NRA: Call to Arms, Gunsite’s Buzz Mills Speaks Out

Editors’ Note: What follows is an open letter AmmoLand News received from NRA Board of Director, Owen “Buz” Mills, the owner of Gunsite Academy, to the general membership of the NRA and the NRA Board of Directors.

Old NRA New NRA Maze
NRA: Call to Arms, Gunsite’s Buzz Mills Speaks Out

Owen Buz Mills
Gunsite Ranch, Arizona
26 July 2019

NRA Members / NRA Directors

I address this first to our NRA members; you are the reason for our existence. It is your money we are spending. Believe me; I know this. It is NOT our money; it is yours.
Next, I address this to the Board of Directors; this is a call to action. You have a duty to act.

I have spent more than five decades as a supporting member of our organization as a life member. I have invested ten years serving as a member of your Board of Directors. I love Our NRA as I love my country. To me, Our NRA is synonymous with America, and I firmly believe that only Our NRA stands between America and the doom presented by the socialist progressives.

I can no longer bite my tongue and pray for the best to be done for me. I must now as I have done before for my country, take up the sword and the shield to ensure the continuance of our country, for if there is no NRA, there is no America.

As I testified on the floor of the Board of Directors in Indianapolis: Our current situation is the result of our own irresponsibility in not providing our staff and employees with adequate oversight and direction. While we have committees responsible for providing oversight, the reality is, they have not. I presented evidence of this abdication as demonstrated in previous Board of Directors meetings. There can be no doubt, the truth of the matter is spelled out in the minutes of these board and committee meetings.

Now we are the target of adventurous political opponents. All intent on securing their place in history as the one who took down Our NRA. The long knives are out, and we are the target. Our tender underbelly is exposed. How long can we last?

The quickest way to clear up all this superfluous innuendo, venom and invective clouding our lives is a professional, thorough and independent audit.

Buzz Mills

Surely one of the major firms involved daily in this science can accomplish this task and present to your Board the results in a timely fashion. Cost should always be a consideration, and since I am aware of costs we are currently incurring for legal work, this would be a pittance. President Oliver North recommended a similar course of action. I wholeheartedly agreed then and still believe this to be our only course to survival.

The results of this audit will be trusted and relied upon and set the standards for all not for profit membership organizations as Our NRA again leads the nation in setting the example all others only wish they could emulate.

Many board members have business dealings with our organization. I have been doing business with Our NRA for decades, my books are open, and I am proud of all the interactions Gunsite has had with Our NRA. I can not imagine any board member doing business with Our NRA not being willing to set the record straight. Why are we fighting this? It makes no sense.

It is incomprehensible to me that any member of our organization, from Mrs. Meadows, to past presidents, current officers, and board members cannot join me in demanding this action be taken immediately.

Yours for God, America and Our NRA

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Liston Matthews

The NRA swamp must be de-wayned

Joe Wilson

Thank you Buzz Mills, an independent audit would be very helpful in clearing up a lot of questions.

Jetmech1

Buzz, I fail to see how you think an audit will help now. That’s almost like saying “hey, there’s an out of control wildfire headed our way and we got 3 minutes to evacuate” and responding; let’s form a committee to study what to do. Face it sir, it’s too late for that especially when the “board” re-elected WLP in April. They now bear the responsibility for the downfall. This cancer tumor has metastasized and now requires immediate surgery if there’s any hope for the patient. Had I known last year all the issues going on with the NRA, I… Read more »

SoSueMe

Amen!

Ej harbet

100% agree with above, i dont see how this ends with a nra though.the crooks have total control over it.
Soon it’ll be ripped apart and devoured by its enemies and hopefully wlp and his cronies will rot in prison.

TheRevelator

Ladies and Gentlemen, We got him.. Several weeks ago, Ahhiyawa showed up on ammoland, decrying articles that were speaking negatively of the NRA. If I remember correctly, he was angry that ammoland was publishing such articles.. Today, his mask came off. While he was busy projecting about how anyone who leaves the NRA and shuts off supplying cash to it is a crybaby or spectator, he let his defenses down. Here is what he has believed from the start. “Lapierre does not have to be removed to be defeated.” “Dell’Aquila knows how to get rid of goof by eroding his… Read more »

Knute

“I can not imagine any board member doing business with Our NRA not being willing to set the record straight. Why are we fighting this? It makes no sense.”
It makes PERFECT sense, IF one can fit the idea of covering up criminal activity into one’s head. In another fifty years, perhaps Mr. Mills might wake up to the fact that criminals like to keep their crimes a secret. But for now, I’ll take him at his word that he “cannot imagine” such a thing.

TheRevelator

Not new Will, It’s just rebranding. This is nothing more than a spin on the “I am the NRA”, only “I am the NRA” really isn’t believable any more since the Board and leadership ignore and dismiss the members and hold them in contempt.

SoSueMe

This isn’t about preserving the NRA. It IS about preserving the 2nd Amendment, The Constitution and the Republic. To that end and from here on out only Gun Owners of America gets my money. Not another dime to the NRA. If we’d all join together there the objective would be accomplished.

Graham

Perfectly said.

BowserB

NRA has criminals at the top. Like Skilling, Lay, and Fastow destroyed Enron, Lapierre & his associates destroyed NRA. We can’t blame this on on the Democrats.

Circle8

Reading these statements sounds like a bunch of teenage boys in a pissing contest. The organization has a problem in that we can not sustain an internal fight while fighting the democrats for our constitutional rights. Let us do an audit by a reputable firm, identify the problem, repair it and continue our fight against the anti constitution crowd. I have been a lifer for some 50 years and do not want to go to my grave while the members are trying to see who has the biggest one.

TheRevelator

@Circle8

The problem has already been identified, years ago. Its only now coming to light to those who didn’t want to believe it.

Sadly, you may see the end of the NRA before you reach the grave thanks to the Leadership. Don’t forget though, its not the NRA that is important, it is the Constitution and the 2nd Amendment that matter.

ahhiyawa

@circle 8

Teenagers proving their prowess have more testosterone than these jilted, effeminate, break and run artists who inhabit AmmoLand. These crybabies are not the majority voice of the NRA and in any case amount to nothing if they had actually quit paying their membership dues. They want to flee to greener pastures, than fine, leave, get lost and out of the way of those who want to stand and fight,. The vineyards of liberty bear wonderful fruit and intoxicating experiences, but are also hard work and hard won.

TheRevelator

Wow, So you lost a debate and the first thing you want to do is accuse others of doing what you are showing through your actions? Who is it acting like a testosterone filled teenager, who is it who is crying about it in a post made at 12:53AM? You are projecting… Also, Interestingly enough, it is interesting that you are choosing the easy road of staying in the NRA because its safe and you fear you wont survive without it, yet you talk about hard work. You tried to delegitimize others who have been fighting this battle far longer… Read more »

ahhiyawa

Sordid El Toro PoPo

ahhiyawa

gibberish

ahhiyawa

gibberish.

TheRevelator

Considering this is probably the only Lucid and completely factual comment I have ever seen @USA make, I have to stand up for him here.

What he was saying is the NRA backed Red Flag legislation as an infringement on our Rights, And that contrary to the Article, America can exist with or without the NRA. The problem ahhiyawa, is that it is the Constitution that should be revered, not the NRA.

@USA, congratulations. You finally made a comment that was entirely reason and fact based. You deserve the recognition for it.

ahhiyawa

I can not congratulate a blanket statement condemning the NRA as an organization of “subversive traitors.” That’s utterly ludicrous. There is infinitely far more treason sitting on the banks of the Potomac where it ought not than on the NRA BOD.

And as far as the Constitution being violated, hell, the writing on that sacred document wasn’t even dry when Congress violated its intent. But that’s no reason to ditch the Constitution or help its enemies stab the NRA in the back, front and sides.

TheRevelator

@ahhiyawa I believe you have that backwards. Ditching the Constitution to stab the NRA in the back? The NRA IS NOT the Constitution. What @ USA was saying is the leadership at the NRA betrayed the members, The subversive infringement that the leadership supported is Red Flag legislation. The NRA stabbed the Constitution in the back, not the other way around. Sorry, but you don’t get to change facts just because you say so. I’ve held @USA to that standard in the past, so I also hold that standard for everyone else. Trying to link support of the Constitution to… Read more »

ahhiyawa

Oh, I forgot to add….gibberish.

jack mac

Buzz, we do not need to pay for an audit, the governments will soon do that for free. Yes, the money does belong to the general members. The problem is that there is no money to audit. You with your other 76? or 77? maybe 92 tomorrow, BOD members can answer “Where’s the Money?”. Our underbelly is exposed because the BOD turned it back to general members and American rights to arms. Socialist progressives and adventurous politicians are far less threat than our on BOD ‘s promoting rights violating red flag laws. Plus, the now realized support of all firearm… Read more »

ahhiyawa

If your goal is to kill the NRA and never see it rise again, than allowing the D.C. & NY state attorneys unopposed and unrestrained audit over the NRA will accomplish exactly what you fear.

The BOD officers and membership need to unite and expel the gangsters before outside forces mobilize in sufficient force to do the deed. That’s the first step among many to save the NRA.

TheRevelator

Except Wayne has the BOD officers by the snarglies. He owns them, except for a few good men. the Board will not remove wayne unless the cash flow is so cut off that they feel their own heads are on the line.

Even then, who knows what dirt Lapierre has on them. Asking for the Board to save the day is like asking for your illiterate cousin to fix the circuitry on the space station in 30 minutes before everybody dies. It isn’t going to happen.

ahhiyawa

Lapierre does not have to be removed to be defeated. Last count there were 23 F rated directors, of which 10 of them were hard fast and self declared Lapierre supporters, his gang of 10.

Dell’Aquila at ‘Retire Lapierre’ knows how to get rid of goof by eroding his grip on the instruments of power, namely that very same BOD and has done a fine job of breaking his death grip on it.

TheRevelator

Lapierre must go. Cancer cannot be allowed to remain within the host.

Thanks for showing that for all your talk, youre actually not concerned with removing him. And now you are defending the same corrupt board which has helped keep him in place, the same ones who have kicked out anyone who dares to stand against him? I figured if I kept at it long enough you would show your true colors.

(For anyone wondering “Removing Lapierre” means getting him out of the NRA entirely. This is a stipulation many of us have had for several years now. )

MikeRoss

No money for an audit? They’re paying LaPierre’s buddy’s law firm two million a month and they can’t afford an audit?

Circle8

Jack mac:
You do not want the government to audit us. Have you ever seen one thing the government has done with good results. The tax people, justice and the federal beef inspectors (FBI) are all like tits on a nun, e.g.useless. Those organizations are filled with anti American liberals who only look out for other liberals. Like Reagan said the feds take a failed program and feed it more money which of course allows it to still fail but cost more. Obviously I am not quoting but paraphrasing.

Green Mtn. Boy

“then the entire BOD should unanimously resign.”

Too late for that,as it will not prevent the guilty from time behind bars when the state and Fed.s finish with them.

ahhiyawa

The low life attacks against Buzz Mills are scurrilousness and undeserving. There were a few officers on the BOD who questioned and tried to learn what Lapierre and fellow thugs were up to. Unlike others, Buzz Mills patronage and ownership of Gunsite Academy shielded him from Lapierre’s worst, but none of the hordes of today’s syphilitic lipped whiners cared to listen or support the few against their unholy idolatry of Lapierre. The truth is that if Mills is not innocent, than not a single dues paying member of the NRA is innocent either, especially the hurlers of filth. I welcome… Read more »

TheRevelator

There is one problem with what Buzz Mills is saying. “The Members are the reason for the NRA’s existence.” Where was Mills when the NRA was actively betraying the members? If he was truly fighting against Wayne and the issues in the NRA, why has he not been writing or sounding the alarm before now? I feel sorry for you. You understand what has happened with Wayne and the BOD, but you don’t understand the people who have been trying to fight this for years. The reason we left the NRA, the reason we will not come back until it… Read more »

ahhiyawa

I have far more understanding than you know. Over 20 years ago I was a member of a state pro gun association that was plagued with multiple cults of personality, plundering the treasury for perks and paid jobs, supporting undeserving NRA endorsed politicians due to affiliation (that I opposed), and many of the same despicable acts of smearing and silencing legitimate inquires by members. There was a big battle over the org’s bylaws for more membership powers and rights that the NRA affiliate did not like and opposed. He supported the BOD against the reformers. It’s all deja vue to… Read more »

TheRevelator

@ahhiyawa You assume too much. The GOA has been around for a long time. The SAF is solid too, and both are currently doing more in the courts than the NRA in terms of actually sticking up for our rights. When we leave the NRA, we are not leaving the battlefield or becoming spectators. Any claim to the contrary is the lie of a coward, and it is the same lie that has been pushed by Wayne Lapierre. If the NRA ends, Perhaps there will be a corroboration of these other groups, or at the least the idiotic members of… Read more »

JMR

Not a penny until the NRA ousts Wayne LaPierre, all current board members and starts actively trying to repeal current gun laws.

JIAZ

“There is no such thing as a director who doesn’t direct. You’re responsible to make yourself aware of what’s going on. If the board doesn’t know, they’ve breached their duty of care, which is against the law in New York,” where the N.R.A. is chartered. According to Owens, the former I.R.S. official, New York State “could sanction board members, remove board members, disband the board, or close down the organization entirely.”
James Fishman
New York Nonprofit Law and Practice: With Tax Analysis
https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/new-york-attorney-general-launches-investigation-into-nra-operations/

Jeff

Finally, some truth. We need an audit, we need new leadership and we need a new board. The board is twice as large as it needs to be.

As far as board members doing business with the NRA — I don’t have a problem with this as long as everything is above board and transparent.

JPM

All the rats are posting how they are the good guys and how they are “shocked” how the NRA is floundering when they, along with LaPierre, are the ones responsible for the NRA’s demise, if it happens. These LaPierre toadies (co-conspirators) sound more like Nazis at Nuremburg after WWII proclaiming their innocence and making excuses – “I was only following orders”, “I had no knowledge of anything like that taking place”. How could anyone serve on the Board of Directors of the NRA in the last 2 decades and NOT know what was happening? They couldn’t, and as part of… Read more »

Ansel Hazen

I had not heard that. Found an article that is disturbing to say the least. Based on it I would say Buzz needs to be one of the BOD to be purged also.

JeffAZ

Take my advice and trust about Zero Percent of what the Phoenix New Times has to say about anything. I used to read them for the entertainment value just to see how they could twist the facts around to fit their narratives, but had to stop based on high blood pressure results and an intervention from loved ones.

With that said, I’ve always known Buz to be a kind and very generous man and just the kind of guy who would actually step up to address these NRA problems.

JIAZ

@wjd Buz didn’t sue for libel because it’s absolutely true. Here it is right from the original source, The Florida Second District Court Of Appeal. “The trial court did find, however, that: Mills, as the majority shareholder of OPM, did owe a fiduciary duty to Mortellite, the minority shareholder, which required Mills to act in good faith. *Mills breached this duty and acted in bad faith* toward Mortellite when he received the offer from American Tower and intentionally did not disclose the offer to Mortellite. In sending Mortellite off for additional vacations, Mills intended to keep Mortellite out of the… Read more »

USMC0351Grunt

We can’t all keep beating the drum that “LaPierre must go!” NO organisation this size is destroyed or has success just because of one man!

77 members of the Board Of Directors and we do not hear a damn word of their COLLECTIVELY taking responsibility for this fiasco? NOR PROVIDING SOLUTIONS?

ahhiyawa

Ah…ever hear of Arthur Andersen? One of the five largest multi-international auditing, consulting and accounting firms by 2001. Yet this mega billion dollar operation employing 32,000 people was utterly destroyed. By the way, the corporate officers found guilty and thrown into jail were innocent and those convictions were overturned by the US Supreme Court in 2002. The attorney that achieved that depraved, scandalous and odious act was Andrew Weissmann. Does that name ring a bell? You can bet your ‘sweet-know-what’ the NRA can be obliterated from the face of the earth by unethical attorney generals and fellow “poster boys” like… Read more »

jack mac

77 members! My god, the BOD is reproducing itself. The Idea is to decrease the number.

TheRevelator

@wjd

Why don’t you drop the Vendetta against Grunt. Going at him the way you are is only working against you Will.

TheRevelator

@wjd. Content of Character… Judge by actions. Do you really want to discredit your own arguments or reputation over a childish grudge? There is someone here on ammoland who wont reply to me anymore. I caught him being a hypocrite and made him look bad. To top it off, he came after me the way you are going after Grunt, and worked himself into such a frenzy that he sought to challenge me on each of my comments. Not only did he lose those, he finally got mad enough he thought he had an opening, demanding proof of my words.… Read more »

Xaun Loc

I continue to be amazed at all the Board Members who are now standing up to claim they were on the side of Truth Justice and The American Way at Indianapolis — but I have to wonder where all these board members were while the board was UNANIMOUSLY voting to support the Wayne LaPierre cabal in their purge of all opposition.

Charlie Foxtrot

Well, if you had actually followed what went on you would know that the unanimous vote for Wayne LaPierre was a lie. Why are you believing in lies spread by the NRA leadership?

ahhiyawa

It’s called cult of the personality. Practically everyone denouncing Lapierre today were once admirers of this false prophet. Personality cults are artfully devious schemes that blind patrons and members alike to the real state of affairs behind the scenes. Even BOD officers who should know better are just as susceptible to hero worship as anyone else. Very few knew all the facts. Those who did know and spoke out were driven out by Lapierre and his gang for over 20 years, and were also vilified by a clueless membership in awe of their gods. The masters made it clear to… Read more »

TheRevelator

The NRA can only be saved if it will allow it to be saved. If it refuses, then we need to put it down. Those of us who have been shouting about what is going on for the last several years, being incriminatory as you put it, have been trying to get through to those who have been blinded. I’m younger than you, but I have been opposed to Lapierre since he actively tried to stop Dick Heller from bringing his suit to the Supreme Court. For years, I spent my efforts trying to bring awareness and fix the NRA… Read more »

ahhiyawa

And never before has the brass ring ever before been so within grasp. The great stumbling block has been the cult of Lapierre that now lays wounded and bleeding. Wailing over the incrimination’s of past offense is spilt milk at this precise point in time and seriously misguided. Now is the time to fight and vigorously save the NRA, not last year or next, now. This opportunity will not last forever., Our enemies are not Lapierre’s, they are his friends. Destroying the NRA is the goal, not Lapierre. If victory means giving Lapierre a pass to rule over a hallowed… Read more »

TheRevelator

You forget. It is those of us who have been fighting in previous years who have brought the NRA and Wayne to the point where there is hope to fix and save it, many of us by leaving the NRA and cutting off much of its cash flow. The Enemy is Lapierre, those on the board who support him, the membership which still clings to him, and those who would love to see him stay in power precisely to see it die. The problem is that as long as wayne and the BOD as is is in power, they are… Read more »

TheRevelator

The NRA dying is not the same as the country or more importantly the Constitution.

I hope you know better than to push the same lie Wayne and the Board members have been pushing.

Will Flatt

The terms have not changed: Ditch LaPierre, Powell, and all the other RATS infesting the NRA ship before it goes down!! Pare the Board down to 30 members, conduct an independent audit, re-establish transparency and accountability over the NRA leadership!!

NRA Board, DO YOUR DUTY; no money until terms have been met!

Pete

Here’s a universal truth. Whatever the symptom, leadership is the problem. There is plenty of evidence that LaPierre is a poor leader – from the lavish spending, to setting up a BoD that can’t hold him accountable, to firing his critics regardless of their contribution, to the unhealthy and incestuous relationships that he’s weaved into the NRA fabric to turning over strategy and direction to a third party. Oh, and how can I forget the CarryGuard fiasco which effectively sent an invitation to anti gun govt officials to come after the NRA. Wayne and his protectors have to go. Not… Read more »

mlhtd51

@ Pete, Great Comment. BoD should be limited to how many? No more than what we are Judged By {12}, No more than what we are Carried By {6}.

TheRevelator

Couple ways to do it. Either go with a very small number, or go with regional members, such as one for every 2 states, with direct recall abilities to remove bad board members. Combined with term limits, that may be a viable option. For a smaller group, 10 makes more sense than 6.

grifhunter

Hoping the NRA ‘goes away” is throwing the baby out with the bath water. The NRA is more than LaPierre and cronies. The NRA promotes gun culture beyond stupid leadership. They NRA runs shooting competitions, instructor training, publishes popular publications that educate and promote gun culture, has a world class museum, assists with range protection and development, facilitates firearms safety programs, trainers, police training, etc; the NRA maintains hunter educations programs, youth leadership programs, has a team of lawyers that assist with litigation when gun rights are attacked, runs women and youth programs, the list goes on. Does GOA have… Read more »

Ansel Hazen

Mr. Mills, Gunsites reputation is Gold Plated, I would doubt that there is anyone who could find fault with your organization. But the NRA has been tarnished by the actions of Wayne LaPierre and it will not survive unless he goes.

I personally can’t understand why this has dragged on so long myself. But let me assure you, Wayne and anyone who has vocally supported him must go ASAP if you want to save the NRA. There are far too many “members” who won’t open their wallets again unless this fire is put out for good.

Pete

@Anzel Hazen, My comment is on your statement, “I personally can’t understand why this has dragged on so long myself.”

My take is that LaPierre, like any good dictator, has structured the NRA so that he can’t be held accountable. The BoD is too big to be effective. Certain folks are kept in power that get rid of his critics. Perceived enemy’s are removed from their positions.

I totally agree with your comments that he has to go.

ahhiyawa

Actually, over the course of 20 years LaPierre demanded by law changes that increased his powers at the expense of a supine BOD and membership. Cults of Personality always end badly.

TheRevelator

You seem to forget that a good portion of the Membership was fighting against that, as well as almost half the board standing against Lapierre originally before the purges.

What was it you were saying before about condoning blanket statements that automatically label a group one way or the other?

ahhiyawa

Join GOA, but remain members of the NRA, especially those who have earned their voting rights.

TheRevelator

If you mean life members, sure, but no money. For the rest of us, we will not remain members as we don’t want our money to keep supporting them. That is why we advocate other groups, so no one else gets suckered in.