April 18, 2013

I am not the only one who thinks the NRA has lost its way

Adolphus Busch IV Resigns From NRA After Gun Control Defeat In Senate


14 comments:

steves said...

No more Busch beer for me. Such a loss. ;)

I am sure there will be others that will resign, but considering the membership boom of the last two months, I think there will be a net gain.

Streak said...

Well, that is all that matters.

steves said...

I certainly can't speak for the NRA, but I doubt that any gun rights org is going to be universally loved by the gun rights community. While the NRA is seen as extreme by some, there are others that think they are too compromising and join groups like the GOA or the JPFO. They never compromise.

Streak said...

Well, as long as things work out for the gun owners. that seems to be all that matters.

Noah said...

From the article:

But the NRA has moved in a direction that Busch would not follow. "One only has to look at the makeup of the 75-member board of directors, dominated by manufacturing interests, to confirm my point. The NRA appears to have evolved into the lobby for gun and ammunition manufacturers rather than gun owners," he wrote.

WORD.

Noah said...

A bunch of Flip Floppers over there at the NRA.

steves said...

I have looked at the list of the board members and I don't see it to be dominated by the gun manufacturing interests. The NRA has a lobbying wing, the NRA-ILA, which is separate from the NRA and has different funding sources. The manufacturers and the commercial sales groups have their own trade groups and lobbying firms, though they do contribute to the NRA.

Face it, the people that don't like the NRA love to portray them as the gun lobby or some or some other nefarious group.

As for the flip flopping, it isn't as bad as it seems if you understand what their previous position. They supported instant background checks at gun shows. The new bill would have mandated instant background checks for ALL private sales. Considering that gun shows only account for a tiny fraction of all private sales, this is a big difference. FWIW, you haven't been able to buy a gun at a gun show without a background check in most states for at least 10 years.

Streak, I know that this seems to be a continual surprise for you, but the NRA is a gun group. They will do things that support gun owners. People aren't giving them money to literacy efforts in Asscrackistan or whatever you think they should be doing.

Streak said...

My point is and will be that gun owners have responsibility to society as well. The NRA prioritizes its interests and those interests are clearly not what is good for society. Don't continually tell me that is perfectly understandable. It isn't. They have every right to lobby for gun rights. But if they do that in denial of broader social issues and needs, they are almost by definition, sociopathic.

Noah said...

I have looked at the list of the board members and I don't see it to be dominated by the gun manufacturing interests

So Busch lied about that?

Noah said...

I looked too. Most of them don't say where they currently work at all, but a quick scan through the first half of the board shows 3 in the defense/weapons industry who actually stated in their bio what they do for a living (though the "Honorables" and "Governor" are dead giveaways too!). No surprise: a gob of law enforcement.

So may I take Adolphus' word for it.

This isn't the only time a high-profile dude dropped the NRA like it was hot.

steves said...

Yes, Busch and Bush lied.

Looking through the list, I see these people being in manufacturing/gun sales:

Ronnie Barrett (manufacturer)
Pete Brownell (retailer)
Stephen Hornady (manufacturing)
Bob Nosler (manufacturing)

I suck at math, but I wouldn't say that 4 out of 75 counts as "dominance." You make the call. Most worked in politics in some capacity.

Streak, it is hard to take you seriously when you keep using the word sociopath. Either:

1. You don't really understand the word.

2. You like ad hominem debate styles.

I agree that if the NRA promotes something that is dangerous, then they should be called out on it. I have argued and provided evidence that things like registration or universal background checks would do little to lower crime and make people safer, so I would argue that they aren't doing anything irresponsible for society.

Yes, Smitty, Bush I quit the NRA. Overall, I don't think it really hurt them.



Streak said...

Anti-social behavior and no remorse. don't condescend to me.

Streak said...

And if you don't think encouraging gun owners to distrust their government and calling things that are not tyranny, tyranny--if you think those are not anti-social then it is you who has an understanding problem.

steves said...

Another interesting tidbit from Bush I was that his letter came not that long after the NRA declined to endorse him (because of several executive orders that were seen as anti gun rights). Coincidence.