Indianapolis – You may have heard: The NRA leadership is in the middle of significant legal problems. It appears to be true, with severely biased, politically motivated prosecutors going after the NRA. An obvious reason is: the NRA was once a very effective political organization. It has also been a very effective fundraising organization. Many believe the funds have not been spent wisely.
The NRA leadership has not helped with what appears to be significant favoritism, cutting legal corners, lack of transparency, and a reluctance to allow any but a tiny few to see the books on who gets what for what. The lack of transparency is like a red flag to motivated prosecutors and those who believe unethical shenanigans have been ongoing.
The good news is the strength of the NRA has never been in its leadership. The leadership of the organization had to be dragged into the political fight, kicking and screaming. It has always been ready to cut a deal. Cutting deals is sometimes required. Many believe the deals cut could have been much better for the NRA membership. Neal Knox, one of the most effective leaders this correspondent has ever known, was driven from the organization because he criticized the deals which were made. Unfortunately, Neal died in 2005.
The strength of the NRA has always been:
- First: the upwards of a hundred million U.S. Citizens and residents who see the NRA as a champion fighting for their natural, Second Amendment guaranteed rights.
- Second: the probably 5- 20 million members who identify as NRA members and have had official status as a member sometime in the last 60 years.
- Third: the organizational roots and resources to develop and administer training programs on gun safety and gun use to tens of millions of students.
- Fourth: The NRA as a media instrument to aid the gun culture in keeping and spreading the traditions and methods of Gun Culture (versions I and II) in the USA and abroad.
- Fifth: the NRA, using the Institute for Legislative Action as a lobbyist for rights protected by the Second Amendment, the Constitution, the rule of law, and the Gun Culture.
These strengths were on display at the NRA Annual Meeting in Indianapolis in April of 2023. As this correspondent approached the Indianapolis Convention Center, an hour earlier than anything was supposed to be open, the lines were already long at the fifty yards of registration counter. Tens of thousands of attendees are expected.
President Trump
Later, thousands of people were in line, waiting for hours to be processed through the limited jurisdiction of the Secret Service, to attend the Leadership Forum, scheduled for 2 PM. There was only space for 3,000 attendees. Processing of attendees took a long time because everyone was screened for potential weapons. Knowing the animus which exists for President Trump, it is an absolutely essential precaution.
Knowing that people often forget they are carrying a well-used pocket knife, often with considerable monetary and/or sentimental value, Knife Rights started a program several years ago, partnering with the NRA, to have a Knife Check. At the Knife Check, people can check their items instead of wasting hours in line, only to face a Hobson’s choice: give up your valuable property, or lose your place in line!
A credible source who demanded anonymity told me at the last NRA meeting, nearly 2000 items were checked, with an attendance of about 3000 at the Leadership Forum.
This year, it appeared the NRA ran the knife check with assistance from Knife Rights.
Knives and guns can be openly carried at the Indianapolis NRA annual meeting. In this limited space of the Leadership Forum, for a limited period, Second Amendment rights were superseded by the need for the physical security of a former president and presidential candidates. There is a long tradition of this sort of extremely time and space-limited sort of sensitive area in United States history, particularly in courts, legislatures, and military-controlled areas. Private venues, of course, can insist on this sort of exclusion as well.
The NRA is a national institution. Tens of millions revere it. Given a course correction and the right leadership, the NRA could regain the confidence of the gun culture and become the powerful rights-protecting Second Amendment advocate demanded by the times.
In times of great stress, leaders sometimes rise to fill the need. It can happen.
About Dean Weingarten:
Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a military officer, was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1973. He taught the Arizona concealed carry course for fifteen years until the goal of Constitutional Carry was attained. He has degrees in meteorology and mining engineering, and retired from the Department of Defense after a 30 year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.
In my personal belief, the best way to ensure a Democrat as the next PoUS is for Trump to lock the Republican nomination. The hate train that turned out Dem voters in droves, to elect a person with obvious dementia and age related cognitive impairment, was in direct response to his second term bid.
The firearm community needs to unhitch itself from Trump and find a candidate worthy of our vote, because he certainly isn’t our staunchest supporter.
I don’t think the ship can be righted at this point. They just keep on doing the same old crap, not listening to the membership, just milking the cash cow for all its worth until nothing will be left
Ope is completely on track with his assessment of Weingarten’s NRA flag waving rant. Prosecutors don’t need to be severely biased or politically motivated to go after the NRA; the NRA eagerly provides fodder such that a first year law student can easily eviscerate them with minimal effort. His statement that the NRA is revered by millions is obviously a product of a koolaid-induced vision as to what was 50 years ago. Its clearly obvious to most members that the NRA is relegating itself to a second rate, ineffective organization with a stigma that automatically repels an unbiased assessment. Can… Read more »
STOP supporting the NRA. The only reporting on them should be telling us how to help get the corrupt administration convicted and sent to prison.
The NRA just stepped on legislation in NC that would have allowed Constitutional Carry. They are not a friend to the gun owner. They will never get another dime from me. I will (and do) support SAF, GOA, and my North Carolina gun rights group.
In addition to the strengths mentioned of the NRA: In the minds of the vast public, the NRA is the goto representative for gun owners and civilian gun rights. The other organizations are critical too, but they haven’t been around, like the NRA, since 1871. Unless I’m mistaken, most NRA members, like myself, contribute as well to the associated 2A groups and state organizations.
I certainly hope Trump does another great job of campaigning for DeSantis. After all the last thing those Wascally Wepublicans need to do is run the old guy who couldn’t even win against another old basement dwelling cognitive impaired guy and still polls behind that increasingly demented old guy in key states. Besides isn’t it Trump who unleashed the FrankenFauci and Birxtenstein; locked down and destroyed small businesses; kept your kids from school; forced phony masks on the populace; unleashed an untested vaccine; is a megalomaniac narcissist who can’t control his mouth while thinking everything is about HIMself; will not… Read more »