Author Topic: GOA or NRA or both? (Read 3373 times)

Foxxtrot · « **on:** May 07, 2009, 01:00:14 PM »

I belong to both. It seems GOA is more in tune to getting it done in DC? What do you all think?

Singleshotsam · « **Reply #1 on:** May 07, 2009, 01:50:31 PM »

GOA may be more in tuned, but the NRA has the money and infulence... I support both.

billy_56081 · « **Reply #2 on:** May 07, 2009, 02:08:39 PM »

Both here too. Never put all your eggs in one basket.

Dang Sam hell must be freazin over, we been agreeing quite a bit latley.

Questor · « **Reply #3 on:** May 07, 2009, 07:07:51 PM »

NRA for sure. I'm willing to be convinced about GOA. In these times almost any good pro-gun lobbying group is a good thing.

Dand · « **Reply #4 on:** May 07, 2009, 09:22:13 PM »

I'm a life member of NRA and I also support the United State Sportsman's Assn. They started as a trapping advocacy group but have branched out to support hunting rights, archery, and sporting dogs as well. I often see stuff there first before I hear it from NRA or other sources. They are highly rated by Charity Navigator.

One I wonder about is the Second Amendment Foundation out of Bellingham Wash. I get literature from them a couple times a year but I'm not a member or supporter.

OLDHandgunner · « **Reply #5 on:** May 08, 2009, 12:56:12 AM »

Go with both. We need all the help we can get.

GameHauler · « **Reply #6 on:** May 08, 2009, 02:19:58 AM »

I am a member of both.
I just get tired of the NRA's constant mailings.
I dropped them several years ago because of it
but rejoined the day after the election.

Dixie Dude · « **Reply #7 on:** May 08, 2009, 02:24:46 AM »

Both. Encourage others who hunt or have guns to join. I had a supervisor who joined and didn't even own guns. He said because they represented the constitution.

Redhawk1 · « **Reply #8 on:** May 08, 2009, 02:36:08 AM »

Quote from: GameHauler on May 08, 2009, 02:19:58 AM

I am a member of both.
I just get tired of the NRA's constant mailings.
I dropped them several years ago because of it
but rejoined the day after the election.

I hate that excuse, it is a lame excuse to drop the NRA, how do you think they raise much needed money to fight. All lobbing groups solicit donations.

I am glad you came back to the NRA, my wife and son are both members as well. I have been a member for over 30 years now.

Redhawk1 · « **Reply #9 on:** May 08, 2009, 02:45:38 AM »

Quote from: Foxxtrot on May 07, 2009, 01:00:14 PM

I belong to both. It seems GOA is more in tune to getting it done in DC? What do you all think?

I am a life member of the NRA and the Delaware Sportsman Association. I looked into the GOA, but was put off by there attacks on the NRA in the past. If the GOA was a true pro-gun organization, they would not attack another pro-gun group.

The NRA is the strongest lobbing group out there for gun rights, but we as members need to let them know if we feel they are not going what we want.

If you get unwanted soliciting from the NRA just throw it away, but whatever you do, don't quit. We need all the members we can get.
Contact your legislators and let them know you are pro-gun and want to see them make the right decisions on gun laws. It is working, look at Montana, Utah and Texas. They are going for State rights, which does not recognize federal gun bans. Other States are joining in, and we need to make out legislators aware of this as well.

GameHauler · « **Reply #10 on:** May 08, 2009, 02:54:38 AM »

Quote from: Redhawk1 on May 08, 2009, 02:36:08 AM

Quote from: GameHauler on May 08, 2009, 02:19:58 AM
I am a member of both.
I just get tired of the NRA's constant mailings.
I dropped them several years ago because of it
but rejoined the day after the election.

I hate that excuse, it is a lame excuse to drop the NRA, how do you think they raise much needed money to fight. All lobbing groups solicit donations.

I am glad you came back to the NRA, my wife and son are both members as well. I have been a member for over 30 years now.

I understand what you are saying and I stayed a member for years not liking all the mail but finally just did not rejoin one year.
It must raise them $ or they would not do it but it seems all the $ spent on printing and postage could be put to better use.

Redhawk1 · « **Reply #11 on:** May 08, 2009, 06:32:16 AM »

Believe me, they are making money doing it. You can get taken off there mailing list with a simple phone call. I don't get any mail.

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #12 on:** May 08, 2009, 07:02:45 AM »

redhawk whats the number ? been a member for over 30 years and could fill a truck with the paper they waste on me . The one i hate to get is the one you can pay your dues early and in small print it states that the unused part on the dues you paid last time will be considered a donation . You bet it pays off .
But yes they are the 800 lb gorrila and someone has to feed it .

pastorp · « **Reply #13 on:** May 08, 2009, 08:30:01 AM »

Just upgrade your membership to a life membership. Then you won't need to pay annually. Or do what I do and offer to pay for a friends first years membership to get him signed up since I no longer pay annually.

The NRA needs money but they also need more members. Members mean clout in washington. It's not just about money.

Regards,

Graybeard · « **Reply #14 on:** May 08, 2009, 10:40:24 AM »

Yup the NRA needs the money.......to pay those fat cat salaries to folks like LaPierre.

Sorry I just do not agree that today under LaPierre's leadership the NRA is really a friend of gunowners. Oh they pretend to be and in the process will from time to time actually do something worthwhile but mostly they just cry wolf and then jump on the bandwagon of what some other group has done and try to take credit for it.

In the final analysis tho they always cave in on gun restrictions and tell Congress we gun owners can and will live with it so sure go ahead and pass it just make sure ya tell our members how hard we fought to prevent it passing before we failed.

jim36 · « **Reply #15 on:** May 08, 2009, 01:15:58 PM »

Well stated Graybeard. Good post

nw_hunter · « **Reply #16 on:** May 08, 2009, 03:08:54 PM »

Quote from: Graybeard on May 08, 2009, 10:40:24 AM

Yup the NRA needs the money.......to pay those fat cat salaries to folks like LaPierre.

Sorry I just do not agree that today under LaPierre's leadership the NRA is really a friend of gunowners. Oh they pretend to be and in the process will from time to time actually do something worthwhile but mostly they just cry wolf and then jump on the bandwagon of what some other group has done and try to take credit for it.

In the final analysis tho they always cave in on gun restrictions and tell Congress we gun owners can and will live with it so sure go ahead and pass it just make sure ya tell our members how hard we fought to prevent it passing before we failed.

The NRA is like the Unions and the GOP. It has outlived it's usefulness years ago! Some folks just don't get it yet. The NRA has compromised gun legislation for so long most people don't even know they are doing it.

The new kid on the block is the GOA. They do not compromise.They don't give you a nice magazine full of ads. They just fight tooth and toenail for the gun owners rights. Keep your NRA membership if it makes you feel good, but join the GOA if you really want to do some good.

RaySendero · « **Reply #17 on:** May 08, 2009, 03:21:30 PM »

I've been an NRA member for 25 yrs. I don't alway agree with some of their "compromises" - I don't think there should be compromises regarding the 2A!

Now having said that, I like what I read regarding the position statments on the GOA and really seem to agree more with their's than the NRA. However, I've not seen ANY results from them! No lobbing victories, no 2A rights victims helped, No nothing!

Now for those of you that are a member of GOA, My mind's not maded up - I'm still willing to be convinced that y'all can get results. So would I like to hear from ya.

Redhawk1 · « **Reply #18 on:** May 08, 2009, 05:14:20 PM »

Quote from: nw_hunter on May 08, 2009, 03:08:54 PM

Quote from: Graybeard on May 08, 2009, 10:40:24 AM
Yup the NRA needs the money.......to pay those fat cat salaries to folks like LaPierre.

Sorry I just do not agree that today under LaPierre's leadership the NRA is really a friend of gunowners. Oh they pretend to be and in the process will from time to time actually do something worthwhile but mostly they just cry wolf and then jump on the bandwagon of what some other group has done and try to take credit for it.

In the final analysis tho they always cave in on gun restrictions and tell Congress we gun owners can and will live with it so sure go ahead and pass it just make sure ya tell our members how hard we fought to prevent it passing before we failed.

The NRA is like the Unions and the GOP. It has outlived it's usefulness years ago! Some folks just don't get it yet. The NRA has compromised gun legislation for so long most people don't even know they are doing it.

The new kid on the block is the GOA. They do not compromise.They don't give you a nice magazine full of ads. They just fight tooth and toenail for the gun owners rights. Keep your NRA membership if it makes you feel good, but join the GOA if you really want to do some good.

The GOA has not single handily accomplished stopping one thing. Please name one thing the GOA has actually accomplished. Sure there mission statement is no compromise, but they still have not accomplished anything with that stance.

I will not join the GOA, they are a rag tag outfit, trying to get the big bucks. Bashing the NRA is not a way to increase there membership in my opinion.

The NRA will not send you a gun rag, if you request not to receive one. That is an option, but I guess you did not know that.

Redhawk1 · « **Reply #19 on:** May 08, 2009, 05:20:02 PM »

Quote from: RaySendero on May 08, 2009, 03:21:30 PM

I've been an NRA member for 25 yrs. I don't alway agree with some of their "compromises" - I don't think there should be compromises regarding the 2A!

Now having said that, I like what I read regarding the position statments on the GOA and really seem to agree more with their's than the NRA. However, I've not seen ANY results from them! No lobbing victories, no 2A rights victims helped, No nothing!

Now for those of you that are a member of GOA, My mind's not maded up - I'm still willing to be convinced that y'all can get results. So would I like to hear from ya.

If you go back a little over a year ago, I stated the same thing about the GOA not accomplishing anything with the no compromise stance. Over a year has passed and still not on thing. The GOA is not the new kid on the block. There membership is still way under 10,000 members. Not much clout there if you ask me.

All you guys that are part of the GOA can keep them, myself I will pass on there No compromise, nothing accomplished business as usual.

Cement Man · « **Reply #20 on:** May 08, 2009, 06:51:47 PM »

My priorities are NRA, our state rifle assn, and three local clubs/ranges I belong to that promote shooting and offer safety training to the public. I may consider the GOA, but I don't see them as being anywhere near as effective.

As far as not liking the mailings and solicitations for money from the NRA - I belong to The American Legion, VietNam Veterans of America, Minnesota Deer Hunters Assn., Illinois State Rifle Association, my church, Christian Childrens Fund (all good organizations), and I can't even count all of the other outfits that also send me letters, calendars, address labels, raffle tickets, bookmarks, refrigerator magnets, and what not. That's how they raise money. Big deal. I throw most of it away but that doesn't make me quit. Doesn't even make me annoyed. I need paper to start the woodstove anyway. Glad to hear you can get them to turn off the mailings though.

I also like the American Rifleman and enjoy the gun articles - a lot of them our historical - not all hype. Yes they advertise and the advertisers are the primary source of revenue. Fine with me. I like capitalism. In fact since it is lately becoming only a memory - I realize I love capitalism.

nw_hunter · « **Reply #21 on:** May 08, 2009, 07:05:42 PM »

Quote from: RaySendero on May 08, 2009, 03:21:30 PM

I've been an NRA member for 25 yrs. I don't alway agree with some of their "compromises" - I don't think there should be compromises regarding the 2A!

Now having said that, I like what I read regarding the position statments on the GOA and really seem to agree more with their's than the NRA. However, I've not seen ANY results from them! No lobbing victories, no 2A rights victims helped, No nothing!

Now for those of you that are a member of GOA, My mind's not maded up - I'm still willing to be convinced that y'all can get results. So would I like to hear from ya.

Here is an email alert I got from the GOA just today. They keep me informed almost on a daily basis.

Gun Owners of America E-Mail Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
http://www.gunowners.org

Friday, May 8, 2009

Earlier this week, GOA alerted email activists that certain prominent
Republicans were pushing former Department of Homeland Security Director
Tom Ridge to run against pro-gunner Pat Toomey in a Pennsylvania
primary.

GOA members flooded the Republican National Committee (RNC) office with
phone calls and emails, highlighting a few of Tom Ridge's anti-gun
actions:

* As a Congressman, he provided the pivotal vote to pass the Clinton
semi-auto ban.

* As Governor, he signed into law the infamous Act 17, which registered
and taxed long gun buyers and placed other restrictions on Keystone
State gun owners.

* As the first director of DHS, Ridge opposed arming commercial airline
pilots in defense of terrorism.

In contrast, former Rep. Pat Toomey stood 100% for the rights of gun
owners.

GOA also sent a letter to every RNC official nationwide, assuring them
that gun owners and sportsmen would not accept an anti-gun candidate
like Tom Ridge.

Well, good news! Tom Ridge "decided," with the help of activism like
yours, to stay out of the 2010 Pennsylvania Senate race. He withdrew
his name yesterday.

That means Pat Toomey, who has been endorsed by Gun Owners of America
Political Victory Fund, could face Republican-turned-Democrat Arlen
Specter next November.

Specter, you may recall, provided crucial support to confirm gun-hating
Attorney General Eric Holder; was one of two Republicans to vote against
arming commercial airline pilots; and singlehandedly passed the
so-called economic "stimulus" bill, which contained several provisions
of grave concern to gun owners.

Update on Health Care Gun Ban

Two weeks ago, GOA asked you to urge your Representative and Senators to
vote against the budget resolution conference report. The vote was a
key battle in the larger war over whether to create a national health
database which would allow BATF to troll your medical records for
information about whether your mental state subjects you to a gun ban.

nw_hunter · « **Reply #22 on:** May 08, 2009, 07:10:10 PM »

Quote from: Redhawk1 on May 08, 2009, 05:14:20 PM

Quote from: nw_hunter on May 08, 2009, 03:08:54 PM
Quote from: Graybeard on May 08, 2009, 10:40:24 AM
Yup the NRA needs the money.......to pay those fat cat salaries to folks like LaPierre.

Sorry I just do not agree that today under LaPierre's leadership the NRA is really a friend of gunowners. Oh they pretend to be and in the process will from time to time actually do something worthwhile but mostly they just cry wolf and then jump on the bandwagon of what some other group has done and try to take credit for it.

In the final analysis tho they always cave in on gun restrictions and tell Congress we gun owners can and will live with it so sure go ahead and pass it just make sure ya tell our members how hard we fought to prevent it passing before we failed.

The NRA is like the Unions and the GOP. It has outlived it's usefulness years ago! Some folks just don't get it yet. The NRA has compromised gun legislation for so long most people don't even know they are doing it.

The new kid on the block is the GOA. They do not compromise.They don't give you a nice magazine full of ads. They just fight tooth and toenail for the gun owners rights. Keep your NRA membership if it makes you feel good, but join the GOA if you really want to do some good.

The GOA has not single handily accomplished stopping one thing. Please name one thing the GOA has actually accomplished. Sure there mission statement is no compromise, but they still have not accomplished anything with that stance.

I will not join the GOA, they are a rag tag outfit, trying to get the big bucks. Bashing the NRA is not a way to increase there membership in my opinion.

The NRA will not send you a gun rag, if you request not to receive one. That is an option, but I guess you did not know that.

Yea I knew that!.........I was a member for more years than some of our members have been around.

It's just the GOA is what the NRA was back in the 50's.
I seriously doubt you have checked them out, or you would know better than make such a statement.

Redhawk1 · « **Reply #23 on:** May 08, 2009, 07:17:30 PM »

Quote from: nw_hunter on May 08, 2009, 07:05:42 PM

Quote from: RaySendero on May 08, 2009, 03:21:30 PM
I've been an NRA member for 25 yrs. I don't alway agree with some of their "compromises" - I don't think there should be compromises regarding the 2A!

Now having said that, I like what I read regarding the position statments on the GOA and really seem to agree more with their's than the NRA. However, I've not seen ANY results from them! No lobbing victories, no 2A rights victims helped, No nothing!

Now for those of you that are a member of GOA, My mind's not maded up - I'm still willing to be convinced that y'all can get results. So would I like to hear from ya.

Here is an email alert I got from the GOA just today. They keep me informed almost on a daily basis.

Gun Owners of America E-Mail Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
http://www.gunowners.org

Friday, May 8, 2009

Earlier this week, GOA alerted email activists that certain prominent
Republicans were pushing former Department of Homeland Security Director
Tom Ridge to run against pro-gunner Pat Toomey in a Pennsylvania
primary.

GOA members flooded the Republican National Committee (RNC) office with
phone calls and emails, highlighting a few of Tom Ridge's anti-gun
actions:

* As a Congressman, he provided the pivotal vote to pass the Clinton
semi-auto ban.

* As Governor, he signed into law the infamous Act 17, which registered
and taxed long gun buyers and placed other restrictions on Keystone
State gun owners.

* As the first director of DHS, Ridge opposed arming commercial airline
pilots in defense of terrorism.

In contrast, former Rep. Pat Toomey stood 100% for the rights of gun
owners.

GOA also sent a letter to every RNC official nationwide, assuring them
that gun owners and sportsmen would not accept an anti-gun candidate
like Tom Ridge.

Well, good news! Tom Ridge "decided," with the help of activism like
yours, to stay out of the 2010 Pennsylvania Senate race. He withdrew
his name yesterday.

That means Pat Toomey, who has been endorsed by Gun Owners of America
Political Victory Fund, could face Republican-turned-Democrat Arlen
Specter next November.

Specter, you may recall, provided crucial support to confirm gun-hating
Attorney General Eric Holder; was one of two Republicans to vote against
arming commercial airline pilots; and singlehandedly passed the
so-called economic "stimulus" bill, which contained several provisions
of grave concern to gun owners.

Update on Health Care Gun Ban

Two weeks ago, GOA asked you to urge your Representative and Senators to
vote against the budget resolution conference report. The vote was a
key battle in the larger war over whether to create a national health
database which would allow BATF to troll your medical records for
information about whether your mental state subjects you to a gun ban.

The NRA does the same thing, but actually has the lobbyist in there organization.
But name me one thing the GOA single handily accomplished on there own? I will tell you, nothing! I don't see that as a better solution to the NRA.

I agree with Cement Man, what is the big deal about getting mail. It is not a big deal. The GOA hits you up for donations as well.

Redhawk1 · « **Reply #24 on:** May 08, 2009, 07:26:26 PM »

Quote from: nw_hunter on May 08, 2009, 07:10:10 PM

Quote from: Redhawk1 on May 08, 2009, 05:14:20 PM
Quote from: nw_hunter on May 08, 2009, 03:08:54 PM
Quote from: Graybeard on May 08, 2009, 10:40:24 AM
Yup the NRA needs the money.......to pay those fat cat salaries to folks like LaPierre.

Sorry I just do not agree that today under LaPierre's leadership the NRA is really a friend of gunowners. Oh they pretend to be and in the process will from time to time actually do something worthwhile but mostly they just cry wolf and then jump on the bandwagon of what some other group has done and try to take credit for it.

In the final analysis tho they always cave in on gun restrictions and tell Congress we gun owners can and will live with it so sure go ahead and pass it just make sure ya tell our members how hard we fought to prevent it passing before we failed.

The NRA is like the Unions and the GOP. It has outlived it's usefulness years ago! Some folks just don't get it yet. The NRA has compromised gun legislation for so long most people don't even know they are doing it.

The new kid on the block is the GOA. They do not compromise.They don't give you a nice magazine full of ads. They just fight tooth and toenail for the gun owners rights. Keep your NRA membership if it makes you feel good, but join the GOA if you really want to do some good.

The GOA has not single handily accomplished stopping one thing. Please name one thing the GOA has actually accomplished. Sure there mission statement is no compromise, but they still have not accomplished anything with that stance.

I will not join the GOA, they are a rag tag outfit, trying to get the big bucks. Bashing the NRA is not a way to increase there membership in my opinion.

The NRA will not send you a gun rag, if you request not to receive one. That is an option, but I guess you did not know that.

Yea I knew that!.........I was a member for more years than some of our members have been around.

It's just the GOA is what the NRA was back in the 50's.
I seriously doubt you have checked them out, or you would know better than make such a statement.

Let me give you a bit of information, last year we had a big debate about the GOA on this forum, and I quit coming here for about 6 months. I did indeed check out the GOA. Larry Pratt is not who I want to align myself with. And don't question my integrity. I did research the GOA as I stated I did. So you Sir, may want to do a little research.

Here is a little read for you.
Eight Lanes Out
Larry Pratt, 58

Larry Pratt, a gun rights absolutist whose Gun Owners of America (GOA) has been described as "eight lanes to the right" of the National Rifle Association, may well be the person who brought the concept of citizen militias to the radical right.

In 1990, Pratt wrote a book, Armed People Victorious, based on his study of "citizen defense patrols" used in Guatemala and the Philippines against Communist rebels — patrols that came to be known as death squads for their murderous brutality.

Picturing these groups in rosy terms, Pratt advocated similar militias in the United States — an idea that finally caught on when he was invited for a meeting of 160 extremists, including many famous white supremacists, in 1992.

It was at that meeting, hosted in Colorado by white supremacist minister Pete Peters, that the contours of the militia movement were laid out.

Pratt, whose GOA has grown since its 1975 founding to some 150,000 members today, hit the headlines in a big way when his associations with Peters and other professional racists were revealed, convincing arch-conservative Pat Buchanan to eject him as a national co-chair of Buchanan's 1996 presidential campaign.

The same year, it emerged that Pratt was a contributing editor to a periodical of the anti-Semitic United Sovereigns of America, and that his GOA had donated money to a white supremacist attorney's group.

Pratt is today close to the extremist Constitution Party and its radical theology.

http://www.splcenter.org/intel/intelreport/article.jsp?pid=365

oldandslow · « **Reply #25 on:** May 09, 2009, 03:43:14 AM »

GOA: do you ever see or hear them mentioned by the anti-gun media or politians? NRA: How often do you see or hear them mentioned by the same people? That single thing tells me how much influence each organization has on preserving our second amendment rights.

Graybeard · « **Reply #26 on:** May 09, 2009, 04:08:21 AM »

Not really. What it REALLY tells you is that the NRA is in league with those guys and they each get as much press as possible for each other so as to keep the spotlight off outfits like GOA that actually are on our side and are doing things for us rather than to us.

Most lawsuits are started by someone other than the NRA and they just jump on the bandwagon and try to take credit for any success the lawsuits have.

Redhawk1 · « **Reply #27 on:** May 09, 2009, 05:40:41 AM »

Quote from: Graybeard on May 09, 2009, 04:08:21 AM

Not really. What it REALLY tells you is that the NRA is in league with those guys and they each get as much press as possible for each other so as to keep the spotlight off outfits like GOA that actually are on our side and are doing things for us rather than to us.

Most lawsuits are started by someone other than the NRA and they just jump on the bandwagon and try to take credit for any success the lawsuits have.

I am not buying your argument one bit. You just don't like LaPierre, plain and simple. The NRA does not jump on the bandwagon, they are the bandwagon.

Graybeard · « **Reply #28 on:** May 09, 2009, 05:41:46 AM »

You and I will never agree on this issue Alex. We're seeing a totally different picture.

Redhawk1 · « **Reply #29 on:** May 09, 2009, 06:26:37 AM »

Quote from: Graybeard on May 09, 2009, 05:41:46 AM

You and I will never agree on this issue Alex. We're seeing a totally different picture.

You are 100% correct. And as we have in the past, agree to disagree.