Following through on a promise

[bruss01]

In the past I have been somewhat critical of the NRA.

I had felt they were putting too much emphasis on electing right wing legislators and not enough fighting for our rights in court... especially in CA. To me, it had seemed as if they were simply using gun rights supporters to try to further other causes having nothing to do with guns. As a result, I had let my membership become inactive.

However, when the Heller case was won, I decided to make a promise to renew my membership for two years as a vote of faith. Here, take my money, go win something. I also made a promise to follow up on any court case that they won which tangibly applied to me here with a donation of $100. If they disappointed me again, I felt, it was pointless to continue supporting them. But if they actually got something tangible accomplished, then they were worth supporting.

Well, it is two years hence and since then they have won McDonald and AB 962 has gone down in defeat. As part of that fallout, I can still buy internet handgun ammo and I have my CCW permit (pressure from Sykes). Correspondingly, I just made a donation in the amount of $200. Times are tight since my wife hasn't been working the past 2 years, but a promise is a promise.

Pleased with what I have seen so far, I re-upped my membership for another 2 years. With a little luck, they'll be taking another gouge or two out of me by the time my membership is up for renewal again.

I wish them (and us) a lot of luck.

[Interloper]

If you like how AB962 turned out, maybe you should also join the CRPA?
I think your impression of the NRA as a lobby group for conservative politicians is way off. Remember all the anger among conservatives when NRA chose to back Senator Harry Reid? NRA is a single issue organization. They will back any candidate that supports that single issue. Has it occurred to you that it is typically conservatives that support your RKBA?

[bruss01]

If you like how AB962 turned out, maybe you should also join the CRPA?

I'm considering it. I joined long ago when I first discovered an interest in guns. I never saw them accomplish anything of value, and let my membership lapse. Then they actually UNDID a lot of work people worked very hard at to accomplish under the Governator (I think it was microstamping). I called and wrote and faxed a lot, e-mailed every time it crossed my mind during the day. Then they put their foot wrong and screwed all of us. I'm keeping an eye on them, but my disappointment and anger haven't yet faded over that indignity.

I think your impression of the NRA as a lobby group for conservative politicians is way off. Remember all the anger among conservatives when NRA chose to back Senator Harry Reid? NRA is a single issue organization. They will back any candidate that supports that single issue. Has it occurred to you that it is typically conservatives that support your RKBA?

I don't mind if they support conservatives. Hell, I'm an essentially conservative libertarian (libertarian conservative?) myself. I actively campaigned for a republican back during the 2008 primaries. My point was, that (in my perception) they were a one-note piano. Trying to pack the CA legislature with a conservative majority is never going to advance gun rights in this state, if that is the only play in your playbook. For the simple reason that there are simply more people in this state who value medical marijuana and a woman's right to choose, who don't care about guns for the most part but if they do, they're against them because they don't know any better. A democracy is served by majority rule - and gun-rights supporters are not a majority in this state, and I doubt they ever will be. The rights of the minority are protected in a republic - a nation of laws rather than the collective voice of the rabble. And the voice of that vocal minority is heard most clearly in the halls of justice - in a courtroom.

Anyway, did not intend for this to veer off into politics and for the record, the above represents some observations about the system and not necessarily for or against any political point of view. I am pleased that the NRA is now (apparently) seeing that the rights of the gun-owning minority in CA are best protected in the courts, so they can spend more money on legal briefs and less $$$ power-lunching RINO legislators.