From: watt-alan@net.yale.edu (Alan Watt)
Newsgroups: talk.politics.guns
Subject: Re: Join, Mike, join!   (Was: A Letter To The Editor)
Date: 2 Oct 92 16:12:24 GMT
Organization: Yale University, Computing & Information Systems
Originator: swatt@mickey.CS.Yale.Edu


In article <8110286@hpfcso.FC.HP.COM>, post@hpfcso.FC.HP.COM (David Post) writes:
|> In talk.politics.guns, jkapson@ad-29.Naitc.Com (John Kapson) writes:
|> 
|>  >Sign up for the EZ-Pay life plan (like I did!): $60 down, and $40 a quarter
|>  >until you're paid up.  The membership number is (800) 368-5714
|> 
|> This is not really a flame on NRA, so please read the whole thing :-)
|> 
|> Before signing up for a life membership, please consider that until last
|> years election, the NRA was not really very active in supporting RKBA.  They
|> appear to have been more interested in supporting sporting events and other
|> not so political program.
|> 
|> If you want to join the NRA to support the RKBA, please consider voting for
|> RKBA activists for the Board of Directors each election instead of being
|> apathetic like many American voters at the polls.
|> 
|> Also note that the NRA supports or opposes legislation using funds from the
|> Institute for Legislative Action ( ILA ) and supports or opposes specific
|> candidates using funds from their Political Victory Fund ( PVF ).
|> 
|> It is my understanding that these two Funds get only a small allocation from
|> the general fund.
|> 
|> My conclusion is that a lifetime membership is not a very strong statement
|> of support for RKBA, but contributions to the ILA and the PVF are.
|> 
|> David Post  davep@hpfcpp.fc.hp.com  hplabs!hpfcla!post

David:

Under the zillions of federal laws the "National Rifle Association of America"
is not allowed to use membership funds for lobbying purposes.  They have
therefore set up the ILA and PVF as separate legal entities.  I think these
two funds get *zero* from the membership fees.  Yes, by all means contribute
to them.

However, becoming a life member, even under the Easy Payment plan, confers
*immediate* voting priviliges on you.  Otherwise, you have to be an annual
member for 5 continuous years.  The last two NRA elections saw a significant
shift toward real serious RKBA advocates.  The cumulative shift on the board
has resulted in a significant change in management, especially the Executive
Vice President.

If your goal is how to do the most for RKBA, then contributions to ILA, PVF,
and signing up new members is probably more important than becoming a life
member.  But if your goal is how to have a greater effect on the NRA itself,
you need to have voting status.  The Easy Payment Life plan is a very
attractive way to do this.

I signed up for the E.P.L. about two years ago, and earlier this year
sent them a check for the entire balance due, so I was fully paid up
somewhat earlier than the plan called for.

I believe the traditional NRA activities: education, sponsoring shooting
events, training law enforcement, etc., etc., are also very important and
I don't want to see them cut.  Plain and simple, if the NRA is to continue
these functions and devote the resources for a much more aggressive RKBA
campaign, it needs more members and more money.  I'm delighted to see the
NRA getting more serious in this area, and devoting some real effort to
recruiting women members also.  The NRA needs to shed its rather stodgy
orientation towards "good old boy" hunters and sportsmen and re-orient
itself towards the fact that most gun owners now live in relatively urban
settings and have very different needs than the typical gun owner of 50
years ago.

So, (1) join up, (2) get others to do likewise, and (3) make sure your
views are felt when NRA elections come around.  If you're willing to
wait through 5 years of annual membership, fine.  Otherwise, E.P.L. makes
enormous sense.
-- 
  Alan S. Watt
  Yale University			Computing and Information Systems
  Box 2112 Yale Station			(203) 432-6602
  New Haven, CT  06520-2112		Watt-Alan@Yale.Edu
Newsgroups: talk.politics.guns