NRA needs a House Cleaning
- Thread starter Dou8leD
- Start date
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It's sad.
I'm a life member and huge proponent of gun owners organizing to make sure our voices are heard. The NRA used to be an organization above reproach that anybody could sleep well supporting. I still think there are good people that work there and that all is not lost. However, certainly a good house cleaning and increased member oversight is needed. Wayne has been there for far too long and while I used to give a few thousand a year, I haven't given any in the last 5+. I am sure to tell whoever calls looking for more, that the status won't change for me until there's new leadership and WLP is out the door.
Hopefully we will see needed change in the not so distant future. In the meanwhile, GOA is doing good things if you'd like to support something that has been legislatively meaningful.
I'm a life member and huge proponent of gun owners organizing to make sure our voices are heard. The NRA used to be an organization above reproach that anybody could sleep well supporting. I still think there are good people that work there and that all is not lost. However, certainly a good house cleaning and increased member oversight is needed. Wayne has been there for far too long and while I used to give a few thousand a year, I haven't given any in the last 5+. I am sure to tell whoever calls looking for more, that the status won't change for me until there's new leadership and WLP is out the door.
Hopefully we will see needed change in the not so distant future. In the meanwhile, GOA is doing good things if you'd like to support something that has been legislatively meaningful.
The video is shocking.
An incredibly difficult issue since we all want the NRA to succeed for us as gun owners, while those most actively going after them are probably implacable enemies of our sport and rights too.
That said, hubris is a powerful temptress and I sadly suspect that is what has happened to Wayne LaPierre.
Unless the law surrounding 503(c) organizations is different though -- and I don't think it is -- the various Board members who let this happen, even if they have left now, are probably, and should be, looking over their collective shoulders. They had a fiduciary obligation to the various members of the NRA, which they may not have faithfully discharged. Which could leave them with a personal liability. Which is rather sad, since I'm guessing some of them were volunteers and not getting paid.
The biggest problem for us all is, if not the NRA, then who? There are other sterling gun rights advocacies ourt there, but none of them has the legislative clout that the NRA does or did.
That said, hubris is a powerful temptress and I sadly suspect that is what has happened to Wayne LaPierre.
Unless the law surrounding 503(c) organizations is different though -- and I don't think it is -- the various Board members who let this happen, even if they have left now, are probably, and should be, looking over their collective shoulders. They had a fiduciary obligation to the various members of the NRA, which they may not have faithfully discharged. Which could leave them with a personal liability. Which is rather sad, since I'm guessing some of them were volunteers and not getting paid.
The biggest problem for us all is, if not the NRA, then who? There are other sterling gun rights advocacies ourt there, but none of them has the legislative clout that the NRA does or did.
I am a 'Lifetime' member of the NRA.
When my Father was nearing the end of a terminal illness, the closest thing to a dying request he made was to ask me if I was a member of the NRA. He recognized that without someone like them we likely wouldn't have access to guns, and that such an advocate was necessary to keep our rights as well. It was important to him.
I switched to a lifetime membership to honor his request.
When Colonel North left, it seemed clear to me that Wayne and senior leadership had resisted his attempts to run the organization with integrity and left him no choice but to leave.
Since then I have not, and will not, contribute another dime to the NRA until this problem is fixed. Unless and until it is addressed my money will go to any alternative I can find that will use it to not only protect and defend our 2nd amendment rights but to further education and safety of gun owners and the general public.
So no, this does not surprise me. It saddens me. I think the NRA is approaching it's "Trucker Moment". Membership should not allow this to continue, either.
I am open and respectful of your thoughts and comments, as always.
Mark
When my Father was nearing the end of a terminal illness, the closest thing to a dying request he made was to ask me if I was a member of the NRA. He recognized that without someone like them we likely wouldn't have access to guns, and that such an advocate was necessary to keep our rights as well. It was important to him.
I switched to a lifetime membership to honor his request.
When Colonel North left, it seemed clear to me that Wayne and senior leadership had resisted his attempts to run the organization with integrity and left him no choice but to leave.
Since then I have not, and will not, contribute another dime to the NRA until this problem is fixed. Unless and until it is addressed my money will go to any alternative I can find that will use it to not only protect and defend our 2nd amendment rights but to further education and safety of gun owners and the general public.
So no, this does not surprise me. It saddens me. I think the NRA is approaching it's "Trucker Moment". Membership should not allow this to continue, either.
I am open and respectful of your thoughts and comments, as always.
Mark
Charlton Heston was my President, I knew there was something going on when they stopped fighting for our rights like he did. So yes follow the money and see who the crooks are. And a little jail time would help.
I'm a Patron Life member and hope I still have a say in what's going on.
Joe Salt
I'm a Patron Life member and hope I still have a say in what's going on.
Joe Salt
I never paid much attention to how things run at the NRA, but if you have no system of checks and balances on policy and people this is what you get. I doubt Wayne will keep his job but if nothing is put into action for accountability and some type of system for collective control then it will happen again and maybe worse. Get enough Democrats running the show and it will be a slow bleed.
On topic: At the SHOT Show a gentleman was canvassing folk in the food hall. I do not know him; he was running for NRA Board as a "reform candidate". His name is Frank Tait, www.TaitNRA.com. Just found his card in my grab bag from the show.
hpshooter
Gold $$ Contributor
Every NRA election cycle has a ballot that is comprised of candidates that are primarily nominated by the nominating committee which Wayne controls. Seldom are there more than a couple candidates who are nominated by petition of the membership. I have only voted for the candidates nominated by petition or candidates who are competitive shooters for the last 10 years. I doubt there will be a BOD that actually supports the general membership in what is left of my lifetime.
The NRA lost a lot of lobbying clout when Chris Cox was let go in the same time frame that Colonel North left.
Jager
Gold $$ Contributor
There's a lesson for us all... put someone in charge of something for long enough, and sooner or later they go sideways. It rarely starts that way. But almost always ends that way.
And it's especially pernicious with non-profits and political offices.
Power corrupts. And since it does that so reliably... the first start of an answer is make sure no one sits in those seats of power long enough to get comfortable.
Like many here, I've been a devoted NRA member nearly my entire life. No more.
And it's especially pernicious with non-profits and political offices.
Power corrupts. And since it does that so reliably... the first start of an answer is make sure no one sits in those seats of power long enough to get comfortable.
Like many here, I've been a devoted NRA member nearly my entire life. No more.
Just Dave
Gold $$ Contributor
Lifetime "endowment" member here. Whatever that means. This is infuriating. I refuse to support any person or business anymore that blindly supports this .org Our local range, and its BOD is one of them, whom states in the membership / registration process that " NRA membership is not required, but highly recommended" , Does anyone remember the movie "Idiocracy"? and how everyone in that movie ineptly repeated the line that "Brawndo has what your body needs" ? Thats where we are at in America right now, blind allegiance to any organization that tells us "it's got electrolytes".. ..
truth there
CaptainMal
Silver $$ Contributor
During the past week I renee my RSO certification. As a volunteer it was tough to pay the $36 they now want for the renewal knowing I am paying them to work. A major issue was getting the NRA website to function. It is hideous for finding topics and worse to get things done.
Friend paid his RSO renewal late last year. No card. He is not computer literate so came over to see if I could print his out. Multi hours later that was not possible. The NRA computers were a joke. Then we tried calling.
Another joke is to call the NRA. All you do contact are people hired to solicit money and/or get dues. Help does not exist without a battle. They are messed up. Just yesterday that friend did make a contact with the NRA and that person was going to print out his card to send to him. The NRA office person could not do that, saying their website was messed up.
Well, there is more "messed up" with the NRA than the website and that is a sad reality.
Friend paid his RSO renewal late last year. No card. He is not computer literate so came over to see if I could print his out. Multi hours later that was not possible. The NRA computers were a joke. Then we tried calling.
Another joke is to call the NRA. All you do contact are people hired to solicit money and/or get dues. Help does not exist without a battle. They are messed up. Just yesterday that friend did make a contact with the NRA and that person was going to print out his card to send to him. The NRA office person could not do that, saying their website was messed up.
Well, there is more "messed up" with the NRA than the website and that is a sad reality.
nakneker
Gold $$ Contributor
Well this isn’t encouraging. I’ve bought dozens of memberships to the NRA for new shooters and family members over the years and learning of this crap is disheartening. Unfortunately Mr LaPierre is the face of the NRA and by association he has tarnished one of our best tools in defense of the 2nd amendment, at least that use to be true.
One can hope that they cut him out and everyone like him like a bad cancer and right the ship but that’s easier said than done. My contributions are on hold until this changes though, which really angers me. I hope, I doubt it will happen though, that he feels the consequences of his dishonesty and selfishnes. Regardless, his name and reputation is mud, he probably doesn’t care but that would haunt me.
One can hope that they cut him out and everyone like him like a bad cancer and right the ship but that’s easier said than done. My contributions are on hold until this changes though, which really angers me. I hope, I doubt it will happen though, that he feels the consequences of his dishonesty and selfishnes. Regardless, his name and reputation is mud, he probably doesn’t care but that would haunt me.
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