I Took the Plunge and Joined the NRA

20140120-112125.jpgFor a few years now, I have held out on joining the NRA because, while I supported some of their programs, I didn’t feel comfortable being aligned with others. Then, after a year of discussion with members, I realized there were ways to join, while sticking to my guns, so to speak.

I decided to take the plunge and SHOTShow seemed like the best place to do it. Here’s how it went down:

12 Comments

  1. It’s like many things in life, we must ask ourselves: Do the benefits outweigh the negative aspects? Without the NRA standing up on behalf of the 2nd Amendment, where do we think “our rights” would be today? The NSSF and GOA are two other organizations (amongst many) that are also positively impacting our ability to own and carry. It’s sad that politics plays so heavily with “our rights” and that we must continually fight to keep them. If they (politicians) would expend the amount of effort trying to abolish or minimize “our rights” on trying to eliminate the cause(s) for firearm accidents & murders (most all related to psychologically unstable people), maybe we’d make great strides and show the world what is “truly possible” when people “work together”.

  2. Good move! Yay for you!!!! Welcome to the ranks! :))
    Yep, there are a ton of things the NRA does that are not political, including Eddie Eagle that you spoke of, and the firearms insurance, etc. And of course they ARE on the front lines of the political arena protecting our rights as gun owners.
    I applaud your decision!
    ~S~

  3. Get ready for a load of junk mail.

    I joined the NRA for the first time last year. At the same time, I sent a similar donation to Buckeye Firearms.

    Since then, Buckeye firearms sent me one email thanking me for my donation. They also got several new laws passed that significantly improve second amendment rights in our state.

    The NRA has sent me almost daily junk mail that does nothing but offer me bad deals on insurance and beg me to send them more money. I have *never* gotten this much junk mail from a group I have *sent money* to. And this is after I opted out of all 20 of the newsletters I was getting in my email every day.

    I’m a huge fan of the second amendment and I’m very thankful for the work the NRA has done in the arena, as well as the wonderful educational programs they offer. But after how they’ve acted with my information I’m not sending them any more cash any time soon. I’ll support organizations that are spending less time raising money for themselves and more time making a difference on my rights.

    1. Interesting on the junk mail front; I get maybe one item a month from the NRA (USPS Mail) and no other firearms junk mail on-line or USPS.

    2. Over he past year (my first as a member) I have received an extensive amount of junk mail from the Second Amendment Foundation… I hate to see the wasted paper, so with the NRA I requested the magazine in digital form, not sure how much more I can do.

      1. You can call the NRA membership hotline and ask to opt-out of promotional mailings and the like, if I recall correctly.
        It’s been a while since I checked up on that, though.

      2. Thankfully American Rifleman/American Hunter are among the best online magazines out there, with really slick integrated media and a good epaper reader.

  4. I belong/give to many organizations, but I should point out that donations to the SAF are tax deductible.

  5. Yup. Shouldn’t be “either/or”. Support your local and state groups, and the NRA, and SAF. Those two actually get things done on the national level.

    I wish both would quit acting like they are the only game in town and share credit and give it where due. It’s like idiot children competing for parental affection, we love both of you, it isn’t a zero-sum game.

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