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A Bit Ticked at NRA

Richard King

Diamond
Joined
Jul 12, 2005
Location
Cottage Grove, MN 55016
I wrote Chris Cox yesterday after I signed up or sent a few bucks in and they sent back a ball cap....what a joke cap. Made in Vietnam and so small it would be tight on my 5 yr old Grandson (kidding, but would not fit my Big head ...lol). Last December I bought a jack knife with NRA insignia and it came in February and was cheap Chinese made. I can't believe they would sell such (can't say it) stuff. I said I would pay or donate more if they sent out made in America (or Swiss made) and not the stuff they send now. If more have seen this please write them and complain. Rich
 
Geesus Richard what did you expect from todays NRA? They have become a joke! When I was kid the NRA was about sportsmen's rights and proper safety training for young hunters,, now its a money grubbing lobby for huge corporate arms manufacturers.
 
+1 on that ! I have a small collection of NRA logo "CRAP"...
I like that our State Gun Owners Association ( GOAL.ORG ) sells USA made products when they can.
Full disclosure - one of their products (The SPDTool Range Rod) is mine. :D
-Scott
 
I am a life member of the NRA. For several years I bought a sponsorship at the local Friends of the NRA event, I received a print of an outdoor scene. When they switched to a made in China statue of a minuteman I ended my support. A call to NRA headquarters I was told it was cheaper.
 
I wish NO presents would be sent when I donate money. I don't want it pissed away by sending presents I don't want.

I quit donating to one organization because,in spite of me repeatedly telling them to NOT send presents,they still sent them. Well,if they have money to send presents,they don't need my money. I refer to the Lacota Indian School(I have a friend who is part Lacota). I mean,how big can they BE? SO BIG they can't READ my request to not send presents? If they are that big,they don't need my money.

One thing about the NRA that really irks me,is they never have found a gun they don't like! They have made articles about ATROCIOUS looking CRAP,lauding it as great. WTF!!!! I guess they get to keep the gun? And,I wish they'd STOP ads selling those POS "commemorative" guns with electroplated gold shit designs on them. The NRA seems to have NO TASTE at all!

I support them because they do help keep the gun grabbers off our backs,at least.
 
Nra still supports our shooting sports, and the fact is that they are the THE GROUP that is associated with keeping our gun rights in Washington . I'll also say this, I am an active member of the LOuisiana Shooting Assiciation , which is the State association recognized by CMP and NRA. When we need public support or lobbying assistance to get things passed or defeated in the legislature, the NRA will help us with mass Emails to all state members, and send legislative assistants to help and train our lobbyist.
I too had become sour over the NRA trinkets over the years , but the effectiveness of the NRA over the last few years has been amazing keeping the bans away , on the federal level anyway .
The banquets you guys are talking about are the Friends of The NRA and is a seperate but associated group. Over the years they have donated, in the form of grants, thousands to our local junior shooting programs for air rifles , smallbore guns, ammo, equipment.
 
I have a real love/hate relationship with the nra too. Most of you have captured the hate part and I agree on all points. What keeps me coming back though is they are about the biggest opposition to a real out of control government. That is worth my $35/yr.
 
There has been more anti gun legislation introduced or passed in the last 6 years then the prior 60 years. Who else is standing up for the rights of us to own and use firearms. I have given more money to the NRA then 98% of you cry babies that want something in return for your small donation, I never wanted any trinkets in return.

Benefactor member, and member since 1967
 
There has been more anti gun legislation introduced or passed in the last 6 years then the prior 60 years. Who else is standing up for the rights of us to own and use firearms. I have given more money to the NRA then 98% of you cry babies that want something in return for your small donation, I never wanted any trinkets in return.

Benefactor member, and member since 1967

I agree and have donated more in the past 6 years then ever before. I'm not cry baby either... Just hate seeing an organization sending out crap when it would be simple to send out good stuff. I wrote him and said I would gladly pay premium prices to get a ball cap I could wear with Pride being a Member, but hate the cheap ass looking crap they send now. I wanted to buy a jacket too, but am afraid to order one, probably made in Asia and 3 sizes smaller then USA sizes.
 
While I agree about the crap (I know someone who upgraded to Patron Member and the statue/sculpture came with a little plastic nail on tab marked "Parton Member") the question is; what would you rather have, high quality trinkets or plastic replicas of the guns you used to own? I'm referring of course to what kind of guns you would be allowed to own if there were no such organizations.

I am also an NRA Life Member and while I have had some issues with the organization over the years the alternative is to trust your future to people like Obama, Bloomberg, Feinstein, Schumer, etc. and state level politicians such as "Angry Andy" Cuomo and the now departed Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and now deceased Boston Mayor Thomas "Mumbles" Menino.

Here in Mass. we have gun owners who won't support our main state organization GOAL for many reasons including "They wouldn't help me (ie provide free lawyers) when I had a licensing issue).

Three choices folks:

Support the existing pro 2A organizations
Start your own organization
Trust your future to those kind people mentioned above
 
I agree and have donated more in the past 6 years then ever before. I'm not cry baby either... Just hate seeing an organization sending out crap when it would be simple to send out good stuff. I wrote him and said I would gladly pay premium prices to get a ball cap I could wear with Pride being a Member, but hate the cheap ass looking crap they send now. I wanted to buy a jacket too, but am afraid to order one, probably made in Asia and 3 sizes smaller then USA sizes.

NRA Store | Official Store of the National Rifle Association Official Store of the National Rifle Association

And give the free NRA crap to the brattiest kid in the neighborhood so he can gain the admiration of teachers and administrators. :D
 
NRA member since 1964. Life member since 1967 and other levels along the way. Benefactor member since 2000. Supporter of both NRA-ILA and NRA-PVF. I would challenge anyone to find another organization more dedicated and successful in preserving the 2nd amendment and our rights and freedoms at the national level. Without the 2nd amendment ALL other freedoms are at risk of being taken away from us. I have several gifts from the NRA from years past but for the last number of years I have declined the gift offers so that all proceeds go the the real fight at hand. I have enough hats, knives and belt buckles. Considering the threat level that the 2nd amendment and all of our freedoms are facing right now, the NRA needs the support of all of us. We can buy a good hat that fits and have it embroidered for a nominal fee.
I am a life member of several other organizations whose policies I support.

Bob
WB8NQW
 
Geesus Richard what did you expect from todays NRA? They have become a joke! When I was kid the NRA was about sportsmen's rights and proper safety training for young hunters,, now its a money grubbing lobby for huge corporate arms manufacturers.

My grandfather - who was a big hitter in the NRA organization back in his day - tore up his card and gave them the finger over this. He spent his latter years telling anyone who would listen just how much money gets pumped into the pockets of the top brass and their corporate buddies.

In 2010 the NRA's total budget was $250M. They put a whopping $10M into actual lobbying efforts. Another $16M went to education and safety. The rest was spent on a giant money-churning
operation that's sole purpose is to spend $0.90 to get you to contribute $1.00. The NRA top brass earn upwards of a $1M every year with ten others making over $250,000 plus what they get in speaking fees. They spent more money ($12.5M) on a single advertising agency than they spent on lobbying. You get a crappy hat because La Pierre and his comrades are out buying nice ones for themselves. They spend 3X more on salaries than they do on standing up for gun rights.

There needs to be some serious change in that organization. It's been rotting from the core for decades. Once the big money started rolling in the '60's the hogs really bumrushed the trough.

If you really want to have an impact take your $40 annual dues and buy some stamps and mailing supplies. The same money that you send to the NRA will get you a couple hundred letters out to Congress. By letting the NRA do it you're paying a 900% penalty on your hard-earned cash.

Just my $0.02 (that didn't go to the NRA),
Dan.
 
I quit NRA a number of years ago when they started double-billing me for dues. Seemed every time I opened the mailbox, my membership was about to expire or there was an NRA-associated solicitation of some sort - gun insurance, health insurance, cancer insurance, etc. On and on and on it went...always a call to action, always a dire emergency, always donate NOW!, always slick bullshit marketing. I got sick of it.

I re-joined some years later as a life member, but on the conditions they 1) not dun me for dues not owed, 2) send me no mailings except for the magazine.
 
My grandfather - who was a big hitter in the NRA organization back in his day - tore up his card and gave them the finger over this. He spent his latter years telling anyone who would listen just how much money gets pumped into the pockets of the top brass and their corporate buddies.

In 2010 the NRA's total budget was $250M. They put a whopping $10M into actual lobbying efforts. Another $16M went to education and safety. The rest was spent on a giant money-churning
operation that's sole purpose is to spend $0.90 to get you to contribute $1.00. The NRA top brass earn upwards of a $1M every year with ten others making over $250,000 plus what they get in speaking fees. They spent more money ($12.5M) on a single advertising agency than they spent on lobbying. You get a crappy hat because La Pierre and his comrades are out buying nice ones for themselves. They spend 3X more on salaries than they do on standing up for gun rights.

There needs to be some serious change in that organization. It's been rotting from the core for decades. Once the big money started rolling in the '60's the hogs really bumrushed the trough.

If you really want to have an impact take your $40 annual dues and buy some stamps and mailing supplies. The same money that you send to the NRA will get you a couple hundred letters out to Congress. By letting the NRA do it you're paying a 900% penalty on your hard-earned cash.

Just my $0.02 (that didn't go to the NRA),
Dan.


Yo comrade Dan, where did you get your propaganda from? I know which lever you pull.
 
Geesus Richard what did you expect from todays NRA? They have become a joke! When I was kid the NRA was about sportsmen's rights and proper safety training for young hunters,, now its a money grubbing lobby for huge corporate arms manufacturers.

You mean like when Bill Ruger worked with the NRA and various legislators to tailor the Assault Weapon Ban during George Bush the First's presidency, to help the sails of his precious ranch rifle / mini14s? It's not a new problem.

However it's a very great sum of money that comes from the membership and not just corporate sponsors. Even then, lots of manufacturers are guys like you and me.
 
Love/ Hate is a common take on the NRA.

Do I desire any of the cheep presents or magazines. Not really.
Do I think the weekly stream of mail asking to renew an annual membership or for donations is a bit annoying, yes.

Do I want a group in Washington that lobbies against every encroachment on the second amendment, yes.
Do I agree with the NRA's position on every issue - who cares.

The point is to have a group that debates the pro gun side of the argument so that all sides are heard.
 








 
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