Renewed My NRA Membership

[AFVet]

Now that Obama is coming after our gun rights to please his leftist base, I renewed my NRA membership for 2 years. I'm still not real happy with their stand on other Constitutional rights, but it's important that we fight this renewed assault on our gun rights.

[Jeremiah/Az]

I have been an annual member since 1960. I must have received many tons of their junk mail over the years. I don't always agree with them, but it seems like our best bet.

[aray]

I know everyone's disposable income is limited, but in addition to the NRA you might also check out the Second Amendment Foundation (http://www.saf.org/). I think the NRA's forte is on the legislative side (and in education). The SAF has been more aggressive on the judicial side. For example now that we have Heller and McDonald from the Supreme Court (in which the SAF played a lead role) they're marching across the country filing lawsuits seeking to overturn gun restrictions. Heller & McDonald says the 2A applies to the "individual" (not states) and that we could "keep arms" (but so far only in the homes). The SAF is now going after the "and bear arms" portion, e.g. "may issue" vs. "shall issue" in the remaining 10 states and denial of 2A rights in "declared emergencies" like we recently saw in North Carolina, etc.

I'm still fussing about the NRA and the 1A stuff from last year too (but not so much that I don't still support them). But both organizations are on our side and I think each complements the other. Or, if you're just really so mad at the NRA from their goof last year (despite their other good stuff) that you don't want to give to them anymore, then give to the SAF instead.

[.45fan]

Now that Obama is coming after our gun rights to please his leftist base, I renewed my NRA membership for 2 years. I'm still not real happy with their stand on other Constitutional rights, but it's important that we fight this renewed assault on our gun rights.

Thank you for renewing, we need all the help we can get.

Might I ask what you mean on the part I made bold?

[aray]

Thank you for renewing, we need all the help we can get.

Might I ask what you mean on the part I made bold?

I'm guessing he is referring to the DISCLOSE Act. That act was introduced in the last Congress and was a terrible assault on the First Amendment. It was an attempt to get around the Supreme Court's earlier decision which struck down part of the Campaign Finance laws. Many critics called it the "Incumbents' Protection Act".

It was a terrible piece of legislation, many of us believe. The NRA leadership initially took the position that they needed to protect their rights to lobby, and so they carved out an exception which would allow them (and a few other very large organizations) to be exempt from the bill. Most organizations however, including other pro-gun organizations such as the SAF, got left out in the cold. When the NRA was criticized for their position by their members, they replied that their focus is on the 2A, not the 1A, not campaign finance, not liberal vs. conservative, not abortion, not ... and that as a single-issue organization they are effective only to the extent that they don't engage in fights that are not theirs.

This was not a popular position. As stated even within the NRA membership, many folks did not approve of their tactics, even while understanding their strategy. I, for example, was not alone in writing, calling, and emailing the NRA and saying that they had made a big mistake on this bill. Over the next few weeks it was clear that the leadership were trying to moonwalk away from their position, but were nevertheless stuck with the deal they had made in Congress.

Fortunately, the NRA exception turned out to be a poison pill. Even folks who normally would have been for the DISCLOSE Act were appalled at the NRA cut-out. The House narrowly passed the bill, but there was insufficient support in the Senate to cut off the Republican-led filibuster and so the bill died in 2010. Obama was unhappy. So far it has not be reintroduced in the current Congress.

Personal opinion: I think they goofed. But I also think they learned their lesson. Regardless, they are on our side and we're much stronger and better off with a healthy NRA out there fighting for our gun rights.

[jocko]

Now that Obama is coming after our gun rights to please his leftist base, I renewed my NRA membership for 2 years. I'm still not real happy with their stand on other Constitutional rights, but it's important that we fight this renewed assault on our gun rights.

ain't gonna do jack sh-it thesenext wo years at least. He has far far worse issues that will end his career as president if he doesn't ge tthings back on the right track, and going after gunsis not going to get him releceted either.

He never mentioned in his stateof the union speech anything about going after guns or gun rights. He just is not going totouch that area and now with the republicans in control of the house and in 2 more years they shold get control of the senate, it just ain't gonna happen. No doubt we need to be on our toes.

[jocko]

Now that Obama is coming after our gun rights to please his leftist base, I renewed my NRA membership for 2 years. I'm still not real happy with their stand on other Constitutional rights, but it's important that we fight this renewed assault on our gun rights.

ain't gonna do jack sh-it these next two years at least. He has far far worse issues that will end his career as president if he doesn't get things back on the right track, and going after guns is not going to get him relected either. He knows that and he knows he can't win this fight, now with the party change in the house.. And the polls show that the public is not on his side with this gun control crapola either. He lives by the polls..

He never mentioned in his stateof the union speech anything about going after guns or gun rights. He just is not going totouch that area and now with the republicans in control of the house and in 2 more years they shold get control of the senate, it just ain't gonna happen. No doubt we need to be on our toes.

[AFVet]

Yes, the Disclose Act, and the NRA carve out was exactly what got me rethinking my NRA membership.

Thanks for pointing out the Second Amendment Foundation, aray. I joined. It was only $15 for the year and tax deductible to boot.

[aray]

Thanks for pointing out the Second Amendment Foundation, aray. I joined. It was only $15 for the year and tax deductible to boot.

Yeah, that is one of the cool things about the SAF (http://saf.org/). Donations are tax deductible. The reason they can get away with that is because, unlike the NRA, they don't engage in lobbying. They are a Civil Rights organization made up primarily of lawyers, devoted to gun rights as outlined by the Second Amendment in the Bill of Rights. As such they have the same legal standing as the ACLU and so contributions to them are 100% deductible.

And they've been effective too. Prior to Heller (which said the 2A applies to individuals in DC) and McDonald (which extended the Heller decision out to the states) the Supreme Court had never ruled what the "militia" meant. Indeed many folks were afraid of taking a case up to the SC, in case they ruled that the "militia" meant the state National Guard, or some such nonsense. Sorta the gun version of "don't ask don't tell" or "leave well enough alone".

The SAF bravely pushed forward. (It would have been "foolishly pushed forward" had they lost.) They were joined in both cases by the NRA, who also argued in front of the court in both Heller and McDonald (and indeed the NRA brought up supportive but complementary and unique arguments). But even though the NRA made significant contributions to these cases, the SAF was lead.

Having won those two cases, the SAF is now out there sweeping the country trying to tear down other gun control laws (e.g. what does to "bear" in the 2A mean, ref: the 10 remaining "may issue" or "no issue" states).

And, of course, all of these new cases are being filed as Fundamental Civil Rights cases, which means if the governments lose, they can now be held liable for damages, just as they are if they violate your 1st or 4th Amendment rights.

This, of course, really bugs the heck out of the liberals, who (in their own minds) thought the were the sole owners of the Civil Rights Domain.

Sorry to be so long winded, but: 1) I wanted to explain the "why" behind the tax deduction and 2) the SAF is not as well known as the NRA, and folks need to know about them.

Both organizations are friends to our community, both have different areas of specialty, and both are worthy of our support.

[MikeyKahr]

Sorry to be so long winded, but: 1) I wanted to explain the "why" behind the tax deduction and 2) the SAF is not as well known as the NRA, and folks need to know about them.

No need to apologize at all, aray. Thanks for the good explanation and helpful information.