A useful article that hits the nail pretty squarely. I wish you’d mentioned how corruption by Wayne and his cronies did so much to damage the organization. And it would gave been useful to point out that the NRA for generations provided most of the non-military shooting instruction available in this country. Also, Carter’s first name was *Harlon*, not Hanlon. All those are minor points, though, and I thank you for this piece.
Very true. Didn't want to dive too much into the corruption because that would be its own big rabbit hole, but it certainly hurt the org badly. The shooting instruction is still way more dominant than most people realize. Thanks for the spelling correction, fixed.
I agree with you here, David. The NRA has always been a service organization in addition to being a political organization. Part of its problem resulted from leaning too far into the latter and doing so has led it to falter on the former.
I concur with you both. Laird LaPierre did neither the organization nor the cause any favors, and a significant degree of harm.
To amplify the specific point about being a service organization: I recently helped my local club obtain Civilian Marksmanship Program affiliate status (Junior Woodchuck Range Officer 1, me :-D ) and was nonplussed to discover that NRA was no longer involved with the CMP.
This makes sense if you conceptualize the NRA simply or mostly as a gun rights political activist organization, which is a mistake that I think the NRA leadership itself made along the way (taking that to an extreme and making itself into a culture warrior organization). I would love to see this debacle lead the organization to refocus on what it contributes to gun safety as a service organization (it can also still do necessary political work, of course, as it always did). I'm not an expert on the NRA but have reflected on this some in the past: https://gunculture2point0.com/2015/10/01/the-national-rifle-association-as-thousands-of-spider-monkeys-not-an-800-pound-gorilla/
I think they assume that the gun rights community is as centralized and top-down as they are themselves, such that a "decapitation strike" on the NRA would cripple us. It doesn't seem like they've reevaluated things after they largely got their wish without getting the results they'd hoped for. Without Bloomberg, the gunphobes don't have much at all, but even with the NRA weakened, we're still kicking.
A bunch of influencers does not a lobbying organization make.
And if New York gets away with its attack against the NRA, it will use the same tactics against other gun rights groups, and other right wing groups and individuals generally. In fact it already has as Douglass Mackey can attest.
Great article, and thank you for writing and posting it. I am a life member, but donate my money to GOA and the 2nd Amendment Foundation. I also support my local organization, the NYS Rifle and Pistol organization.
A useful article that hits the nail pretty squarely. I wish you’d mentioned how corruption by Wayne and his cronies did so much to damage the organization. And it would gave been useful to point out that the NRA for generations provided most of the non-military shooting instruction available in this country. Also, Carter’s first name was *Harlon*, not Hanlon. All those are minor points, though, and I thank you for this piece.
Very true. Didn't want to dive too much into the corruption because that would be its own big rabbit hole, but it certainly hurt the org badly. The shooting instruction is still way more dominant than most people realize. Thanks for the spelling correction, fixed.
I agree with you here, David. The NRA has always been a service organization in addition to being a political organization. Part of its problem resulted from leaning too far into the latter and doing so has led it to falter on the former.
I concur with you both. Laird LaPierre did neither the organization nor the cause any favors, and a significant degree of harm.
To amplify the specific point about being a service organization: I recently helped my local club obtain Civilian Marksmanship Program affiliate status (Junior Woodchuck Range Officer 1, me :-D ) and was nonplussed to discover that NRA was no longer involved with the CMP.
This makes sense if you conceptualize the NRA simply or mostly as a gun rights political activist organization, which is a mistake that I think the NRA leadership itself made along the way (taking that to an extreme and making itself into a culture warrior organization). I would love to see this debacle lead the organization to refocus on what it contributes to gun safety as a service organization (it can also still do necessary political work, of course, as it always did). I'm not an expert on the NRA but have reflected on this some in the past: https://gunculture2point0.com/2015/10/01/the-national-rifle-association-as-thousands-of-spider-monkeys-not-an-800-pound-gorilla/
Well said, the training/history arms of the org still have really impressive dominance.
Lifetime member from way back. Only because of that am I still on it's rolls. Currently giving my money to GOA.
Hoping they turn it around
Yet NRA lives virtually rent-free in the mind of gun control advocates as if they’re still powerful and relevant
The sacrificial baffle of the gun rights movement :)
I think they assume that the gun rights community is as centralized and top-down as they are themselves, such that a "decapitation strike" on the NRA would cripple us. It doesn't seem like they've reevaluated things after they largely got their wish without getting the results they'd hoped for. Without Bloomberg, the gunphobes don't have much at all, but even with the NRA weakened, we're still kicking.
Excellent point
A bunch of influencers does not a lobbying organization make.
And if New York gets away with its attack against the NRA, it will use the same tactics against other gun rights groups, and other right wing groups and individuals generally. In fact it already has as Douglass Mackey can attest.
Their influence in Congress remains impressive, but if the next few years go the same way the past few years have gone, their influence will wane.
And will anyone be able to step up to replace them?
Tbd
Great article, and thank you for writing and posting it. I am a life member, but donate my money to GOA and the 2nd Amendment Foundation. I also support my local organization, the NYS Rifle and Pistol organization.
Winning *Bruen* is more than enough to deserve donations :)
I donate to the NRA ILA.