AARP Letter

[grandpatim]

Since I will be turning 50 in a couple of weeks I have been receiving stuff from AARP. I know that they support Anti-gun causes and I haven't been able to find a lot about it on the internet. I sent them an e-mail explaining my position and that I wanted some information or their position. I sent the e-mail on their site so I don't have a copy of it. I basically told them that I would not become a member because I believe that as we get older we have to protect ourselves by other means such as the RKBA and that if they fought against us then they don't do a very good job of representing their members. They sent me an e-mail back and I thought I would share it with you. I don't believe they did a very good job of convincing me to join so I want the opinion of some of you ladies and gentlemen.

Thanks,
Tim

Dear Mr. Tate:

Thank you for contacting AARP about our policy concerning firearms.
This is a difficult subject for people to discuss. I appreciate your
sharing your views with us.

AARP policy does not "ban all guns." Our policy targets only
inappropriate gun purchasers, not responsible citizens. Here is the
statement passed by our Board of Directors:

"Congress should eliminate gaps in and strengthen enforcement of the
Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act and other federal gun laws.
States should enact legislation to eliminate gaps in, and strengthen
enforcement of, federal and state gun laws, particularly with regard
to possession by juveniles, convicted domestic abusers and those
under domestic violence restraining orders."

AARP continues to support careful measures to improve the enforcement
of existing federal and state laws. Contributing to our decision was
a 2002 report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO)
indicating that the National Instant Criminal Background Check System
(NICS) is not always able to access relevant records, especially
domestic violence misdemeanor convictions, within the time period
allowed under the law for background checks. Also, according to the
U.S. Department of Justice, homicides are most often committed with
guns, especially handguns. In 2005, 55% of homicides were committed
with handguns, 16% with other guns, 14% with knives, 5% with blunt
objects, and 11% with other weapons. Recent research indicates that
lethal violence in the US far outpaces other Western nations. AARP
policy reflects concern that crime-especially violent crime-may have
particularly severe consequences for older people and teens.

AARP policymaking is an ongoing process. Our all-volunteer National
Policy Council thoughtfully develops each policy, after reviewing the
pros and cons. Then the Council makes recommendations to the Board
of Directors, who are also all volunteers. Both groups are made up
of a distinguished cross-section of AARP members. All our public
policies are carefully reviewed each year. Communications from
members, like yours, contribute to establishing, strengthening and
updating our policies.

I hope this information has been helpful. Please do not hesitate to
contact us if there is any way we may be of assistance in the future.
Thank you again for taking the time to get in touch. It is an
important part of our job to consider carefully the concerns of every
member.

Sincerely,

Sivamani
Member Communications
Member@aarp.org

Toll-free 1-888-OUR-AARP (1-888-687-2277).
Toll-free 1-877-434-7598 TTY

[Kalrog]

They support "Reasonable Restrictions".

[grandpatim]

Yeah, thats what I said too.

[seamusTX]

It sounds like they have signed up to the Brady agenda. I don't know any details about where they send their money.

Here's what the NRA has to say: http://www.nraila.org/Issues/factsheets/read.aspx?ID=15

- Jim

[seamusTX]

I think what happened with most of these groups is that Brady or similar organizations went to them and presented their deceptive and biased statistics and horror stories of kids buying guns from the Good Humor man. Then the various boards of directors adopted resolutions in favor of "sensible gun control." Most did nothing more.

Some give money to explicitly anti-RKBA groups. You can find lists on the Internet, but I don't know how reliable they are.

- Jim

[tboesche]

It sounds like they have signed up to the Brady agenda. I don't know any details about where they send their money.

Here's what the NRA has to say: http://www.nraila.org/Issues/factsheets/read.aspx?ID=15

- Jim

Wow,
That list was eye opening. Looks like I have a few more "business' to boycott

[texasag93]

Why join?

They are only an insurance agency/ company with a pretty name.

texasag

[brainneeded]

i do love how matt damon is on the antigun celebrity list, esp. considering his rather prominent and well publicized role in the bourne trilogy. one could venture to say that, seems as if he's biting the hand that feeds isn't he?

[LarryH]

Matt Damon isn't the only one. Quite a few of the actors play law enforcement and other gun-wielding characters.

Mark Harmon, as an NCIS agent and former Marine sniper, for example.

[gmckinl]

I returned the cut-up membership card, crossed out the application - wrote a big bold note about respecting my Constitutional rights under the 2A, and included an application for NRA membership. I signed my note making reference to my NRA Life Membership.

[jimlongley]

That response is somewhat toned down from the one my late wife and I received in 1991, that one basicallly said "we are against guns, we said so, and that's it, and you have no say in it."

This one still says pretty much the same thing, it's just a little less loaded with vehement rhetoric. They support all of the existing laws and want them strengthened, and they review their "public" policies each year, not necessarily their private ones, by the board of directors that established those policies to begin with, and communications that serve to strengthen those polices are surely carefully considered.

[/cinicism]

[grandpatim]

After going back and completely re-reading the Brady Bill I have decided I don't want to join AARP. I tore up the temporary card they sent me and threw everything in the trash. I am going to try to convince everyone I know to cancel their memberships also.

[rm9792]

I thought the elderly were the biggest group of chl holders? Every class I heard of from friends was mostly 55+. Also, I think a lot of actors are singing the party line to keep working. Rather spineless on their part but how else to keep their overpaid nonwork job?

[Skiprr]

After going back and completely re-reading the Brady Bill I have decided I don't want to join AARP. I tore up the temporary card they sent me and threw everything in the trash.

Good on ya, Tim.

A well-intentioned friend bought a one-year AARP membership for me as a gag birthday present when I turned 50. I found no personal benefit from the membership and let it expire. A few years later, I still receive junk mail weekly that is the result of AARP either using my residential information themselves, or having shared that information with other "partner" organizations. I can tell this because my friend misspelled my first name when she signed me up for the membership.

IMHO, AARP is--or at least became--little more than an exploitative organization targeting a huge marketing engine at senior citizens and Boomers, selling everything from walkers to insurance. Don't get me wrong, as a "silver" I would like to have a legitimate, point-focused organization supporting and lobbying for my elder rights. But AARP ain't it.

Kinda makes me even more proud to be a new life member of the NRA. I have yet to see the NRA take a policy stand on Social Security, Medicare, or even prescription drug prices. So what the heck is the AARP doing taking a policy stand on gun rights?