Why does the NRA get hate from our side?

[Haides]

I see people bashing them on SAF's and various other Facebook pages and saying things like the NRA has been opposed to civilian carry in schools for a long time. What's up with that? Is that true?

 

[press1280]

I don't know about that. What I do know is the NRA has been great at putting pressure on Congress for certain things. Their attempts at litigation, however, have not been so good.

 

[Mr H]

A lot of people see NRA as having Ivory Tower Syndrome... where they blame the organization for not agreeing with their own beliefs, and curing local issues.

IMO, they can't be all things to all people, as much as we'd like them to be.

But, the folks who want them to be tend to get ticked at the organization rather than seek out a more local advocacy group, then become NRA bashers, which really helps no one.

Personally, I see NRA as the Federal-level legislative group; SAF, GOA, JPFO, NSSF etc. as the top-level advocacy groups; then MSI, VCDL, CalGuns, etc. as our boots on the ground.

 

[QuebecoisWolf]

The NRA has also been largely apathetic about things in Maryland, despite the fact that their headquarters is only an hour's drive away.

That's my one big complaint.

 

[Mooseman]

I do not agree with the NRA 100% of the time. They do good work most of the time and deserve our support.

 

[ridethemessiah]

Ok, just put my SPF 5000 on, i'm ready... NRA is a superPAC pandering to any current republican agenda to get any current republican candidate elected. I've got acquaintences in high places that help our second ammendment far more than the NRA.

 

[Huckleberry]

The NRA has also been largely apathetic about things in Maryland, despite the fact that their headquarters is only an hour's drive away.

That's my one big complaint.

It also has something to do with Marylanders being apathetic about their own rights and causes.

NRA spent a lot of money and capital to fight the Handgun Roster Board and a lot of Maryland shooters just sat on ass and watched from the sidelines.

Before MSI, AGC-Legislative got no support. Sometimes, John Jocelyn, was the only person to show up to testify at hearngs. Guys counted too much on Walter Baker and Phil Jimeno to hold the line on the Judiciary Committee with little or no support.

As for SAF and GAO attacking the NRA, the reason is simple. They want some of the NRA money.

 

[Huckleberry]

Ok, just put my SPF 5000 on, i'm ready... NRA is a superPAC pandering to any current republican agenda to get any current republican candidate elected. I've got acquaintences in high places that help our second ammendment far more than the NRA.

A super PAC that provides firearms education, training, competition and helps develop ranges and safety programs.

 

[ridethemessiah]

A super PAC that provides firearms education, training, competition and helps develop ranges and safety programs.

you are absolutely correct, and they are very good at their training programs. I admire how well their training programs are set-up. It is their politics I don't like. But hey, you say tomato and I say tomato... hard to convey the "ah" sound on a keyboard, sorry.

 

[EL1227]

Divide and conquer is a favorite tool of the left. It's also illuded to in Sun Tzu's "The Art of War".

…the art of using troops is this: When ten to the enemy's one, surround him; When five times his strength, attack him; If double his strength, divide him…

 

[Haides]

SAF themselves weren't bashing the NRA, just people commenting on the page. They did, however, call themselves "competitors" with the NRA. Not sure if that was done light-heartedly or what, but shouldn't we all be working together to fight this on all fronts?

 

[Huckleberry]

you are absolutely correct, and they are very good at their training programs. I admire how well their training programs are set-up. It is their politics I don't like. But hey, you say tomato and I say tomato... hard to convey the "ah" sound on a keyboard, sorry.

Well, lawsuits and legislation is not enough to protect the 2A.

If we fail to educate and train new shooters, especially the young, the 2A will be dead in the next two generations. That applies to any of our freedoms.

We have failed by letting the left and socialist to take over our public education systems for the last 30 years.

 

[Haides]

I was more worried about where people are getting the idea that the NRA has been opposed to civilian carry in schools and removing GFSZ's. That seemed very odd to me, though I have never heard the NRA's position on it either way, I'd just always assumed they were for it.

Also I'm hearing people complain that they endorsed Harry Reid, but hasn't he been very pro gun up until recently? To me that says that they care about the 2A more than they care about party lines.

 

[ChannelCat]

The NRA had been speaking in carefully measured statements ever since the imfamous "jack booted thugs" comment:
http://articles.latimes.com/1995-05-11/news/mn-65106_1_oklahoma-city-federal-building

...as a Libertarian, I am very sympathetic to this particular description of government goons, but it is what it is. The NRA is the 800 lb gorilla, and it behooves them up to a point to carefully parse their words...

 

[hvymax]

The NRA has also been largely apathetic about things in Maryland, despite the fact that their headquarters is only an hour's drive away.

That's my one big complaint.

The NRA had been speaking in carefully measured statements ever since the imfamous "jack booted thugs" comment:
http://articles.latimes.com/1995-05-11/news/mn-65106_1_oklahoma-city-federal-building

...as a Libertarian, I am very sympathetic to this particular description of government goons, but it is what it is. The NRA is the 800 lb gorilla, and it behooves them up to a point to carefully parse their words...

The NRA has been very measured in general and absent from MD for years. The NRA has been borderline counterproductive on some of the legal cases almost like they are starting to worry about their job security.

 

[Biggfoot44]

The NRA is a large multi-facated National organization. For their first 100yrs or so they were the only effective player at protecting our rights. The * Big NRA * is still the overwhelming player in training both the public and LE/ Security , Competion , preserving our history , and to an extent advocating for hunting. Seperate sub-units with seperate financing deal with lobbying and elections.

The NRA is still the 650lb Gorilla. GOA , CCRKBA , SAF , etc has fine dedicated people also, but their muscle in lobbying is miniscule. To the Anti's the "Gun Lobby" IS the NRA and vice versa.

Since 1994 most of the 2A action has shifted to the individual states and the Courts. SAF has been kicking butt in court. The NRA has been selective in taking on cases .

Their State level activities have also been selective. Where their efforts are believed to be hopeless or counter productive , they spend their money and efforts where they feel it will do more good.

Maryland is one of those places.

At the Federal level sometime they make a tactical decision sometimes to partly go with what seems inevitable , and make it least worst. Sometimes it was the good move , sometimes it is debated by our side afterwards.

We need the SAF , which at this point is defacto a Legal Advocacy group. We need the various state level groups , some NRA Affilates , some Independent. And we need the NRA for Federal Lobbying , and everything else they do.

 

[ChannelCat]

The NRA has also been largely apathetic about things in Maryland, despite the fact that their headquarters is only an hour's drive away.

That's my one big complaint.

The NRA seems to view Maryland as a lost cause, and focuses its efforts elsewhere. A good analogy to this would be The battle of Wake Island in 1941 in which the US abandoned troops in the island for tactical reasons.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Wake_Island
It was in the United State's best interests at the time to withdraw, but it sure as hell sucked to be the guys left behind.

 

[Haides]

The NRA seems to view Maryland as a lost cause...

Can you blame them? Lol

 

[ChannelCat]

Can you blame them? Lol

No, not in the broad scheme of things. Like I said above, its a tactical decision, but like those poor marines and other Americans abandoned on Wake in 1941, it sure as hell sucks to be us...

 

[ridethemessiah]

Well, lawsuits and legislation is not enough to protect the 2A.

If we fail to educate and train new shooters, especially the young, the 2A will be dead in the next two generations. That applies to any of our freedoms.

We have failed by letting the left and socialist to take over our public education systems for the last 30 years.

But its so trendy