[soreshoulder]

"We" (the Carolina Shooters Club) are club affiliates and business alliance members with the NRA. We pay dues and support the NRA in membership drives, etc.

In return, we get a small commission when someone signs of from our site/ banner, and.....that's it.

The NRA has done nothing...as in...zero to reach out to us, or any of the other groups that I have talked to in NC. There aren't any conference calls, FB posts, actual sit-down meetings, or any other effort whatsoever to reach out to their membership in an interactive fashion.

Combining this with their recent ridiculous endorsements of weaker candidates on 2A issues, one has to wonder if the NRA has outlived its usefulness, if not at the national level, perhaps the state/ local levels.

Certainly the NRA is a powerful voice in Washington, but if they are supporting the lesser of the 2A candidates in the races, are they *really* looking after our best interests?

As an organization, the NRA has the best training/ certification/ and range development programs, bar none. Or, do they?

Do GRAA, GOA, or any of the other groups have enough clout to put together their own certification programs, insurance, etc?

 

[Phudd]

They supported NFA in 1934 and the GCA in 1968

They have far to many times supported some level of compromise

I am not and never will be a member.

 

[fieldgrade]

I took their banner off my profile last week after I saw they were peddling Tillis.

If the club does decide to not continue the relationship with the NRA, I think I'd keep it on the "down low". The news media loves stuff like this. I'd most assuredly let the NRA know, but I wouldn't make it "an open letter to the NRA" type thing.

 

[1406]

I intentionally let my membership expire after seeing them endorse those weaker 2A candidates you are referring to, current and past elections.

It is in my humble opinion that while their mission statement and core beliefs may be tailored towards firearm friendly groups of people and legislation, they act in ways attributed to mainly politicians.

 

[11B CIB]

Here's a (surprisingly good) HuffPo article about the Second Amendment Foundation vs the NRA
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/25/second-amendment-foundation_n_2745038.html

Is either the SAF or the National Association for Gun Rights a better choice for an advocacy group?

 

[soreshoulder]

the NRA does a *lot* of good stuff, but if they aren't going to engage at the local levels and actually look at the candidates they are endorsing..

 

[John Connor]

I just singed up as a member of GOA. I had to pick which one of the two got what little money I've got these days and the NRA didn't make the cut. It's really sad with who they are backing in your state.

 

[SPST]

The NRA spends their local activity time on pestering it's members for more money. I got tired of them constantly bugging me for money 30 years ago.

 

[Brangus]

I just singed up as a member of GOA. I had to pick which one of the two got what little money I've got these days and the NRA didn't make the cut. It's really sad with who they are backing in your state.

Well said.

 

[Geezer]

I have been a Life Member of the NRA since 1976. For many, many years the NRA was the only voice that gun owners had. Now, some other organizations have arrived and are helping. The NRA works mainly on a national level. Maybe they are not as effective now as in the past. I would hate to see them dropped because if it was not for the NRA's work over the years we might not even be on a gun owner's forum.

 

[soreshoulder]

that is a fair point, Geezer

 

[Doctor SigFan]

the NRA does a *lot* of good stuff, but if they aren't going to engage at the local levels and actually look at the candidates they are endorsing..

I think you make some great points about their endorsements in the primary (which have been disappointing). I agree with you and the folks on this board who may feel a bit used by "their" national organization. With regard to candidate endorsements, they do seem to rely more on some internal polling (which they believe in a Karl Rovish fashion to be more predictive of the winner in primaries--which usually favors the incumbent or the establishment candidate) than "boots on the ground" interviews with locals. As such, they smack of an "inside the beltway" organization. Frankly in this regard they seem to be a big, bureaucratic organization which is long on establishment lobbying for the national Republican Party (and select Dems like Harry Reid and Joe Manchin and short on listening to us out here who lean a bit more libertarian in our beliefs (yet participate in their membership up till now anyway).

The organization does lend some educational value (my wife has taken their Refuse to be a Victim class and now regularly kicks my ass and locks me in the closet when I act out). I also like their certifications to "shoot for"...such as Pistol certification classes, Range Safety Officer training, and the like. I also like their history as a gun rights organization...so I'd feel kind of weird not to be a member.

ON THE OTHER HAND...I think Larry Pratt for Gun Owners of America is a great no compromise spokesman. GOA and GRNC seem better at "bare knuckles" political streetfighting, as it were, while the NRA seems to cater to the Establishment crowd. NAGR seems more of a Western organization yet was heavily involved in the recall of those Colorado State Senators recently. I subscribe to the USCCA publications, which seem very willing to offer things like discount legal insurance and good product reviews. They also seem to be more of a "no compromise" organization. And these organizations don't flood our mailboxes with endless solicitations for money while offering cheap imported crap in return.

Bottom Line on my rambling two cents:
1) Keep the NRA Logo for historical/educational/certifications. Make it clear somehow that if they continue to endorse "establishment" candidates without clear reasons, our patience with them will grow thinner.
2) Reach out to the National NRA organization to see if they have some regional representative willing to pow wow with us and field our concerns over a club barbecue or something. You mentioned this site has 16000 or more members, and we pride ourselves on being lawful, responsible gun owners. If that doesn't stand for something, the NRA may lose money to fight Bloomberg.
3) Reach out to GOA, USCCA, NAGR, or others to see if they'd do the same as suggestion #2. It might be interesting to see if they'd be willing to talk to us.

 

[Frmr0317]

I've worked with some great guys from the NRA but as an organization they're as useful as a third nipple.

 

[enewtonsc4]

I'm kinda pissed about them endorsing tillis but geezer has a good point.

 

[11B CIB]

I wish SC had a version of the GRNC. We need strong National level groups like the NRA who work WITH individual state's rights groups. The NRA needs to do a better job of liaising with state level representatives of "NRA friendly" groups to monitor local issues, the "climate" of each region, as well as staying ahead of potential future issues.

It's going to take supporting as many groups as you can afford to present a unified front. And if the NRA is backing undesirable candidates, look at it like an elected representative. Write the leadership and anyone else in the organization that'll listen and tell them they're out of tune with local issues and need to do a better job or you'll take your money to someone who will.

 

[J.Boyette]

I agree the state NRA guy is not much help. I bet you he has no idea this body of people are here on CSC.

I would forward him this link and see what the local NRA does.

John

 

[treedodger]

I have been a Life Member of the NRA since 1976. For many, many years the NRA was the only voice that gun owners had. Now, some other organizations have arrived and are helping. The NRA works mainly on a national level. Maybe they are not as effective now as in the past. I would hate to see them dropped because if it was not for the NRA's work over the years we might not even be on a gun owner's forum.

That is a sobering thought and very well put. While some here may not agree with everything they do, without their political lobby, our rights as gun owners would most certainly not have survived to the extent they have given the political climate. Having said that, I do belong to GOA and SAF also.

 

[RJT]

I have been a Life Member of the NRA since 1976. For many, many years the NRA was the only voice that gun owners had. Now, some other organizations have arrived and are helping. The NRA works mainly on a national level. Maybe they are not as effective now as in the past. I would hate to see them dropped because if it was not for the NRA's work over the years we might not even be on a gun owner's forum.

I agree. I dont like some of the things they do or dont do but they are a huge voice for our community. The other thing we might want to consider is to voice our concerns and try changing some of the ways the NRA approach things. The gun community has evolved but I think the NRA has not kept up with that evolution. Maybe some good videos addressed to them, emails, phone calls, etc are in order to help voice our concerns.

 

[John Connor]

I agree the state NRA guy is not much help. I bet you he has no idea this body of people are here on CSC.

I would forward him this link and see what the local NRA does.

John

How could he not know? CSC is the Walmart of the Carolina gun community.

 

[rumrunner]

I have been a Life Member of the NRA since 1976. For many, many years the NRA was the only voice that gun owners had. Now, some other organizations have arrived and are helping. The NRA works mainly on a national level. Maybe they are not as effective now as in the past. I would hate to see them dropped because if it was not for the NRA's work over the years we might not even be on a gun owner's forum.

That's a good point Geezer! Its all about perspective.