How the Left Is Behind the Latest NRA Membership Drive

 

Inexplicably after the shooting in Parkland, the National Rifle Association, which had exactly zero ties to the massacre, have turned into the liberal boogeyman. I say inexplicable because it makes no sense, although it’s a predictable turn of events given recent history. At the CNN Townhall (which a friend has rightly nicknamed the Grief Porn Thunderdome) it was the NRA Spokeswoman Dana Loesch who was screamed at by attendees; not Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel, whose department is looking more and more culpable by the day.

Not only did the County miss several opportunities to prevent the teen from ever obtaining firearms:

But news also broke that four deputies were sitting outside the school as the gunmen massacred children inside. The Department may have even issued a standdown order according to a local reporter:

And yet, it is Dana Loesch and the NRA, not the FBI and county police, who have earned the fire (pun intended) from the left, which has decided to attack any company with anything resembling financial ties. (How preventing NRA members from using their NRA discounts at car rental and airlines would prevent a school shooting is unclear.) This isn’t just an attack on the NRA as a body but on NRA members. These are law-abiding American citizens, and they have now been declared the Enemy of the Left:

In the wake of all of these revelations, the Left is sticking with its narrative about the evils of the NRA, not the shooter or the law enforcement agencies that dropped the ball on repeated warnings about the carnage he was capable of, which he would eventually carry out.

If the gun-control Left’s objective was to strip the NRA of power by convincing companies to stop offering discounts to their members, their actions are having exactly opposite the intended effect. NRA members don’t join because they wanted a discount on their rental car. (How many even knew that was a feature?) They join because they believe that the NRA defends their Second Amendment rights. With the Second Amendment under attack, and Americans being told the chief danger to our safety is the NRA, it’s only natural that the corporate attacks on the NRA and its members are just creating more members who want their Second Amendment rights protected, rather than cheaper car rentals.

The Left mistakenly believes that the Second Amendment’s staying power is because of the NRA, when in fact it’s just because gun owners would like to remain, well, gun owners. The NRA only has the strength it does because of its membership base, which has doubtlessly increased a great deal since last week. Just as President Obama was seen as the “gun-seller in chief,” the Left should be getting a commission off of all of the NRA memberships sold this week.

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  1. Concretevol Thatcher
    Concretevol
    @Concretevol

    I have a theory that ever annoying on twitter David Hogg is actually a NRA plant because he is heading up the biggest membership drive in years!

    • #1
  2. Randal H Member
    Randal H
    @RandalH

    Concretevol (View Comment):
    I have a theory that ever annoying on twitter David Hogg is actually a NRA plant because he is heading up the biggest membership drive in years!

    I just renewed mine after letting it lapse for a couple of years. Hopefully membership numbers are going “Hogg wild!”

    • #2
  3. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    The left is never informed or logical about gun policy. They’re just trying to grab power anyway they can.

    • #3
  4. Locke On Member
    Locke On
    @LockeOn

    Given the Left’s latest moral panic happens to have coincided with NRA’s discount on membership upgrades, I am now a Life Endowment member.

    • #4
  5. Kevin Creighton Contributor
    Kevin Creighton
    @KevinCreighton

    And if any of the Ricochetti want to join, please select “Shooting Illustrated” as your periodical of choice and make me and my editors happy. :)

    Disclaimer:

    Yes, that is an affiliate link, and I’ll make a couple of bucks off it, but it’s the only way to get the good discounts out there right now.

    • #5
  6. Kevin Creighton Contributor
    Kevin Creighton
    @KevinCreighton

    Concretevol (View Comment):
    I have a theory that ever annoying on twitter David Hogg is actually a NRA plant because he is heading up the biggest membership drive in years!

    He is rapidly Sheehanizing himself.

    • #6
  7. Mate De Inactive
    Mate De
    @MateDe

    I’ve said this before, that the left doesn’t seem to understand the whole “from my cold, dead hands” thing. Also, these companies are really stupid to capitulate to the left against the NRA.

    • #7
  8. Stad Coolidge
    Stad
    @Stad

    Bethany Mandel: not Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel, whose department is looking more and more culpable by the day.

    It get worse.  I was listening to Rush on the way to the garbage dump, and he brought up a startling article from some 2013 newspaper.  The article referred to an Obama Program to reduce the number of young blacks being arrested for crimes, and Broward County was one of the first school districts to jump on board.  You see, there are Federal grants available to schools that find a way to choke the “school to prison pipeline” as it’s called.

    The bottom line is school officials and local law enforcement find “ways” to change the numbers, and those ways are usually not arresting perps.  Although geared towards minorities, one side effect is any student (black or white) is not charged with an offense, so the numbers drop and Uncle Sugar ponies up the cash.

    While there’s no evidence the Florida nut job was involved in this scheme, Rush did reveal (and it bears second-checking) that the background check system itself is fundamentally flawed.  You see, the data has to be entered in order for a “Do Not Sell” to pop up.  We’ve already seen how some military crimes are not entered, but Rush said several states rarely enter data at all.  I’m going to dig a little bit, but I’m willing to bet those states are liberal, and part of it has to do with changing crime ratios to make young black men not look as bad, and to shield illegal aliens who commit crimes from ICE.

    • #8
  9. Stad Coolidge
    Stad
    @Stad

    Mate De (View Comment):
    I’ve said this before, that the left doesn’t seem to understand the whole “from my cold, dead hands” thing. Also, these companies are really stupid to capitulate to the left against the NRA.

    Rush had a bunch of companies drop advertising a while back (think it was the Sandra Fluke thing).  After a while, they all begged to get back on his show.  I don’t think he’s let a single one re-advertise, although I could be wrong.

    • #9
  10. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    Stad (View Comment):

    Mate De (View Comment):
    I’ve said this before, that the left doesn’t seem to understand the whole “from my cold, dead hands” thing. Also, these companies are really stupid to capitulate to the left against the NRA.

    Rush had a bunch of companies drop advertising a while back (think it was the Sandra Fluke thing). After a while, they all begged to get back on his show. I don’t think he’s let a single one re-advertise, although I could be wrong.

    The organized attempts to go after Rush Limbaugh are instructive if people would open their eyes. He had the excess resources to deal with the focused attack.

    • #10
  11. Bethany Mandel Coolidge
    Bethany Mandel
    @bethanymandel

    Locke On (View Comment):
    Given the Left’s latest moral panic happens to have coincided with NRA’s discount on membership upgrades, I am now a Life Endowment member.

    Are there any benefits to membership? I mean, after all of the discounts are gone ;)

    • #11
  12. Stad Coolidge
    Stad
    @Stad

    Bethany Mandel (View Comment):

    Locke On (View Comment):
    Given the Left’s latest moral panic happens to have coincided with NRA’s discount on membership upgrades, I am now a Life Endowment member.

    Are there any benefits to membership? I mean, after all of the discounts are gone ;)

    I hardly use any of the benefits other than the additional theft insurance.  However, I’m about to get CarryGuard.  It’s basically an insurance program in case you have to use your firearm to protect yourself, and the local DA comes after you.  However, they are trying to create a tactical self-defense training program to go along with it.  Just google it and check it out.

    • #12
  13. TheSockMonkey Inactive
    TheSockMonkey
    @TheSockMonkey

    Stad (View Comment):
    Rush did reveal (and it bears second-checking) that the background check system itself is fundamentally flawed. You see, the data has to be entered in order for a “Do Not Sell” to pop up. We’ve already seen how some military crimes are not entered, but Rush said several states rarely enter data at all.

    That’s something Dana Loesch has been pushing pretty hard.

     

    • #13
  14. Randy Weivoda Moderator
    Randy Weivoda
    @RandyWeivoda

    It seems like maybe a decade or so ago, NRA’s membership was about 3 million.  The last couple of years they’ve been saying 5 million.  I wouldn’t be shocked if their membership hits 6 million.  That’s a lot of members.  When you think of the big civil rights organizations, you think of National Organization for Women, NAACP, and ACLU.  Last time I checked the membership of all three of them combined was less than 2 million.

    People don’t get it when they say the NRA is powerful because they contribute to political campaigns.   It’s not the money, it’s the fact that the NRA represents a lot of voters.  And for every member, there are probably a couple other people who are too cheap to buy a membership but will vote with the NRA.

    • #14
  15. Miffed White Male Member
    Miffed White Male
    @MiffedWhiteMale

    I joined the NRA immediately after Columbine, but let it lapse after a  few years.

    Looking like it’s time to rejoin.

    • #15
  16. Miffed White Male Member
    Miffed White Male
    @MiffedWhiteMale

    Stad (View Comment):

    Mate De (View Comment):
    I’ve said this before, that the left doesn’t seem to understand the whole “from my cold, dead hands” thing. Also, these companies are really stupid to capitulate to the left against the NRA.

    Rush had a bunch of companies drop advertising a while back (think it was the Sandra Fluke thing). After a while, they all begged to get back on his show. I don’t think he’s let a single one re-advertise, although I could be wrong.

    I quit using carbonite after they dumped Rush over the Sandra Fluke thing.  And I haven’t listened to Rush in about 20 years.

    I switched to Crashplan, then they decided to abandon the home market last year and partnered with Carbonite to take over their home customers.  I declined.

     

    • #16
  17. Stad Coolidge
    Stad
    @Stad

    TheSockMonkey (View Comment):

    Stad (View Comment):
    Rush did reveal (and it bears second-checking) that the background check system itself is fundamentally flawed. You see, the data has to be entered in order for a “Do Not Sell” to pop up. We’ve already seen how some military crimes are not entered, but Rush said several states rarely enter data at all.

    That’s something Dana Loesch has been pushing pretty hard.

    She’s a paid spokeswoman, but if you know her story, she and her husband (IIRC) were mugged.  Since then, they both armed themselves and are avid 2nd Amendment supporters.  However, those “Peace and Love” types on the left have threatened her family (and threatened to rape and murder her), so they moved.  Makes me wonder how those on the left would feel if random strangers posted similar threats to them.

    I think Dana would be a great guest for a Ricochet podcast interview . . .

    • #17
  18. Jeffery Shepherd Inactive
    Jeffery Shepherd
    @JefferyShepherd

    Re-upped my NRA membership for 5 years this weekend

    • #18
  19. Goldwater's Revenge Inactive
    Goldwater's Revenge
    @GoldwatersRevenge

    Lets just say for the sake of argument that this wacko in Florida had been prevented from getting a gun, any gun. Would he then have changed his mind about killing his classmates? Would the voices in his head have gone away or would they have told him to steal his family car and run his classmates down as they walked home from school?

    Terrorist in Europe have found when transporting explosives or making bombs became too difficult they easily resorted to mass murder with cars, trucks or busses. There are so many ways of committing mass homocide that the only solution is to quickly remove the potential culprit from circulation. What the libs are doing is blaming the forest fire on the match, not the arsonist and it makes no sense.

     

    • #19
  20. Miffed White Male Member
    Miffed White Male
    @MiffedWhiteMale

    Goldwater's Revenge (View Comment):
    Lets just say for the sake of argument that this wacko in Florida had been prevented from getting a gun, any gun. Would he then have changed his mind about killing his classmates? Would the voices in his head have gone away or would they have told him to steal his family car and run his classmates down as they walked home from school?

    Terrorist in Europe have found when transporting explosives or making bombs became too difficult they easily resorted to mass murder with cars, trucks or busses. There are so many ways of committing mass homocide that the only solution is to quickly remove the potential culprit from circulation. What we are doing is blaming the forest fire on the match, not the arsonist and it makes no sense.

    It’s easy to forget that Columbine was not supposed to be a “school shooting”.  It was supposed to be a bombing (large propane tanks that would have killed hundreds) with them sitting outside shooting at people coming out of the wreckage.  But the bombs didn’t go off, so they just decided to go in and start shooting.

    If they hadn’t had the guns, they probably would have been able to remove the bombs unnoticed and tried again.

     

    • #20
  21. TheSockMonkey Inactive
    TheSockMonkey
    @TheSockMonkey

    Stad (View Comment):
    I think Dana would be a great guest for a Ricochet podcast interview . . .

    True.

    • #21
  22. Stad Coolidge
    Stad
    @Stad

    Goldwater's Revenge (View Comment):
    There are so many ways of committing mass homocide that the only solution is to quickly remove the potential culprit from circulation.

    This is what mental health reform and vetting immigrants is all about.  Heck, we may have to start vetting tourists, too.  If I book a cruise somewhere, I don’t mind if the port-of-call countries ask the US if I’m a whack job or not.

    Actually, I am a whack job, just a peaceful one . . .

    • #22
  23. Full Size Tabby Member
    Full Size Tabby
    @FullSizeTabby

    My understanding is that the NRA received a large increase in membership from New York State residents (one was Mrs. Tabby) after Governor Cuomo rammed through the ironically-named SAFE Act, literally in the middle of the night, after the Newtown elementary school shooting.

    • #23
  24. Joseph Stanko Coolidge
    Joseph Stanko
    @JosephStanko

    Miffed White Male (View Comment):
    I quit using carbonite after they dumped Rush over the Sandra Fluke thing. And I haven’t listened to Rush in about 20 years.

    I switched to Crashplan, then they decided to abandon the home market last year and partnered with Carbonite to take over their home customers. I declined.

    I’ve been using SOS Online Backup, no complaints.  I avoided Carbonite for the same reason.

    • #24
  25. Kozak Member
    Kozak
    @Kozak

    I just renewed for 3 years.

    • #25
  26. Kozak Member
    Kozak
    @Kozak

    Kevin Creighton (View Comment):
    And if any of the Ricochetti want to join, please select “Shooting Illustrated” as your periodical of choice and make me and my editors happy. :)

    Disclaimer:

    Yes, that is an affiliate link, and I’ll make a couple of bucks off it, but it’s the only way to get the good discounts out there right now.

    LOL. just renewed for 3 years and chose that in the digital version.

    • #26
  27. Miffed White Male Member
    Miffed White Male
    @MiffedWhiteMale

    Joseph Stanko (View Comment):

    Miffed White Male (View Comment):
    I quit using carbonite after they dumped Rush over the Sandra Fluke thing. And I haven’t listened to Rush in about 20 years.

    I switched to Crashplan, then they decided to abandon the home market last year and partnered with Carbonite to take over their home customers. I declined.

    I’ve been using SOS Online Backup, no complaints. I avoided Carbonite for the same reason.

    I’m actually continuing with the crashplan “business” plan for another year or two.  I can basically make it to sometime in 2019 for less than it would have cost to switch to carbonite.  And I didn’t like carbonite’s instant tech either – I prefer crashplans frequent batch approach.

    • #27
  28. Eldon Inactive
    Eldon
    @Eldon

    Bethany Mandel (View Comment):

    Locke On (View Comment):
    Given the Left’s latest moral panic happens to have coincided with NRA’s discount on membership upgrades, I am now a Life Endowment member.

    Are there any benefits to membership? I mean, after all of the discounts are gone ;)

    You mean besides defending the constitution?

    • #28
  29. Joseph Stanko Coolidge
    Joseph Stanko
    @JosephStanko

    Kevin Creighton (View Comment):
    And if any of the Ricochetti want to join, please select “Shooting Illustrated” as your periodical of choice and make me and my editors happy. :)

    Disclaimer:

    Yes, that is an affiliate link, and I’ll make a couple of bucks off it, but it’s the only way to get the good discounts out there right now.

    Why should I trust this link?  It probably goes to your personal web site where you’ll steal my credit card info…

    j/k

    I joined (and I don’t even own a gun!)

     

    • #29
  30. TheSockMonkey Inactive
    TheSockMonkey
    @TheSockMonkey

    I’m due to re-up next month, anyhow. Can’t afford to make a statement by going life member, or anything. [kicks rocks]

    • #30
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