[Tick River]

I know that got your attention!! Lets forget what Political Party you belong to and address who really is to blame!!!

There are an estimated 80 Million gun owners in America and only 4 Million NRA members!!! That means that 76 Million gun owners ride the coat tails of 4 Million NRA Members. What is wrong with this picture?? If all 80 Million gun owners belonged to the NRA NO POLITICAL PARTY would ever dare to threaten the 2ND Amendment, Hell lets be real if only 40 Million (50%)were members you would get the same results.The NRA would not have to depend on any politicians for support!! THE POLITICIANS WOULD then have to come to us reguardless of their party!! 40 to 80 Million voters is force to be respected and not ignored.

It costs a gun owner less than $0.10 a day to maintain a yearly membership of $ 35.00. So you cannot plead its to expensive.
I think that rather than fight and argue amoungst our selves we should combine our efforts and work our hardest to turn these numbers around.
I am going to put my money where MY MOUTH is. I am upgrading my NRA Membership from Endowment Life to Patron this year. I am also buying my son a Life Membership for Christmas, and three other family members a regular NRA annual membership for Christmas.
It may not be much but its a start. I truly think ALL gun owners should step up to the plate and pay their fair share instead of letting a handfull of us pay to protect them all.
With out this happening we will continue to face an uphill battle!!
Thanks for listening.
Tick

 

[sheepdog]

I agree-by the last of February--even my dog Bowie will be a member-it's more important than ever....politicians only hear one thing-votes-votes are like nails to a carpenter---when they see the NRA reach those numbers-they won't even regulate howitzers...

 

[gunman42782]

I have said the same thing for years.

 

[sheepdog]

Tim, there're other gun groups out there-any for real or just me-toos wanting money--any other have effective lobby power?

 

[gunman42782]

Not one of them comes close to having the clout of the NRA.

 

[maverick7340]

So, am I do believe that politicains only think the members of the NRA are the only ones that vote or the only ones that are pro gun?
I think saying that everyone who owns a gun should join the NRA and life will be just peachy for us is like the anti gun people saying, if we just take all their guns away the world would be peachy.

 

[gunman42782]

The only thing that counts to a politician is votes. As tick river says in the original post if all 80 million gun owners would join the NRA, no politician in their right mind would dare do anything to damage the Second Amendment. Plain and simple.

 

[legacy38]

I'm not a member of the NRA, and I'm not riding any coat tails they have, and I resent the implication.

The NRA has endorsed candidates in local and state races that were far left on everything but the gun issue and only paid lip service to it.

How about this: put the blame on the politicos for not doing the right thing enough to inspire the base to rally.

 

[sheepdog]

Politicos only do the right thing when it benefits them-the NRA is the biggest watchdog and loudest voice to make them realize it would be to their benefit to protect our interests---in the same way the sight of the cop on the street and his presence dissuades some crime-a powerful (read:Lots of voters behind it) lobby keeps them from voting their own misguided ideas.....as much.....the millions of non-members both benefit from that lobbying without paying for it-and are a tiny voice against anti-gun laws-politicos figure if they really cared-they'd align with the Beast that's growling at them-the NRA. Politics gives lots of weight to impressions, silence, and loud yelling--I want to be part of the loud yelling-most politicians want to be well thought of and often put out fires more than they want to. Noone need take offense-we have been discussing the importance of feeding the Watchdog.

 

[Calvin Wiles]

quote:Originally posted by legacy38

I'm not a member of the NRA, and I'm not riding any coat tails they have, and I resent the implication.

The NRA has endorsed candidates in local and state races that were far left on everything but the gun issue and only paid lip service to it.

How about this: put the blame on the politicos for not doing the right thing enough to inspire the base to rally.

This is why I personally contact the politicians on gun issues and the response has been very good. There is nothing to keep the NRA from having other motives besides gun control and ownership in mind when appointing Candidates.

 

[sheepdog]

All men are likely to have ulterior motives-no doubt-but I like their track record at present power and I'll risk the price of a day at the range to give them more clout-lots of shooters don't take the time to contact their elected officials personally-I haven't-but I realize it's now more important than ever that I DO--and I will change that....an old dog can be taught new tricks-it just takes longer...

 

[maverick7340]

How did the NRA help Wisconsin tuesday to make sure they elected the right person so they can get the people in office that are for CCW?
Politicians are either pro gun or anti gun.
The NRA should do more to educate the people to vote for the right person more then trying to bully the ones in office to change their minds.
If you are pro gun and you were elected into office, would you change your view point and turn anti gun just because an organization bullied you into it? NO
So why should we think that we can change the anti gun politicians minds the same way?
The politicains who are anti gun and are voted in are going to stay anti gun and they don't give a darn what the NRA says. In their mind they think the people that voted them in must like their anti gun ideas and are going to go with that agenda.
That is why we, as gun owners, should be worried now that the Dem. are in charge.
The NRA didn't stop them in the 90s and they aren't going to stop them now.

 

[gunman42782]

I beg to differ. The NRA DID stop them in the 90s. Bill Clinton himself said so during the Republican Revolution, which he blamed squarely on the NRA. I don't know what exactly your problem is with the NRA, but maybe you should educate yourself on what they do. They have spent years (and many thousands of dollors) in Wisconsin trying to get CCW passed, and it has passed there twice, but the Democrat governor keeps vetoing it. The CCW laws that are now in all but a couple of states are a direct result of the NRA's tireless efforts. It is not the NRAs fault that the people of this country were p.o.ed at Bush and elected a bunch of Democrats last Tuesday. I think your bitterness would be best directed elsewhere.

 

[Calvin Wiles]

Its easy to see where this thread is headed. I am locking this thread and asking everyone to refrain from starting topics that you know are argumemtative.