Why don't more gun owners join the NRA?

Why don't more gun owners join the NRA?

  • General apathy.

    Votes: 18 27.3%
  • General ignorance.

    Votes: 3 4.5%
  • The cost. (Associate membership w/o the magazine are $10.00/year)

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • The excuse of putting the money (even the $10.00/year) "elsewhere."

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • The belief that the NRA is ineffective.

    Votes: 2 3.0%
  • The NRA's hardcore stance on the First Amendment.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • The NRA all too often looking like cheerleaders for the GOP (largely to remain the existing 5M)

    Votes: 8 12.1%
  • The belief that the NRA is not tough enough when it comes to gun control.

    Votes: 2 3.0%
  • The NRA's sometimes embarrassing (e.g. Ted Nugent and/or Dana Loesch.) spokespersons.

    Votes: 1 1.5%
  • The NRA literally overwhelms my mailbox and email inbox.

    Votes: 9 13.6%
  • The NRA asks for money too often.

    Votes: 9 13.6%
  • Unsavory people tend to advertise they are NRA members and I don't want to be associated with them.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • I don't want my name on ANY mailing list -- including/especially the NRA's mailing list.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • I find the NRA's advertising to be offensive at times.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • The enemy has done an effective job at vilifying the NRA and scaring people off.

    Votes: 4 6.1%
  • The NRA is poor at advertising.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • I don't need the NRA. All I need is my rife, ammo, some water and a bag of beef jerky.

    Votes: 1 1.5%
  • The NRA has alienated a huge number of potential members by hammering away at "liberalism."

    Votes: 3 4.5%
  • Because a large number of gunowners really aren't "pro-First Ammendment."

    Votes: 1 1.5%
  • I simply cannot stand Wayne LaPierre and/or Chris Cox.

    Votes: 5 7.6%

  • Total voters
    66
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I joined several years ago when the Second Amendment was under assault, and a discounted rate and being young enough to make a lifetime membership worth while (American Rifleman for life)! Plus, I don't have to deal with pesky renewal requests. I will state that I do enjoy shooting, but am even more so a collector, specializing mostly in Colts, Winchesters, Smith & Wessons, Merwin & Hulberts, and Sharps produced during the heyday of manufacturing in this country (pre-1920). I have always appreciated the classic lines of these guns, so to promote the Rambo image, AR 15s, and Glocks, plus the "Armed Citizen" section seemed rather offensive when younger. When a firearm stopped having the look of a classic firearm, wood, case colouring, etc., things went WAY downhill. Still believe that, somewhat, but as I get older, I relish receiving the American Rifleman and enjoy reading articles unrelated to my interests, and might even read articles about plastic guns, although would never own one. And, as I have had a concealed carry license for 10 years now, the "Armed Citizen" section seems rather benign, although I think it could be viewed unfavourably by someone who is anti-2A, and does not really promote our cause.
 
Actually, Walkalong (and I'm sure you know this), the NRA's value to gun owners rights goes back much further.

J-Bar summed it up pretty well.
Next time you hear the 'too much junk mail' or 'I don't agree with them on this or that' from someone,
INTERRUPT them and ask them for a direct answer to this simple question.

'What would your gun rights in this Country be today if the NRA had not been around?'

JT
 
You can tell the NRA to stop spamming you. I did so and haven't seen a thing from them for a long time.
 
I don't support the NRA because they stray from pro-gun issues. As someone else said earlier, they act like a branch of the Republican Party now, and to be quite honest there are plenty of Republican Party stances that I don't agree with. If anyone wants to recommend me an organization that is 100% gun rights and does not stick their nose in other things I would happily help support that organization though.
 
I don't support the NRA because they stray from pro-gun issues. As someone else said earlier, they act like a branch of the Republican Party now, and to be quite honest there are plenty of Republican Party stances that I don't agree with. If anyone wants to recommend me an organization that is 100% gun rights and does not stick their nose in other things I would happily help support that organization though.

Perhaps someone should ask the Democrat Party why it encourages anti-Second Amendment legislation.
 
Why don't more gun owners join the NRA? Most pundits on both sides of the aisle suggest that the NRA would be politically unstoppable if it had 15-20M members instead of the 5 million that it does have.

Lifetime member here but I'll play Devils advocate, to what end?

I think the NRA and gun owners, after Bill Clinton and his AWB, placed Republicans in control of the White House, the House and Senate. To return the favor they did nothing.

That lack of support is reciprocated, then we get 8 years of Dems again.

It's only been 100 days but it doesn't seem they learned anything from the past.
 
Most gun owners I know that aren't members is mainly because they're lazy. They'll say something to the effect of "yeah I need to join, I really do, just haven't got around to it" then they'll forget and give the same answer three months later.

Anyone that says they can't afford the membership is full of bull. If you honestly can't afford the membership then you can't afford the gun either, much less a box of ammo.

Anyone who says they don't do anything is simply ignorant, and usually doesn't want an education on the topic.

I will completely agree they're cozy enough with the GOP to certainly make some liberal gun owners not want to be associated with them, but realistically that's because one party wants to go to European/Australian type of gun control, if not further. While the other party wants to keep their (mostly) rural base happy, and appearing to resist gun control efforts does that.
 
I wish that the poll allowed multiple answers because there are multiple reasons.
I believe that the left has done a good job painting the NRA and it's members as a radical group of gun nuts where the newest PC crowd wants no part of.

I can see how the $35 a year is a strain to some due to varying factors. Not everyone who wants to join can afford to join.
I can also say that there are quite a few people who can afford the $35 fee but don't because they are too busy to care and have other priorities like their daily latte or power workout at the gym.

Junk mail? Yeah. I guess it's tough to toss it with the life insurance, car insurance, AARP and all the other junk mail.
Phone calls? I don't know about you but I don't answer calls from numbers I don't recognize and if they don't leave a message I proceed to block that number (smart phones). If they leave a message and it's a solicitor then they also get put on blocked calls. My phone has been quiet for a while now. The NRA isn't the only one to call.
The NRA also has the option to not send 3rd party mail, emails or calls. Tell them you opt out.

There are many reasons why people don't join the NRA. If we were 20 million instead of 5 million we would not have to worry every time a new bill gets introduced. However, it seems that the 5 million who are members will just carry those who like the benefits provided without helping to support it. We're used to it.

Finally, if there was no NRA then our rights would be similar to GB, AUS and Canada. You can deny it but that's ok too, I guess the poiticians in DC must be the ones who watch our backs. Yeah, right. I believe that. Uh huh.
 
I still keep up membership, but I dislike 3 things.

1. Too much junk mail
2. Too many requests for more cash
3. (Ties into 1 and 2)I hate the sensationalist, alarmist tones of the emails. Yes our rights are under attack, but you don't have to go down the path of the MSM to get it across.

Pretty much all correspondence is instant delete/burn from the NRA. When I have extra money, I donate, else I just keep up my membership. You don't need to try to scare me into anything, I am an informed intellegent adult.
 
One is too many mail solicitations for tie-in businesses such as insurance, etc.
Might wanna take a closer look at those. I work for a Fortune 500 company. We had our benefit selection last fall. Life insurance thru the NRA was 1/3 of what our group plan is.

I had already signed up or I'd have gotten more coverage thru the NRA

i used to get a bunch of solicitations thru them,and dropped out for a while. They don't bombard your mailbox anymore if you opt out
 
Lots of things I don't like about the NRA but there is more that I do like. As long as they fight for us gun owners we need to support them. I will always be a member.
 
Life member and Instructor here.
Not that the OP didn't have enough choices :p but.............
I'd be more receptive to a repeal the existing laws chant than one calling for more enforcement.
 
Pretty much all correspondence is instant delete/burn from the NRA. When I have extra money, I donate, else I just keep up my membership. You don't need to try to scare me into anything, I am an informed intellegent adult.

That's me exactly. I ignore, delete, shred all the incoming correspondence except for the magazines. The magazines and my daily news intake keep me informed. I make additional donations to the NRA-ILA when I feel they need it and I have it to give.
 
I was an NRA member before I even owned any guns. Use to buy the 3 or 5 year plan, depending on whether I had enough money at the time. Became very dissatisfied with the direction the NRA directors we're taking in regards to their wanting to build the Whittington Center out in New Mexico. Was further annoyed with the continual phone calls and mailings asking for more money from me. What finally did it for me was having them calling and bothering my parents when I moved and got a new phone number.

When they continued to intrude on my private time and pester me with all their requests for more money (even asking me for my credit card information; like I would give that out over the phone to some unsolicited caller); well that was it as far as I was concerned. No more NRA for me.
 
Regarding physical junk mail, I get so little of in this day of electronic data that I don't mind it much at all. I open it, pull out my personal info and shred it.

I actually dislike deleting scads of junk email much more. The NRA's spam is only 10% of all the rest in my inbox.

I could ask the NRA to stop all of it, but I have a soft spot for printing to stay alive. I think of some American print shop or two keeping their employees employed by producing NRA printed material.
 
Phone calls? I don't know about you but I don't answer calls from numbers I don't recognize and if they don't leave a message I proceed to block that number (smart phones). If they leave a message and it's a solicitor then they also get put on blocked calls. My phone has been quiet for a while now. The NRA isn't the only one to call.

Same here. Unknown phone calls are part of my everyday life. Those calls go straight to voice mail and if they don't leave a message, oh well.
 
When I first joined the NRA I got deluged with mail and calls to donate more. I called them and said “if you don't stop all the junk mail and calls for donations I will not renew my membership” Boom mail and calls stopped.



I think the NRA needs to get someone in as president that has more charisma and appeal to younger gunowners and minorities. Right now you have a bunch of late 60'ish white men and it turns the younger people and minorities off. Why not Dana loesch as first woman president or Colion Noir as a minority president that more could relate to. They say more and more blacks and women are getting firearms now, the NRA needs a president spokesperson that these new gun owners can relate to.



I usually wait until my membership is about to expire and then sign up for a couple of years more. This year I did that and no sooner had I sent them my check and I got another letter in the mail for an even lower rate. Next time I will wait for it to completely expire and get a better deal.



I'm also a member of GOA. Take a look at them they do much more I feel than the NRA. They also allow you to pay whatever you can afford for yearly membership.



v-fib
 
I'm an NRA life member as was my father. Membership is required to maintain my instructor status. While I don't agree with everything they do, they are the most powerful lobby supporting our gun ownership. I'd like to see them demote Wayne and as another poster suggested, make Cox or Colin or Dana the public face of the organization.
 
Solomonson wrote:
Why don't more gun owners join the NRA?

I've repeatedly asked that people who post polls include an "Other" or "None of the Above". I also have to question whether the two references to "First Amendment" in the poll are correct and weren't intended to be "Second Amendment".

But, to answer your question, I resigned my NRA membership at the same time as President George Bush (Bush '41) and for the same reasons. When the NRA apologizes to Federal Law Enforcement agents for calling them (at the time, it was "us") "Jackbooted Thugs", I'll reconsider that decision.
 
I don't support the NRA because they stray from pro-gun issues. As someone else said earlier, they act like a branch of the Republican Party now, and to be quite honest there are plenty of Republican Party stances that I don't agree with. If anyone wants to recommend me an organization that is 100% gun rights and does not stick their nose in other things I would happily help support that organization though.

Gun Owners of America, 2nd Amendment Foundation, Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership.
Please join one of those, or a state organization to your liking. There is also Pink Pistols but I haven't joined them, have offered training to members and would gladly donate to them though.
I'm a life member of all of them except one which doesn't offer that along with being a Benefactor NRA member and I bought my young kids Life memberships.

For me its a matter of do SOMETHING so your voice is heard, and joining an organization, writing letters, etc makes a difference.

For those whining about the junk, give me a break. We have 3 members in the house and I get little to no mail and no calls from the NRA.

When the libs cry about not passing gun control measures they cite the NRA as the reason why. They are the 800lb gorilla in that world.

The NRA is a lot like my Wife; don't always do what I like, nor do I always understand them, but I want them to stick around.
 
The only mail I get from the NRA is the monthly magazine.
The NRA's rating of Florida politicians has been the biggest failure. Formerly 'A' rated have gone off the cliff and are now denying pro gun legislation, some even advocating gun control.
Marion Hammer has thrown us under the bus a couple of times, too.
All for Disney's campaign contributions is my guess.
 
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