way implying that. We Need A New Game Plan, Cause This One Aint Working.
  • tr foxtr fox Member Posts: 13,856
    edited November -1
    Well, then please remember that the NRA is a "public" organization. It is NOT some private, exclusive club. If anyone is unhappy with the activity/lack of activity then they are welcome to start voting for the board of directors election that comes around every few years or even to try and get ELECTED THEMSELVES as a director. Then instead of just throwing rocks from a distance, they could help guide the NRA down the road that they have chosen. Supreme court case, etc., etc.

    But if they do this, they will find that things are not EVER as clear cut, easy or simple working on the inside as they appear from the outside.

    Quote "Somehow government decided that the Constitutional Bill of Rights has become the Bill of "Suggested" Rights and are to be rationed to the citizens as the power elite sees fit"
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