Question about joining the NRA

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Every additional NRA member causes the collective blood pressure of the Brady Campaign to go up by 0.01 mmHg.

If enough of us join, their heads will explode.

I'm considering developing a multiple personality disorder so I can be more than one member.

More seriously:

Some people say that the NRA is the largest pro gun rights organization, the most influential, the has the most actual impact on legislation. Therefore you should join the NRA.

Some people say that the NRA is more focused on short-term micro-wins than longer term objectives, and there are some important gun issues that they don't really address.

I say both are right. Join the NRA, AND join whatever other organization represents the niche issue that is most important to you.

PS - for the folks who are seriously worried that the NRA's accountants can't do math, and believe the NRA is losing money on their fund raising efforts: Please, take a deep breath, step back from the keyboard, and think for just a nanosecond before you start to type. Thank you very much.
 
be prepared for an unending barrage of requests for more money. I wonder if they might have more money for fighting the good fight if weren't constantly sending out mailings to their members. Just my 2 cents.

When I was on the Board of Directors of the Virginia Shooting Sports Association, we invited an NRA rep to one of our board meetings for the purpose of discussing fund-raising issues. The NRA rep informed us that every single one of the direct-mail campaigns run on behalf of the NRA has provided a net-gain for the NRA.

It should come as no surprise to anybody who has been involved in fund-raising for any non-profit organization, that it is common practice for the non-profit to enlist a commercial soliciting company to operate direct-mail fundraising projects. The direct-mail company gets paid by a percentage of the money collected, or by some similarly-conceived compensation schedule.

If you don't want the direct-mail company to take a cut of your donation to the NRA, you should write a check payable directly to the NRA, and mail it directly TO the NRA.

If you don't want to be part of the largest pro-gun firearms organization in the world, nobody is going to make you join.

If you think other groups are doing a better job than the NRA, please send your money to them.
 
We need more members. Simply put, the NRA is the only gun-rights organization that the antis are truly afraid of.
 
Just remember the NRA is our federal champoin. But you also have to think on a state level the NRA cant be in both places at once so try to seek out your largest state level organization too. The NRA does however provide excellent safety programs and most importantly they donate to all sorts of important grants like giving free ammo to boy scout ranges.
 
You will find as many varied opinions on this board regarding which organization to join as there are members. I personally joined in this order:

NRA
JPFO
GOA

I am a life member of each. I feel they each play a role. I wish they would work together, but that will likely not happen. So, I figured I would become a life member of each and do what I can.
 
I'm not a big fan of the NRA -- but I joined up anyhow. Free hat! A magazine! A sticker! But the biggest reason is so there's one more in their roster; I prefer the politics, reasoning, and attitude of JPFO and GOA, and plan to send them some money once I have something of a discretionary fund; I got the NRA membership outside a gun show last month, which got me discounted admission to boot.

Also, though I'm not sure whether it'll go on my car (probably not while it's parked most commonly in Philadelphia), it's a small thing, but I like to have the NRA sticker; people can see and be used to friendly gun propaganda, rather than the tiresome dreary handwringing insincere smarmy misguided For-the-Children messages :)

The best reason of all, IMO, is that every single person in the NRA is an argument against the caricature of gun owners as thoughtless violent simpletons; joining an organization which is expressly intent on preserving political rights is antithetical to that carefully cultivated stereotype.

timothy
 
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On the pro side: The NRA does more to protect our 2A rights than every other 2A organization put together.

On the con side: The NRA is not just lobbying for 2A rights. They'll pick some other weird cause and start to spend your dues / contributions on it. Example: the dog tethering and spay/neuter bills in California.

It'll be a while before I donate anything more to the NRA. I'll keep my membership up, but that's about it.
 
Welcome aboard Absolut Beethoven! I am reading this with great interest as I have been debating whether or not to join the NRA for some time. My dad belonged for several years and he too got tired of the junk mail and continuous solicitations for money. I think he may have even received some phone calls. As far as the head honchos taking home 6 figures, living in mansions, and working in Taj Mahals what else is new? I support several other organizations I am passionate about and I continually get mail from them requesting more $$$$. None of them are perfect, but their good deeds sure make a difference! :)
 
Thanks once again for all your interesting replies.

I gotta say that I like antsi's reason the best though!

Besides, the NRA can't be too bad if they had Moses as their spokesman for all those years :D
 
Here's the NRA's 2005 Tax Return, it's the big bad voodoo daddy of pro-2nd Amendment issues to the tune of 180 million dollars.
Not bad to have that on your side.
Others will mention GOA and JPFO. They are alright (if you like NRA bashers), and help keep the NRA honest, but neither have the clout or the record that the NRA does in getting things done.
 

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The NRA research office has been incredibly helpful to me in some projects I am involved with. I visited the HQ, had lunch with them and saw the museum.

They are good folks and the major force in keeping our gun rights. One might quibble or rant but JOIN THEM. :D
 
The NRA is not perfect, but they're doing something. I haven't had any problems with spam or bulk mailing, and if I do, I'll set my spam filter to block it or something. But I'll at least be a member. It's the least I can do.

"A compromise is an agreement that NOBODY is happy with..."
 
power in numbers.

Antis hate the NRA - therefore we should all join.

Who cares is you dont like every single thing they do...its all about the big picture.
 
The dog neutering thing is about protecting hunters and thier dogs. Its about allowing hunters to breed certain dogs. The NRA is doing it in an effort to win over hunters to bolster thier support its not really all that complex! Why do you think they have been teaming up with Safari International so much lately?
 
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