NRA Meltdown ??

[Bayouhunter1960]

My email from Guntalk tonight states an NRA meltdown may occur I’ve asked members on another forum who are more closely tied to the NRA if this is indeed occurring. The bad part I see as a 30+yr member is we don’t need this at this time in the legislative process when we are attacker from all sides of the anti gun crowd.
https://guntalk.com/news/politics/nra-me...019_12_48)

[lazyengineer]

None of this is really new or news. I'm not sure what new development the author thinks is going to cause some form of tumultuous change at this time. I would imagine the same thing will happened that has happened the other 30 times over the last 30 years; which is to say - nothing. Authors "bomb-shell" article for this year is published in the New Yorker. I can't imagine a more readily dismissed source for the gun-audience.

Only way this is ever going to actually stop is when the FBI starts charging people with graft. But they're smart enough to write clauses and contacts and terms that basically say "I can steal, it's OK".

[NugginFutz]

It sounds like another case of SSDD, from the same sources. This guy has been beating this tin drum for quite a while, now.

Just google “Jeff Knox vs nra”. His hyperbole goes back at least to 2015.

[rwh]

But now Wayne LaPierre is saying that Oliver North is extorting him and trying to force him to step down. If you predict something for long enough it is bound to come true eventually.

[Armadillo66]

I am a long time Life member and a big supporter of the NRA Whittington Center. If I were in charge, all NRA facilities in Washington and Virginia would be closed and the entire operation moved to the Whittington Center and Raton New Mexico. It would save millions of dollars being wasted running a gun owner's organization in unfriendly political climate.
I have met many of the more famous NRA people, Jeff Cooper, Joe Foss, Harlen Carter and Charlton Hesston. On 3 occasions I have shook hands with Wayne Lapierre. IMHO, he is snooty and has nothing in common with gun owners like me and his handshake was a cold dead fish.
I see him in expensive clothes but have never seen him shoot a competition. I have tried to ask his personal staff questions and was ignored. Fine. I still participate in all things Whittington Center, but do not give a dime to the mothership anymore. My bet is that most of the upper echelon of the NRA Mgmt have never even been to Whittington Center. Their loss. It is a incredible facility that could provide rank and file NRA members who foot the bills a better deal on operating cost for the organization and garner much more respect from members if their mgmt. participated instead of hide in DC

[Double Naught Spy]

I think that you will find a lot of people in upper political power positions are not your 'everyday person' kind of people and have little in common with everyday people. Some may be more personable than others, but LaPierre, Heston, Selleck, North, and any other power house they want to put forth as a face of the NRA aren't regular people. There is a good chance you won't see the presidents of major gun companies participate in matches either.

Part of how many of these folks got and stayed in major positions of power is by not being everyday people. Their strengths to the organization aren't in the public exhibition of their shooting prowess (which may not be impressive as most people's are not). The strengths are in things like publicity, political connections, fundraising abilities, and managerial skills.

With that said, is the NRA melting down? That is probably an exaggeration, but they definitely seem to be having some real issues with infighting.

[41bear]

For well over A year I've been getting both emails and letters saying that the NRA is being shut down by way of an attack using threats against the banks who do business with the NRA. While it may be true I feel it's way overstated by the NRA to drive up donations, as they do with just about every bump they get in the road. A much different place than it was when I joined 50 years ago. Been a Life member for a very long time, over 40 years but no longer have much contact, their mags are sent when they feel like it, I get one mebby 2 or 3 time a year now, yet the letters requesting money flow every few weeks. Just not my cup of tea anymore.

[JASmith]

It feels like "wolf!" is being called more than needed and that behavior gets the same response from me and others as 41bear has indicated.

In other words, I contribute less than would be the case if there were fewer exhortations better timed to events.

One result is that I contribute to NRA/ILA more frequently than to the NRA proper. The ILA mission is direct lobbying.

That way I get double the solicitations and spend half as much!

The most recent NRA solicitation seems a bit different. It looks like they are gearing up for a major fracas with the banks to more or less assure constitutional protections exist in private transactions.

They, the ILA, or both, will also need to take on the social media, perhaps in partnership with major conservative entities. Otherwise, we may not be able to use even this forum within a few short years.

So, I am not sure this current round of solicitations is merely another false cry of wolf! or it is truly a legitimate call to action.

I do know that a cattle prod loses effectiveness when the body has nothing left.

[stanc]

The most recent NRA solicitation seems a bit different. It looks like they are gearing up for a major fracas with the banks to more or less assure constitutional protections exist in private transactions.

Clarify, please. Do you mean a fracas with the banks against another entity? Or a fracas against the banks?

And do constitutional protections even exist in private transactions? Aren't constitutional protections only a limitation on government actions?

They, the ILA, or both, will also need to take on the social media, perhaps in partnership with major conservative entities. Otherwise, we may not be able to use even this forum within a few short years.

I don't see the linkage. Why do you think we might not be able to use this forum?

[Msalm]

I did a little researching in reading after this hit and ended up with an impression that Wayne L. has some answering to do on the financial doings of the NRA. He is blowing it off and getting full support from the board but IMO he should be let go and the board try to rebuild the organization with more checks and balances on how money is spent. As it is now, it looks as crooked as the rest of Washington politics....maybe that's just the price of doing business in Washington.

It's hard to state the above when they are the major game in town saving our 2nd Amendment rights and I have and probably will continue to support them.

[JASmith]

It appears that some follow only the liberal media and completely ignore center and conservative outlets.

Are we trying to start another semantics debate? "fracas with the banks" is all too clear in that it is going to be the NRA v Banking Industry

The linkage between social media banning conservative speech and forums like this one being shut down for the "controversial language" used in this forum is explicitly called out in several outlets.

Try One America News, https://selfreliancecentral.com and Fox News. The first two are unabashedly conservative and Fox presents a balanced outlook to include contributions from rabid leftist Democrats with no apparent editing.

That by no means suggests that I am happy, much less comfortable, with the ad nauseam solicitations for donations by the NRA and other outlets whose viewpoints are aligned with mine.

[stanc]

Are we trying to start another semantics debate? "fracas with the banks" is all too clear in that it is going to be the NRA v Banking Industry

If it had been clear that you meant "NRA v Banks" instead of "NRA and Banks v Another Entity", I would not have asked you to clarify.

The linkage between social media banning conservative speech and forums like this one being shut down for the "controversial language" used in this forum is explicitly called out in several outlets.

Since this forum is not (AFAIK) controlled by the social media you refer to, I don't see a logical reason to think it might be shut down.

[JASmith]

Let’s see — the story is that “Ostriches deal with threats by sticking their heads in the sand.”

There is not much difference in control over conversations between an entity like Facebook or the ISPs that carry the message traffic. Access is all too easily cut off absent a robust 1st Amendment environment to keep it open.

[stanc]

Let’s see — the story is that “Ostriches deal with threats by sticking their heads in the sand.”

Sadly, that's a false story perpetuated by ignorant people. https://www.scienceabc.com/nature/animal...-sand.html

There is not much difference in control over conversations between an entity like Facebook or the ISPs that carry the message traffic. Access is all too easily cut off absent a robust 1st Amendment environment to keep it open.

You seem unable to comprehend the fact that the First Amendment is a protection only against actions by government. It does not prevent private entities from restricting speech.

What Facebook might like to see done in regard to the "controversial language" of forums like this is no different in kind to the prohibition on discussing certain topics in this forum.

If social media banning some types of speech is the problem that you apparently think it is, then the 6.5 Grendel Forum is contributing to the problem by doing the very same thing.

[JASmith]

“Sadly, that's a false story perpetuated by ignorant people. https://www.scienceabc.com/nature/an...eads-sand.html”

Truly, the sad thing is that all too many seemingly practice the ostrich story. The result is all too often self-inflicted ignorance.

[LR1955]

Keep it on topic guys.

[JASmith]

The point is well-taken. Thanks for the course correction!

[brian y]

I see on an other forum that there has been a bunch of internal e-mails leaked from the NRA. Seems they spend money on a lot of stuff that do not benefit the members.
This is a link so you can read the e-mails;
https://www.dropbox.com/s/av32v5v1gwae39...R.pdf?dl=0

[LR1955]

I see on an other forum that there has been a bunch of internal e-mails leaked from the NRA. Seems they spend money on a lot of stuff that do not benefit the members.

brian:

Maybe so but probably not. I am pretty sure there are dozens of leftist and communist groups that are quite willing to spread disinformation in order to ruin the NRA.

So, I suggest guys make absolutely sure on these things before falling for a very typical leftist ploy.

LR55

[NugginFutz]

brian:

Maybe so but probably not. I am pretty sure there are dozens of leftist and communist groups that are quite willing to spread disinformation in order to ruin the NRA.

So, I suggest guys make absolutely sure on these things before falling for a very typical leftist ploy.

LR55

I would also encourage anyone posting “news” that, in addition to running down your sources, you include them within your post. Two things will result from such due diligence; One - A reduction in the passing on of simple rumors. If you discover the source is not credible, it is less likely you will offer such information. Two - It allows others to read the source information for themselves. This is beneficial to the discussion, as it allows more people to form their own opinions and perhaps offer their own insights.

Just my own 2¢

BTW - the story you are referring to is from the WSJ. Read for yourself, rather than what others say.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/leaked-lett...1557597601