Okay if the NRA is out of touch with most folks then how come.....

[reddouglasfir]

congress cowers before them?

Any NRA members?

[trumad]

1. Same reason the Pharmaceuticals have their way...

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

[reddouglasfir]

2. But where does that money come from?

Invividual gun owners?

Coporations?

[MrSandman]

3. They claim membership of 4 million...

4 million x $10= $40 mil

[DoNotRefill]

4. more like....

4 million x $35 a year....

[MrSandman]

5. Using a really low figure for money given above

any dues or fees.

[Young Socialist]

6. they'd have a lot

more members than that if they didn't shamelessly brown nose the repugs all the time. I'm one of the 4 million but find it difficult to keep donating knowing their political stance.

[Redneck Socialist]

7. They are very effective in mobilizing their members.

Their membership is very politically active, from writing letters to the editor, letters to congress, getting active in political campaigns and most importantly voting. The NRA is very good at getting its members to vote for the candidates it endorses.

Anyone who even sneaks a peak at the arguments here in the Gungeon knows how passionate gun owners are about these issues. For many it is the issue that decides their vote and the NRA goes all out to inform its members which politicians live up to the NRA's criteria of supporting "gun owners rights."

They are very good at getting people wound up over perceived threats to their "rights" and thus getting them to vote for whomever the NRA suggests. Therein lies their power.

[reddouglasfir]

10. Ah yes

That would make sense.

[LARED]

8. I'm NRA and

I vote, is a message received loud and clear.

That's why. Congress pays attention to constituent groups that actually vote.

[MrSandman]

9. Second to (very close) AARP

[-..__...]

11. From Barney Frank...

http://216.239.41.104/search?q=cache:IkWb8HVOhpMJ:www.umassmedia.com/news/2003/02/27/News/Congressman.Barney.Frank.Speaks.At.Umass-379727.shtml++%22When%27s+the+last+NRA+march+you+saw%3F%22&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

"Pound for pound, person for person, what would you say is the most effective political lobbying group in America?" he asked.

"NRA (National Rifle Association)" the crowd said.

"When's the last NRA march you saw?" said Mr. Frank, drawing laughter. "Have any of you heard of an NRA demonstration? I have not. And you understand how effective they are. That's because they call and they write and they lobby."

(edited to fix link).

[jhfenton]

15. Generally true, but...

the lack of marches and demonstrations has been changing.

We had dozens of marches and demonstrations in Ohio last year after the mixed-bag Ohio Supreme Court decision that upheld Ohio's prohibition on concealed carry while labeling the right to bear arms for defense and security a fundamental individual right.

After that ruling, we held dozens of open carry marches all over the state with thousands of participants. We even held one at the governor's mansion near Columbus, and one in the hometown of the Speaker of the House, who was providing political cover to the governor. I helped organize one and walked in several.

The marches got a lot of press and put a lot of pressure on the politicians. Of course the phone calls, letters, faxes, and e-mails certainly helped.

[Township75]

12. Maybe you should first ask...

where you heard that they are out of touch with most folks?

Did you hear it from Sarah Brady or the VPC?

And by most folks do you mean most citizens or most gun owning citizens?

The NRA is a political powerhouse because by and large because people believe individuals have the right to own firearms. Also, gun owners have seen their rights being chipped away since the 70s, so when someone states that politician X wants more gun control, we feel threatened by it, because history shows us we should.

And if they are out of touch with most folks, then The Brady Bunch and the VPC are out in a separate universe judging by their membership, bankroll and political influence. Doesn't it stand to reason that if the NRA is out of touch, then Brady and the other anti's are in touch....but what political force do they have? Doesn't look like too much.

[alwynsw]

14. Small correction/addition

gun owners have seen their rights being chipped away since the 70s

Some would see this as dating back to Miller - was it 1939? - and the 1934 machine gun issue. It came home to me in 1968.

I went to Phillips Super Saver to get a box of .22 shorts for squirrel hunting. Ben told me that I had to got get an adult to buy them for me because of the GCA of '68. Part of that legislation restricted rifle and shotgun ammo purchases to those 18 and older; handgun ammo to those 21 and older. It also stopped mail order firearms purchases, along with some other tighter restrictions on firearms and ammunition.

[jhfenton]

16. NFA of 1934 and the GCA of 1968

You're right about when it started. The National Firearms Act and the Gun Control Act both need to go, in addition to the 1986 act, the 1994 crime bill, and several executive orders.

We should certainly talk about whether and how to retrict fully automatic weapons, but doing it through the tax code -- as the NFA did -- is not the way to go about it.

We should scrap the entire federal gun control system and start over.

Hmm. Maybe I'll outline my ideas for a new system and post it here for comment.

[alwynsw]

13. Let me see

An estimated 280,000,000 firearms in the possession of an estimated 80,000,000 Americans at last count. The NRA does work to preserve 2nd Amendment rights. Those rights mean that those estimated 80,000,000 firearms owners can continue to own and operate those estimated 280,000,000 firearms. That's a very important issue for firearms owners like me and many others on DU.

We may not agree with the leadership choices of the NRA or their agenda in total, but we do appreciate them working to preserve our rights. I have no idea what the current membership of the NRA is, but the do speak for all firearms owners by proxy.

When you have at least the partial ear of 80,000,000 potential voters because you support their 2nd Amendment rights in the face of the control and confiscation freaks, that makes you the proverbial 800 lb. gorilla.

[Wickerman]

17. locking thread

original poster offered no comment on the thread and has not returned to further defend it.