January 11, 2013, 12:25 PM | #1 |
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Where is the NRA?
Am I the only person who thinks that the NRA hasn't done enough proactively in the past few weeks to protect our Constitutional freedom? Judging by who's sitting on that board, I think something more nefarious is going on here, like weapons dealers using the run on guns to drive up an artificial premium on firearms and ammunition, knowing that true bans and confiscation will never pass the Supreme Court. Your thoughts?
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January 11, 2013, 12:30 PM | #2 |
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I believe they are meeting with the VP today. What do you think they are not doing that they should be doing?
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January 11, 2013, 12:33 PM | #3 |
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Give them some time to see what is actually proposed or likely to see the light of day before they try to shoot it down. It doesn't help to argue the theoretical restrictions. Better to wait and see what restrictions are actually being thrown at us.
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January 11, 2013, 12:33 PM | #4 |
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I think the NRA is in a sticky situation.
IF, they came out earlier, harder, or more aggressive, they would be setting themselves up for ridicule. They waited a week after Sandy Hook and were criticized for making a statement "just hours after a moment of silent" for the victims. The NRA is a well organized and intelligent Association. They need to stay in the background, plan, organize, and be well prepared to protect our rights. Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2 |
January 11, 2013, 12:34 PM | #5 | |
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Quote:
Secondly, the NRA is going to do what the NRA does. That is to say they are certainly out there lobbying whether or not it makes the news. More importantly however is why should you rely on them to protect your rights? As I said in a previous thread, it's great that we have groups like the NRA lobbying for our interests. However, in the end politicians are not accountable to the NRA, they're accountable to us the voters. It's much more critical that the politicians hear from us, the voters, than any organization lobbying for us. |
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January 11, 2013, 12:36 PM | #6 | |
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Received via NRA-ILA email last night:
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January 11, 2013, 12:46 PM | #7 | |
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Quote:
Last edited by Frank Ettin; January 11, 2013 at 01:49 PM. Reason: remove profanity |
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January 11, 2013, 12:58 PM | #8 | |
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Quote:
Gregg |
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January 11, 2013, 01:03 PM | #9 |
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I think a skilled spokeswoman would be a great move; I think more minority spokespersons would not hurt, either.
Meaning no offense to Wayne LaPierre, but a middle aged white guy in a suit starts with some PR disadvantages. |
January 11, 2013, 01:04 PM | #10 | ||
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Quote:
Quote:
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January 11, 2013, 01:10 PM | #11 |
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^ And this thinking is helping with the national debate on gun control in what way? NRA is doing just fine and I'm no fan of the NRA.
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January 11, 2013, 01:27 PM | #12 |
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Meanwhile, Maxb49, I have not forgotten that Reagan pushed gun control as governor of California, in response to armed protests by the Black Panthers. I have not forgotten that George HW Bush signed the 1986 ban on full autos.
But I think they were much more effective and honest brokers than we have had since. I can't think of a President with whom I would have agreed across the board, not even TR. |
January 11, 2013, 01:46 PM | #13 |
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I think the main topic warrants discussion but I sense that this thread is going off the rails.
Let's just agree that Oliver North is a divisive figure and therefore is not the ideal spokesperson for the NRA as a whole, and leave it at that. I do agree that the NRA needs a non-controversial celebrity spokesperson. Another organization I belong to, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), has actor Harrison Ford. The NRA needs someone like that. Admittedly, the fact that the person is affiliated with the NRA is likely to make him or her controversial in and of itself.
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January 11, 2013, 01:49 PM | #14 |
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Tom Selleck has played that part. However, Tom, while intelligent, well-spoken, and charismatic, is a sixty-something conservative white guy.
We need some younger spokespersons, preferably of both genders, multiple races, and multiple party affiliations. |
January 11, 2013, 01:49 PM | #15 | ||
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Quote:
Quote:
I am not sure how is pro gun control go ahead and let us know.
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January 11, 2013, 01:50 PM | #16 | |
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One other comment...
Quote:
The important work starts when we see an actual proposal.
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January 11, 2013, 01:58 PM | #17 |
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I thought David Keene did a good job on CNN last night.
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January 11, 2013, 02:55 PM | #18 |
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The NRA does it's best work where it counts in DC. In the background. There's been a lot of policy made at the Old Ebbitt Grill and such places. The posturing you see on TV is just that. Policy is decided in the back rooms.
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January 11, 2013, 03:06 PM | #19 |
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Not TLTFR, but close. Thanks for the analysis, none the less. The real authority is supposed to reside in the people. Let's get back on that.
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January 11, 2013, 03:49 PM | #20 |
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I'd think the NRA is waiting to see what is put before them by the antis. I just heard a very short web radio partial statement by an NRA spokesperson and they said that the focus should not be on 'feel good' measures but to look at what actually is the cause of these kinds of acts. - - Well, since the likelihood of being struck by lightening is higher than being a victim in a mass shooting, one has to wonder if any 'measures' are really required. (Just websearch the numbers for the number of people stuck by lightening versus those in mass shootings over the last 10 years.) IMO, there isn't enough emphasis on this fact. This was a horrible event, but emotionalism seems to be the order of the day, and the antis are using this to advantage. But I suppose today, using the facts, logic, and the truth would be heard by many as "nevermind, youre concerned about nothing" by the soccer Moms. So, this is likely a bad strategy. (Ever have a girlfriend or wife accuse you of 'not listening to her feelings' ?)
That said, a common factor in most of these senseless mass shootings is that the murderers were taking psychiatric drugs which can increase suicidal and violent behavior. This needs to be investigated and brought to broader attention. The media definitely isnt doing this. If the NRA focuses on this, it will help frame these matters and will better protect the children and similiar victims of these rare crimes. (As another comparison - about 115 people are killed in auto accidents every day in the US.) I'm an NRA Life Member. I'm also a member of Gun Owners of America (GOA) & Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership (JPFO) - I'm not Jewish, but you don't have to be. - - - I'm in the NRA because they are the biggest pro 2A organization out there. I'm in the GOA and JPFO because IMO they take a more aggressive stance to protect our gun rights. Last edited by Pointshoot; January 11, 2013 at 04:24 PM. |
January 11, 2013, 03:59 PM | #21 |
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The NRA-ILA has done the job quite well, I think. The meeting with Biden was a farce, he had no interest in hearing anything but which guns should be outlawed and how small "clip" capacity needs to be to make the world safer.
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January 11, 2013, 04:12 PM | #22 | |
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Become a Life Member of the NRA and you can vote for the members of the NRA Board of Directors. In 2012 only seven percent of eligible NRA members voted in the annual Board of Directors election. http://www.netgunsmith.com/2012/04/t...-of-directors/ |
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January 11, 2013, 04:19 PM | #23 | |
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Ben Towe wrote:
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January 11, 2013, 04:21 PM | #24 |
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coachteet said: "The NRA-ILA has done the job quite well, I think. The meeting with Biden was a farce, he had no interest in hearing anything but which guns should be outlawed and how small "clip" capacity needs to be to make the world safer."
IMO we must always keep the antis agenda in mind - to disarm the American people. They would like, at minimum, to have the kind of restrictions that other countries have. Many kinds of guns completely outlawed. Some guns 'allowed' but under very restrictive conditions - locked up in a gun club, special licensing, etc, etc. 'Proof' of 'need' before a gun could be owned & 'psychological evaluation'. Registration. In the past, that's why many of us have been displeased with the NRA. There has been 'compromise' which seems to be "they give nothing, we give as much as they can get from us . . . till the next time around" - then we 'compromise' some more. The former Assault Weapons Ban ended. It was obvious that various external 'scary' features on rifles had no impact on violent crime, and it went away. But what many seem to forget is that 'they' don't grant us the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. This God given inherent right of all men to be able to defend themselves is one recognized in the US Constitution. Last edited by Pointshoot; January 11, 2013 at 04:28 PM. |
January 11, 2013, 04:28 PM | #25 |
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I think the NRA comes across much better when someone other than La Pierre speaks for them. The other representative I've seen on the media come across with the same message but in a less confrontational manner. Just my opinion.
Agree the Biden meeting was a farce. Just an excuse for him to say he reached out to hear all parties before he does whatever he planned in the first place. |
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