NRA On The Hot Seat - Exposed or Attacked?

[Cheesehead]

New York Attorney General Moves To Dissolve The NRA After Fraud Investigation — NPR

New York's attorney general announced civil action to dissolve the National Rifle Association after an investigation found millions of dollars in alleged fraud by CEO Wayne LaPierre and others.

apple.news

 

[HSi-ESi]

NRA just went from the Hot Seat into a pot of boiling water.

 

[44hunter45]

At least as a member, I can still keep voting for a change in leadership of the BoD. Wish it just felt like it was doing something something good for the organization.

I can't see that my one vote has changed the board.

 

[Losing_Sanity]

This has been a rough year all around... Blatant corruption has been exposed everywhere. Sad part is it seems a lot of people just don't care. We are accepting things in our society that we would never have 20 years ago. And most of it ain't too good.

 

[LopeHunter]

New York attorney general seeks shutdown of NRA; accuses leaders of massive fraud

The National Rifle Association has been chartered in New York since the late 19th century, giving Attorney General Letitia James leverage.

www.usatoday.com

 

[Big Fin]

I know some will revel in this news. For me, it is a tragedy on all fronts.

The financial calamity this organization has brought upon itself is one thing, a repairable malfeasance. Betraying the trust, where many gave them the benefit of doubt in the face of questionable tactics and messaging, is even worse, likely not repairable.

The worst of all this is that they were entrusted with advocacy for one of our Constitutional Rights, on behalf of gun owners, and they couldn't resist the temptations of trust and power.

With a changing demographic that will likely increase pressures on 2A, having a group of self-serving tone deaf folks given the baton of this import 2A cause and pissing it down their legs is my greatest concern. I suspect we will need a strong 2A advocacy group more in the next ten years than we needed it in the last ten years. And now, we are left with this debacle, mostly self-inflicted by leadership undeserving of the responsibility they were given, and whose small-world view of the bigger world has left gun owners stranded in the face of huge political storms.

If the anti-2A crowd had only known how easy it would be to just sit back and let the human conditions of greed, powerlust, and lack of awareness take down the organization they held as their mortal enemy. All self-inflicted by many strategic and tactical mistakes. Give some people enough rope and .....................

So many lessons to be learned from this. Not just for gun owners, but for any group feeling attacked and in response places their trust too blindly in those who take advantage of that "circle the wagons" mindset so common among those who feel like a minority among a hostile majority.

When you play the game of politics as the NRA does/did, you better have someone looking over the horizon. You better have the best crystal ball in DC, both long-term and short-term. You make a lot of enemies. When you mess up, those enemies will be waiting. In that political environment, ignoring your weak flanks, disregarding the long-term power of demographics that drive the rhythm of political pendulums, is a recipe for failure.

It won't take a genius to do an autopsy of this fiasco to see how the patient died of self-inflicted wounds.

For 2A, not good news, but not a surprise.

 

[Sytes]

Election year...

 

[Big Fin]

Election year...

I wish it was that simple.

 

[Sytes]

I wish it was that simple.

Referencing the August 2020 timing for NY AG Civil suit.

 

[Big Fin]

Referencing the August 2020 timing for NY AG Civil suit.

Got it. The timing is political, for sure. A gift the NRA handed them.

 

[Losing_Sanity]

I know some will revel in this news. For me, it is a tragedy on all fronts.

The financial calamity this organization has brought upon itself is one thing, a repairable malfeasance. Betraying the trust, where many gave them the benefit of doubt in the face of questionable tactics and messaging, is even worse, likely not repairable.

The worst of all this is that they were entrusted with advocacy for one of our Constitutional Rights, on behalf of gun owners, and they couldn't resist the temptations of trust and power.

With a changing demographic that will likely increase pressures on 2A, having a group of self-serving tone deaf folks given the baton of this import 2A cause and pissing it down their legs is my greatest concern. I suspect we will need a strong 2A advocacy group more in the next ten years than we needed it in the last ten years. And now, we are left with this debacle, mostly self-inflicted by leadership undeserving of the responsibility they were given, and whose small-world view of the bigger world has left gun owners stranded in the face of huge political storms.

If the anti-2A crowd had only known how easy it would be to just sit back and let the human conditions of greed, powerlust, and lack of awareness take down the organization they held as their mortal enemy. All self-inflicted by many strategic and tactical mistakes. Give some people enough rope and .....................

So many lessons to be learned from this. Not just for gun owners, but for any group feeling attacked and in response places their trust too blindly in those who take advantage of that "circle the wagons" mindset so common among those who feel like a minority among a hostile majority.

When you play the game of politics as the NRA does/did, you better have someone looking over the horizon. You better have the best crystal ball in DC, both long-term and short-term. You make a lot of enemies. When you mess up, those enemies will be waiting. In that political environment, ignoring your weak flanks, disregarding the long-term power of demographics that drive the rhythm of political pendulums, is a recipe for failure.

It won't take a genius to do an autopsy of this fiasco to see how the patient died of self-inflicted wounds.

For 2A, not good news, but not a surprise.

Pretty well put. You hit it on the head. I wish I could write like that.

It is sad that people have blindly put trust and money into an organization to support their rights and then to have it end up like this one.

 

[beginnerhunter]

I dont know what will happen to the NRA but we better start going back to the same type of advocacy that has made strides on the public land issue. Stick to core issues, reach out to both political parties, watch for mission creep, avoid attaching 2A to other political issues, promoting responsibility, etc. No longer good enough (never really was) just to send a membership check to the NRA.

 

[bayoublaster7527]

Very well said. Considering the way polls are trending, with high likelihood Dems win Presidential race, flip the Senate, and increase gains in the House, gun owners needed the NRA now and in the future more than ever. And the NRA let them down, widespread greed and lack of oversight and accountability.

 

[shoots-straight]

Other groups? https://www.pewpewtactical.com/nra-alternatives/

 

[geetar]

It’s a mess for sure. This article paints what happened pretty clearly. I’m sharing because the one above I couldn’t get to work.

Attorney General James Files Lawsuit to Dissolve NRA

AG James’ Action Will Hold Powerful Gun Group Accountable Lawsuit Details Years of Illegal Self-Dealing That Funded Lavish Lifestyle of NRA Leaders NEW YORK –

ag.ny.gov

 

[Wildabeest]

New York Attorney General Moves To Dissolve The NRA After Fraud Investigation — NPR

New York's attorney general announced civil action to dissolve the National Rifle Association after an investigation found millions of dollars in alleged fraud by CEO Wayne LaPierre and others.

apple.news

If you replace “NRA“ with “SFW” or “BGF“, “LaPierre” with “Don Peay” or “Ryan Benson” and “Ackerman-McQueen” with “Stag Consulting”, this exact same case could (and should!) be entered in UT state court. I have sent an email to UT AG Reyes encouraging such. Not that I have any hope that he’ll act on it. But I’d encourage others who are not happy with this fraud going on with our UT tax dollars, to do the same!

 

[runningmt]

I stopped supporting the NRA in the 90’s when they seemed to have no idea that I was a member; I would renew the membership, and two months later they would be telling me my membership had expired.

I started actively campaigning against the NRA after 9/11 when they took the stance of arming pilots to shoot passengers.

I believe they became an active terrorist group a few years back when the NRA took the stance of arming teachers to shoot children.

I love the 2nd amendment, I own dozens of guns, including military weapons, Guns however, are not the only important thing about our Country, our Constitution, or our future.

They also ONLY back Republicans for political elections, they give Senator John Tester of Montana an “F” rating.....come on! The same for Bullock.......we can do better.

 

[runningmt]

Very well said. Considering the way polls are trending, with high likelihood Dems win Presidential race, flip the Senate, and increase gains in the House, gun owners needed the NRA now and in the future more than ever. And the NRA let them down, widespread greed and lack of oversight and accountability.

Plenty of people who vote primarily Democrat support guns too, including me. Gun rights have nothing to do with R or D

 

[bayoublaster7527]

Plenty of people who vote primarily Democrat support guns too, including me. Gun rights have nothing to do with R or D

I agree, there are lots of people who vote Democrat and are gun owners/pro 2A. For many there are other political issues more pressing than gun rights that affect how a citizen votes. I was speaking specifically about elected officials and the potential for a shift in political power between parties. The likelihood of enacting significant gun control measures would increase greatly if Dems controlled the House, Senate, and Presidency. Just because a gun owner votes for a specific candidate doesn’t necessarily mean that elected official will stick up for their interests (ie 2A, gun owners). We see this dynamic quite regularly with public land hunter advocacy. I know lots pro-public land hunters who vote consistently Rep and their elected officials consistently vote anti-public land. While politicians are beholden to their constituents, they are also heavily influenced by their national party leaders and those agendas. To think otherwise is quite foolish. I also agree that gun owners rights should not be an R or D issue (its in the Constitution), however the future of gun ownership will be decided by courts and politicians, of which the later is most definitely R or D. I strongly believe the NRA went astray when it became a completely partisan organization, it was strongest as a non-partisan organization focused solely on gun owner advocacy. However, the ascension of staunchly anti gun leaders and trend away from moderates in the DNC drove the NRA in this direction. It also left moderate Dem/Rep gun owners in a very difficult position.

To be fair, identifying the NRA (and its gun owner members by association) as an active terrorist group seems a bit extreme, even by today’s hyper-polarized political standards.

Based on the greed and corruption in the NRA, you are correct, gun owners deserve and can do much better.

 

[morley.tyler]

The NRA has been shooting holes in the boat we’ve been rowing, for a long time. Agreed that we need a great 2A advocate at the DC level, but the NRA has proven that greed and power are the roots of evil. When Ollie North is the corruption whistle blower, you know things have gone too far.