No offense taken Redhawk1. Friendships are interpersonal. On the Internet, there is very little that is interpersonal.
I don't think NONYA was calling us sheeple, but if he was, he is incorrect. Name calling is frustration, not debate. We're not blindly following anyone for any purpose. Sheeple follow a "Jim Jones" way of life and take the poison pill. Read on...
We're arguing about COMMON GROUND, not ideological differences. We're working for the SAME CAUSE from different directions. We're STILL ON THE SAME PAGE but to each, the other's type is perpendicular.
Yes, NRA has made blunders in the eyes of their Membership. However, the blunders do not rescind the Life Memberships of Land_Owner, Redhawk1, Graybeard, LEO, Grumulkin, Tackleberry, or the Annual Memberships of NONYA (by default from his Grandfather), alsaqr, OLDHandgunner, beemanbeme, Dee (until current membership expires), and ~ACE~. The only real protesters are the OTHER posters that have stopped being Members. Theirs is the only REAL action that has actually occurred that isn't just talk, albeit interesting talk.
I do not send money when requested. I upgraded to Life Membership in order to ignore their future requests for more money and currently tell them so when asked. That does not hold my pen from writing checks when and where I find it appropriate, whether to JPFO, GOA, or NRA Eddie Eagle to name a few. Not everything being done by NRA is tainted but you could infer that from a lot of this thread.
A Political Action Committee is expected to "saddle up to the enemy" a time or two, just not get too cozy. You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours. That's politics. That is why it is called "Political" before Action and Committee.
But when negotiating (that's a joke right there) something as personal, as religiously held, a RIGHT Constitutionally Granted as the RKBA, well there's a line there that just isn't supposed to be crossed. No way no how. Like being an American Muslim in 2007; you get the point. Cross that line and you're ostracized, suspected, hated, vilified, every good work is now suddenly bad, one "Oh SH**" undoes ten "AT A BOY"'s.
Who's gonna stop it? Who IS the NRA if it isn't YOU and ME? In fact who IS the JPFO or the GOA or the TDC (who are they anyway) if it isn't YOU and ME? I would like to see the NRA take the JPFO and GOA HARD LINE stance in defense of the RKBA AND I TELL THEM SO, but not by rescinding my Membership. Does that make me part of the problem or part of the solution? You can't change an Organization from the outside.
I would like America to be a lawful, RKBA, gun toting society in which the unlawful are dealt with immeidately and SWIFTLY . It isn't and I don't think it will ever be again. Mexifornia is occurring. We can stop it. But not if we don't try.