semperfi71
US Veteran
Since Sandy Hook I have sat back to watch and wait to see where the aftermath of this event would take us. I know the pain of the loss of a child. I could not fathom the pain those parents and siblings underwent, the pain of the responders, of the enitre community. I still cannot watch certain segments of the event and not tear up.
I wrote all of my national congressional Senators and Representatives and gave them my opinions on "common sense" gun control that might pass. I HAVE NOT HEARD FROM ONE OF THEM.
I have waffeled on the issues and my beliefs due to my emotions over Sandy Hook. I still fill guilty that I am somehow responsible for that event and those before all the way back to John Lennon simply because I am a gun owner and I am part of the problem.
However I always come back to the same point. Those were mentally ill people and not the guns which commited the crime. And, the great majority of gun owners do not commit crimes. And that the rest of the gun crime will always occur because gun control will not work to end gun crime.
I have now become firmly entrenched into the position that the NRA is the only way.
Since the mid to late 1970's I believed the NRA was "missing the boat". They were not actively targeting those groups of Americans who were not "white-male". They were targeting women but mostly women who were already shooters. Now they are way behind in targeting the largest segment of our nation..."other than white males".
For many years I also believed the NRA was "missing the boat" in not reaching out to those who "sit the fence" on gun control and exposing them to a rational, legal defense of the Second Amendment.
I, today still believe the NRA is "missing the boat".
I have watched Wayne LaPierre on almost all of his television interviews since the events of Connecticut and I personally believe he needs to be replaced for various reasons I will not discuss here. My opinion only, but I think he is weak in his defenses of our Second Amendment rights.
I also believe the NRA is currently not pursueing, in my opinon, the "best course of action" and I also believe they are feeling a bit over-confident in their publicly stated belief that very few of the proposed gun control laws will pass. I think the NRA is close to the point of arrogance on this issue.
And I would like to add here that I do not trust a liberal politican when he/she says "The only possible survivable gun control is the back-ground check." I think they are deliberately stating these points to get the non-gun public ramped up in support of the President's appeal to the "masses" for "change". The Vice-President himself, after heading up a gun control commision has essentially publicly stated this.
I also think it is an attempt to lull US into inactivity.
BUT...please read the attached news report.
Lawmakers propose liability insurance for U.S. gun owners | Yahoo! Health
I have been a member of the NRA for many years. I will continue to do so. WHY? They are still the best and largest protector of our rights to own firearms.
I may still have my beliefs but I will still be a member. If I feel strongly enough I will contact the NRA or become more aggressive and work within the organization for change. Handejector (the boss here) has said the same thing. If you want a ""better" NRA get involved in the NRA. But don't quit them.
If anyone thinks this recent assault is "not to worry about" or that "they will only get the assault weapons and I don't care about those"...then re-read the above news post.
I personally do not care for them. They are ugly, thay have given a lot of shooters a hugely undeserved negative reputation to the non-shooting public, they have become a definitive symbol that gun-banners can rally around. BUT..."assault weapon" owners, if not your "brethern", are the first brick to fall from a potentially crumbling structure.
Within only two months the debate began with "common sense" gun limits which will not "restrict YOUR Second Amendment rights..." (proposed by those who lack common sense) to become the same old gun control measures that failed to accomplish anything, to the New York law which went over the top of the Feinstein Bill, to new ones that are more infringing than before such as my post above; to who knows what is on the horizon. I have already heard of "bullet taxes", "laws against 'exploding' bullets (think hollowpoints, soft points), laws against shooting (outside of hunting seasons) on Federal and State lands, laws against smelting lead, etc.
The numbers of shooters and hunters is dropping, the land available for shooting and hunting is dropping. It is only a matter of time (years, eons?) that gun ownership in this nation wans. But I choose to end my gun ownership on my terms and not someone else's.
The issue of gun control will never end in your lifetime save a Constitutional amendment which states, "No more gun control". It is already obvious that the gun-banners don't just want your "assault weapons which you have no real NEED for".....THEY WANT ALL FIREARMS anyway they can get or control them.
So if you own firearms you NEED to be at least a once a year renewing NRA member. As well, there is a thread on this forum stating that currently the NRA is selling lifetime memberships for $300.00 with no required sponsorship via another lifetime member. You would be hard pressed to buy ANY quality firearm anywhere for $300.00.
Please join the NRA, those of you, like me, who think the NRA can do better please get more involved, call your local NRA representative and say "How can I help?" Get elected to the NRA boards, committees, etc.
Climb the ranks and maybe someday you can be on "Face The Nation" and say what has not been said........"Read the Federalist Papers and the Anti-Federalist Papers, as well the writings and musings of the Founding Founders and you will see DEFINITIVE proof that the Second Amemdment was intended to allow US to own ANY weapon available."
I wrote all of my national congressional Senators and Representatives and gave them my opinions on "common sense" gun control that might pass. I HAVE NOT HEARD FROM ONE OF THEM.
I have waffeled on the issues and my beliefs due to my emotions over Sandy Hook. I still fill guilty that I am somehow responsible for that event and those before all the way back to John Lennon simply because I am a gun owner and I am part of the problem.
However I always come back to the same point. Those were mentally ill people and not the guns which commited the crime. And, the great majority of gun owners do not commit crimes. And that the rest of the gun crime will always occur because gun control will not work to end gun crime.
I have now become firmly entrenched into the position that the NRA is the only way.
Since the mid to late 1970's I believed the NRA was "missing the boat". They were not actively targeting those groups of Americans who were not "white-male". They were targeting women but mostly women who were already shooters. Now they are way behind in targeting the largest segment of our nation..."other than white males".
For many years I also believed the NRA was "missing the boat" in not reaching out to those who "sit the fence" on gun control and exposing them to a rational, legal defense of the Second Amendment.
I, today still believe the NRA is "missing the boat".
I have watched Wayne LaPierre on almost all of his television interviews since the events of Connecticut and I personally believe he needs to be replaced for various reasons I will not discuss here. My opinion only, but I think he is weak in his defenses of our Second Amendment rights.
I also believe the NRA is currently not pursueing, in my opinon, the "best course of action" and I also believe they are feeling a bit over-confident in their publicly stated belief that very few of the proposed gun control laws will pass. I think the NRA is close to the point of arrogance on this issue.
And I would like to add here that I do not trust a liberal politican when he/she says "The only possible survivable gun control is the back-ground check." I think they are deliberately stating these points to get the non-gun public ramped up in support of the President's appeal to the "masses" for "change". The Vice-President himself, after heading up a gun control commision has essentially publicly stated this.
I also think it is an attempt to lull US into inactivity.
BUT...please read the attached news report.
Lawmakers propose liability insurance for U.S. gun owners | Yahoo! Health
I have been a member of the NRA for many years. I will continue to do so. WHY? They are still the best and largest protector of our rights to own firearms.
I may still have my beliefs but I will still be a member. If I feel strongly enough I will contact the NRA or become more aggressive and work within the organization for change. Handejector (the boss here) has said the same thing. If you want a ""better" NRA get involved in the NRA. But don't quit them.
If anyone thinks this recent assault is "not to worry about" or that "they will only get the assault weapons and I don't care about those"...then re-read the above news post.
I personally do not care for them. They are ugly, thay have given a lot of shooters a hugely undeserved negative reputation to the non-shooting public, they have become a definitive symbol that gun-banners can rally around. BUT..."assault weapon" owners, if not your "brethern", are the first brick to fall from a potentially crumbling structure.
Within only two months the debate began with "common sense" gun limits which will not "restrict YOUR Second Amendment rights..." (proposed by those who lack common sense) to become the same old gun control measures that failed to accomplish anything, to the New York law which went over the top of the Feinstein Bill, to new ones that are more infringing than before such as my post above; to who knows what is on the horizon. I have already heard of "bullet taxes", "laws against 'exploding' bullets (think hollowpoints, soft points), laws against shooting (outside of hunting seasons) on Federal and State lands, laws against smelting lead, etc.
The numbers of shooters and hunters is dropping, the land available for shooting and hunting is dropping. It is only a matter of time (years, eons?) that gun ownership in this nation wans. But I choose to end my gun ownership on my terms and not someone else's.
The issue of gun control will never end in your lifetime save a Constitutional amendment which states, "No more gun control". It is already obvious that the gun-banners don't just want your "assault weapons which you have no real NEED for".....THEY WANT ALL FIREARMS anyway they can get or control them.
So if you own firearms you NEED to be at least a once a year renewing NRA member. As well, there is a thread on this forum stating that currently the NRA is selling lifetime memberships for $300.00 with no required sponsorship via another lifetime member. You would be hard pressed to buy ANY quality firearm anywhere for $300.00.
Please join the NRA, those of you, like me, who think the NRA can do better please get more involved, call your local NRA representative and say "How can I help?" Get elected to the NRA boards, committees, etc.
Climb the ranks and maybe someday you can be on "Face The Nation" and say what has not been said........"Read the Federalist Papers and the Anti-Federalist Papers, as well the writings and musings of the Founding Founders and you will see DEFINITIVE proof that the Second Amemdment was intended to allow US to own ANY weapon available."
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