NRA and my car was vandalized

[Tirod]

I believe it's going better than some discussions we've had on "is the gun always loaded?", "drop safety", or "should I fire 500 rounds to prove my carry gun."

That stuff should be cut and dried commonly accepted standards. Yet, that is not what we read. Let's not assume that the other side is pushing an agenda, it's a fact of life they do. Both sides. Humans always have and always will, and each is absolutely sure they are correct. Just ask them.

 

[Sam1911]

The objection in the video was not to anti Trump demonstrations. It was to leftists physically assaulting Trump supporters (you can see a bloodied man wearing a Trump shirt) and rioters destroying property, using violence as a means to a political end. The difference is significant.

Which, while interesting, is COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY outside of the NRA's job as a gun rights lobbying organization. It doesn't matter how "right" (meaning correct...though the double meaning is significant) their statements were. It is DEAD WRONG of them to wade into such completely off-topic fluff.

Consider that we wouldn't allow that subject as a discussion topic here at THR. Not for a minute. It's The NRA should at least be as focused as we are here.

 

[Sam1911]

Blaming the NRA for doing that yet not seeing how it's done by the opposite view is a bit close minded.

Of course the other side does these things! That's not in question.

If we want to win and want to spread the good news of gun rights, we have to be better than that.

Sitting back and saying, "well they do it too!" gets us nothing. We should be -- we HAVE to be -- better.

then there is something BOTH sides need to work on

Which would be a worthy point, IF we wanted both sides to be equally better. We don't. We don't WANT the anti-gun side to be really decent, welcoming, accepting people who bring many middle-ground folks to their cause.

They act like fools, vandals, hostile jerks? GREAT! Let them. Never interrupt the enemy when he's in the process of making a mistake.

We have to be BETTER. We have to be the ones most good folks naturally gravitate to. Because our arms are open, there's a smile on our faces, and they don't have to worry about getting harangued or made feel unwelcome because they pray to the "wrong" deity, or love the "wrong" person, or are the "wrong" color, or believe we should do X or Y to protect the environment, or whatever else.

The other side does it? FANTASTIC! Let them pave the way to their own demise.

WE HAVE TO BE BETTER THAN THEM.

 

[sarge83]

There is no justification for vandalism period. That being said I have relatives in the gay community and lets just say openness, diversity of opinion and tolerance are traits they demand in you, but they do not extend the same courtesy that they preach. As one of them put it to a relative that disagreed with their life style, "I can have you jailed for thinking that way..." For the most part I just avoid them, they are not worth the trouble. And I have seen it go the opposite way. I disagree with the lifestyle but unless you are in my face demanding I change and accept your beliefs I am not going to say anything. I don't come to work and point out my straightness and yammer on about my sex life. It's my business and no one elses and I don't want to know about yours. I could care less what you do in your life. Live and let live.

As for NRA stickers etc... I have nothing on my cars that identify me with any political organization. At best I may have a college sports team license plate, otherwise nothing, I don't want to draw attention to myself by any side.

 

[TomJ]

Which, while interesting, is COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY outside of the NRA's job as a gun rights lobbying organization. It doesn't matter how "right" (meaning correct...though the double meaning is significant) their statements were. It is DEAD WRONG of them to wade into such completely off-topic fluff.

Consider that we wouldn't allow that subject as a discussion topic here at THR. Not for a minute. It's The NRA should at least be as focused as we are here.

I agree that the NRA is a gun rights lobbying organization and that should be their focus. They are openly political, as evidenced by their their Political Victory Fund and their daily e-mail broadcasts from the NRA-ILA. The purpose of them entering the political fray is that by them doing so, they do what they can to protect our 2A rights. Currently, IMO the greatest threat to those rights is the far left, who's stated goal is to do away with private gun ownership. If you view that commercial on it's own, you can make the argument that it had nothing to do with the 2A. If you view it in the context of them exposing the far left for what they are to prevent them from winning elections and therefore having the power to further their anti 2A agenda, it's well within their goal of protecting the 2A.

 

[chicharrones]

You should have filed a police report. There is a strong probability that the mall had security cameras and the incident was captured on video. Your sweet revenge would have been pressing vandalism charges against the miscreants.

I've been through that with a hit and run driver damaging my wife's parked car. The security wasn't about to help with video unless a lawyer was involved. The police weren't about to help without a witness. Both the security staff and the local HPD gave us the whole "contact your insurance company and don't bother us" response.

I think you have to be assaulted, killed, or have a good lawyer to see video at a mall or parking lot.

 

[GunnyUSMC]

I have worked many calls of vehicle vandalism. The majority of the vehicles had pro gun or conservative type bumper stickers. It appears that the ones that clam to be open minded are the ones that trash the property of those that they feel disagree with them.
Oh! social justice movement, Those that preach that, some how have the feeling that life is fair or should be. Life is not fair, no matter how much someone wants it to be so.

I agree with those that don't put stickers on their their vehicles. I don't put anything political or gun related on my vehicle. But I do have a Marine Corps sticker on it.

Three things I hold dear.
My God.
My Country
My way of life.
If you oppose those, you are my enemy .

 

[milemaker13]

Sorry to hear about your problem, but as others have explained, the growing intolerance and belligerence of the political left only assures that it will get worse. Just today a friend was telling me that he had just returned from his latest trip to Gettysburg. Unfortunately, it wasn't as enjoyable as his previous trips. Everything was going great until he and his family got to some of the larger Confederate monuments where there was a small group of a certain ethic background screaming, hollering, waving banners and beating on the monuments with signs on sticks. He confronted the woman leading the group and she and her group then went after him. He escaped with only a few scratches on his car.

It could have been worse. Back in about 1996, I was working in a local gun shop when I received a phone call from one of my customers. He was an older, retired fellow who was normally pretty calm, cool and collected. In this case, I could tell by his voice and he was tired, frustrated and angry all at the same time. He explained that he was calling from Niagara Falls, Canada. He knew that I had a friend who had a trailer for hauling a car and was wondering if I and my friend could drive up to get him and his car. I said, sure I could, but what happened? Did he have a break-down? Fire? I needed to know what happened so I could decide what tools to bring. He said, no, it wasn't a break-down or anything like that. He and his family had decided to go across the boarder to see the falls from the Canadian side and when they were coming back, the Canadian Boarder Patrol (or whatever they are) stopped him and asked if he had any "contraband" or "illegal items" in the car. He told them "no, nothing illegal," but just about that time they noticed the NRA sticker on his car. They told him to pull over to a spot near the station for inspection and after he did, demanded he and his family get out and "come in the station to answer a few questions." He did and four hours later, when he was allowed to leave that little station and the interrogation they put him and his family through, he discovered that they had taken his car apart! Not only were the tires off the car, they were off the rims, the seats were out along with most of the interior, the gas tank was out, and large parts of the engine were scattered around on the ground. No apologies, nothing other than something like "we know all you NRA types violate our laws by bringing guns into our country, we just couldn't find it... this time!" My buddy and I scrapped the NRA sticker off of his car and drove to Canada to bring him, his family and his car back to freedom!

PS. There are a couple of products out there that will take care of that stick residue on your vehicle. Try "GooGone" or "Goof Off" and then rinse thoroughly. A couple of minutes at most should take care of it.

You have got to be kidding. This makes me so angry. A few old buddies are always spouting about Canada being so much better. Just (one of) the best place on Earth (along with many European locations). Free everything!!! And no taxes! And legal drugs(the most important part of course)! And just rainbows and sunshine for everyone all the time!!!!
A clouded brain just sees what it wants and conveniently ignores the rest. Same folks sucking the welfare teet and b******* taxes are too high. Huh? Just no clue. At all.
Sorry for my rambling, incoherent rant. I get a little steamed up....

 

[Poper]

We have to be BETTER. We have to be the ones most good folks naturally gravitate to. Because our arms are open, there's a smile on our faces, and they don't have to worry about getting harangued or made feel unwelcome because they pray to the "wrong" deity, or love the "wrong" person, or are the "wrong" color, or believe we should do X or Y to protect the environment, or whatever else.

Brings to mind the saying..."Hate the sin; love the sinner."
My sister is lesbian. I still love her as my sister though I disagree with homosexuality being 'normal'.
Likewise, I hate the thought that someone believes government has the right/ability/responsibility to deny anyone their God given right to keep and bear arms, but that does not necessarily mean I hate the individual. I may hate their belief or idea, but I do not hate the person.

 

[gc70]

I've been through that with a hit and run driver damaging my wife's parked car. The security wasn't about to help with video unless a lawyer was involved. The police weren't about to help without a witness. Both the security staff and the local HPD gave us the whole "contact your insurance company and don't bother us" response.

I think you have to be assaulted, killed, or have a good lawyer to see video at a mall or parking lot.

Everything depends on where you live. I live near a major mall just across the county line from a major metropolitan area. The local police make a big point of demonstrating that objectionable behavior will not be tolerated in our county and our mall. One of the police department's district offices is even located inside the mall, next door to the mall management offices.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

I've been a member of the NRA for years and they've yet to ask me about my gender, race, religious affiliation, etc., so I'm pretty sure those diversity statistics are not available. In regards to the NRA's stance on issues outside of the 2A, I haven't seen it. The television and print ads I've seen address the 2A. I may be wrong about that, so if they are wandering into issues outside the 2A I'd be interested in seeing that. I do agree that we tend to judge organizations my the members we interact with. It sounds like you've met some NRA members who's behavior is less than desirable, and that's unfortunate. There are approximately 5 million NRA members, so I hope you don't judge all of us by the actions of a few.

You put your finger on it -- the "statistics" on diversity in the NRA do not exist. The NRA does not ask for nor keep such data.

And that means the accusation is based on the accuser's imagination. Projecting your imagination onto reality is a symptom of narcissism.

 

[Elkins45]

The objection in the video was not to anti Trump demonstrations. It was to leftists physically assaulting Trump supporters (you can see a bloodied man wearing a Trump shirt) and rioters destroying property, using violence as a means to a political end. The difference is significant.

OK, but neither was about working against legislative threats to the Second Amendment, or improving marksmanship, or repealing restrictive laws, or...

NRA should stick to gun rights, not anti “leftist” commercials. There was absolutely nothing in that video about gun laws.

 

[chicharrones]

Everything depends on where you live. I live near a major mall just across the county line from a major metropolitan area. The local police make a big point of demonstrating that objectionable behavior will not be tolerated in our county and our mall. One of the police department's district offices is even located inside the mall, next door to the mall management offices.

Houston Police, Harris County Sheriff's Office, and Harris County Constables are inundated with calls, so they really won't do much about things that are minor. About all one can hope for around here is getting them to file a police report.

Back in 1984/1985, I was a young security guard at the Houston Galleria. We were required to be two things. Good witnesses and good report writers. The on-site HPD policeman was to be called in event of auto theft, robbery, etc. There was plenty of auto theft at that mall back in the day and I got to write plenty of reports for "cover our butts" reasons.

 

[Robert]

There are far too many off topics posts to prune out of this and as it seems to be walking a line that is off topic as a while I'm going to call it a day.

 

[Sam1911]

You put your finger on it -- the "statistics" on diversity in the NRA do not exist. The NRA does not ask for nor keep such data.

I rather doubt the NRA doesn't have demographic information on it's membership makeup. Or that others have not gathered that info, either.

In this day and age, it's inconceivable.

Just because they didn't ask you? Uh, yeah, they know.