General Discussion

branford

(4,462 posts)

116. The membership cost, voting rules, etc. are available on the NRA website.

Sat Dec 5, 2015, 06:37 PM

Dec 2015

I simply looked it up a while ago in response to similar discussions. [I'm not a gun owner or member of the NRA]

You should also note that NRA membership is often provided free with certain firearm and related purchases, and even required as part of membership at certain shooting ranges and clubs, mostly because of generous insurance incentives and legal and other support.

The NRA and NRA-ILA are obviously related, influence one another, and share officers and personnel, but the separation is clear due to legal technicalities and tax rules for non-profits and PAC's. I would imagine if the NRA dues paying membership shifted their political priorities, so would the NRA-ILA, albeit slowly, but this would be a near insurmountable task given the very intentionally established roadblocks to such a strategy.

Further, the NRA is not nearly as omnipotent a people seem to suggest. They have about 5 million members, out of 80-100+ million legal gun owners in the USA. If sufficient numbers of gun owners and their supporters opposed most NRA positions, they would quickly become marginalized. The NRA is also not even responsible for some of the largest recent gun rights victories. For instance, the Second Amendment Foundation was almost exclusively responsible for the Heller and McDonald Supreme Court decisions.

Although I admittedly support gun rights with certain restrictions (largely in accordance with the actual Democratic Platform), I believe that making the NRA the boogeyman of the gun control movement is self-defeating and unproductive. It empowers them politically and helps with membership drives and fundraising, unnecessarily permits an easy excuse for legislative and judicial failures, and makes compromise on matters of real firearm safety all the more difficult.

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The important thing right now is that we not offend the nation's gun apologists [View all] Orrex Dec 2015 OP

Sarcasm noted but screw them and the NRA LonePirate Dec 2015 #1

Most of our resident "responsible gun owners" seem clearly to feel as if they are the real victims Squinch Dec 2015 #2

Good job Squinch. I think you need two more though Doctor_J Dec 2015 #3

Thank you! I'll add them. I'm sure I'll have occasion to post the list again soon. Squinch Dec 2015 #4

Guns don't kill people! Major Nikon Dec 2015 #102

Sadly, it seems like we are getting more every day. Squinch Dec 2015 #112

My favorite is the "If he didn't have a gun he would have used a..." argument. yardwork Dec 2015 #9

Yes...yes they would use something else. LiberalLovinLug Dec 2015 #25

I get that, and you get that. yardwork Dec 2015 #26

I know, I was elaborating. LiberalLovinLug Dec 2015 #31

. yardwork Dec 2015 #32

Guns are easier to use, but don't underestimate stab wounds. A large enough knife MillennialDem Dec 2015 #77

Of course both are horrible ways to die LiberalLovinLug Dec 2015 #78

Yes I said as much - but again there are so many different calibers of gun (in addition to rifle vs MillennialDem Dec 2015 #79

You can't kill a dozen people at a time with a knife n/t. lunatica Dec 2015 #100

It's easier to kill faster with a gun, yes. But a single stab wound can, in some cases be far MillennialDem Dec 2015 #111

"If you take guns out of the hands of law abiding people, Fast Walker 52 Dec 2015 #15

I've lost count how many times I've seen it today. Pacifist Patriot Dec 2015 #34

exactly-- it's such a non-sensical argument, but they won't give it up Fast Walker 52 Dec 2015 #43

"it's such a non-sensical argument" EX500rider Dec 2015 #91

I don't follow your argument Fast Walker 52 Dec 2015 #92

I am saying it's obvious in those 2 countries taking away guns.. EX500rider Dec 2015 #93

but that's ignoring many other factors, so you don't really know what's causing the high deaths Fast Walker 52 Dec 2015 #94

Which makes the opposite argument also suspect... EX500rider Dec 2015 #95

sure... and more studies would be useful Fast Walker 52 Dec 2015 #96

Nice collection! Photographer Dec 2015 #16

Maybe it's time to start drafting stock rebuttals to their arguments. Chan790 Dec 2015 #21

These are awesome! Squinch Dec 2015 #22

You are my new favorite poster. BRILLIANT! randys1 Dec 2015 #29

you are awesome!!!!!!! etherealtruth Dec 2015 #39

Chan, seriously, the more I think about it, the more I think your idea to get non-gun people to Squinch Dec 2015 #74

+1000 smirkymonkey Dec 2015 #88

You just won the internets, Chan!! madinmaryland Dec 2015 #98

It's a shame we can't recmmend posts in a thread. +100 Photographer Dec 2015 #104

Excellent. Hoyt Dec 2015 #108

You and Chan are absolutely , positively awesome!!!!! etherealtruth Dec 2015 #40

Then there's the veiled threats Crunchy Frog Dec 2015 #41

Freaking trolls who crawl out of the woodwork to defend the idea that their hobby is worth Squinch Dec 2015 #51

The selfishness is astonishing! smirkymonkey Dec 2015 #89

Those are things I've been seeing on DU for damn near 15 years. (nt) Paladin Dec 2015 #68

I've been getting that from a couple of posters as well Photographer Dec 2015 #107

Sheriffs in CO, NY and other localities have already refused to enforce certain state gun laws. branford Dec 2015 #114

+1000 smirkymonkey Dec 2015 #47

"5000 rounds of ammo ain't so much." Paladin Dec 2015 #65

I will be sure to add it the next time we need to post it. Because sadly, we know we will. Squinch Dec 2015 #69

Thank you Dem2 Dec 2015 #84

Selfishness is the source of all evil in this world. cpwm17 Dec 2015 #5

The important thing is that no guns were harmed yesterday. Initech Dec 2015 #6

Brilliantly funny...I am stealing randys1 Dec 2015 #30

Spot on! demmiblue Dec 2015 #7

Brilliant. Love it. yardwork Dec 2015 #8

Plus, they could shoot you! MoonRiver Dec 2015 #10

Love your sarcasm lark Dec 2015 #11

australia had one to many of these and said no more of this allan01 Dec 2015 #12

Message auto-removed Name removed Dec 2015 #103

Even if you get the gun details right they still go ballistic. Spitfire of ATJ Dec 2015 #13

I have the gungeon trashed and a lot of the gungeoneers on Ignore already. nt valerief Dec 2015 #14

Same here SwankyXomb Dec 2015 #20

Go ahead. Please do. Play your strong suit: Eleanors38 Dec 2015 #83

Gun fetishists are morally sick sanatanadharma Dec 2015 #17

This is a free society, so we have to accept the fact that X number of people will be slaughtered... steve2470 Dec 2015 #18

I was also very surprised to discover that the interpretation of the 2A was not Squinch Dec 2015 #23

yes I agree nt steve2470 Dec 2015 #24

Except private ownership of guns is ubiquitous in American history hack89 Dec 2015 #36

What is your point? Squinch Dec 2015 #50

That militia service has never been a condition for gun ownership. nt hack89 Dec 2015 #52

But the 2A, interpreted by anyone but Scalia through history, is. Squinch Dec 2015 #53

President Obama agrees with Scalia. nt hack89 Dec 2015 #54

He has said that the second amendment is part of the constitution and Squinch Dec 2015 #55

That the 2A protects an individual right. nt hack89 Dec 2015 #57

So now we are going in circles. As I have said to you before, all you are saying is that Squinch Dec 2015 #58

Nothing will change if the 2A magically disappears hack89 Dec 2015 #60

I don't blame the 2A. I blame the people who insist that their hobby is worth a weekly massacre. Squinch Dec 2015 #61

That's nice hack89 Dec 2015 #62

And you keep defending a hobby that results in a weekly massacre. Squinch Dec 2015 #67

ok nt hack89 Dec 2015 #75

B-b-but, you're hurting their pwecious fee-fees. They need their FREEEEEEEEEEEEDOM!!!! backscatter712 Dec 2015 #33

LOL! smirkymonkey Dec 2015 #48

if we want to start a conversation on guns, this is how we need to start off the conversation... Javaman Dec 2015 #19

I want jail sentences for the last person listed as owning any gun used in a crime, Squinch Dec 2015 #59

I would like that too, but it aint gonna happen. Javaman Dec 2015 #70

Did you see Chan790's idea? Squinch Dec 2015 #71

That's a clever idea. where do I sign up? nt Javaman Dec 2015 #72

The only thing I am thinking is that if it becomes something that is well known, the gun nuts Squinch Dec 2015 #73

A few pertinent pieces of information: branford Dec 2015 #110

How is the membership in the NRA related to the membership in the NRA-ILA? Does the membership Squinch Dec 2015 #113

The membership cost, voting rules, etc. are available on the NRA website. branford Dec 2015 #116

Again, thank you for this. Do you know if there are any organizations of gun owners who Squinch Dec 2015 #117

There are many non-NRA gun owner / rights organizations. branford Dec 2015 #118

Thank you so much. Squinch Dec 2015 #119

Message auto-removed Name removed Dec 2015 #105

why does a psych test bother you? nt Javaman Dec 2015 #121

Message auto-removed Name removed Dec 2015 #124

IMO, almost everyone attracted to these weapons should be prohibited from owning them. Hoyt Dec 2015 #109

You just implicitly compared the over 1 out of every 3 three American adults who own guns branford Dec 2015 #120

Good, you can do simple math. The old, gunners will vote for GOP retort. Hoyt Dec 2015 #122

You just cannot seem to accept that there are millions of loyal and otherwise liberal Democrats branford Dec 2015 #123

There are roughly and equal number of vile racists in this country. Numbers don't make it right. Hoyt Dec 2015 #125

The city of San Bernardino needs to publicly apologize... randome Dec 2015 #27

I see what you're doing here malaise Dec 2015 #28

+1 hifiguy Dec 2015 #38

ROFL malaise Dec 2015 #64

Always we must walk on eggshells around a certain group of people that have a penchant for Rex Dec 2015 #35

Fuck the gun-humpers and ammosexuals in the ear hifiguy Dec 2015 #37

Hear, hear! smirkymonkey Dec 2015 #49

I have just discovered this to be true in spades. Photographer Dec 2015 #42

The Courtier's Reply F4lconF16 Dec 2015 #44

Nicely done! hifiguy Dec 2015 #46

Profound malaise Dec 2015 #101

Kick! nt LiberalElite Dec 2015 #45

Nicely put, Orrex. Sad, but nicely put. (nt) Paladin Dec 2015 #56

Excellent! Le Taz Hot Dec 2015 #63

Is this why they suddenly used the term long gun instead of assault rifle? Generic Other Dec 2015 #66

Yeah, the pro-gunners have convulsive fits over that "assault rifle" label.... Paladin Dec 2015 #76

Long gun is used abroad regularly nadinbrzezinski Dec 2015 #80

I was surprised you weren't on this story Generic Other Dec 2015 #85

I have been posting news stories regularly nadinbrzezinski Dec 2015 #86

I was sure this one got your attention Generic Other Dec 2015 #87

Food channel actually nadinbrzezinski Dec 2015 #90

Message auto-removed Name removed Dec 2015 #106

Oh, go right ahead, Orrex. Please do. Do ALL you can. Eleanors38 Dec 2015 #81

Agreed Dem2 Dec 2015 #82

That was funny. Good satire aikoaiko Dec 2015 #97

I just heard Boehner on the TV say "guns don't kill people..." lunatica Dec 2015 #99

As well we know, Turbineguy Dec 2015 #115

The real victims are the innocent people killed and the families they left behind. Thinkingabout Dec 2015 #126

Made that mistake on Twitter boobooday Dec 2015 #127