The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Down Range Cafe => Topic started by: Rastus on August 26, 2007, 06:47:26 PM
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OK. I hear a lot of you guys talking out there about the NRA. Let's find out how many are members and how many members vote.
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OK. I hear a lot of you guys talking out there about the NRA. Let's find out how many are members and how many members vote.
Can't vote, the list of options didn't have one of the all-important categories. That one would be - who the heck are these people? I mean, other than what's provided in 2 column inches buried somewhere in the magazine giving a highly sanitized bio. I have not been shooting long enough to have a clue who most of them are. Now, with DRTV, I can find out a lot more easily at least.
I had never even heard of the current NRA President, all I know about him is he is some hunter from Delaware. I would love to have been a fly on the wall way back when when Neal Knox was on the board, at least based on his and his son's articles.
So how do we deal with this ignorance? Seriously, how do we get the word out about people like the board member in the other thread? Is this why their membership is only 4 million out of the 80 million gun owners, because it is all about who's in with the NRA power elite, and who knows who?
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I became an NRA member for the first time at the beginning of this year. What does it take to be a voting member?
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I became an NRA member for the first time at the beginning of this year. What does it take to be a voting member?
Hazcat, annual members don't (or didn't) have voting rights...which I think is a good thing as it would keep anti-gun people from joining and having undue influence. For voting, I believe it used to be 5 years, though it may be a 3 year member now.
Pathfinder, what question would you have me to add? We generally, as members, get bios on these people which are usually short I know. That's why it's important to have people who can listen to news in their area to get the word out when there is a "power elite" dropping the ball. I like your posts, you got a lot of good things to say...but this wasn't meant to be a couple of trick questions. A big part of why I wanted to put it up was to get civil ideas out.
On the 4 million I would think it's because peoples priorities change, they don't like to put money in something that they feel someone else will keep up...just speculation...let someone else do it so they don't have to commit. Now from a different perspective, out of 80 million gun owners what other gun rights organization has more members, more influence. or performs more good? It will never be perfect unless more people get involved.
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OK. I hear a lot of you guys talking out there about the NRA. Let's find out how many are members and how many members vote.
I am a voting member, but I will not be one when my membership expires this year. I have toyed with the idea of demanding a refund for my last few months in a (feeble) attempt to get the attention of the NRA Kakistocracy.
Best regards,
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On the 4 million I would think it's because peoples priorities change, they don't like to put money in something that they feel someone else will keep up...just speculation...let someone else do it so they don't have to commit. Now from a different perspective, out of 80 million gun owners what other gun rights organization has more members, more influence. or performs more good? It will never be perfect unless more people get involved.
Amen to that.
Even Clinton admitted that the 2000 elections were affected by the NRA. Gore lost His own home state and Clinton"s Arkansas.
Do any of us believe the AWB would have sunset under Gore?
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I am a voting member but really have no idea even with the bios ,who to vote for, I think I voted for Ted Nugent once ;D
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I am a voting member but really have no idea even with the bios ,who to vote for, I think I voted for Ted Nugent once ;D
Those bios are too short. That's why it's important for a-l-l of us to be watching and let each other know what the individual board members really think...just like one of the posts on this board.
PS...I voted for the Motor City Madman too. Uncouth, to be certain, but I thought the old guard need to be pushed off their laurels and who could push them out of their comfort zone better than Uncle Ted? His wife may be our best spokesman on the feminine side of gun rights.
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Pathfinder, what question would you have me to add? We generally, as members, get bios on these people which are usually short I know. That's why it's important to have people who can listen to news in their area to get the word out when there is a "power elite" dropping the ball. I like your posts, you got a lot of good things to say...but this wasn't meant to be a couple of trick questions. A big part of why I wanted to put it up was to get civil ideas out.
Rastus, the option for your list would be - I would vote if I knew who these people were, but I don't, so I didn't. If that makes any sense.
I could have sworn I was a voting member, NRA Life through the ELF program, and I thought I had gotten a ballot before. But having read these posts, I don't think I am after all. I have been a member for a few years, joined with annual back in 1999 I think.
I do hope the Nuge gets in, will either help shake things up or be marginalized by the powers that be. And Michael, run next go round, OK? You'll probably get at least 845 votes.
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Rastus, the option for your list would be - I would vote if I knew who these people were, but I don't, so I didn't. If that makes any sense.
I could have sworn I was a voting member, NRA Life through the ELF program, and I thought I had gotten a ballot before. But having read these posts, I don't think I am after all. I have been a member for a few years, joined with annual back in 1999 I think.
I do hope the Nuge gets in, will either help shake things up or be marginalized by the powers that be. And Michael, run next go round, OK? You'll probably get at least 845 votes.
That makes sense and...the Nuge has been in for at least a couple years, Wang Dang. If you are a lifer, you are a voter!
OK...let's push to get Michael on the board. We all know where he stands on guns. Plus, he is a published author so he knows how to talk to the "beautiful people" in the book stores....I bet he'll draw flys with those earrings....whaddya think???
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....I bet he'll draw flys with those earrings....whaddya think???
Only if he coats them with sugar! ;D
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I have been a voting member for several years, and I do vote every time.
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It's easy to know who to vote for. Find the NRA Winning Team ad, and vote for the ones that aren't listed in it. Alternatively, only vote for the ones that aren't nominated by the nominating committee.
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The bio's that are all we have to base our votes on are not enough. We need to know what the candidates want to achieve on the NRA board. For instance, I never knew that current board member and former Texas Ranger Joaquin Jackson thinks "assault weapons" should only be in the hands of the military and law enforcement. He would settle for a maximum magazine capacity of five rounds, though. See the last video clip here:
http://www.klru.org/texasmonthlytalks/archives/jackson/jackson.asp
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I do vote but does anyone else have concerns that the board seems to large and unwieldy to be effective? It seems that the person who really wields the power at the NRA is Wayne LaPierre. I wonder how we keep him accountable?
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I do vote but does anyone else have concerns that the board seems to large and unwieldy to be effective? It seems that the person who really wields the power at the NRA is Wayne LaPierre. I wonder how we keep him accountable?
I'm thinking through the board is how you keep people accountable. Now, I don't think I have misplaced trust, but I've always thought Wayne LaPierre to be a standup guy for us. The board....eh, I ain't so sure...which is why I read the bios to do the best I can.
To know what's really going on, we need to keep our ears and eyes open to what the board members and staff say. That can be relayed on various boards quite quickly, and in the case of traitor Dumbo, with swift and righteous effectiveness.
I still say we need an insider. How many of you voting members out there want to join me for putting Mr. Bane up for a board member seat? Maybe some other guys we see on the Wednesday night lineup?
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"I still say we need an insider. How many of you voting members out there want to join me for putting Mr. Bane up for a board member seat? Maybe some other guys we see on the Wednesday night lineup?"
Ditto
Can't remember if there are write in spaces, but I think I'll write in anyway.
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I do vote but does anyone else have concerns that the board seems to large and unwieldy to be effective? It seems that the person who really wields the power at the NRA is Wayne LaPierre. I wonder how we keep him accountable?
I should read the bylaws....because I don't know. What I believe is that the board is mainly advisory with some "override" authority. Could be totally wrong here...so if someone knows please chime in.
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"I still say we need an insider. How many of you voting members out there want to join me for putting Mr. Bane up for a board member seat? Maybe some other guys we see on the Wednesday night lineup?"
Ditto
Can't remember if there are write in spaces, but I think I'll write in anyway.
I am an Endowment member, and would like to see some board members with a more recognizably public profile, like Michael B. But I am grateful that we have some political clout through the NRA as it is, as M.B.'s podcast report on his local shooting range illustrates. It would be very easy for the 2nd amendment to be nullified by the enemies of freedom in this country. P.S. GO FRED!
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I have been an NRA Life, at least, voting member since I was a 1LT in RVN. My NRA membership goes back to the Christmas I was 15 when my uncle gave me a membership for Christmas.
I read the bios. Consider the geographic distribution and possible political clout of the candidates. Plus I have been alive long enough and involved long enough to know something about a fair number of the candidates. I usually give careful consideration to the Nominating Committee recommendations.
If you are not a voting member of the NRA you should join or upgrade your membership. We ALL need to stand with the NRA ALL the time. If you do not like something tell the NRA -- not the blog or the newsies of the drive by media!
Our enemies are trying to divide us -- shame on us if we let that happen ala Zumbo!
MB, you need to weigh in on this! More work for you. :)
PS Loose the ear ring. I support your right to wear it, but it makes you look bad. Sorry -- that's the way it is.
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Another Endowment member, been a life member since 1988, regular member since I joined as a Boy Scout in 1961. Yes, I vote, and as others have pointed out, I study each candidate (many I know who they are already) and I also look for a good mix of geographical locations.
I'd also like to add the vote for MB to lose the ear ring, at least on the TV show. My wife says it just doesn't fit him, and I have to agree. Still I also support your right to wear one, but please not while on the show...
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I would be glad to get signatures for old MB. I probably been voting since the early 80's
I vote for:
1) Folks I know and/or admire
2) Folks who would help the image of the NRA
3) Folks from a different geographic locations and backrounds.
All in all I probably only vote for 6-10 people every election.
I would imagine less then half of the board is active, the rest just use it to pad their resumes. I was on an international organization BOD with 70+ men and women and maybe half were there soley for the social functions.
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All good information and good advice. We need people from the gun subculture to step forward, like MB, to help with the perspective. Undoubtably we need people with contacts throughout the government (especially the legislature and judiciary) but they should be tempered, or educated, by the gun subculture.
So...let's put MB up and some of the other guys from Wednesday on the range.
Oh yeah, BTW, that earring....if your wife (married?) likes it you probably need to keep it around...but it seems as though some of us guys are having to look sideways at the show from time to time....
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From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earring
"Pierced ears were popular in the Western culture until the early 1920s, then fell into disfavor among women due to the rising popularity of clip-on earrings. There continued to be a small male following, however, particularly among sailors, where a pierced earlobe often meant that the wearer had sailed around the world or had crossed the equator. In rare instances, a pierced left earlobe could indicate a sailor's survival of a ship wreck. There was also a long-held belief that puncturing the earlobe was beneficial to increasing the acuity of eyesight (see acupuncture) or of hearing (perhaps through resonance).
In the latter part of the 20th century, some men in Western cultures adopted the convention of piercing a single ear as a symbol of being gay; often the right ear, although this was by no means a universal convention."
Perhaps Mr. Bane is a sailor. I'm sure he has survived more than one "ship wreck" in his life. He can wear his earring anywhere he wants to as long as he continues to produce the quality shows we've become acustom to from him.