The real reason the NRA is hated..

[virginia mountainman]

The folks who are rabid anti-gunners, they are completely jealous of the fact that the NRA has several MILLION dues paying members, it upsets them so much, they refuse to acknowledge it.... The real reason why is they have a hard time getting more than a few thousand email list subscribers.

This is why the constant drumbeat of "gun makers support the NRA" posts here.. If they admit that the NRA actually has 7 or so "million" members, that have to pay a significant amount of money yearly to be a part of the organization, they have to face the fact that they are very far outside of the mainstream.

Gun Makers don't need the NRA, they have the National Shooting Sports Foundation... THAT is their lobbying arm. Some people point and scream at the NRA's "round up" program, but that is additional money, collected by vendors, and given to the NRA, it still comes out of the purchasers pocket, and they have to approve the additional transaction.

http://www.nssf.org/

NSSF is the trade association for America's firearms industry.
Our mission: To promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports.

And here is how to join the NRA...Notice, to join the NRA, you must pay...
https://joinnra.nra.org/join/join.aspx

Now, to join a gun control group?? Glad you asked, just sign up on a mailing list, or in some cases, click "like" on a facebook post..You will be counted as a member... This is how we know about Brady's 50,000 members, The Brady Campaign has long sold its mailing list (they call it a membership list) to mass marketing companies.

Even when membership is free, gun control groups cannot get anywhere close to the support that gun rights groups enjoy. This is no mistake, but a very direct result of taking an extremely abhorrent stance.

This is why it is so important for some, to continually scream about "gun industry" and "NRA" in the same sentence, because to admit that the NRA is largely supported by it's membership is to admit just how fatally flawed a very basic premise of the gun control movement is, and like all faith based enterprises, cannot stand up to open and honest debate. If it was not for the cash, of one Repuke billionaire mayor, and his Monsanto PR expert, most of the latest crop of tiny gun control "groups" would not exist. But when Bloomberg starts spreading money around, see how quick they line up to the trough, to get their cut.

BTW, if you want Brady's mailing list, here you go, and notice, it can be very handly sorted by "jewish or catholic" http://lists.nextmark.com/market;jsessionid=4CE2BB73A79235C29225FC9019923042?page=order/online/datacard&id=163065

[TexasProgresive]

1. I hate that there is no having a rational discussion

With anyone on the subject of guns.

[virginia mountainman]

3. Yep....

Basic knowledge is a must to have a discussion, if that is lacking, then their is no need to have a rational discussion in the first place.

[stone space]

2. Fuck the NRA. (nt)

[branford]

5. With substantive, detailed, and persuasive arguments like that,

I don't know how we haven't yet repealed the Second Amendment and confiscated all 300 million legal firearms in the country.

[Lurks Often]

9. Don't hold back, tell us what you really mean

[GGJohn]

10. Now there's a well thought out, intelligent post.

[beevul]

4. I half expect this to be alerted on.

Because the truth hurts.

[virginia mountainman]

7. Yea, but it needs to be pointed out..nt

[branford]

6. Hating the NRA is often a sign of denial and a convenient excuse for gun control failures.

The NRA is gun control's boogeyman, and it's easier to blame them than confront the fact that a great many American simply have very different ideas about and culture surrounding firearms.

I would bet that most people don't even realize that the NRA had nothing to do with the Heller and McDonald Supreme Court decisions, the most important gun rights events in recent memory, and that it was the Second Amendment Foundation who filed the cases, and are the proponent of most successful Second Amendment and related litigation across the country.

[DonP]

8. It couldn't be because gun control is an ineffectual movement ...

... or that it's supporters aren't willing to commit the time and their own money to support.the cause the espouse so virulently.

Or that they really don't understand the laws already in place.

Or ignore all the national polls that show they are in the minority on the issue.

Or that all the gun control movements are top down billionaire driven with no grass roots support.

So it must be the evil NRA boogeyman that stops all their well meaning efforts.

Otherwise it would be their fault.

My favorite recent quote; "When tragedy strikes gun owners head for the voting booth, gun control people head for their keyboards"

[pablo_marmol]

13. "I would bet that most people don't even realize that the NRA.........

............had nothing to do with the Heller and McDonald Supreme Court decisions........."

That what I mention almost every time I hear someone bitching about the NRA. Most haters I know couldn't even tell you what the SCOTUS decisions you referenced were about, and haven't ever heard of the 2nd Amendment Foundation.

Then again, The Controllers aren't exactly known for their deep understanding of the gun violence issue - given their moral certitude that "informs" them that the facts are self-evident.

[Kang Colby]

11. Let 'em hate.

The NRA understands success, which is a foreign concept to most gun control advocates. The NRA, SAF, CCRKBA, and GOA do what they need to do to get the job done. Now I'm not going to pretend to agree with the styling or approach of the NRA or GOA message, but its hard to say that its not effective.

I do have to give the NRA credit for trying to reach out to a more diverse audience including millennials. Unfortunately, the big pro 2A groups tend to have a more conservative styled message that alienates a lot of liberal or even moderate gun owners. Let's focus on gun rights, not abortion, gay marriage, or any of the other bull. I don't want to hear about that stuff. Although, the NRA is willing to support any politician with a pro 2A record.

[pablo_marmol]

12. Outstanding post, VM. Bookmarking. NT