I got my NRA member shield in the mail today...

[kentuck]

I think I will put it just left of my DU bumpersticker and peace sign? That should blow their minds.

I have no idea why I got the "shield" since I have never been a member??

But I am a gun owner. The direction things have been going lately, I would recommend every liberal and every DUer to arm themselves. Nobody knows what these fascists might do and you should have the capacity to defend yourself and your homes. Just my opinion...

[KonaKane]

1. I've been a gun owner for most of my life, but....

it will be a cold day in hell before I join that nutty organization. They weren't always that way, but under the misdirection of Wayne Lapierre they sure became so.

[GreenStormCloud]

13. The ACLU isn't doing anything to defend gun owners rights.

The ACLU take the collectivist interpretation of the second amendment, claiming that it isn't an individual right.

[Euromutt]

31. Which is a large part of why I'm a member of both

There are some points on which I don't agree with the national ACLU membership, but their work on Kitzmiller et al. v. Dover School Board (which stopped the "Intelligent Design" movement in its tracks) has earned them my lasting loyalty. Still, their dogged insistence on adhering to the "collective right" interpretation of the Second Amendment--even after Heller--is utterly risible. The very notion of a "collective right" strikes me as a contradiction in terms; how can a group of people have rights that they do not hold as individuals?

[SPedigrees]

18. Ditto here. I used to be a member until the RW literature started arriving.

Now I tack the $ that used to go to NRA onto my annual ACLU membership donation.

[ChicagoSuz219]

26. Don't you wanna go to the convention? Sarah's the keynote speaker. n/t

[GreenStormCloud]

34. Actually, I would like to go to a convention, but NOT to hear the speakers.

Back in about 1980, plus or minus a couple of years, the NRA convention was in New Orleans while I lived there. I enjoyed wandering around the floor and looking at all the displays. I would love to go and see what is new.

[ChicagoSuz219]

37. Can you do that? Go for it!! n/t

[ZombieHorde]

2. "I think I will put it just left of my DU bumpersticker and peace sign?"

Awesome.

[beardown]

3. Congratulations. You made a statement.

I've never been much of a joiner, but I've been seriously considering joining both the ACLU and the NRA. A liberal with a gun is the second worst nightmare of rightees. A black president is the worst.

I've got the idea that if the democratic party would drop their anti-gun platform and jump in with both feet with supporting the second amendment they could bring back enough of the gun folks to give them a decided electorate edge for a generation. I think that accepting a broader view of the second amendment while offering a strong federal background check and sentencing system would be much easier to accept as dems than dropping something like a woman's right to control her own body, but I digress.

[eShirl]

5. +1

[beardown]

9. Thanks.

I usually post just to vent my own frustration. Nice of you to give me a nod.

[jazzhound]

19. Ya killed me with this one, beardown............

"A liberal with a gun is the second worst nightmare of rightees. A black president is the worst."

[dhpgetsit]

4. Before I read the text I was going to say

I'm a believer in the right to responsibly own and carry guns, but I would never give a dime of support to the NRA. I guess you didn't. If I were you I would not display the sticker at all.

Peace. And be ready to defend the peace.

[katandmoon]

6. Please stop with the gun paranoia. Please. You sound like a teabagger.

[cliffordu]

7. Your post is confusing.

please elucidate.

[proteus_lives]

23. How does he sound like a teabagger?

This should be good.

[tburnsten]

33. Who teabagged you this morning?

[HughMoran]

8. At first I wasn't enamored with this, but can you imagine a fleet of NRA/ACLU/Obama stickered cars?

Holy crap - heads exploding as you drive down the road :rofl:

[safeinOhio]

15. Oh hell, I was going to really screw

with the teahadist that yell at people with Obama stickers. I was going to make up some that say "Obama/Palin 2012"
:silly:

[tburnsten]

35. I'd rock one. And I'd give them to others as well. N/T

[HillbillyBob]

27. Imagine the consternation of folks around here

Who see or truck and note the stickers, Little 2"x3" flags from when it was new,Clergy(partners is a wedding minister) NRA, Rainbow flag, I voted yes/vets for Obama stickers. All are faded now, and the truck is parked until I can scratch up for a new motor to replace the one that the oil pump failed on. the NRA stickers are from abt 10 yrs ago and still legible.
There is a Dem Gun owners group too. I forget their name, but we did have one of their stickers on there too, but its gone

[Arctic Dave]

10. The NRA sucks balls. If you want to make a statement, get a "Well armed Liberal" sticker.

[onehandle]

16. Agreed. nt

[Ernesto]

24. Yes, Yes! nt

[HillbillyBob]

29. That sounds like a good idea (back here in the wilds of NC/Va

Now where to get one?

[elleng]

11. I found a 'certificate' in my OLD papers,

from summer camp! I was a champ target shooter, and student counselor/teacher, MANY years ago!

[LiberalFighter]

12. I rather own a computerized laser gun.

Set the coordinates and activate.

[bertman]

14. I get their stuff in the mail regularly. Have never joined or contributed

so I think it's one of my right-wing friends who's a member who put me on their list.

[Name removed]

17. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Lint Head]

20. I got the shield too. Must be a mass mailing.

I own several guns. I will NEVER join the NRA! LaPierre is a lair. The NRA did not exist during the founding of this nation. It is not and never will be needed to protect our gun rights. It's nothing more than a greedy money making lobbying organization for power hungry narcissists. It does not protect gun rights. It started a an organization that taught people how to handle guns correctly and has been hijacked by greedy power driven jerks! SCREW THE NR frigging A!

[jazzhound]

21. This thread leads me to wonder what percentage of gun owners here

are members of the NRA. The subject must have come up before.........I've done a little leafing through the older threads and haven't seen anything, (yet) and the archives are unavailable. Can anyone provide clues as to the level of support the NRA enjoys among this group?

[geckosfeet]

22. Armed liberal ACLU and GOAL member. Not and never will be an NRA member.

GOAL is even a little over the top for me, but I find that they are much more community minded than the NRA.

[Ernesto]

25. ditto! nt

[spin]

32. I've been an NRA member for many years ...

the NRA does a lot more than push political propaganda which is mainly done by the political wing the NRA-ILA. They publish monthly magazines which provide interesting technical information on new and older firearms. They train many shooters including police and have excellent firearm safety and hunting safety classes.

Still many of their political efforts have proven positive for the country, for example concealed carry permits and stand your ground variations of castle defense. Without their efforts we would not enjoy the freedom to own firearms for hunting and target shooting that we do today. Many innocent lives have been saved by the legitimate use of firearms for self defense and defense of others.

They are a powerful voice but they do back Democrats who support RKBA as well as Republicans.

[geckosfeet]

38. So they say.

Agreed that they are the definitive source for the shooting sports. Also that they are active in the legislative process. But I find much of their political activity repulsive and I can't bring myself to overlook it to support the positive that they do.

Kind of like NPR. NPR will occaisionaly toss out a liberal news and perspective story. But most of the time it is infiltrated with RW fundy horseshit. I won't pay to support them. Same for cable news. I love Bill Maher, John Stewart and Rachel Maddow. But I refuse to pay for a pipe that also carries Hannity and Bill O'what's his face.

[spin]

39. I see your point ...

and the NRA fund raising letters get filed without opening in my trash can.

I pay my yearly dues and enjoy reading the technical articles in the American Rifleman.

[Euromutt]

28. I stuck the decal on my Civic after being egregiously tail-gated

And yes, I am a member of the NRA, albeit not a very enthusiastic one. I'm doing a long-term experiment to see if I can exert some influence on the organization from the inside; the idea being that a dissident opinion will carry more weight if it comes from someone who's put his money where his mouth is. In another three years, I'll be able to vote in board elections, so we'll see whether that makes any difference. Till then, I'll just hold my nose and stick it out. And believe me, I have to hold my nose. Have you seen the line-up speakers for this year's annual meeting? Speakers at the "Celebration of American Values Freedom Experience" (the name alone is enough to make me leave my breakfast on the floor) are Newt Gingrich, Sean Hannity and Oliver North; speakers at the "Celebration of American Values Leadership Forum" include Sarah Palin, John Bolton and Ollie North again (either they really love that fucking traitor or they couldn't find anyone more interesting). And a prayer breakfast with as keynote speaker Jonathan Falwell. Yes, it's hard to look at that line-up and not conclude that the NRA and the Republican party are joined at the hip.

But my membership is paid up till late 2013, so I'll stick it out till then. If things don't improve in the interim, I can always choose not to renew.

[HillbillyBob]

30. My partner was a member for a few years

His vote did not count for much and we have been trying to get OFF their silly ass mailing list for about 5 or 7 yrs now.
That line up is the fascist rightwing. Their Idea (if they had an orignial thought) is that they are somehow superior to those of us who want real freedom from nazi rhetoric (that is the truth no overblown here I have watched these sobs in their kkk, dominionist, guntoting, bable spewing for about 30 yrs and how White inbred cuzzin fuckers are somehow better than the rest of us who are not related to ourselves).

[jazzhound]

36. Ha! Reminds me of the bumper sticker on my shooting coach's truck:

"Driver only carries $20.00 worth of ammunition"

[cabluedem]

41. I dont know how you can put up with all the regressive republican stink balls that are the NRA.

[geckosfeet]

44. Good effin gawd. Your dues are paying for that trash to talk at ya.

That's why I don't join.

It's hard enough to go my gun club matches and meetings and listen to the "anti-everything-that-isn't-one-of-us crowd". Some of these guys hate everything and want it all to be trash. Not sure what their motivations are - beyond being somewhat dim.

[Euromutt]

45. Meh, hardly

For starters, I picked up a five-year membership in late 2007 at a serious discount, while the NRA was seeking to increase its membership ahead of the 2008 elections. Then I got another year's membership with a handgun I bought. The upshot is that I'm paying $20/year instead of $35, and besides, I have no intention of traveling to the far side of the country for a meeting I can't even vote at, nor can I afford to at the present time.

Anyway, like I said, this is a long-term experiment.

[geckosfeet]

46. Even so - every little bit helps/hurts. I wouldn't travel a block to see those a$$hats.

On second thought - maybe I would travel a few blocks - to take pictures of all the misspelled signs and really fat goofy guys in their cammies.

[tburnsten]

47. Don't be a moran

You can do that nearly anywhere, doing it in real life just allows you to verify that yes, someone did just use the written word to call you a moran in public.

[Name removed]

40. Deleted message

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[Name removed]

42. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[DonP]

43. Gee, I guess my Dem Rep should return their donations and refuse to be rated an A by them

I mean, after all they are just pure mean and evil and no Democrat belongs to the organization. Oh, gee, wait they do.

My representative belongs to the NRA as a Life Member, she got an A rating from them and several checks along the campaign trail, also several from the Illinois State Rifle Assn. over her GOP opponent in 2008 and will again this year. The other 1800+ Dems they endorsed in the last election in state, local and other federal races should also refuse to accept any donations or support from them too, huh? I'm sure you'll personally write checks to cover the funds they lost. Yes they still wind up endorsing more GOP than Dems for now, but that's changing too.

The Illinois state legislature is full of "downstate Dems" that are NRA members and like getting thats tamp of approval in every election. If we lose them and their votes we lose control of the legislature.

Every election the ratio gets better because more candidates stop listening to people that think gun control is some kind of deeply held Dem value. And every election we get more candidates endorsed and supported. Gun control has been a "big" deal since they invited the Brady's (GOP led and run) to speak at the convention years ago back in the early '90's.

News flash - if the NRA didn't endorse your local representative, senatorial candidate or other office seeker it was because they had a horse shit record on the 2nd amendment, NOT because they were a Dem.

I'm not even sure what the hell an "NRA Shield" is anyway?