The reason for not supporting the NRA is the fact that they don't really take a stand like the Gun Owners of America do. Unfortunately, the NRA is at the forefront of their supposed support for 2nd amendment rights. We need new leadership in order to make change in Washington. As far as John McCain goes, the Gun Owners of America give him an F when it comes to 2nd amendment issues. Ron Paul gets an A.
NRA is the lobbying force in Washington, and they have more of a voice and more influence than a group like GOA could imagine. It can, and often has, been argued that NRA compromises too much and is more interested in the status quo and defense than proactive action. There is likely some degree of truth to that. Big truth or little truth? IMO probably more moderate. It should be noted that NRA was well behind the curve on the Heller suit, brought by the Cato Institute. We will soon see if they were being too conservative or if they were correct in not wanting to push that through SCOUTS.
GOA can, frankly, be a bunch of nuts. They are certainly radical, but they seem to bend the truth to try and steal attention from NRA. Frankly, arriving where we are at with gun control has been an incremental process and reversing the tide will be incremental. GOA often seems to have some very unrealistic expectations and criticizes NRA for common sense at times. My preferred radical organization of choice is Jews for the Preservation of Firearm Ownership (JPFO)which actually produces some good educational materials and is non denominational, by and large. They also help provide a counter voice for firearm ownership within the Jewish community which can also be home to some of the more radical gun control leadership.
Be sure to support you local state organizations as well. The biggest threats today are at the state level.
What's exciting is the extent to which the Internet and grassroots activism has bypassed groups like the NRA in so many areas. Using hubs like The High Road (
www.thehighroad.org ) we can respond to negative print articles letters to the editor, online feedback, media gun control polls, plan marches and be there for counter protests, calls to legislators, etc. immediately and without any centralized guidance. Any of the organizations -- national or state can note something and the community immediately responds. We actually are a huge grassroots operation, and not a handful of professional gun control hacks promoted by the Joyce Foundation (Obama was on the board, btw).
Currently, there is apparently going to be a rally at the Daley center in Chicago on Friday next week -- according to a post in activism at THR. I'll take the half day off work to be there. Similarly, I will not attend a counter demonstration against a Jesse Jackson portest at DSA Arms that Saturday because the company has decided to just ignore jackson and his 20 or so bussed in Operation PUSH lackeys (and Father Phlager, no doubt.) BTW, Father Phlager, yes THAT Phlager, called for legislators voting against gun control and a local gunshop owner to be "snuffed out" at one of the last Jackson rqallys on gun control in Chicago.
We could easily outnumber the Jackson crowd 5 - 1 if we wanted to, just like we did the Calif. -based Lawyers Against Gun Violence group "town hall meeting" in the local community of Naperville a month or so ago
That was actually pretty funny. Grassroots vs. propaganda and a friendly media is how the battle is waged. The anti's just don't have the grassroots support becasue, well, we just don't really have a non criminal vs criminal firearm violence problem to the extent that most would really care about it. Even in the poorest communities the people realize the problems are far deeper than the murder tool. That's why the mayors really like to keep the attention focused on the tool instead of the real problems.
And, on boards like this we can express a pro gun position to a fairly large audience that otherwise would have to rely on the balance (or lack there of) in the media for such discussions. The post readers still get to decide for themselves, but at least they hear a debate.
