courtesy Getty Images

Increasingly, the gun control debate has become a true debate, with those silenced speaking up. Many doctors have sought a middle ground, allowing gun ownership as well as the training and the research on gun violence that has been barred by NRA-backed laws.

My gun-owning family — admittedly more my husband than me — falls into that middle ground. He chose to drop his NRA affiliation and his favored gun range when its mandatory NRA membership tipped from practical tips into political advocacy.

Apparently, he is not alone.

The National Rifle Association of America reported $98 million in contributions in 2017, down from nearly $125 million in 2016, according to The Daily Beast, even though it has in President Donald Trump a champion it helped elect. The NRA’s more than $128 million in dues last year was a drop from the $163 million it took in the year before, the report said. – Mary Curtis for RollCall.com, After This Election, the NRA is No Longer Calling All the Shots

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96 COMMENTS

  1. “This just in – The NRA is going down! People are quitting in droves! They’ve lost all clout! Also, this latest bombshell about Trump is sure to result in his resignation! Mueller has got him this time! Hillary wins by 98%!” – The horribly biased fake news, that this “Roll Call” is obviously a part of.

  2. In before Nanishi…we’d have NOTHING without the NRA. Remember Newtown 6 years ago?!? I do and it was old Wayne & crew who pretty much saved us. Period…

    • “Pretty much” saved “us” from what exactly? Have you even one single example of something defeated by the NRA “6 years ago” that you can point to? Or is your entire point just to shout “I love the NRA so much… but I don’t know why?”

      • You don’t have to defeat your opponent if he doesn’t show up to the contest. We got through 8 years of O’Bama and 2 years of him with the house and a filibuster proof senate majority without a single piece of anti-2A legislation even being considered. That doesn’t happen without pressure from the NRA.

        BTW, where is Nanishi?

        • Sorry Gov… but
          Objection! Stating facts not in evidence.
          “That doesn’t happen without pressure from the NRA.”
          Can you point to any evidence for that claim? Other than CNN, MSNBC, etc., I mean? Some real documentation that the NRA is responsible for some specific defeat of some specific legislation that did not have the NSSF, GOA, 2A foundation, etc. also in there pulling?
          You are way too reasonable to just trust in the mainstream media, I know. THEY say the NRA is everything, but you know better. There are hundreds of others besides the NRA, and most of them are not as crooked either.
          Yes, I do have evidence for the claim, “The NRA is run like a mafia family”, and I will post it so it can be discussed and examined, just as a debate requires.
          https://www.ammoland.com/2018/01/are-we-revising-nra-history/

        • Kenneth, if you think politicians are worried about the GOA, NSSF or the 2A foundation you’re delusional. It’s the NRA they fear. In a lot of states losing your A rating from the NRA means looking for a new job. Even a lot of Democrats at least need to fly under the NRA’s radar to keep their jobs.

          Of course, it’s not really the NRA they fear, or even their 5 million members, it’s the voters who vote with the Second Amendment that really counts, but they know if they cross the NRA they’re going to hear from those voters.

        • Actually, what kept obama from pushing gun control openly was obamacare…he didn’t want to lose valuable house and senate seats to gun control votes….so he simply stuck to packing the courts with anti gun judges who are now dismantling the 2nd Amendment in the states….

        • When the antis and the media (redundant?) all screech continuously that the evil NRA is all-powerful and feared by all politicians, it seems kinda stupid for us to say they are not.

        • Gov;
          Lots of words, but I notice the answer to the question that I asked; “Can you point to any evidence for that claim?”, is NO. Lots of words, but all opinions.
          BTW I don’t need to be told your opinions, I’ve been reading your posts for years and years.

        • If you think there’s logic in your above words I haven’t the least idea how to help you. Can you point to something specific in the above posts that you think is logic and/or reason, so that I can explain to you why it isn’t?
          Your NRA arguments are always the same: emotional or appeals to authority. Those are known as “Pathos” and Ethos” respectively, from the Greek. Logical arguments are known as “Logos”, and they do not involve claims or fear mongering. That’s the other two(paraphrased): “Believe me or else bad things will happen”, and “Believe me or else you will be in big trouble”. Logos is: “Believe me because it makes sense”.
          Neither of the former are logic, nor are they reason.

    • ” he was so sweet when we got married…”
      ” he’s all I’ve got, I don’t know what I’d do without him…”
      “he only hits me when I deserve it”
      Sounds like we’ve all heard this before. Continued support of the NRA is nothing more than battered wife syndrome.

      • I still prefer the slogan createe after ’86:

        “You take our dues, get rid of Hughes!”

        Seems the NRA just keeps adding to their mistakes without ever atoning for any of them.

      • Well, I’m going to make an obvious prediction here.

        As soon as Trump loses in 2020 we will get some gun control on a federal level. They have effectively destroyed the filibuster in the senate and the senate always helped the right to a great degree. The senate seats are not based on population but per state. And states like “Wyoming” and “Oklahoma” have as much power in there as California. Also, due to the filibuster, it was an effective 66% needed to pass through there if just one person wanted 66% rather than a majority. All that’s gone. So the very next time around, when dems have all three branches, gun control is coming. And it will be sooner than you think. So you better be right about your advocacy against the NRA, because that is PRECISELY what the left would like to have. The crumbling and the mass exodus of NRA members. Everyday on the news I hear them blame the NRA for the simple crimes of common criminals. So division in the NRA is just what they want. If you don’t like the NRA compromising, you should become a life member or 5 year member and vote the Fudds out. Discarding the NRA is exactly what the left wants people to do.

        • The Founders knew that the congress was sectional and the representatives in congress had a vested interest in keeping their jobs…….it was a double edged sword….nevertheless, the House of Representatives was a direct link from the people to the government.
          The Senate, is the ” upper house” and instituted as a bicameral part of the legislature. Their job was to reign congress in, smooth out the rough legislative edges, amend the local political bribery and ‘feather nesting’. Today, both houses of congress are on a par………one of the Founder’s largest concerns
          It’s absolutely unconstitutional, a violation of their collective oaths, and a successful attempt to wrestle sovereignty from the American people.

  3. This decreased contribution story has already been debunked. 2016 was an election year, 2017 was not. Historically contribution soar during election years. No story here……back to watching reruns of the Kardashian’s.

    • BINGO! You win!

      The incredible thing is all the wannabes out here on this site and others who wish it were true. Taking bets on the “demise” of the NRA- ain’t gonna happen Usually propagated by those who had the Hillary already inaugurated, Global Warming and only 10 years left, Y2K, on and on. And then there’s a line of wishers and hopers, just so they might finally get a chance to go out and scream (to no one) “I TOLD YOU SO!!!” So much easier to be cynical than to actually have to do something.

  4. I think an important point that they fail to mention is the fact the NRA has been pushing discounted multi-year memberships in recent years. That kind of plan inevitably results in a member-dues hangover after intial fundraising gains. In other words they intentionally pursued a “short term over long term” fundraising strategy.

    • Considering the guy is married to her, the most likely scenario is that he doesn’t own a scary black rifle if he even has a gun at all. He probably also bought an annual membership with the intention of letting it expire so she could use the story as fodder.

  7. The same thing that plagues the NRA also plagues the republican party. We need to get shed of the useless dead weight that only exist for their own reward. They need to be replaced with some new school folks with the balls to be that bull in a china shop who aren’t afraid to role up their sleeves and start sorting out the mess.

  8. I am not an NRA fan, I have quit them 2X over the years. Problem is I joined them 3X because every time the socialist attack the NRA they tend to attack gun owners / 2A. Gun owners tend to be pretty laid back IMO, you don’t bother them, they don’t bother you. They are prepared, but passive in both a physical sense and a mental sense. You start hitting them and they will hit back, mostly figuratively speaking. My goal this year is to go life member, solely due to the attacks on the NRA. I just don’t give them my real phone number….

    • If you wind up re-joining, inform them you don’t wish to be called. It’s that easy. I hear stories about NRA members screaming and ranting at phone solicitors when the problem can be solved with a simple request. You can even go one further and ask to be put on the “do not promote” list, and you won’t receive any mail from them, either.

      • That’s what I did several years ago and haven’t had a call or mailing from them since other than a postcard now and then around elections. Their opt-out process seems to work OK

      • Thank you. This will help me. I HATE SOLICITAION CALLS!!! NRA take note! I have sent them money with a request to not be bothered, not even junk mail (which COST $$$) Did not work. I like what the NRA stands for, I just don’t like their add policies. Maybe I will try again.

        • The NRA is the ONLY solicitation call I’ll take. I do give them money because I’m conservative, very political, and understand the NRA’s historic ability to kick-ass and take names. However, most of the time, I simply politely thank the caller and say no. I joined the NRA after Sandy Hook, when I realized it was the only organization with its thumb in the dike holding back an impending gun-control flood.

          Several years ago, I got a NRA solicitation phone call. The woman on the other end of the line was nervous and struggling to get through her pitch to me. She was obviously very new to the whole thing and, being a former teacher, I tried to calm her nervousness by asking if she was new to this. Her answer was that she was very new, this was her first day. She was from West Virginia—her husband was an out-of-work coal miner so it was obvious she really needed this job. I explained how to calm her anxiety when speaking and then went ahead and upped my membership again (I think I’m good ’till 2023 now). The NRA then sent me very good knife which has turned out to be my favorite. It holds a good edge and, except for “NRA” on the blade, is completely unadorned. I carry it all the time.

      • they’re actually pretty easy to deal with…not sure what’s served with all this negativity….

  9. Mary C. Curtis has worked at The New York Times, The Baltimore Sun, The Charlotte Observer and as national correspondent for Politics Daily. Follow her on Twitter @mcurtisnc3.

    Is there any more to say about her article?

  10. This is just an agitprop opinion article that appeared on a socialist/progressive website. Consider it, and it’s author, to be “fill” in the pit of leftist fear mongering. Remember that “to those people” (leftists) emotions override intellect. The more distopian life can be made to appear the better off they are. They hate truth, logic, happiness, independence, and success. They are the millstones around the neck of everyone.

  11. The press doles out this baloney yet recoils at the term “fake news.” What a joke.

    NRA membership peaked this year at over 6 million. It did not, for example, peak in 2016 and then decline.

    Just another “journalist” who ****** on you leg and tells you it’s raining.

  12. I was a member of the NRA for a year. All I got was letters almost twice a month asking for MONEY, FUNNY thing there were misspellings, grammar errors. Dropped the memership and never looked back.

  13. another Democrat who does not believe in the exceptionalism of the United states of America and pretty obviously free speech for everyone!

  14. I didn’t give the NRA a dime last year for dues and I suspect other people did the same thing. I paid my dues for multiple years to the NRA before and I am good until sometime in 2020.

  15. Firearms in America and the government’s use of it as a carrot. Is the NRA a part of it? Mmmmm could be. The NRA it seems is satisfied with compromising when in my opinion they should take some of that65 million or whatever they claim, and shove “Shall Not Be Infringed” until We the People have our Bill of Rights back. As long as there’s compromise the carrot will dangle from the stick.

  17. Who is Mary Curtis and why should I care what she tells her husband to do?

    Also, of course NRA memberships are down, Trump won in 2016.

  18. Trashing/not supporting the NRA is just another example of why the Fascist Left leviathan will win in the end. Conservative/Trad America drowns in pointless, idiotic bickering among themselves instead of presenting a unified force against tyranny.

    We get the government we deserve.

  19. “research on gun violence” has not been barred.
    Using taxpayer dollars to turn out propaganda intended to disarm those same taxpayers has been barred.
    DRGO demonstrated incontrovertibly to the House Appropriations Committee in 1996 that the CDC was engaging in anti-gun propaganda. That is all they have been barred from doing. As a matter of fact, the total volume of gun violence research is at its greatest levels currently.
    The issue is not that anyone is barred from doing research, the issue is that nobody is interested in doing honest objective research because there’s no political gains to be made from the results of that kind of research.

    Arthur Z Przebinda, MD
    Project Director
    DRGO

  21. I have been an NRA life member for in excess of 35 years. I generally do not support the NRA financially because I view them as wolves in the sheep pen selling us out at every expedient oppotunity and the salaries of wayne and chris are just offensive and I hate to support it.

    That said, I purchased seven life memberships over the last two years at their discount offering. Every one of my children and grandchildren are life members. Whether they decide in their lifetimes to contribute or not will be up to them and an informed choice (I hope). BUT THEY WILL BE VOTING MEMBERS and, hopefully they have and will be brought up well enough to understand and DO the right thing in preserving our rights for their future posterity.

    I also support 2nd Amendment Foundation (one of the true heavy lifters) and GOA and JPFO so these contributions not going to NRA only mean people are looking for more aggressive activist groups to do the real work.

    This gal is just another lefty propagandist with a cucked subservient husband for a pet. Spare me.

    • I’ve been told that JPFO isn’t really active anymore and the new, active group are the Zelman Partisans. But who knows. I’m just Eddie Willers trying to make his way through the world.

  23. Well, that was 10 minutes of my life I won’t get back. Atmosphere abuse of the worst kind. I see a herd of cows protesting at a PETA meeting. Is cognitive dissonance contagious? Is it fatal? I hope so. Who did Hillary declare as her biggest target? How’d that all work out for her? I know, I’ll ask Justice for life, the honorable Judge K. I wonder how the old bag feels when she realizes he’ll still be on the SC while she’s toasting her toes. “You can’t send me to Hell, I’m a clintonon.” It’s a big picture. The communists only come down to this level when they’re losing. Divide and conquer, the last refuge of the truly desperate. Shall Not Be Infrindged. No compromise. No retreat. NO SURRENDER. -30-

  24. Over the years, I’ve belonged to many organizations. The ABA. The NYSBA. The American Corporate Counsel Association. And many more. The only one that ever gave me any value for my dues money was and remains the NRA.

    Without the NRA, we’d be totally forked. If you don’t believe that, you are nuts.

    Oh, the NRA isn’t radical enough for you? Well, boo-hoo.

    • The Brita and Aussies have said they needed an NRA and without it America would have confiscated guns long ago.
      Despite the cave ins and setbacks the fact there are 350 million guns in circulation is why we won’t be disarmed in our lifetimes. And the NRA kept a lot of laws down over the past 50 years that would have limited guns in private hands.
      Are they solely credited? No. But they do work on our behalf which is more than we can say fo the Republican party.

  25. I ended my membership in 2016 after I got sick of their outright fear-mongering. You can educate and inform without whipping up paranoia and fear. As well, their failure to speak up when necessary (Philando Castile) and eagerness to speak when not necessary or relevant (African train on Thomas The Tank Engine!?) is getting tiresome.

    I’m a member of MCRGO (state-level organization) and currently trying to decide between SAF and GOA on where to send my money on the national level.

  26. I heard rumors they could be firing some NRA TV personalities to make up for the profit losses or maybe even shutting down what we know as NRA TV.

    Maybe Colion Noir be getting the boot. I wouldn’t be surprised if they do fire him seeing how he shifted his content to something the NRA probably is not a fan of.

  27. The irony. A leftist liar making the comments on NRA political advocacy while lying that there is some sort of prohibition on “research.”

  28. I dropped my membership when the NRA immediately came out in support of a bump stock ban. It wasn’t even that they capitulated, they were practically at the forefront of pushing for that nonsense. I’ll consider rejoining when they dump LaPierre.

    • You lack the ability to think strategically. No one does what the NRA does. That’s why the top down gun control movement of biased wealthy hacks attacks it constantly.

  29. The NRA has plenty of potential clout that could be wielded more effectively.
    Instead of “common sense” compromises, a more aggressive strategy should be implemented.
    Media attacks and fake news, prompted by outrage following each gun related crisis are largely responsible for the general perception that further restrictions are necessary.
    Opposing viewpoints do not have an effective platform to dispute this disinformation, and social media venues are actively silencing gun rights voices.
    There is Big Money supporting this media blitz and gun control politics.

    Every restriction passed is a win for them, and tightens the noose around our necks.

  30. Another attack on the NRA that, unlike democrat attacks on other organizations, doesn’t mention any names of leadership.

  31. Total bullshit. Research on gun violence has not been blocked by the NRA. Only one sided research that is “anti-gun”. If the research was truly objective, our lawmakers would be awestruck on how our 2nd Amendment actually works, up to 2.5 million times a year!

    • It’s the political advocacy that has been banned and rightly so. They can research all they want. Just another leftist anti-gun lie.

  32. I was on the NRA Board of Directors for 9 years. This woman is making it up (i.e., lying). This is her complaint: “tipped from practical tips into political advocacy”.

    The NRA has been politically active in protecting the Constitutional right to keep and bear arms since 1968. That is over fifty (50) years.

    Truth beats fiction once again.

  33. We REALLY need to put a final, peaceful and Constitutional end to all of this sad and sorry bravo sierra before it puts an end to US. -30-

  34. I still support the NRA, but I wish they would get back to focusing on gun rights. Quit wasting time echoing Trump on issues like net neutrality, climate change, and taking a knee during the National Anthem! Remember why members belong.

  36. NRA contributions are down because under Trump (Obama out) there is less of a “perceived” threat. Duh!
    And what research was banned by gun legislation?

  37. So is “gun owning husband” the left’s new “woke 6-year old”? You guys know they just make this shit up, right?

  38. Up until about two year ago, the NRA had the best recruiter they ever had….Obama! He’s gone now, and mostly forgotten. No wonder memberships have lapsed; everyone’s going back to sleepy time while gungrabbers never sleep.

  39. I am a serious gun guy, and a serious believer in the bill of rights. These are good things!

    Between 1983 and 1987 I was a member of the NRA. I got the card, and I got my hat. And every two weeks I got an “Action Alert” begging money for something urgent that was happening. The begging letters assured me that I would get (yet another) hat for contributing. After a while I got to think of the NRA as hat sellers!

    I don’t think that this situation has changed, and while I like the NRA and what they do, I don’t want to be part of the scare tactics that they use. I hope that one day they will come around to reasonable recruitment tactics, but I’m not going to hold my breath while I wait for it to happen. And before you flame me think about it: How would you like to be on the end of endless scare tactics? Me? I ain’t that forking stupid!

    Charlie

    • Maybe these ‘scare tactics” are just a response to what the anti-gun mafia preaches every day and in every way. Anti-gunners will say something moderate about gun control when talking publicly; then in private talk about their desires to rid society of all firearms. A lot of folks need to be constantly reminded that “common sense gun laws” is just a smoke screen and that their true desire is to make all the citizens unarmed slaves.

  40. My club requires NRA membership. That said, they do little for us as a club and even less as NJ gun owners.

    • My club also requires NRA membership. We apply for and often get NRA grants to organize and host various club events and programs, as well as one-time infrastructure and amenity upgrades. Perhaps they can afford to be more generous toward OK clubs, since our super-majority Republican legislature doesn’t require much lobbyist attention.

  42. Maybe because in the years since the “NRA wasn’t political,” the Second Amendment has come under attack, resulting in the political branch having to be more active?

  44. The point of this article is what?
    To show that Kat Ainsworth family does not support the NRA?
    Way to go TTAG and Kat.

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