By Tom McHale
USA –-(Ammoland.com)- About 14 years ago, my wife and soulmate said something I disagreed with. So I divorced her. As if that wasn’t enough, about a week later, my kid got a detention at school. So I sold him into a life of slavery with Tusken Raider Sand People. My actions may sound harsh, but I have principles.
There are certain issues where I simply won’t compromise!
What? You think that’s harsh? Or maybe ridiculous? You’d be right. But that’s exactly the argument I hear from people all the time when the proudly tell me they will never join the NRA again. Ever. So there.
By the way, although I did sell my kid to Tusken Sand People, I didn’t really divorce my wife. We just resolved our disagreement like adults and are continuing to live happily ever after.
Back to the NRA issue.
I get that the NRA sometimes does things we don’t agree with. Sometimes, they make mistakes. Other times, they’re playing long term chess, and may make a short-term move because they have no other option or because it’s step one of a longer term strategy.[like supporting Harry Reid to block Chuck Schumer as head of the senate.]
It’s easy for us to sit on the sidelines and throw stones and yell about how they should never compromise, ever. That kind of strategy sounds great on paper but rarely works out in your favor in real life. Think about the years 2008 through 2010. President Stompy Feet had full control of the United States Government. Oval Office, House, and Senate.
Do you really want to pick a no compromise fight when your opponent holds all the high cards?
But I’m not here to defend the NRA – they tick me off too sometimes, and I’m sure I tick them off on occasion. I’m here to discuss how the real world of politics works, whether you like the NRA or not.
We’ve got four groups of government gnomes to worry about when it comes to protection of gun rights: The executive branch (President Rhetoric or whoever is in office at the time and all the minions that work for the Prez), The Judicial (Supreme, Federal and local courts), Congress (House and Senate), and of course state and local government. For this discussion, we’ll focus on Congress and state and local representatives as that’s the NRA’s main playground.
Yeah, they get involved in legal actions, but quite frankly, organizations like the Second Amendment Foundation are far more successful (and aggressive) in the court system.
So when it comes to influencing legislation, we have to remember one thing about elected officials. All they care about, without exception, is getting re-elected. They spend their days, night and weekends worrying about how many people love them and how many hate them. There’s always another election around the corner.
When they take a meeting with someone from the NRA or any other organization, you can probably guess the first question that Congress-Critter asks.
That’s right. “How many members do you have now?”
They’re not stupid. If someone from some podunk gun rights organization that has seven members waltzes in, that politician could care less. It doesn’t matter how pure that organizations positions are.
However, if Uncle LaPierre sashays in and says, “Well, we added 2 million new members last quarter,” you can bet your bippy our favorite re-election marathon competitors are going to take notice. Heck, they’ll probably offer to wax Wayne’s Suburban.
Right now, the NRA has about 5 million members give or take. There are somewhere around 90 million gun owners in the U.S. That means just over 5% of gun owners forked over $35 to sign up. I know it’s a fantasy but just imagine for a second what life might be like if every gun owner was a member of the NRA. I can pretty much guarantee that your local politicians would drive your kids to school and deliver supper to your house – daily. On a national level, our Senators and Congressmen would flock to the NRA Annual Meeting in droves to volunteer and hand out donuts. Heck, they’d give Congressional Gold Medals to every employee of the NRA home office.
I know that’s a pipe dream, but 10 million members is not. Heck, if only the people who refuse ever to join the NRA because they have some past gripe with them, grew up, held their nose, and renewed, we’d get to 10 million members in a heartbeat.
To be serious for a moment, I’d stand behind the statement that if the NRA had 10 million members, we’d never hear a credible member of Congress so much as whisper something like “common sense gun legislation.” Yeah, crazy Aunt Dianne out in California would still rant and rave, but she wouldn’t have any votes. We certainly wouldn’t be facing the constant battles that we do now.
The bottom line is this: If you don’t grow up and send the NRA a lousy $25 bucks, (Discount NRA Membership) you’re exacerbating the problem. If you’re too angry at the NRA to know what “exacerbating” means, think along the lines of “you’re making our gun control fight harder than it needs to be.”
Yes, there are lot’s of gun rights organizations out there doing great work, and I urge you to support them. But when it comes to influencing legislation, our best bet is to grow the NRA membership number. The more members they have, the more Congress pays attention to whatever it is they have to say, and the more they can take a “no compromise” approach.
By the way, I really didn’t sell my kid to Tusken Sand People. That would be as ridiculous as refusing to support our best chance at stopping all this nonsensical gun control legislation.
About
Tom McHale is the author of the Insanely Practical Guides book series that guides new and experienced shooters alike in a fun, approachable, and practical way. His books are available in print and eBook format on Amazon. You can also find him on Google+, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
I was working on an EPL membership, paying my quarterly $25 payments every three months. I got on my computer to make my next payment. My account on their website said I had a yearly membership, however on my previous payments my account clearly said EPL. I sent three e-mails, each about a week apart, asking them to fix the problem. I never heard back from them. The first e-mail was polite, the next two were i increasingly angry. After the third e-mail was sent, I checked to see if my status was fixed. Not only was it not fixed,… Read more »
The NRA has grown fat and lazy, in large part because most of its members aren’t really activists, they joined just for the bragging rights. And because the sheeple naturally think the best organization to join is the one that’s the largest and most conspicuous. So there’s too few of us holding their feet to the fire. So it grows ever larger, not because its performance merits it, but because its size itself creates its own positive reinforcement loop. Gun activists as a group are largely a conservative lot so they should understand the importance of the effect of competition… Read more »
Is it passion that drives the BS banter in these comments? As the author Tom McHale suggests, TAKE A DEEP BREATH! Don’t be persuaded by anything other than the facts, for the issue at hand. The 2nd Amendment has as equal value as any of the others, we should be adult enough to recognize that. Let’s substitute the 2nd Amendment with the 1st, now make the statement let’s have some ‘common sense legislation on freedom of religion’. Now, take another (much deeper) breath and think. Don’t open your mouth, just think about THAT. The fact is, maybe that would be… Read more »
Well, your page confirms my thoughts.
Where is that “bullet pen” made?
Why is the NRA sending money to china?
Wouldn’t that money be better spent on lawyers or advertising?
When the NRA stops handing out china made trinkets I’ll join. . .
Sandy, do tell! Is every gun owner a gun-loving stooge in your mind? That would be a large percentage of our military personnel. Secret service members protecting politicians would be included there. Democrats and republicans alike who are lawyers, doctors, engineers and other professionals you rely on for services are part of that group. Those individuals who believe that gun ownership should be a right and who teach gun safety to their families are stooges? Those individuals who spend time with their families engaged in outdoor activities instead of sitting around on facebook while their unattended children play video games… Read more »
Unsubscribe me. I don’t have anytime for bullshit as above, I am the NRA. I don’t need your commie crap.
You gunloving stooges in the NRA are only one of the reaons that U.S.A. Has lost its power and resolve to lead the world. Hello China, but he you crazies south of the border!
Ammoland can kiss my ass, I have been NRA member for over 60 years. Oh how old is ammoland and what have you done lately sh*t head to help the 2nd. Oh and John (aug. 5 @ 12PM). You are the type of CCW carrier I want to stay away from! Announce your a ccw, what a dick head!
It pains me to have to donate to any organization to protect my 2nd ammendments rights also to pay for permits to do so,I,M fed up with all of this crap ,and I will still carry and if someone doesn,t like it ,come see me
I don’t know why AmmoLand chose to post this again but one of the reasons why most people don’t join the #NRA is because of the NRA’s long history of supporting anti-gun laws and the NRA’s long history of supporting anti-gun politicians which continues right up to the present day and which will continue until the current leadership is replaced. Giving money to the nations largest anti-gun organization would make anyone who purports to be a defender of the #SecondAmendment a #moron. And looking at these posts it is clear even to a blind man that there are a lot… Read more »