A proper response to the NRA

If you want to change an organizations behavior, you need to stay in the organization. Call up NRA-ILA (800-392-8683, Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., EST) and tell them as part of your conversation that you are "re-considering your membership and support" and then tell the nice people how they can make you happy. If naught else, if they don't know what you want, they probably won't be nearly as good at producing it.

When I called yesterday, I got the distinct impression that everyone over at NRA-ILA from Chris Cox on down was staffing the phones and getting a steady and painful earful. Hopefully, this will actually have some effect though I also got the impression of an attitude of "we've ridden this sort of thing out before, we can do it again...they will forgive and forget if we just keep on keeping on long enough". Not malicious, mind you - but tone-deaf and a bit absent-minded about who they work for (the membership).

The NRA is, for good or ill, the 900lb gorilla in the room. The question is, whether that Gorilla and it's flying monkey subordinates are following the desires of the membership - or telling the membership "we know better, now be quiet"?

Waldron points out that the Revolt of '77 led by Harlon Carter is long past.

After the NRA's mis-steps in Georgia, McDonald, Heller (aka Parker), and other instances some questions arise. Given its occasional behavior that certainly looks a lot like a Prima Dona waltzing into the midst of an event and announcing, regardless of any bothersome prior facts to the contrary, that it's really all about them and they are in charge now, one might wonder how best to cause the organization to become a bit more attentive.

All's well that ends well is likely not the right answer. Playing chicken with the First Amendment at stake (that handy one that gives us a more subtle defense of the 2nd Amendment and other rights than "from the rooftops") seems, at best, inappropriate. I get the general impression that more than a few others feel the same.

At a minimum, a public spanking seems in order, particularly in the face of the NRA's "we know what we're doing, don't both us" sort of response to the justified concerns of the membership.

Just what would be required to enact meaningful reform at the NRA? To stage the Coup of 2011 or 2012? And if it's so insulated itself through the use of orwellian by-laws and procedural gamesmanship as to be invulnerable - then perhaps it's time for the SAF and others to begin the process of talking amongst themselves to form an over-arching organization in the Second Amendment Community that would constitute a second 900 lb gorilla in the room that's a tad more attentive.