Feel let down by NRA

[babo4482]

Anyone else feel let down by the NRA? I joined a few months ago and wish I didn't. Did they even try to lobby Gov. Brown? Anti-gun groups got everything they want. Next step is to confiscate. I didn't see what the NRA did to stop it. Did they even try anything other than one meeting with state legislators which was a failure and waste of time? I'm starting to think their endorsement is now a nail in a political career's coffin. I haven't seen one ad where they tried to advocate against all these laws. If it wasnt for the liberal media praising politicians trying to save us from ourselves, I wouldn't have even known about them. I don't see the point of the NRA anymore. If I could ask for my membership money back I would. They obviously aren't lobbying in California and have abandoned us or are incompetent. I get it that we are overrun by liberals in this state but thats where bribery/lobbying and political influence comes in and was absent. I'm obviously not renewing membership and going to think about transferring my guns to family in Arizona.

[Messerschmitts]

The only person I feel let down by is myself, for not having the foresight to factor this in. I finished residency training in 2014 and had a job offer in Portland, OR. They weren't offering me enough money. Gods, I should have taken that job.

[Crazed_SS]

NRA does what they can. At the end of the day, they're just a political advocacy group. They are not all powerful as the media would have you believe. We live in a state where the majority of people are against us. hard to fight against that. Especially when the courts are on the side of those people

[Shanghai guy]

As I see it, our weight should be thrown behind GOC and CRPA, mainly...

[CessnaDriver]

Look, gun control is like a cancer ok?, it can't be fought with a magic silver bullet of one entity here, the politicians against the 2nd amendment are well entrenched in our state, emboldened and re-elected often. You go at them in all ways possible. NRA, is part of that but it's not some single source champion you join and we win. It's one of several partners to the work EACH of us MUST do. Daily!

[buckshot0351]

The NRA is a total waste of money and time. Dont be fooled, they have funds and I swear that the more sucky the laws are, the more money they can hustle out of gun owners. They havent done squat to stop any of this. GOA or GOC need the funding because they have balls.

[speedrrracer]

Anyone else feel let down by the NRA? I joined a few months ago and wish I didn't. .

You feel this way because you don't understand the legal process. Get more educated about it, and you'll feel differently.

Anti-gun groups got everything they want.

Anti-gun groups wanted 4 anti-gun bills to be vetoed? Explain.

I get it that we are overrun by liberals in this state but thats where bribery/lobbying and political influence comes in and was absent.

No, you don't "get it". There's a world of difference between "political influence" and "mind control". Hint: One of them doesn't exist. Once you figure that out, you'll have taken a huge step forward.

As for bribery being some kind of magic bullet, it's not, because of Rule #1 of being a politician. Generally a politician's first and highest priority is to ensure their re-election. Everything else comes after that. If they accept money for something extremely unpopular with their constituency, they won't be re-elected. You can probably bribe a small number from a group of politicians to go against their constituents, but not the vast numbers needed to swim against the anti-gun tide in a place like CA.

[Cali-Glock]

The NRA, CRPA, GOA, CalGuns Foundation and many other groups actively worked against these bills. Activity ranged from face to face meetings with legislators, calls asking us to call our legislators, testifying at hearings, as well as all the other tools of legislative advocacy.

The mentality that a group can magically "kill the bill" is lunacy. Yes there are a couple of 800 pound gorillas in the Sacramento lobbying scene, and they throw around TENS OF MILLIONS of dollars A YEAR, along with thousands of active members who show up at annual lobbying days, and to call legislators at key moments.

But we are not one of those 800 pound gorillas, and yes even those 800 pound gorillas loose, and/or choose their battles carefully.

The legislative process and lobbying is an UGLY, dirty, nasty business. In order to successfully lobby, you have to compromise. The question is what do you compromise on and when.

Some bills passed, others failed. That is reality - especially in California. I am surprised it did not turn out worse.

Am I happy? No. Am I mad at the NRA. Hell no!

[Cali-Glock]

You feel this way because you don't understand the legal process. Get more educated about it, and you'll feel differently.



Anti-gun groups wanted 4 anti-gun bills to be vetoed? Explain.



No, you don't "get it". There's a world of difference between "political influence" and "mind control". Hint: One of them doesn't exist. Once you figure that out, you'll have taken a huge step forward.

As for bribery being some kind of magic bullet, it's not, because of Rule #1 of being a politician. Generally a politician's first and highest priority is to ensure their re-election. Everything else comes after that. If they accept money for something extremely unpopular with their constituency, they won't be re-elected. You can probably bribe a small number from a group of politicians to go against their constituents, but not the vast numbers needed to swim against the anti-gun tide in a place like CA.

This!

A famous quote, attributed to a number of politicians (probably because all of them said it,) is as follows:

"If you can't eat their food, drink their booze, screw their women, take their money and then vote against them you've got no business being up here."

Attributed to Jesse M. Unruh, Willie Brown and others.

[UberPatriot]

I've said this before but the only way we can get 2A representation in this state it to elect politically moderate 2A Conservatives.
The Tea Party failed to attract enough voters, in fact they scared middle of the road voters over to the Dems, That's why we have a supermajority in Cali.
It's not the NRA's fault it's ours.

[2bikemike]

The NRA is a National group fighting on an National front. They can help but they can't do it all. They would be spread way to thin.

That is why it is important to join locally. I.E. the CPRA. It also takes more than just joining as a member. They need financial support in addition to the membership dues, as well as your time. Where I fail in these efforts is Time. Way easier said than done to volunteer time.

[Citizen X]

I've said this before but the only way we can get 2A representation in this state it to elect politically moderate 2A Conservatives.
The Tea Party failed to attract enough voters, in fact they scared middle of the road voters over to the Dems, That's why we have a supermajority in Cali.
It's not the NRA's fault it's ours.

Not sure what you mean by a politically moderate 2A conservative but most likely such a creature is about as common as a Unicorn in this state. Also, the DemocRat super majority has nothing to do with the Tea Party. As Ann Coulter has documented so thoroughly it is a result of massive demographic changes in the electorate caused by Reagans amnesty and Ted Kennedy's 1965 immigration bill. So don't scapegoat the Tea Party, which never had much influence in this state anyway.

One out of every 4 Cali residents is foreign born. Foreigners are much more likely to support gun control and DemocRat politicians than native born residents. That's just a fact, if an ugly one.

[REH]

I believe the people who are upset at the NRA, are so, because they don’t see any resistance from the NRA. While it is understood meetings, hearings, and face to face takes place, no one sees or hears of this, hence “Their not doing anything”. Nightly on TV, we see protest groups, regardless of size getting face time for their cause. If the NRA organize more rallies and gets the news more involved it would go a long way to squelching the dissatisfaction. Information is a powerful tool.

[duckman45]

I think the best course of action would be for the NRA to take all donations from the state of california and hire private investigators to find every law broken by the dems in office here. I'm sure they are all law breakers, or corrupt to some degree.

[Libertarian71]

It does not help when the NRA endorses RINO GOP gun grabbers like Rep. Ling Ling Chang.

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=1214721