From: shaffer@achilles.ctd.anl.gov (Michael A. Shaffer)
Subject: Re: Alternative RKBA Groups Needed
Organization: Argonne National Laboratory
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 1992 18:35:40 GMT

So much to address...

In article <1992Nov12.180624.1867@gnv.ifas.ufl.edu>, jrm@gnv.ifas.ufl.edu writes:
|> In article <1992Nov12.004225.15048@hplabsz.hpl.hp.com>, paull@hplabsz.hpl.hp.com (Robert Paull) writes:
|> > 
|> > 
|> >  What about the national organizations: GOA, CCRKBA, SAF.
|> > They are an alternative to the NRA.
|> > 
|> > (Gun Owners of America)
|> > (Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and bear Arms)
|> > (Second Amendment Foundation)
|> > 
|> > 
|> > RP- Member of all of them, including NRA.
|> 
|> 	All good organizations ... so why don't we hear from them ? 
|> 	I've never heard a TV spot I could attribute to them, never
|> 	a radio ad, never even a little square blurb in a large-
|> 	distribution newspaper. Silent organizations are useless.
|> 	They must be even *louder* than the NRA, make themselves
|> 	distinct from the NRA and hammer their point of view home
|> 	to the mass audience.

If the NRA with all it's clout finds it nearly impossible to get the
media barrons to run their adds I suspect that the smaller organizations
have found it completely impossible not to mention expensive.

|> 
|> 	While there is some value to organizations that work behind
|> 	the scenes, enlightening politicians and such, the NRA is
|> 	serving as the focus of the anti-gunners ire and its poor
|> 	image hurts the cause. Other prominent images are necessary
|> 	so that the general public can see that it isn't ONLY the NRA
|> 	that supports the RKBA, but many people - for many different
|> 	reasons.

I agree that more exposure for other organizations is desirable but
I am not sure how it can be achieved.

|> 
|> 	The NRA has commonly used hunting as the main reason to own

I have only been a member since the New NRA came into being so I can not
comment on the Cassidy years and before but this does not seem to be
the case now.

|> 	firearms. The result has been the ban on 'non-sporting' 
|> 	weapons ("assault" rifles) from many foreign suppliers and
|> 	soon probably on domestic suppliers as well. Even worse,

Seems to me the NRA has been fighting those bans. True they don't
emphasize the milita aspect as much as the sporting arms but I
suspect this is done to incite complacent hunters to action.

|> 	there is not a single excuse, reasonable or otherwise, to
|> 	support sport hunting that will stand-up to even 10 seconds
|> 	of 'Bambi'. The public sees hunting season as the government
|> 	encouraging violent, sick loonies to do carnage to cute
|> 	furry animals. Over-population ... who shot the predator
|> 	species ? Hunters ! Let the game wardens thin the herds as
|> 	required, but don't sanction Bambi-cide ! (they may say)

The same could be said about militia weapons. There is not one single
excuse that will stand up to even 10 seconds of statist arguments.
The public sees those of use who take our rights to defend ourselves
from a possible government abuse as paranoid, mercinary nut cases.
What do you propose. Make hunters the sacrificial lamb in hopes that
the gun grabbers will stop there. We must all stand together or we
will surely fall separately.

|> 
|> 	So, we see a unique turn of events ... the NRA says that
|> 	hunting is the purpose of guns (no mention of defending
|> 	ones life - too nasty a subject). So, the fed says "Fine,

This is very much at odds with my experiance with the new NRA. I
haven't seen any of the recent T.V. ads (I haven't watched t.v in
over three years except for the election coverage). Maybe someone
can fill us in on whether any self defense issues were raised. I
can say that the pamphlets that I have seen talked at length about
firearms in self defense. Then of course their is the armed citizen,
and the crime strike program etc. In other materials I have seen
them address the issue of disarming the milita. One of us must be
talking about another NRA.

|> 	then you won't mind if we ban all weapons unlikely to be
|> 	used by hunters.". Next thing, the anti-hunting groups are
|> 	doing a great job making hunting into a great moral evil
|> 	that only bloodthirsty savages would indulge in. So, soon
|> 	enough, sport-hunting will be gone. Next, the fed will
|> 	say "Well, since ther is no more hunting, then you really
|> 	won't be needing those hunting weapons anymore will you?".
|> 	In this manner we are trapped by the NRAs rhetoric. The
|> 	worst thing is that the NRAs line is probably the only one
|> 	they could get away with saying without being further
|> 	demonized. Other groups - lots of them - vocal - will be
|> 	necessary to tackle the other issues revolving around RKBA.

This may have been the case in the past but I definitely do not see it
in the current leadership. Yes they are timid at times but they are not
behind sport anymore.

|> 
|> 	Personally, I never hunt anything larger than your average
|> 	common rodent - squirrels, jack-rabbits etc.. I have a
|> 	gut feeling that rejects sport hunting of larger species.

I hope you get to feeling better. Just kidding. Gut feeling you know...
Twas a joke... OK. a bad joke. ;-)

|> 	Survival hunting is OK by me, however. So, even myself who
|> 	strongly supports the RKBA is unmoved and unmotivated by
|> 	the typical NRA ad. Breech the issue of self-defense or
|> 	keeping would-be totalitarians at bay and I get very
|> 	interested. The situations in LA and Homestead should have
|> 	figured promenently in national pro-RKBA spots ... but the

Well it (LA) did in their magazine adds. As I say I don't know about
the TV.

|> 	NRA just can't do it. Someone else has to. (and for [sic] gods 
|> 	sake, don't place pro-gun ads in GUN MAGAZINES ! Talk about
|> 	preaching to the converted ...)

I agree that every effort must be made to get more exposure in the
popular magazine, TV etc but I think that the ads in the gun magazines
are useful considering that only a tiny minority of gun owners in this
country are members of any pro-RKBA organization.

Again remember getting our message in the anti-RKBA controled media
is difficult. I believe that the NRA is doing what they can. Why
not cut them some slack. I intend to upgrade to a 5 year membership
so that I can vote and help keep the Old "Guard" out. The old guard
being the leaders that were more interested in sponsoring target
shooting events than protecting our rights.

|> 
|> -- JM 

				mike
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