From: nowhere![c--a--r] at [uunet.uu.net] (Francis A. Ney, Jr.) Newsgroups: talk.politics.guns Subject: Re: Why the NRA won't see another cent from me! Date: 11 Jul 1994 08:54:49 -0400 In article <2vkbk0$[8 l 6] at [xring.cs.umd.edu]> [m--e] at [hopper.itc.virginia.edu] writes: # I've put up with the NRA being an obscene part of the american political # system for a while now, and sent them my money faithfully. I figured it # couldn't hurt to have some of the evil lobbyists on my side for a change. # # No more though. They only seem to be spending my money on sending a # magazine that's full of their political garbage and mailings trying to # solicit more money from me. # # Well, the last one (came with a pin) presumed to tell me that NRA members # are all moral, law-abiding, christian, anti-drug warriors of the lord. # # Never again will I support the NRA. I happen to be a militant, drug-using, # atheist bisexual, and if the NRA thinks that is in conflict with their # ideals of their membership, I need no part of it. It's simply insane # that they feel the need to alienate people who would otherwise be # supporters with their right-wing bullshit. # # The NRA is also spineles; unwilling to encourage people to preserve # their rights at *all costs*. It's time for people to stand up and say # that anyone trying to take any guns away from peaceful citizens is a # TRAITOR and deserves punishment as such. # # I'm done with the NRA. The sticker and hat are in the garbage, where # they belong. While Mike was a bit more forceful than I would have been, I find myself in complete agreement with his definition of the problem, if not his proposed solution. While I am not a drug user, I do realize that the War on (some non-PC) drugs has been a major contributor to our current crime problem in a number of ways. I have been approached by my friends, both of the homosexual/non-judeo- christian-religious persuation and the tolerant heterosexual/christian groups, both of whom were incredulous at the intolerant tone and content of this mailing. As one Wiccan friend of mine put it: "People like this [whom this mailing was aimed at] are *why* I need a gun to protect myself!" Senior NRA officials bet on a tremendous response from the radical religious right, and unfortunately they were correct. According to my source within the NRA HQ in Virginia, this mailing has generated record response, both in terms of money and pieces of mail received. It has also generated responses from the moderate NRA membership along the lines of the post quoted above. This includes a woman NRA life member who has tendered her resignation. Now: more tidbits from within the NRA HQ iron curtain. Every mailing from the NRA is a product of a company called PM Consulting. This corporation has a very incestuous relationship with NRA senior officials, including Neal Knox and Wayne LaPierre. To put it bluntly, money that NRA pays to PM Consulting for the crap mailings like the one we just got finds its way back to senior NRA officers' pockets. PM Consulting's name is mudd among NRA staff that has to do the real work, like dealing with the NRA membership. Ask them privately, when they are off duty, so you don't risk their employment. Notice that I am not naming my source for the same reason. There's enough crap going on within the NRA HQ that if it ever comes out it will mean death for our RKBA. There is a way to sove this problem, but it will take committment the like of which has never been seen, and as soon as I get my 5 year voting rights (in May) I'll be leading the pack. We start by leaning on our directors. Demand a full accounting of NRA activities, including PR and PM Consulting. Ask why we had to do this in- house and why senior NRA officials are profiting thereby. Demand accountability, as is our right: as a membership organization we are legally the stockholders of the NRA. Which brings up another possible action: with 50% + 1 members, we can throw out the Board of Directors and the officers and start fresh. This will be a near physical impossibility but it can be done. We've got to take some form of action if the NRA is to be a viable force for the protection of our civil RKBA. We need to get off our collective fat butts, and I'm not kidding. This is almost as important as dealing with our legislatures. Rational discussion will be accepted. Flames will be ignored. Frank Ney NRA member BSN5221R -- "Apparently on New Texas, killing a politician was not _malum in se_, and was _malum prohibitorum_ only to the extent that what the politician got was in excess of what he deserved." -H. Beam Piper, _Lone Star Planet/A Planet For Texans_