As Always, Shannon Watts and Everytown Have NRA Members’ Best Interests At Heart

By
Dan Zimmerman
-
65

 

A new advertising campaign from Everytown for Gun Safety is targeted at an unusual demographic for an organization that promotes stricter gun laws: card-carrying, dues-paying members of the National Rifle Association.

The six-figure campaign includes television ads on Fox News, CNN and MSNBC, as well as digital ads directed at N.R.A. members and gun owners. Ads will also be shown to viewers in Virginia, where the N.R.A. has its headquarters, and Orlando, Fla., where the group’s chief executive, Wayne LaPierre, is expected to speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference later this week.

“When you pay to join the N.R.A., you get a sticker — and that’s about it,” the television ad says. Over images of a shooting range and a hunter, it continues: “Today, just 10 percent of what they spend protects things like this. The rest pays for N.R.A. executives to enjoy this: designer suits from Beverly Hills, luxury trips to Italy, Hungary and the Bahamas, private jets, golden parachutes and lots of lawyers. No wonder the N.R.A. is bankrupt.”

“Ditch their sticker,” it concludes. “The N.R.A. has lost its way.”

The expenditures highlighted in the ad were largely made by Mr. LaPierre, who was sued last year, along with three other current and former N.R.A. executives, by Attorney General Letitia James of New York — a lawsuit that drove the group’s decision last month to declare bankruptcy and try to reincorporate in Texas. Ms. James accused the leaders of using the organization “as a personal piggy bank,” a phrase some of the group’s opponents have adopted.

“N.R.A. members pay dues for a whole variety of reasons,” said Shannon Watts, the founder of Moms Demand Action, which is part of Everytown. “But none of them do it so Wayne LaPierre can use their money for expensive suits and flights on private jets.”

— Maggie Astor in An anti-N.R.A. ad campaign focuses on the group’s own members.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

65 COMMENTS

      • Who’ jumped in on Stafford’s lawsuit ?
        A grass roots and the SAF, I guess the NRA didn’t think it was worth it.

    • Seig Heil fraulein shannon watts…Once again the fuhrer sends his best wishes. The fuhrer’s view is that Jews, Blacks and citizen gun owners are to be dealt with accordingly and eliminated.

      Whether their nose is long or their skin is black or it’s a citizen with a gun such misfits cannot be tolerated. To advance nazi socialism requires full unobstructed compliance and obedience. To accomplish such a feat there can be no means of resistance among the populace.

      Jews, Blacks and citizens with guns are filthy dirty animals unworthy of the furher’s leadership and your amazing brilliance fraulein shannon watts.

      The fuhrer admires tactics found in your democRat Party Jim Crow Gun Control playbook and applied those tactics in his orders for gun confiscation. The furhrer hopes you do not object to his borrowing without asking:)

      The fuhrer and the entire nazi socialist party wishes you and your staff continued success. Seig Heil fraulien shannon watts.

      • uh…..Hitler died over 70 years ago…..
        everything doesn’t always have to be about racism…… you race baiter…..

      • Bloomberg pays her well to be concerned for us! I’m certain there are some services for himself in there, as well, unless Dirk Diggler has intervened.

  3. They sure do hate the NRA. While I whole heatedly agree, Wayne must go and the NRA needs to get back to its roots. Maintaining safety and training standards as well as getting more instructors trained. Countless lives have been saved because of these standards. Well trained RSOs make this possible. Finally, the Eddie Eagle program is something I support 100% For these reasons I support the NRA. The NRA really needs to distance itself from the NRA-ILA, that part of the organization is dragging it down.

    • When I was growing up (and don’t even bother to ask how long ago THAT was!), the NRA was the premier gun safety and gun training organization in the world. Their training programs are still excellent.

      Their “lobbying” is pathetically bad, and (as others on this thread have pointed out), seems to largely involve paying for custom suits for Wayne and paying for his side piece’s condo. We have better, more effective, smarter lobbying organizations. If the NRA would go BACK to focusing on providing excellent training, kick Wayne to the curb (and maybe sue him to recover some of the millions spent on his sticky-fingered ways), I’d rejoin. As it is, I stopped contributing to Wayne’s open expense account almost 10 years ago.

      But I made that decision. The ONLY thing that makes me second guess that decision is that the evil hellbitch, Shannon Watts, wants me to stop supporting the NRA. Might consider rejoining. Shannon, behold my middle fingers; I have a matched set.

    • 20-plus years ago when my daughter was in elementary school she came home reciting the “Stop. Don’t touch. Leave the area. Call an adult” mantra, I still remember it (obviously) and so does she, and now tell her children. So Eddie Eagle works.

  4. For once she right about the NRA loosing it’s way. Need to dump WL and his cronies and start over. But that will never happen. I’m not leaving the NRA just because some liberal say’s so.

    • “Losing”…just FYI.
      Yes, Wayne LaPierre needs to be voted out. Why he has stuck around I will never know. Ollie North had it right, there’s too much fu*kery afoot at the top levels. I’m a Benefactor Life Member and it’s well past time that the leadership is replaced.

        • Another Benefactor here that won’t be sending more $$ as long as Wayne is around . I have doubts moving to TX will help – new charter may be written up that makes it even harder to get rid of LaPhew and his 3 closest stooges that are running the show now . I’ll keep voting each year for only the 2 or 3 Board candidates who are nominated by petition and not by Wayne’s hand picked Nominating Committee and hope for the best.

        • For what it’s worth, looking over the NRA Financials from the Tucson Annual Meetings last fall, NRA showed net assets as of the end of 2019 a bit north of $152 million, with cash and cash equivalents a bit over $36 million. A majority of what is there is the result of the work of WLP, like it or not, and if that’s bankruptcy, I’ll take it.

          We all see a lot of “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot” accusations around here- about the same as what Watts’ organization is using in their video, and backed up with about the same degree of truth. They know that the easiest way to ruin the Second Amendment is to try to do so from within; similar tactics are doing a great job defeating the 1st Amendment and others through the Cancel Culture and I’m sure there are a lot of NRA members who will believe anything they see on the internet or TVand willingly join right in- typical dog fight fashion.

          Personally, I’m an NRA Benefactor Member who paid full tag- no reduced rates like tyhe majority today, and I see none of what I gave for that, or what I continue to gift as wasted. While the Harris/Biden threat is real, I enjoy better firearms liberties today than I did in the 1980s and none of that is because of GOA, NAGR, or any of the little wannabe groups that want to pile on now. Without NRA and its membership Biden would have exec ordered the 2A out of existence on his Day 1.

          As for WLP- I wonder how many of the “in the know” crowd rallying for his demise could have withstood the constant attacks over the past 30 years, all because he, as spokesperson, and NRA refuse to apologize for the criminal misdeeds of cretins who willingly abuse the tools of our God-provided right to defend ourselves from our government and other threats? No matter where he might wish to go in public, there’ll be a flock of people out trying to ruin any chance of privacy or recreation. Get on a public flight somewhere? Drive around or go shopping alone? I don’t think the majority of people, even those who claim to be “real” 2A supporters can fathom what his life has been like, all to try to preserve the rights of all Americans, many of whom wouldn’t think of chipping in $35 a year to help save the 2A for themselves.

          Compare Wayne’s life to the “leaders” of the other little 2A organizations: Completely off the radar of MSM, Congressional and state judicial witch hunts, and I’m betting they’d be in a fetal position after only a couple weeks under the scrutiny and pressure put on Wayne and the entire NRA since he’s been XO.

          Talk’s cheap.

        • Yeah, I’m a “reduced rate” Benefactor from about 2005, I think that was my last donation. I have found other places to donate, mostly GOA and SAF. Back in the day I did also pony up for a life membership for elder son, they’ve got enough of my money, can earn someone else’s.

  5. “…gun control is a ‘priority’ for President Biden…he is “not afraid of standing up” to the National Rifle Association…” WH Press Secretary Jen Psaki, 16 Feb 2021.

    Yes, WLP weighs down the organization at this point. NRA has problems, but I don’t hear any other “gun safety” spox specifically attacking any other 2A advocate or organization. I’m sticking with the NRA.

  6. AS IF Shannon Watts and her sugar-daddy Bloomberg care about how NRA money is spent. We all know that she would rather see our donations spent on suits and vacations than to be spent promoting our rights protected by the 2nd Amendment.

    Just another leftist attempt to divide us.

    • I’m thinking Watts is getting a bit long in the tooth, even for Dirk! I’m betting on a more spritely replacement before long. Perhaps an entirely new organization, sugar Daddy can afford it.

  8. I’m not renewing my NRA membership until they clean house. That being said, the MDA ad is deceptive as usual. I’m not upset that NRA spent $38 million on lawyers, I’m annoyed that it’s not double or triple that. You need lawyers to file lawsuits – and there should be NRA lawyers all over the country, starting actions in every anti gun state, city and county. I’m tired of the pattern of important suits being filed by SAF, FPC, and state rifle and pistol assns, with the NRA showing up late to the party with a me-too amicus brief.

    What poor deluded Shannon doesn’t grasp is that when I took off my NRA sticker, I didn’t replace it with a MDA one.

    • Yep. It’s what they hired their $38 million lawyers to do that bothers me, not the money. SAF and others are doing the necessary groundwork in courts everywhere, while the NRA has multimillion-dollar arguments with cronies and PR companies that don’t PR.

  10. I will remain a member, but my donations go to other pro 2A groups. If NRA needs money from people like me they only need to clean house. It is long past time for Wayne to go.

  11. Heres the deal with me, not much of an NRA fan but after reading that sht, if the media dont want it its gotta be good.
    I Need more money that’s going to make two gunm organizations next month , the third to be exact, oh what a hoot, the gubment gives me money to join gunm organizations and buy bullets, how bout that. if I was a Margarine I’d say ooorahh.👍

    • It’s almost enough to make me want to rejoin. Anybody they hate that much must be doing something right. (Right…?)

      When the government sends its next round of “your grandchildren will be eating dirt” funny money, I might just re-up with the NRA *and* join the SAF. And buy some gunm-related merchandise if there’s anything left on the shelves at that point.

    • What kind of illiterate spells the word GUN with an M?
      Do you honestly walk around giving country folk a bad name all the time???
      Give it a rest….. sheesh

      • You are a dubm redneckum. Searches by government computers for keyword “gun” do not slow down at “gunm”. Idiot.

      • “What kind of illiterate spells the word GUN with an M?”

        *Sigh*

        TTAG has used an adverting system that highlighted gun terms as a blue-colored clickable link.

        The Possum’s deliberate miss-spelling of ‘gunm’ defeats that system quite nicely. Call it a protest.

        Possum is a lot smarter than the average marsupial… 😉

  12. I have no plan’s on renewing my expired(from June)NRA membership. Any $ I have goes elsewhere. Period…

  13. They must really be afraid of the NRA if they have gone to these lengths to discourage membership. I’m sticking with the NRA as well as contributing to other 2A groups.

    • Too many gun owners are suckers for sucker punches from anti 2A groups. The same group of crybaby knee jerks that bashed POTUS DJT over bump stock contraptions accomplished nothing but helping usher in Jim Crow Gun Control joe.

      The same group who did not learn from their previous political ineptness still trips over themselves to see who is first to bash the NRA. Their broken record answer is for everyone to cut and run to other gun orgs. Other orgs. that they can only blindly assume to be, “pure.” Guarantee you a great portion of the blabbermouth bashers are not NRA Lifers or their yearly memberships have not been paid in years.

      Their only contribution to this topic is putting a sht grin on bloomberg’s and watt’s faces. Between the NRA’s problem and biden, bloomberg, watts et al which is the BIGGEST smelly fish to fry? Well then stick to frying the BIGGEST FISH FIRST or stfu.

      • I’m an NRA certified firearms instructor and benefactor life member. The NRA has the largest training and competition framework, but they have been doing little for rights lately. Look at the FPC article and see how many pro-2A lawsuits they’re involved with, then look at the NRA’s count. The current NRA leadership is squandering the money of its members. I’m not talking silly things like the suits — it makes sense for your spokesman to look good. It’s the self-dealing that bothers me and the execs using the NRA as their personal piggybank. I’m worried about them spending money through Ackerman McQueen for personal profit, and then AMQ billing the NRA for it as their expenses. They spent $30M on Trump 2016 but seem to have stolen twice that amount for themselves. Where was the big spend for 2020? The NRA has been paying millions to outside counsel who isn’t a top 2A scholar, has a history of donating to Dems, isn’t allowed to practice in VA after being caught in ethics lapses, and isn’t a renowned bankruptcy attorney. What he is is the son-in-law of Ackerman McQueen execs. He’s probably fumbled the bankruptcy, which will allow an independent audit, cancellation of overly generous contracts, and maybe even having a trustee take control instead of WLP. His incompetence is actually a good thing here if the NRA is able to survive. Hopefully, it will lead to the removal of WLP and his cronies, and the establishment that cares more about guns than lining their pockets.

        • I don’t think they are doing much for training and competition these days either. My club gets more support from the CMP on that end.

      • Because someone supposedly “bashed DJT knees” over bump stocks doesn’t excuse that orange morons deception….
        A TRUE conservative would’ve told them to pound sand…. PERIOD….. NO IFS ANDS OR BUTS ABOUT IT!!!@
        That jackass was a Democrat mole, along with 90 percent of the Republican political class….
        Gun control only goes one way….. from bad to worse…. ALWAYS….. when was the last time or 2A rights are expanded at the federal level….. NEVER, THAT’S WHEN….. YOU FOUL MOUTH TRAN NY

        • “when was the last time or 2A rights are expanded at the federal level….. “

          When Barack Hussein Obama signed the CARD Act in 2009 and repealed a Reagan-era prohibition against carrying firearms on millions of acres of federal managed National Parks and Forests.

          Thanks Obama/Biden!

          Now go ahead and attack me personally for posting historical facts that you cannot contradict, it’s always so entertaining to read your lame ad hominem attacks.

        • For that we should honor him with a firing squad instead of a noose. The WORST president in American history. In 2023 we will be looking to impeach him for his perfidy. Repeatedly.

    • “They must really be afraid of the NRA if they have gone to these lengths to discourage membership. I’m sticking with the NRA as well as contributing to other 2A groups.”

      Finally- someone who actually understands the situation. I’d also advise you look into where to where the money you give to other groups goes as well- you might be surprised what it pays for…

  14. Amen, I also belong the GOA and SAF. It doesn’t cost much and the more orgs we have fighting for us the better.

    • It doesn’t cost much…

      Yeah- you get what you pay for and it makes you feel good to think you’re doing some good. So, and I ask this all the time: Name me one piece of national legislation or rights reinstatement that’s been run only by GOA? As for SAF, they are solely a foundation with only one real issue to deal with and it is mainly done through legal action attempts, not proactive legislation. None of the other “2A groups” even attempt any of the safety, training, marksmanship, LE, (etc) programs that NRA was founded upon 150 years ago. Individual gun rights is relatively new,ca 1973, as are GOA, NAGR, SAF, the Dorrtard groups, etc.

  15. I haven’t been able to afford to renew my NRA Membership since 2016. I would get something at least every month from the NRA wanting me to contribute money. I can’t afford to after I pay the Membership, but I still vote for 2A friendly politicians like I did when I was a member.

    • Every MONTH? Can you have them put me on the same mailing list? Along with SAF and Judicial Watch, I get several requests EVERY DAY! Seems like they convert every dollar I ever sent to any of them, directly into requests for more money, and always most urgently! Likewise every Republican politician and a good number of Democrats. I don’t mean from my state, OR, UT, GA, FL, AZ, all over the damn place and they don’t even tell me what state they represent, guess I’m supposed to know.

      • If you don’t want NRA to send you money requests, use their return envelope and mark the form in big, legible letters: “Do not solicit”.

        Before anyone makes comments to the contrary- prove you’ve actually done it.

  16. I don’t know if her percentages are correct or not. I don’t know how much ‘news’ that has been reported is correct. But what has come out does not sound good. my NRA membership runs out in 2029, so I’m in till then, but I have also joined a couple other groups.

    Much like it would be good to get to the bottom of the 2020 election anomalies, it would be good to get a full accounting of what went down at the NRA. Maybe it is time to clean the slate and restart with new people in charge, maybe not. That’s why it would be nice to know.

  20. Oh Shannon, you almost make me sorry I left already. But I’m channeling those dollars to FPC to actually see them working.

  21. the NRA does NOT need to distance themselves from the ILA , that is the part that fights for our rights and that needs to stay. and they need to do more of it. and we still need the NRA. as a pro rights group it is very powerfull and that is why it is being targeted, and all of you are being fooled into being against it, which is what the left wants.and you play right into their hands. sure it has problems, and we need to get them fixed. but we need them. and we need MORE pro rights groups, not less. stop letting them fool you.

  22. I want to know how much anti 2A money Shannon Watts is spending on her own wardrobe and other personal items. She wants us to look into the NRA, maybe someone should be checking out Mothers Against Everything to see how much corruption is going on there!

  23. The best propaganda pieces are the ones that state facts and make no false assertions. Only a true Fudd would argue that there’s nothing wrong at the NRA and Wayne is OK. Fraulein Shannon is a broken clock that is sometimes right… So dump the NRA and support the 2A orgs that are doing what needs done. Gun Owners of America, Firearms Policy Coalition, SAF, CCRKBA, Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership (JPFO) all are worthy, and do what NRA refuses to do. GOA certainly does legislative issues the best, FPC is the best at court cases, Second Amendment Foundation does both, but is a smaller group so they choose their battles carefully, and do a lot of educational/informational work. JPFO has done outstanding research and has pubished much educational materials, and is noted for drawing the direct connection between gun control, gun confiscation, and later genocide in EVERY instance a nation takes citizens’ guns.

    Safety education is available in so many places, and certification standards that are universal, and so much now that everything the NRA is failing to do is being done by others. Time to bury the old horse, it’s dead.

  25. The NRA won’t get a dime until they dump the corrupt entitled leadership, and get back to their mission.
    For years my $ has been going to Gun Owners of America https://www.gunowners.org
    They’re in the courtrooms fighting for our rights.

  26. I am making a good pay from home 1900 Bucks / week, that is brilliant, beneath a year ago and used to be unemployed amid a monstrous economy. I pass on God consistently. I used to be invested in these bearings, and at present, I should pay it forward and impart it to everyone, Try it, you won’t regret it…Here For MORE INFO PLEASE Just check this SITE…… http://www.right75.com

Comments are closed.