[mack59]

SM - I don't know you and I certainly would never presume to judge you or the choices you make for your life. I for my part at least would never say that, "you" as an individual, need or should be an NRA member.

My post was mostly directed to those who may read this forum who are new to firearms and who are not involved in with any gun rights organization. This forum is well moderated and it has a large membership of posters who can articulate their positions coherently and civilly, but there are many other gun and gun rights forums where it is almost a tenant of faith that the NRA or GOA or SAF, ect... are all sellouts, that they have no value and that no one in their right mind would join them. I chose to discuss the NRA because they are for now the largest gun rights organization. You ask why the NRA doesn't attract more members - just read many of the other internet gun or gun rights forums or post on one of them that, "well the NRA isn't that bad," and see what happens. Between the assaults from the political left, the mainstream news media and the gun rights purists - it is amazing that the NRA has been able to survive as an effective organization.

But let us be honest, many individuals who are passionate about freedom and their gun rights are angry. They are angry because they find that their freedoms are under constant assault from the federal govt., from politicians, from their state or local govt., in the media, and from corporations, courts, and lawyers.

If they are new to the fight, they often feel like, "what have you people been doing, can't you see what needs to be done, why haven't you done it, what part of shall not be infringed don't you understand, what do you mean progress, compromise what - compromise our rights away." If they have been around awhile they sometimes feel as though, "what difference does it make, what real changes have there been, things just seem to keep getting worse, screw'm all I'll take care of myself and mine, it's all just a big game."

The frustration and anger they feel often manifests itself in anger at those individuals and organizations that they feel have let them down and they expend that anger and energy attacking those very individuals and organizations that are fighting for gun rights. I am not talking here about constructive criticism, that is intended to reshape or reform organizations to make them stronger, but the unrelenting negative attacks that are meant to punish, tear down, and destroy. Attacks that ultimately by their venom and divisiveness truly damage the gun rights movement.

To those that can relate to the anger and the frustration, I only say this: I too feel passionate about freedom, I too feel frustrated and yes angry - but turn that passion, that energy, that anger to something productive - don't become bitter, cynical, hard, and isolate - find a gun rights organization that you can support, or work to constructively reform those you have or could support to make them stronger, or find others of a like mind and start your own organization - it happens every day. But let us not turn against one another - that only serves our enemies, the real enemies of freedom.

SM - I am not addressing or directing any of the above to you, excluding the first paragraph. However, I would be interested to know where you live - perhaps there are some gun rights organizations national or local to you that might be a better fit for you, or failing that even other individuals who live in your area of a like mind that you could get together with and start your own grassroots gun rights organization. Anyway, I wish you the best - it is obvious from your post that you do care - I just find that when I am passionate about anything that I am most effective and feel most fulfilled when I work, share, and sacrifice with others to a common purpose.

The best to all here, may "we" preserve and restore the freedom that our fathers fought for, for our children