Any rabid anti gunners in your life?

Totally agree, with everything, but the NRA in particular. They went from being a spokesgroup to a political organization to a money grabbing bunch of corrupt thieves, like some unions and the AARP. All were fine when they were started, but lost their way to power and money hungry exploiters.

 

I am not an NRA member. Please do explain "their way" and how they lost it to "power and money" . I am not challenging you, just trying to understand.

 

A little hard to follow the timeline. I was a member for years, they advocated for responsible gun ownership and lobbied against radical anti-gun laws. Then they became unreasonable and defamed anyone with a slight gun control opinion.

Then I started getting emotionally charged requests for money, 4-6 times a week. They'll take your guns away unless you send us $50 right now kind of things.

Then there's this
https://paddockpost.com/2024/01/08/executive-compensation-at-the-nra-2022/

And this
https://apnews.com/article/nra-wayne-lapierre-trial-ruling-d4d9b950ee2cbd63380826eb2bf210e6

 

Most gun owners I know, especially in the under-50 crowd, are not fans of the NRA. They’ve compromised on actual gun rights, and the internal scandal with the former chairman did not help.

However, it is absolutely hilarious to me when people paint the NRA as some massive, evil lobby that controls the federal govt with its lobby money.

They peaked at just over $5M annual donations several years ago.

In case you’re not aware, this is chump change.

I asked Grok who spends the most lobbying the federal government. Here is his answer:

==========
The corporations that spend the most on lobbying the federal government are primarily from the pharmaceutical and health products industry. According to recent data, the top spenders include:

- Pharmaceutical and Health Products Industry: This sector has consistently been the largest spender on lobbying. For example, in 2023, they spent a record $382.6 million. Key players in this industry include the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) and the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association.[](https://www.visualcapitalist.com/ra...ics/257364/top-lobbying-industries-in-the-us/)

- Other Notable Industries and Companies:
- Technology: Companies like Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta, and Microsoft have been significant spenders. In 2022, these tech giants collectively spent nearly $69 million, with Amazon being the highest spender at $19.7 million.[](https://www.cnbc.com/2023/01/23/apple-ramped-up-lobbying-spending-in-2022-outpacing-tech-peers.html)
- Energy: Occidental Petroleum has been noted as a top spender in the oil and gas sector, with $12.217 million in 2023.[](https://www.investopedia.com/investing/which-industry-spends-most-lobbying-antm-so/)
- Business Associations: The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Realtors are among the top spenders, with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce spending $69.58 million in 2023.[](https://www.statista.com/statistics/257344/top-lobbying-spenders-in-the-us/)
==========

If I ever join a gun rights group, it’ll be Gun Owners of America.

 

I'm with Gun Owners of tundras.com.

 

The GOoT

 

I realize I pushed some buttons there that I could have avoided. Your quotes from my post definitely caught stuff I was in the act of editing out. I'm frustrated by the rising extremism I see in this country. Most of it fed by people with self-serving motivations, purposely manipulative, whipping people into a frenzy, making them think things are far worse than they are. And on the other side, I worry that humans, being very adaptable, can easily get used to more and more tyrannical governance, not realizing how bad it's gotten. Even though it's been debunked, the "frog in hot water" analogy applies. So...my point is mostly that it's almost never black & white.

If there comes a day that we all need to take up arms against our government/fellow citizens/family members, and run a successful insurgency, you all can come back here and I'll graciously take your told-you-so's.

 

It is rising social media and amplification. Looking at the statistics, violence is on its lowest and is trending down. For example: https://www.statista.com/statistics/191219/reported-violent-crime-rate-in-the-usa-since-1990/

Not gonna happen in this country, where individualism and freedom is deeply rooted into the culture. You would have to replace a giant portion of the nation built by rebels with passive people, replace at once. Mixing in immigrants slowly who don't mind tyranny does not do anything for said tyrannies, because their children are washed in our school system. Not to tell that lots of coming immigrants are strictly against tyrannies they escaped from. You have to be a rebel to thrive in our society. Against all odds. Find a weak spot and punch it, for your own good.

But please keep complaining everything goes south, we need to keep the bar high

 

This:

 

My issue with the NRA was it became a vehicle to fund Lapierre's lifestyle. 2a advocacy was an afterthought. They'd sign onto some successful lawsuits by other orgs and individuals and toss out press releases when they succeeded and then with the other hand make compromises I didn't agree with. In the background thousand dollar suits, boats, trips, expensive homes, etc...

Then we were stuck in this paradox where some of the 2a crowd the last few years felt like no matter how bad it got we couldn't afford not to support them along with every other group to keep the fight fully alive. If we closed pocket books to the NRA and focused donations elsewhere that would sink us. No other group can do whatever it is people think they do.

And the board and Lapierre felt like no change was needed if the money was still coming in. So they held onto the piggy bank as long as they could hoping fear of an anti 2a political climate would keep them alive.

The logjam was broken by the upcoming trial and he's Gone so we'll see what happens, but let Free market principals dictate it. If they can't become agile and efficient and strong again through reform let them die so others can full the vacuum. Donate again when they show readiness to be responsible stewards of the money

 

I'm an NRA Life Member, a status in which I paid $1000.00 to earn, over the course of some 10 years. (No joke, they gave me a decade to pay that off, even with me not paying anything for a couple of years). I have been a member since 1998.

The NRA was started by Union veterans of the War Between the States who were rather upset Yankee soldiers tended to shoot very badly. They wanted to do something about that and started the longest-running club in US history.

The moves to punish those that didn't do anything instead of those that actually do the crimes, motivated the NRA to speak out and organize against that.

I no longer donate to the NRA but now to Gun Owners of America because NRA likes to compromise on rights---what really woke me up was their support for "red flag laws" which are the biggest threat to the Bill of Rights since the Jim Crow era.

I suffered my first robbery attempt in a country that banned gun ownership.

Quoting a certain US president "you need an F 15 and nuclear bombs to defeat the govt." Tell that to an Afghan.

The argument "you can't win, so why fight?" is an argument against trying.

All gun laws are an infringement.

From 2020 to 2023 we all got a great view on just how tyrannical govt. can be.

 

Respond to an anti-personal protection imbecile with facts, verses their "feelings," your 'discussion' will be short lived.

 

For the longest time I had no idea there was a divide in the 2a community between people Who think guns are for hunting and for punching 3-5 shot groups on paper with a bolt action between 10 minute conversations about reloading, vs tactical defense minded shooters.

I only began to understand it a couple years Ago when I finally got into a rifle club dominated by target shooters who held anything that looked tactical in contempt. I was shooting an AR and heard an old guy in the background tell the people he was teaching ARs aren't accurate guns and are mainly for Rambo fake SF wannabes.

There are some in the community who think if we all looked less tactical and made our firearms less tactical looking we'd be left alone. Mlok and an adjustable stock mark you as a nut and an embarrassment to the hobby. Unreasonable Zero compromise 2a advocates are the reason gun grabbers keep coming back. Anti 2a crowd supposedly won't be triggered by bold action and a wood stock and maybe a
Target 22 here and there.


I guess I was naive for a very long time
Thinking the community was all on the same page until I began to be more exposed to this divide and research the history of it. There are fellow gun owners nearly as hostile to serious 2a advocates as those all the way on the other sids of the spectrum. It's really a 3 sides fight, not a 2 sided one.

 

This is not about "told-you-so's" mate This is about strength through power and freedom through 2nd. No sane government will try anything knowing how many armed loyal and patriotic citizens are willing to protect the 1st and their freedoms. That's the beauty of the system. So no is not about "told-you-so's" but rather, I dare you try it.

 

Just a few I think y'all will get a kick out of.

 

Very nice memes.

 

This^^^

 

My mother in law used to be until all the crazy bs over the last few years. Now she asks if I have mine on me quietly when we go hit trails in case of some homeless person. I giggle ever time she asks.

 

I know grown men that refuse to carry a gun but ask me to "go with them" to check on something that might involve a bad guy or two.

A friend used to ride his 4-wheeler alone, just back into the woods. He always carried. Anyway he told me once how he pulled over to take a leak and two men on a motorcycle came up behind him, stopped, dismounted, and started the "classic fan out maneuver."

He said he faced them, cleared his shirt back to allow a smooth draw (which let them know he was armed). He said they never said a word, just backed up, got back on the motorcycle, and left.

Those of us that don't carry......how would that event likely gone for you?

 

Could've been a delightful encounter between 3 consenting adults in yon forest.

Who are we to say?

 

We are the goot people.

 

Easy. You just tell those two fellers to wait 20 minutes (at minimum) for the police to show up.

 

Throw something heavy to bushes, then come up to said fellas closer, stare at them briefly and say with tone of relief: "Oh f-k, I thought someone called the cops. Now get the f-k outta here, boys". Get back and pick your something. You are not in danger when you are the danger.

 

My wife won't let us leave the house unless I'm carrying.

 

My wife is very suspicious when we leave the house and I'm not drinking beer. "Do not tell me you have it on you, again!"

 

Great breakdown. By chance, did you mean the National Association of Gun Owners (NAGR), or Rocky Mountain Gun Owners (RMGO)? I'm a member of both, and I think they're much more organized. I was a member of the NRA, but I let my membership lapse as it seemed rather disorganized and the "please send us money" letters and emails were much more frequent than NAGR?RMGO. I'm one of those "Under 50" that is not a fan of the NRA.

Funny enough, I work in the pharmaceutical industry. I hate it but we've all gotta make a living somehow.

I'm in lol.

I had an incident a few years back involving a pair of intoxicated SxS's just outside Boulder. They were illegally on a trail and tailgating me trying to get around to get back to their trucks. I finally stopped and confronted them, it was "Heated" but manageable until the eldest got involved. He got right in my face, close enough to smell his obnoxious breath, telling me forcefully to move over. That was the "fuck it" moment for me. I turned around and walked back to the truck, but like someone else said, I lifted my shirt to expose my CCW as I walked back to the truck. Yes, illegal I know, but it defused the situation. They were nice as could be after that, waving and thanking me for moving.

I let the forest service know that I had "Brandished" as a de-escalation when I reported them, and they said they would cross that bridge if and when they got there. Not a proud moment but I feel that one falls under the "I'd rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6" mentality. My family came first to me in that moment.

 

Man, you had to breathe back at them! What's up with your trail intoxication attitude?

 

https://www.gunowners.org/