NRA Announces Rescheduled 2020 Meeting of Members

[ChanceMcCall]

While I'm involved in an escrow of funds put together by major NRA donors that will be dispersed to the NRA when certain conditions are met, I'm also involved in other pro-gun groups as well. Gun owners should at least consider putting some of the money they might have otherwise given to the NRA into some of the other groups. Here are some of my recommendations:

Second Amendment Foundation;
Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership;
Pink Pistols;
DRGO;
National African American Gun Association;

There are other national groups. Some of them I am still considering and some seem to have even worse problems that the NRA, albeit on a smaller scale.

DRGO is a pro gun organization for physicians. They address the medical community and fight against the anti-gun stance of the AMA and other medical and health organizations. They have a cool feature for non member gun owners on their website with referral services to MDs who don't discriminate against gun owners and their families.

I have several family members who are members of this group.

JPFO is aimed at people of Jewish background who are active gun owners but have some non Jewish members and donors because of some of their successes. Everyone should check out their two You Tube videos and then share them with people on the fence about guns.

or

. They also have books and booklets of real value.

Not being Jewish, I don't belong, but I have given them money.

Pink Pistols The Pink Pistols are an LGBTQ gun rights organization in the United States and Canada. Their motto is "Pick on someone your own caliber".As of June 24, 2016, the membership is over 7,000, and there are 36 chapters around the country. The group experienced a further rise in interest following Donald Trump's election to the presidency later that year.[8] By April 2017, the group claimed a membership of over 9,000.

I don't really know much about this group, but I have heard them speak twice nationally and several people I know are somewhat involved with them and seem to think well of them.

National African American Gun Association promotes gun ownership rights among African Americans in the United States. It has over 34,000 members, more than 75 chapters in the United States and has grown significantly in reaction to black deaths.

Again, this is a group I do not know personally, but several very powerful black politicians I know well believe this organization is becoming more important. It certainly has affected the "black caucus" in the Illinois Legislature. I have, based on what I have seen politically, given them money this year.

This is a short, national list. There are many state organizations affiliated with the NRA that are doing good jobs and other non affiliated state organizations like Guns Save Lives in Illinois that are becoming well known for their Burma Shave type of signs along major highways promoting gun ownership through humor.

Just get involved!

 

[jumpinjoe]

OK. I get that you don't want to take my or other people's word. Then, you have no choice but to get involved by attending meetings and requesting information from the NRA itself if you actually care. Have you read the public filings required of every not for profit? Have you read any analysis by not for profit watchdogs of those filings? Have you looked over what Save the Second has to say and who the supporters are? Have you looked at the material generated by other members and former Board members like Alan West?

The information I have access to came to me because I actually attended annual meetings and listened to concerns and observed with outrage the way the meetings were conducted. At these meetings I went up to, and spoke to, Board Members. Yes, the vast majority of information was shared just prior to the meeting in Indianapolis but it was the final straw for me.

Get involved - learn for yourself, or, find someone who has spent the time and money you can trust.

Chance, please relax. I don't know what I said to cause you all this anxiety and turmoil. I tried to be very careful in explaining that I have absolutely no reason to doubt anything you've said, but then neither do I have any hard evidence of the charges. What that means is that I just don't arbitrarily take sides or make up my mind till I feel like I have all the evidence available to me. And my friend, I try to stay as involved as I possibly can. But I don't have the finances, physical health, or stamina to personally attend the annual meetings. But I do read and listen, just as I've listened to you. Nowhere in my posts have I disagreed with you nor anything you've said.

That's exactly the reason I try to pay attention to those on both sides of the argument so that I can decide for myself. And my reference to your statement ..... "Yet again, I certainly don't want the NRA to go away, I just want it fixed; ........." (my emphasis) I was simply trying to show my agreement with you in that regard. My statement ...... "Unfortunately I and many others do not have the same info you have and find ourselves kind of 'swinging in the wind' simply because of our preference to your last statement ....." simply meaning some/many of us do not have the benefit of the information you must have and we do rely heavily on those like you who do have that info to help us make our decisions. All I was saying is that I agree with you that I don't want to see the entire organization torn down, only the bad elements.

So, in whatever way you took offense to anything I've said, I'll apologize for. It was never my intention to insult you, nor to imply I didn't believe you, and I tried very hard to show/say exactly that. I know I sometimes get a little long winded, but I always try very hard to write sensibly, concisely, and plainly. By your reaction, it appears here in our discourse I somehow must not have succeeded.

 

[jumpinjoe]

While I'm involved in an escrow of funds put together by major NRA donors that will be dispersed to the NRA when certain conditions are met, I'm also involved in other pro-gun groups as well. "........................................ "
Just get involved!

Chance, I just finished posting what I felt like was needed to convince you I had no ill intention towards you in anything I had written, then I read your msg #21. Just let me add to my previous post that you have absolutely no idea what I, nor anyone else may or may not be involved in, nor what organizations, nor how much money we may/may not donate to those organizations. And then your last line with the explanation point for me to "Just get involved!" was a little jolting.

It appears to me now you've taken this way to personally, and way over the line. When you walk in my shoes, you can tell me all you want to "Just get involved!" with your damned explanation point. I'm not a 6 yr old child who needs all the guidance you felt the need to provide.

Now follow along as I try to enlighten you ........................
I've already made sure my personal Dr's do not/are not 'anti-gun' and on my own volition. I didn't need DRGO. I'm not Jewish, but have relatives who are. None, as far as I know see any real need for a totally separate organization such as JPFO to stand for their gun rights. Personally I see that almost as frivolous and unfair to both sides as "Affirmative Action". Pretty much the same for Pink Pistols. I've often shot many competitions with members of the 'LGBTQ' community. And as adamantly opposed to any unfair actions to any ethnic group or race as I am, and especially police brutality, I can only say I see little value to any organization who specifically allies themselves with any specific group and alienates themselves from others. The bottom line here in what I'm saying is that if all the little splinter groups were banded together in to one 'accepting of all' groups, just think of the political clout that one group would have in protecting the rights of all those groups, whether NRA or any other.

And Chance, from these two statements it appears you don't often need any real evidence of much, you simply take the 'what you've heard' and go with it. Exactly the thing you seem to find fault with me for me NOT doing. I don't often go on 'what I've heard', without further hard evidence of some kind. These two examples of your own words .... "I don't really know much about this group, but I have heard them speak twice nationally and several people I know are somewhat involved with them and seem to think well of them."
"Again, this is a group I do not know personally, but several very powerful black politicians I know well believe this organization is becoming more important." (my emphasis).... seems to be enough for you to 'get involved', and that's great Chance, if you have the means and wherewithal to be involved with all those organizations. And as far as the 'many other state organizations' you mentioned, again you have no idea of how many or what state organizations I may/may not be involved with nor to what extent.

Now, with all that said let me end this post by saying again, I had no intention of insulting you nor demeaning you in any way in my previous posts. And I'll take everything you said in your post #21 as your earnest way of 'encouraging' who you see as a 'lost soul' to find better ways and methods. In that light Chance, I'll take no offense to anything in that post, nor will I be insulted by what appears to be your 'better than thou' attitude regarding anyone who doesn't fall right into your line or way of thinking. We can continue to be fellow gun lovers, fellow 2nd amendment supporters, fellow forum users, or not. It'll be your call which way it goes from here.

 

[ChanceMcCall]

Chance, I just finished posting what I felt like was needed to convince you I had no ill intention towards you in anything I had written, then I read your msg #21. Just let me add to my previous post that you have absolutely no idea what I, nor anyone else may or may not be involved in, nor what organizations, nor how much money we may/may not donate to those organizations. And then your last line with the explanation point for me to "Just get involved!" was a little jolting.

It appears to me now you've taken this way to personally, and way over the line. When you walk in my shoes, you can tell me all you want to "Just get involved!" with your damned explanation point. I'm not a 6 yr old child who needs all the guidance you felt the need to provide.

Now follow along as I try to enlighten you ........................
I've already made sure my personal Dr's do not/are not 'anti-gun' and on my own volition. I didn't need DRGO. I'm not Jewish, but have relatives who are. None, as far as I know see any real need for a totally separate organization such as JPFO to stand for their gun rights. Personally I see that almost as frivolous and unfair to both sides as "Affirmative Action". Pretty much the same for Pink Pistols. I've often shot many competitions with members of the 'LGBTQ' community. And as adamantly opposed to any unfair actions to any ethnic group or race as I am, and especially police brutality, I can only say I see little value to any organization who specifically allies themselves with any specific group and alienates themselves from others. The bottom line here in what I'm saying is that if all the little splinter groups were banded together in to one 'accepting of all' groups, just think of the political clout that one group would have in protecting the rights of all those groups, whether NRA or any other.

And Chance, from these two statements it appears you don't often need any real evidence of much, you simply take the 'what you've heard' and go with it. Exactly the thing you seem to find fault with me for me NOT doing. I don't often go on 'what I've heard', without further hard evidence of some kind. These two examples of your own words .... "I don't really know much about this group, but I have heard them speak twice nationally and several people I know are somewhat involved with them and seem to think well of them."
"Again, this is a group I do not know personally, but several very powerful black politicians I know well believe this organization is becoming more important." (my emphasis).... seems to be enough for you to 'get involved', and that's great Chance, if you have the means and wherewithal to be involved with all those organizations. And as far as the 'many other state organizations' you mentioned, again you have no idea of how many or what state organizations I may/may not be involved with nor to what extent.

Now, with all that said let me end this post by saying again, I had no intention of insulting you nor demeaning you in any way in my previous posts. And I'll take everything you said in your post #21 as your earnest way of 'encouraging' who you see as a 'lost soul' to find better ways and methods. In that light Chance, I'll take no offense to anything in that post, nor will I be insulted by what appears to be your 'better than thou' attitude regarding anyone who doesn't fall right into your line or way of thinking. We can continue to be fellow gun lovers, fellow 2nd amendment supporters, fellow forum users, or not. It'll be your call which way it goes from here.

I did not take what you wrote as an insult. I admit an attitude seems to have shown through. It was not because of something you wrote or even because of you. I get tired of reading and listening to arguments about the NRA from people who are not involved enough to have any real information and especially from people who make strongly negative statements against the NRA because they want an excuse to not contribute financially. Sometimes, that shows. Sorry.

Also if I were aiming what I write only at you, it would be in a private message, not a response on the thread. I'm sorry if you thought my ! were aimed specifically at you, because they were not. I assume many people are reading the threads and part of what I have been writing on this topic is aimed at anyone reading it.

Perhaps a difference between you and I is that I do trust the judgement of people I know well enough to do so. When a state Senator relates to me the impact the black group is having and the Senator is someone I've known for years and trust his judgement, I simply accept his judgement. That is especially true when anti gun bills suddenly die after the black caucus had a meeting with leadership.

The "better than thou" attitude is not my style, but perhaps it came across to you that way. Again, sorry I wrote in such haste.

 

[jumpinjoe]

I did not take what you wrote as an insult. I admit an attitude seems to have shown through. It was not because of something you wrote or even because of you. I get tired of reading and listening to arguments about the NRA from people who are not involved enough to have any real information and especially from people who make strongly negative statements against the NRA because they want an excuse to not contribute financially. Sometimes, that shows. Sorry.

Also if I were aiming what I write only at you, it would be in a private message, not a response on the thread. I'm sorry if you thought my ! were aimed specifically at you, because they were not. I assume many people are reading the threads and part of what I have been writing on this topic is aimed at anyone reading it.

Perhaps a difference between you and I is that I do trust the judgement of people I know well enough to do so. When a state Senator relates to me the impact the black group is having and the Senator is someone I've known for years and trust his judgement, I simply accept his judgement. That is especially true when anti gun bills suddenly die after the black caucus had a meeting with leadership.

The "better than thou" attitude is not my style, but perhaps it came across to you that way. Again, sorry I wrote in such haste.

Chance, it's all good. Let's move on.