New NRA Membership

[ShootingIsFun]

I know not everyone's a fan of the NRA - that isn't what this thread is about. Please save the anti-NRA and the Yeti stuff for another discussion...

I've never been a member of the NRA before but for the past several months have felt that now was the time to join... Times were as tough as they have been for me in a long time but things are looking up again so I coughed up the $140 for a 5 year membership.

I can think of no other organization that as actively supports pro gun views. (I also looked for Ohio and local regional groups to support but results were a little disappointing...)

Hopefully things continue to look up for me financially... If so, I plan to double down on my support - extending my membership to a life membership + adding memberships for my spouse and three children.

Again, I know not everyone is a 100% fan of the NRA but even if they aren't perfect, I can't think of any group more actively defending my second amendment rights. If you aren't already a member, please consider joining. A show of support has never been more important than it is now in today's political climate

 

[nettlle]

I have been a member for over 53 years now. Highs and lows, bumps and bruises, wins and losses. There are some newcomers for gun rights these days and they are welcome. I believe the NRA still to be the 800 pound gorilla in the forest and hope your NRA money is as well spent as mine was in your future decades of membership.

 

[boom boom]

I know not everyone's a fan of the NRA - that isn't what this thread is about. Please save the anti-NRA and the Yeti stuff for another discussion...

I've never been a member of the NRA before but for the past several months have felt that now was the time to join... Times were as tough as they have been for me in a long time but things are looking up again so I coughed up the $140 for a 5 year membership.

I can think of no other organization that as actively supports pro gun views. (I also looked for Ohio and local regional groups to support but results were a little disappointing...)

Hopefully things continue to look up for me financially... If so, I plan to double down on my support - extending my membership to a life membership + adding memberships for my spouse and three children.

Again, I know not everyone is a 100% fan of the NRA but even if they aren't perfect, I can't think of any group more actively defending my second amendment rights. If you aren't already a member, please consider joining. A show of support had never been more important than it is now in today's political climate

Safety rests in numbers. The larger the NRA's membership is, the greater the clout it carries on Capitol Hill.
AARP would not be very influential without the massive membership that it has.

 

[Hokie_PhD]

I’m with you. Things have been tough for me too. After having my classroom shotup, the NRA didn’t have anyone return my calls. As you can imagine, I was very upset and didn’t renew. Only recently did I rejoin as while I still have some hard feelings for the NRA, I think overall they do more good than harm.

I also hope and pray, that as many more join, we can help shape the organization with new people who have ideas that will help fight those who want to take our rights away in more effective ways. I’m not sure what they are, but as long as they’re Constitutionally legal, I’ll support them.

That said for those who complain about the NRA, I say, get involved, get to where you can vote and help us make positive changes.

 

[medalguy]

I've been a life member since 1971. Good or bad, the NRA is the biggest gorilla in the room. The reason the antis rag so hard on the NRA is because they are the big guy. As boom boom said, the bigger they are, the bigger clout they have.

 

[boom boom]

Local gun rights groups come and go. It is harder for them to hold together over time and I have also been members of these organizations as well. Like it or not, the NRA has been around since the 1870's and it is the most broadbased organization to affect national gun policy and somewhat at the state level as well.

The Second Amendment Foundation and the GOA also do good work. If nothing else, the GOA helps keep the NRA more honest and the SAF has prodded the NRA to get more involved in court challenges.

 

[Rudolph31]

If you value your Second Amendment rights, you should be an NRA member. No ifs, ands, or buts. That we have any rights left at all is because of the NRA.

 

[Milt1]

I'm a few payments away from being a Life Member as I think it's that important. I was invited to a range in N.C. that has a rule that all member must have an NRA membership. Afterwards I sent a message to the president of my range telling him of my experience and asking that we make that a rule at our range and today anyone that joins our club has to belong to the NRA. If you own a handgun, rifle or shotgun and value your time at a range or in the field IMHO you're under an obligation to belong to the NRA not so much for your sake but for the sake of your children and grandchildren. Think about it like this if not for the NRA you probably wouldn't have your handgun, rifle or shotgun today.

 

[JTHunter]

I became an "annual" member almost 30 years ago. About 20 years ago, I had the "opportunity" to go up to "Life" before a 50% price hike ($500 - $750) and by making no-interest payments over a couple of years, so I grabbed it. In 2003 or '04, they gave a similar half-priced sale to go up to Endowment Life ($250 vs. $500). My only gripe (other than them promoting the "bump-stock" ban) is the never ending requests for more money. I'm on a "fixed income" now and just can't afford $20 + every couple of months for them OR the ILA. I wish I could, but - - .

 

[hdwhit]

Shootingisfun wrote:
I've never been a member of the NRA before but for the past several months have felt that now was the time to join...

Well, I was an member of the NRA from the time I turned 18. I resigned my membership at the same time the first President Bush resigned his life membership - and for the same reason (the "jackbooted thugs solicitation). At the time I was a serving Federal LEO. I regard any organization that painted a target on my back for fundraising expediency to be no better than the scofflaws I was investigating.

 

[hdwhit]

JTHunter wrote:
My only gripe (other than them promoting the "bump-stock" ban) is the never ending requests for more money. I'm on a "fixed income" now and just can't afford $20 + every couple of months for them OR the ILA.

The NRA is, first and foremost, a fundraising organization. Just look at the Information Return they have to file with the IRS every year (copy available on their website).

Yes, each year they may spend some money on:

• Educational Programs,
  
• Issue Advocacy,
  
• Campaign Contributions,
  
• Legislative Affairs, and
  
• Legal Aid.

But if we take to heart the words of Jesus ("where your treasure is, there will your heart be also") or more recently those of John Deen ("follow the money"), then the expenditures show that the work of the NRA is generating further contributions from the faithful.

 

[DoubleMag]

For those who are limited $$ and still want some type of advocacy, to that I would add upper tier advocacy with faults, there is a $10 a year program...

https://joinnra.nra.org/join/Associate.aspx

I want a faultless marital relationship.
I want a perfectly running car, with no ''zero'' recalls
I want paint for my shed that will not fade or crack for over 10 years
I want my grandkids to hit that ball and it sail over the center fielder every time
I want a perfect medium thick cut steak from my 30 year old grill



I want I want I want, why not an elephant???????

The real world is a GROWN UPS CLUB, complete with various & sundry problems, disagreements, rain during the picnic etc.

 

[AlexanderA]

There's more validity in criticizing the organization from the inside than from the outside. Being a member gives you "skin in the game," so to speak.

Every gun owner should be a member of the NRA. Once in, they can try to reform the organization -- which certainly is badly in need of reform.

 

[340PD]

A longtime life member here who loves to buy one year memberships for liberal radio and television bobbleheads.

 

[doubleh]

I joined the NRA in the early sixties and will remain a member as long as I live. I firmly believe that if not for the NRA we would be the same as England and Australia are today concerning gun ownership. Yes, the NRA has some warts but tell me one other organization that doesn't.

 

[Rudolph31]

Well, I was an member of the NRA from the time I turned 18. I resigned my membership at the same time the first President Bush resigned his life membership - and for the same reason (the "jackbooted thugs solicitation). At the time I was a serving Federal LEO. I regard any organization that painted a target on my back for fundraising expediency to be no better than the scofflaws I was investigating.

The ATF earned that sobriquet by their behavior during the Randy Weaver and Waco fiascos. The Marshalls and FBI didn’t make us proud either. Government force must be held to account.

 

[CoalTrain49]

There's more validity in criticizing the organization from the inside than from the outside. Being a member gives you "skin in the game," so to speak.

Every gun owner should be a member of the NRA. Once in, they can try to reform the organization -- which certainly is badly in need of reform.

Not exactly.

Only certain members of the NRA can vote. Here's who can vote.



Once you are able to vote and you want to elect a candidate to the BOD that candidate has to be selected by the nomination committee. No one knows who is on that committee (except the BOD) and they are appointed by the BOD. So a member could conceivably meet the conditions to vote, organize a campaign to get a certain person elected to the board only to be nixed by the nominating committee. There are many obstacles in place to keep a member from reforming the organization from within.

The NRA has many benefits and one needs to look at those to decide if those benefits are worth the membership fee to them personally.

 

[CoalTrain49]

The ATF earned that sobriquet by their behavior during the Randy Weaver and Waco fiascos. The Marshalls and FBI didn’t make us proud either. Government force must be held to account.

And you do that by voting.

The DOJ (FBI) isn't exactly on everyone's A list for the most popular federal agency these days. That was the result of a presidential election and some really sketchy political maneuvering by none other than the FBI.

And you are correct. We need to watch them like a hawk.

 

[Stope Rat]

Once you are able to vote and you want to elect a candidate to the BOD that candidate has to be selected by the nomination committee. No one knows who is on that committee (except the BOD) and they are appointed by the BOD. So a member could conceivably meet the conditions to vote, organize a campaign to get a certain person elected to the board only to be nixed by the nominating committee. There are many obstacles in place to keep a member from reforming the organization from within.

The NRA has many benefits and one needs to look at those to decide if those benefits are worth the membership fee to them personally.

Not completely correct. Voting members of the NRA may submit a petition to the Secretary of the NRA nominating an eligible candidate. All it takes is 653 valid signatures and they are on the ballot. So the membership retains a measure of control over the Nominating Committee.

And it looks like the NRA publishes both the membership in the Board of Directors, AND the Nominating Committee.

http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nra/ar_201707/index.php#/92

 

[CoalTrain49]

All it takes is 653 valid signatures and they are on the ballot.

Thanks. I wasn't aware of some of this. Do the 653 valid signatures have to be life time members?

 

[Stope Rat]

Thanks. I wasn't aware of some of this. Do the 653 valid signatures have to be life time members?

Looks like they do have to be lifetime members, and they have to be fully paid up - so you can't start one of the installment plans and sign a petition before you have made the last payment.

 

[LoneGoose]

I was an annual member for decades. All I could afford to give the NRA was my membership dues. I didn't mind all of the mailers asking for extra money. That's just business. When the telephone calls asking for money started, I asked to be taken off the call list. That had the exact opposite response to what was expected. I began to get more phone calls - not for just soliciting money - trying to convince me to change my mind.

What??? Then one evening I told a caller that I would cancel my membership if I got called again. You can guess the rest. I consider harassing phone calls to be an invasion of a person's home and privacy.

The NRA is doing just fine without my $25/year.

I'm not bashing them, just relating my own experience.

 

[hso]

It is important for people to understand the difference between the NRA and NRA-ILA.

The Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the lobbying arm of the NRA. Established in 1975, ILA is committed to preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.