I've worked in/for government and around many government officials/politicians most of my life. Because of all the bureaucracy in government, most of the politicians make decisions based solely on the numbers game and trying to get re-elected. The MAIN purpose of the 2nd amendment is to ensure that "WE THE PEOPLE" have a means of resisting any type of dictatorship government. And while we have been fortunate that the 2nd amendment has been worded as such to allow interpretation for individual use, it is still the government that should be most feared. The biggest advantage of organizations like the NRA and GOA; besides all the great lobbying they do; is that they present these politicians with "THE NUMBERS". They are able to show that there are OVER 80 Million gun owners in the country. They can show that there are close to 5 million NRA members. The far left liberals would love to say that gun owners are such a small minority. It would make it easier to misinterpret the constitution and have the meaning changed in such a way to restrict our gun rights more than they are today.
We need as many people as possible in the NRA and other organizations. But the NRA is the biggest name brand on capital hill, so definitely support them. Besides ensuring that you are a member, here's a suggestion. (I did it twice, but may start doing it again). Give a 1 year NRA membership to friends and family. Especially those who may not be very Pro-Gun or Pro-2nd amendment. You don't have to put them on the hook for anything. Use your check or credit card. Use your email address so they don't get spammed. But put in their address, their membership, and give them the "Freedom Magazine". You can tell them that you did it and that none of their personal information was given out. They aren't committed to anything. Maybe they read the magazine and learn something. Maybe they trash it. Of the 2 I gave out, 1 trashed it and the other read some of them. While I can't say that either became big time gun owners, both seemed a bit more understanding of the 2nd amendment rights and how all our rights tie in together. You can usually find some pretty good NRA sales going on and get memberships for $25 for a year.
No matter what though, if you care about your 2nd amendment rights, you should definitely be a member of the NRA. I don't agree with 100% of what they do, but just like the unions have their place when the employees stand together; this is our form of unity. Without it, the politicians see the numbers as insignificant. The Obama election was actually a very good thing for gun owners and rights. Many people have bought guns. NRA membership is up significantly. Lets use this momentum to let the government know EXACTLY how many we are and that there are more of us, than of them.
