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austinrealtor wrote:I truly think if the NRA wants to rise up to represent ALL gun owners, and not just its current members, then it needs to spend some serious time and money on outreach to non-members and changing its image as nothing more than lobbying pitbull for "those crazy people who want everyone to own a machine gun" (I've seriously heard people say things very similar to this; and not just antis, but people who own a gun or two but have a less-than-stellar image of the NRA).

One problem is that back in the 60s the NRA was attempting to accomplish that "We represent ALL gun owners, whether they are members or not!" image, and there were those of us who were members then who thought that the organization should work harder to represent the membership. After some upheaval and name calling the organization turned right, formed a lobbying arm, and ceased trying to be all things to all people.

It doesn't matter much what the NRA does, there will be those who see it as either too radical or not radical enough, just as there are idiots out there who will say "I have my gun, I don't care if they outlaw yours." and refuse to join for that reason, but the simple fact remains that the only way to change it is from the inside, and to do that you have to: A) Join; B) Be active and; C) Be prepared for inertia.

chabouk wrote:I agree. But, as uncomfortable as the truth might be, the NRA had a hand in crafting every major piece of federal gun control legislation. Starting with NFA '34, through GCA '68, to the Brady Acts.

Sounds to me like you have been reading too much of Angel Shamaya's interpretation.

NRA was not involved in "crafting" NFA '34, they hardly even knew what legislation was, and their involvement in negotiating changes to GCA '68 saved us from far worse. I wasn't there in '34, but I was deeply involved in '68, and our, the membership's, dissatisfaction with the way things went led, in part, to the ascension of Harlon Carter and the formation of a lobbying arm that is often touted as second to none.

Just think where you would be without the NRA.

seamusTX wrote:[*]Get involved in the NRA and change it . . .

- Jim

Kind of covers the rest of it. "I'm not going to join until you change" might work in some cases, it's why I am not a member of AARP, because they won't change no matter what the membership says, but the NRA is a membership driven organizatiom, and we, the members, have successfully changed its direction in the past. The NRA is a large organization, with plenty of inertia holding it on its current path, if you think it needs to go a different direction get lots of other people to join, like we did in the 60s, and change it, like we did in the 60s. We didn't get everything we wanted, but we got more than we would have just sitting around saying "I ain't going to join until they change to suit me."