Something substantive the NRA can do: Shut down their lobbying arm.

[librechik]

get their cold dead hands off the throats of Congress. Oh, and stop taking money from gun manufacturers.

Nothing wrong about being a safety association for sport and hobbyist gun owners.

Short of that, they aren't really helping.

[Little Star]

1. Yep!

[Indydem]

2. So they should just stand by while politicians

Pass laws that infringe upon the 2A?

Why are their interests of protecting the 2a any less important or sacred than the ACLU protecting other BoR issues?

Oh, that's right, because you don't like guns/ gun owners.

[librechik]

3. I think a polite letter to Congress, or even a member petition is fine. Billions spent to buy reps?

Fuck that. And I love gun owners. I just hate most guns. How can you like or even tolerate something DESIGNED to kill?


Oh, I know. You hate people/the living.

[Indydem]

4. BILLIONS?

What in the hell are you talking about??

Total NRA contributions are @ $1m

Total lobbying is about $2m

BILLIONS?! Get a grip on reality.

http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000000082

[librechik]

6. look--you admit they are whores. Thx for correcting the $ they will sell our children's lives for.

and BTW REPEAL THE 2nd AMDT!

[Indydem]

7. That is the most ridiculous argument in history.

President Obama has killed more children with drone strikes than all AR weapons.

[librechik]

10. projection? better calm down, bro. You just threw the kitchen sink.

And false equivalencies too!. Tsk!

We were talking about curtailing lobbyists. I supposed everyone on DU would agree with that notion, even if it weren't attached to a hot button issue. Gosh, I wonder what's really motivating all that bile?

[Indydem]

13. What is motivating all of your gun grabbing?

99.99% of gun owners have never killed anyone. 99.999% of guns have never been used in violent crimes.

Why do you feel it is ok to punish/persecute all gun owners for the actions a few deranged individuals?

You want to know what motivates me? People like you who will wipe their ass with the constitution when it serves them.

The 2a is the law of the land. You will never get enough support to repeal it. Get a clue.

[librechik]

18. We once had Prohibition as The Law of The Land. And Women couldn't vote. And slavery.

Gee, I'm so glad they never changed all those laws---wait, they did!

BTW I said "stop lobbying" not "git their guns!"

[Indydem]

19. " and BTW REPEAL THE 2nd AMDT!"

Sounds like "git their guns" to me.

[librechik]

24. Clearly you are unbalanced

you are reading all sorts of things into what I say that just aren't there.

[Aristus]

27. For that matter, why are we all so worked up about nukes?

After all, out of the thousands and thousands of nuclear weapons that have ever been built, only two have ever been used to kill people! That's not so bad, right?

Come to think of it, we are the ones who used them to kill; so why are we so upset that Iran might get some of their own?

[librechik]

29. the culture of solving problems with violence SHOULD HAVE ENDED FOREVER

in Hiroshima.

Humans learn very slowly on a mass scale. But the fact that war becomes obsolete (and taking revenge becomes meaningless) when you just spray the area you hate with lead or radioactivity. You destroy yourself as well.

it doesn't help that powerful moneyed interests are determined to save that obsolete culture for their own profit and advancement.

[Aristus]

30. That's it right there: money.

The Gospel of Luke says "The love of money is the root of all evil."

As long as there is money to be made, the culture of violence in this country will continue to have ready suppliers of all the things that make the culture violent.

$$$$$$$$$$$$

[LP2K12]

5. I'm a gun owner...

My question is why can't the NRA protect the 2A and operate its organization with only the funds from members?

No advertising money from firearm manufacturers should go towards any lobbying. The manufacture should not have any say. The businesses are not people.

The members on the other hand should have their membership fee put towards this...

Just my opinion...

[librechik]

11. exactly what I'm proposing.

And welcome to DU!

[X_Digger]

14. Member funds make up about 93% of their funding..

MediaMatters published a piece of how the NRA got funding from their industry partnership initiative.

Something like $38.9M from gun industry parters since 2005.

However, what they didn't mention is that in that same time frame, they received $560M from members (assuming $20/year/member)- ie, 7% from industry, 93% from members.

[librechik]

16. right--they are a paper tiger--yet their influence on Congress is HUGE

I would like them to back off our democracy with their unnatural influence,no matter how much it cost them to get.

I think the media has to step up in this issue too, in so many avenues that it's really impossible to go into here. In short they glorify violence and especially guns as a way to solve problems, and tho that myth reflects all of society, the media magnify and perpetuate stereotypes which ultimately bring them ratings and cash. Whores with blood on their hands.

[X_Digger]

21. Well, 4M members, of the 80M gun owners..

I wouldn't exactly call them a paper tiger. Unless and until an opposing group gets those kind of numbers (both money and members), I don't see their influence being affected *that* much. They may tone down their rhetoric, but I can't see them going away.

[librechik]

26. agree, I really don't expect anything like substantive moves from them

they are just PR$ big mouths. I'm just thinking of things they Could do--of course they won't do anything that doesn't help themselves in the long run

[LP2K12]

20. The last statement I received from them...

Was about how member funds go towards education programs and events, such as the NRA conferences or gun shows.

I'd be curious to see which has more money filtered towards lobbying & legislation, the member funds or funds from manufacturers advertising.

[X_Digger]

23. If I recall correctly..

Members donate to the legislative efforts separately than the main NRA.. their lobbying arm is wholly separate from the main corporation.

(NRA vs NRA-ILA -- main versus lobbying) Not sure which bucket has how much funds though.

[LP2K12]

25. Yep...

that's what I was getting at. Thanks!

[CreekDog]

8. yes, because stopping all those laws works in favor of stronger ones in the long run

the NRA has stopped so many laws, many of them small and minor.

now that the shootings have increased, stronger laws will be passed, so in a sense, the NRA's work against the smaller laws will result in far stronger and more restrictive ones being imposed, because in the meantime, the shootings have become worse.

as for our values, i wonder why you were nowhere near as loud in your reaction to childhood poverty as you are on this subject.

well, we all have our priorities and you are showing yours.

[Indydem]

9. No new laws are going to get passed.

The idea that the house is going to support any new gun legislation is a pipe dream.

[librechik]

12. Your magic 8-Ball tell you that?

mine said "Never Give Up!" when I shook it.

[librechik]

15. NRA has increased lobbying activity as the massacres have increased. They know they look bad.

they are buying credibility and acceptance in the wake of atrocities caused by their bread and butter. They are in it for the money and power, not to help people, fgs.

[Indydem]

17. That is your opinion.

You want to see the worst in the NRA because it fits your skewed view of the world. To you, it is impossible that they actually believe in the second amendment and the rights of people to own firearms in a responsible manner.

To you, there is no reason to own a firearm. Therefore, with that world view in mind, you see everything accordingly.

[librechik]

22. Gee, you seem to know all about me!

reading my mind and responding to what you imagine is there is what we call a logical fallacy, the straw man. You are really arguing with yourself.

I can think of many reasons to own a firearm. Even for me, they all involve killing somebody. And the only place for large capacity magazines is warfare. There are folkws who do that, and they should be trained to own and operate guns. My crazy ex who runs with the bikers and drinks too much? Will you stand behind the counter and sell That Guy a bunch of 30 shot clips?

Yes, you would, and use the Constitution as the cover for your crime.

[Indydem]

33. "Even for me, they all involve killing somebody."

Your thoughts are so skewed it is unconscionable.

Your view of firearms, despite all evidence to the contrary, is mentally deranged.

[librechik]

36. ha ha

that's sweet.

[KittyWampus]

28. Highly recommended. Short and to the point.

[rrneck]

31. Good luck with that. It's a cash cow. nt

[Cleita]

32. That's been their main function in recent times. They aren't about to shut

off a cash cow. Maybe it's time for gun owners to band together to form a new gun association with a new focus for sport and hobbyist gun owners and on not taking more than membership dues in money. This should keep the special interests as a small faction of their money base not a major faction. Also, they could put restrictions in their charter about this and what the focus of their advertising should be and a caveat not to fund political campaigns.

[librechik]

34. of course they won't. I'm trying to demonstrate that.

When their statement is made on Friday, it will be self serving useless obfuscation.

[Indydem]

35. I would join that organization in a heartbeat.

Unfortunately, none exists.