NRA/TSRA membership question

[tomneal]

Ron Paul's problem with the NRA is that sometimes he votes wrong for the right reasons.


What I understood Liberty to say was that he does not support the NRA & TSRA because they don't provide enough support to candidates from the party he likes.

I am pro-rights. Especialy gun rights. I support orgs that help achive my pro-rights goals.

[stevie_d_64]

Ron Paul's problem with the NRA is that sometimes he votes wrong for the right reasons.


What I understood Liberty to say was that he does not support the NRA & TSRA because they don't provide enough support to candidates from the party he likes.

I am pro-rights. Especialy gun rights. I support orgs that help achive my pro-rights goals.

As politically active as I am, I am drawing a real blank on how the NRA ranks Ron Paul..."A+"??? "A"??? Lower??? I could go look before I post my ignorance...But I figure someone would know anyway...

I do see where "Liberty" is coming from, and he has a principled stand...

I like supporting both because the groups have really cool stuff that at the mear sight of those things makes an "anti" froth at the mouth, and fall to the ground in convulsions...

But thats just my mean side...

I can't be everywhere, so my support is to maintain the organization(s) that have people who agree with me on where things should be, and who will fight to maintain overall, our right to keep and bear arms...

Those people I elect into office get letters and phone calls from me when needed...Sometimes its not needed, but I figure they like it when people keep track of whats going on...

[seamusTX]

The NRA gave Dr. Paul a B last election, probably because he didn't vote in favor of the bill limiting lawsuits against firearms manufacturers and dealers. He believes that the right to sue is an important basic right (which it is).

- Jim

[tomneal]

I am a bit of a mercenary.

I try to focus my money on the folks that get things accomplished.
Good intentions are important but not when they sacrifice getting things done.


Changing the subject a little.
I like the GOA too.
They provide the 'Bad Cop' to the NRA's 'Good Cop'. (When viewed by Handgun Control Inc. politicians.)
I think more proRights bills get passed because of the way the GOA and the NRA work together.

[Liberty]

Liberty
Both the TSRA and the NRA support candidates, not parties.
When they find a politician that votes our way, they support them.
This is a tactic that has worked for our side.
I am sorry you can't see it.

Liberty's point, which is absolutely correct, is that this is only true for Democrats and Republicans. Libertarians, even those in office, can't buy the time of day from them. Even Ron Paul has had problems for being "too pure" on RKBA, and not supporting "reasonable" restrictions.

Kevin

And the fact that they wouldn't even recognize Libertarians running. In my case they listed my B rated opponant as running unoppossed. and they don't seem to want to address discuss or recognize that there is an issue here. This isn't about them endorsing every Libertarian, it about them ignoring most of us.
`nuff said

[Liberty]

Ron Paul's problem with the NRA is that sometimes he votes wrong for the right reasons.


What I understood Liberty to say was that he does not support the NRA & TSRA because they don't provide enough support to candidates from the party he likes.

I am pro-rights. Especialy gun rights. I support orgs that help achive my pro-rights goals.

First of all I do support the NRA and TSRA. I'll make phone calls and faxes and letters and even get a few others involved in getting bills go our way. I just won't give them any money. Its not that they won't support Libertarians, it's that they tend to pretend that we don't even exist.

[jason]

I apologize for resurrecting this thread, but I have the same question.

I have joined the NRA before (2 times) and the TSRA as well. Ok, obvious answer aside (they fight for gun rights), what true value do I get with membership that I don't get now?

For example, my small amount wouldn't help much in their overall finances. It's just a drop in the bucket. The NRA is an established force in politics. The TSRA I could believe it might make a difference.

Here's what bothered me the most with my NRA membership. The printing and mailing of all the requests for more money must have surely cost more than I initially paid to begin with? How much more money might they have at their disposal if they stopped with the junk mail? Why do I need to spend twice as much for a knife just because it has the NRA logo?

So, what true value do I get from membership, outside of the obvious political voice?

[nitrogen]

You can tell he NRA to stop mailing you that crap. Email membership@nra.org and give them your name, address, and membership number and tell them you don't want all that crap in the mail, and they'll fix you right up.

[jason]

Ok, that's good to know. Thanks.

[glock75]

Political voice is extremely important. James Dark, Exec. Dir. of TSRA spoke at our local gun club's annual meeting. I knew from reading the TSRA mag. of the work TSRA does on the legislative issues, I least I thought I did. However, listening to him list each victory and the positive effect on gun owners and giving the "behind the scenes" view point of what it took to get those bills passed made me realize how important it is to support organizations like NRA and TSRA. They have a big voice in the capitals. They are our spokesman, our voice.

Whatever the issue, it is a huge battle and takes a lot of effort and diligence to be effective in Austin or Washington. And it takes a lot of money. Every dollar counts. Anyhoo, I will step down off of my soap box and simply say...join both.


Patron Member NRA
Life Member TSRA

[seamusTX]

For example, my small amount wouldn't help much in their overall finances.

If the NRA has 4 million members paying $35, that's $140 million a year. Your individual contribution doesn't seem like much, but every single membership adds to the total.

It's like voting. No one vote elects a candidate, but the sum of all the voters puts one in the majority.

On the subject of fund-raising, I can only conclude the NRA knows what it's doing. Many organizations farm out fund-raising to contractors, and the contractors bear the cost of the mailings that go straight to the circular file.

I don't like everything the NRA does or fails to do, but I'm convinced that if not for the NRA, handguns and semi-automatic long guns would have been banned long ago. That's why I'm a member.

- Jim

[flintknapper]

To everyone:

Please consider joining both and supporting both.

I do not agree with every position the NRA takes, but I don't let that stop me from contributing to them in a monetary way. It takes funding to accomplish the many good things that they do. If every person had to agree on every point with them before contributing, there wouldn't be an NRA (or TSRA).

As for the value of these organizations, well.....it should be pretty plain: Your right to keep and bear arms! That is what they fight for every day.
I'd say thats a pretty good value.

These organizations do not exist to provide us with a good deal on Caps, Stickers and Windbreakers. They are there to help protect our rights... and that takes money (as well as participation in other forms).

For too many years....only a tiny percent of America's gun owners have stepped up to plate and joined organizations that fight for our 2nd amendment rights. That is the problem!

I can assure you.... the "Anti's" are not being complacent. In fact, they are becoming quite well funded and I doubt they are quibbling about membership benefits or whether or not someone "came to their town".

Of course, it is everyones choice to support these organizations, but I would encourage everyone (that can) to join both the NRA and TSRA. We need your help.

Thank You... to those who have done so in the past, and those who are about to now.


Flint.

[shootthesheet]

I am a bit of a mercenary.

I try to focus my money on the folks that get things accomplished.
Good intentions are important but not when they sacrifice getting things done.


Changing the subject a little.
I like the GOA too.
They provide the 'Bad Cop' to the NRA's 'Good Cop'. (When viewed by Handgun Control Inc. politicians.)
I think more proRights bills get passed because of the way the GOA and the NRA work together.

I agree. I also belong to the JPFO. I am looking into joining at least one female organization and maybe a few state organizations in NH and PA where I have non-resident licenses. On top of that I have plans to support state and federal candidates who are electable and openly support our 2A rights with a donation or two. I will continue to write letters, make calls, and send e-mails to my elected servants and those who wish to become my servant. Joining our organizations is great but not enough. If the money is not available then use e-mail, calls, and letters to support our rights. The more we do the less influence our political enemies will have.

[Charles L. Cotton]

To everyone:

Please consider joining both and supporting both.

I do not agree with every position the NRA takes, but I don't let that stop me from contributing to them in a monetary way. It takes funding to accomplish the many good things that they do. If every person had to agree on every point with them before contributing, there wouldn't be an NRA (or TSRA).

As for the value of these organizations, well.....it should be pretty plain: Your right to keep and bear arms! That is what they fight for every day.
I'd say thats a pretty good value.

These organizations do not exist to provide us with a good deal on Caps, Stickers and Windbreakers. They are there to help protect our rights... and that takes money (as well as participation in other forms).

For too many years....only a tiny percent of America's gun owners have stepped up to plate and joined organizations that fight for our 2nd amendment rights. That is the problem!

I can assure you.... the "Anti's" are not being complacent. In fact, they are becoming quite well funded and I doubt they are quibbling about membership benefits or whether or not someone "came to their town".

Of course, it is everyones choice to support these organizations, but I would encourage everyone (that can) to join both the NRA and TSRA. We need your help.

Thank You... to those who have done so in the past, and those who are about to now.


Flint.

Very well said Flint.

The fund raising issue is the single biggest complaint NRA Board Members receive. We understand that some people don’t like getting mailings every year, or perhaps several times each year and something is being done to make this possible to track. I can’t go into details, but it’s a software solution that is being instituted to address the concern of our members.

Until the new software is operational, it is almost impossible to track duplicate membership numbers when people let their membership expire, then sign up as a “new� member with a different address, or perhaps even a different name. For example, we have people use their home address, but let their membership expire. When they sign up again, they don’t do it as a renewal; they just sign up again with their office address, or perhaps a new home address. This results in one member getting more mail, including requests to join or renew. This is why some members complain that the NRA is asking them to join when they are already a member.

You can also rest assured that our fund raising efforts are effective. If they weren’t we wouldn’t be doing it – we don’t lose money on a campaign. Some work better than others, but we don’t lose money. Also, not every member is paying $35 each year. Some get discounted memberships and Life Members don’t pay a yearly fee.

The NRA is effective and other pro-gun organizations are not for two reasons: money and members. Without a large strong membership base, any lobbying organization in trouble; without money, it’s dead in the water, I don’t care what they claim to the contrary.

I’d also like to follow up on Flint’s comment that, “only a tiny percent of America's gun owners have stepped up to plate and joined organizations that fight for our 2nd amendment rights.� This is tragically true. Accurate estimates of the number of guns and gun owners in the U.S. are impossible to obtain. The latest estimates are based upon people responding to polls and I suspect many folks just aren’t going to tell a stranger on the phone that they have guns. The estimates in the last several years have ranged between 150 million and 85 million gun owners. I suspect the number is higher, but that’s purely a guess.

Let’s take the lower number of 85 million. Why are less than 5% of gun owners members of the NRA? If even one quarter of that number would join the NRA, we’d have over 21 million members! No political hack would dare challenge us on our issues. The last numbers I saw (confirmed on KTH radio this week) indicate about 1 million Texans hunt each year. Why then does Texas have only about 250,000 NRA members? And with 250,000 CHL’s, 1 million hunters, and 250,000 NRA members in Texas, why do we have 35,000 TSRA members? Because Flint is right.

Join NRA and TSRA.

Chas.

[seamusTX]

It's the same phenomenon as the small number of campaign contributors and voters. Most people are willing to let someone else carry the load.

- Jim