Me And The NRA

Until I knuckled down and subscribed to get a lifetime membership, I was an on-again/off-again member of the NRA since 1994.

A couple times I kept it up long enough to get voting rights.

I grew to loathe the ring of the phone because twice a week it was the NRA/ILA asking for money.

Considering I let my membership lapse several times from lack of money, I didn't have anything to spare for the ILA.

It hardened my heart against donating to them because I clearly told them that being a member was all I could afford and they'd know my finances had changed when I mailed them a check.  And I would!

When they didn't get the message I changed my position.

When Brady is repealed, I will consider donating.

Remember, Wayne, you promised.  I remember.

I read about other promises too.  I read about accepting the bitter pill of no new MG's to get the rest of FOPA passed.  That's never been addressed.

AWB was going to be repealed just as soon as we voted for and elected a list of Republican candidates.  They were elected and...  AWB expired ten years and five elections later, it was never repealed.

Near as I can tell, if there's been a repeal for Brady or AWB submitted, it didn't get far or many co-sponsors.

It became apparent to me that the NRA's true value was to suck up fire from the anti-gunners while other groups worked for gun rights from a lower profile.

But that value is undermined when they fight against us at the state level here in Florida.  Just hit the "Marion" tag for some examples of their spokescatperson either selling us out or leaving us high and dry.

I cannot help but think that if they'd spent the money trying to get me to join a wine bottle club on lobbying we'd be further along.

I cannot help but think that if Unified Sportsmen of Florida was an actual organization rather than Marion's front for the NRA to buy cat food we'd have an organized grass-roots presence in Tallahassee rather than just the occasional visit from Marion.

I am unhappy about how the organization is run and I have wanted it to change for a long time.

Sadly, the changes that are coming are from outside forces who wish to destroy it (and cannot be ignored) than from within (who have systematically been ignored and disenfranchised) who wish to save it.