NRA Veep Wayne LaPierre

The NRA YouTube video below has received 1,085 views between January 30 and this morning, February 4. What does that tell you? What NRA Veep Wayne LaPierre is telling viewers: the NRA is “Donald Trump’s Strongest Ally.” Wrong answer? I mean . . .

. . . the NRA’s closerthanthis relationship with President Trump leaves no room for manuever. No room for their lobbyists to pressure the Prez to do the right thing, using the only negotiating technique worth a damn: the threat to walk away.

At this point, the NRA can’t walk away. Not as its adopted President Trump’s “make America great” again slogan and publicly declared its fealty to the former assault weapons ban supporter.

President Trump should work with Congress to get the “how obviously benign can a pro-gun rights law be” Hearing Protection Act passed. He should push legislators to repeal the Gun Free School Zones Act and enact national reciprocity, the single most important [potential] gun rights restoration bill in our lifetime.

But why should he? President Trump’s inaction on firearms freedom risks nothing — thanks to the NRA’s decision to jump in bed and cuddle a President who’s best described as mercurial.

In this political alignment, has the NRA failed The People of the Gun?

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141 COMMENTS

  1. While I don’t agree with everything the NRA does.
    Wayne should be the 1st to go.
    The higher ups are ridiculously overpaid and should ALL have term limits.
    I wont quit on them for all the good they have done for me.
    Edit: I did however join GOA to shove it in Waynes face.

      • Are you insane? Or, just unbelievable brain dead stupid with regards to doing your freaking homework on the history and #1 most aggressive fanatics of gun control and trying to abolish the Second Amendment?

        [1] Jews and U.S. Gun Control Legislation, 1968-Present
        1968: The Gun Control Act of 1968 comes from Jewish Rep. Emanuel Celler’s House bill H.R. 17735. It expands legislation already attempted by the non-Jewish Sen. Thomas Dodd. America’s biggest and most far-reaching gun law came from a Jew.
        1988: Senate bill S. 1523 is sponsored by Jewish Senator Howard Metzenbaum. It proposes legislation turning every violation of the Gun Control Act of 1968 into a RICO predicate offense, allowing a gun owner to be charged with federal racketeering offenses.
        1988: Senator Metzenbaum co-sponsors a bill — S. 2180 — to ban, or limit/restrict, so-called “plastic guns.”
        1990: Jewish Senator Herbert Kohl introduces bill S.2070, the Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990, which bans gun possession in a school zone. The law will later be struck down in court as unconstitutional.
        1993: Senate bill S.653 is sponsored by Sen. Howard Metzenbaum. It bans specific semiautomatic rifles, but also gives the Secretary of the Treasury the power to add any semiautomatic firearm to the list at a later date.
        February, 1994: The Brady Law, which requires waiting periods to buy handguns, becomes effective. Senator Metzenbaum wrote the Brady Bill. Metzenbaum sponsored the bill in the Senate. The sponsor of the bill in the House was Jewish Rep. Charles Schumer.
        1994: Senator Metzenbaum introduces S.1878, the Gun Violence Prevention Act of 1994, aka “Brady II.” Rep. Schumer sponsored “Brady II” sister legislation [H.R. 1321] in the U.S. House of Representatives.
        September, 1994: The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 goes into effect, including a provision that bans the manufacture and possession of semiautomatic rifles described as “assault weapons.” [Note: true assault weapons are fully automatic, not semiautomatic]. That gun-ban provision was authored in the Senate by Jewish Senator Dianne Feinstein and authored in the House by Congressman Schumer.
        1995: Jewish Senators Kohl, Specter, Feinstein, Lautenberg and others introduce the Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1995, an amended version of the 1990 school-zone law which was struck down in court as being unconstitutional.
        September, 1996: The Lautenberg Domestic Confiscation provision becomes law. It is part of a larger omnibus appropriations bill. It was sponsored by Jewish Senator Frank Lautenberg. It bans people convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence from ever owning a gun.
        1997: Senate bill S. 54, the Federal Gang Violence Act of 1997, proposes much harsher sentences for people violating minor gun laws, including mandatory prison sentences and forfeiture of property. It was introduced by Dianne Feinstein and a non-Jewish Senator [Hatch], among others. It returns the idea of turning every violation of the Gun Control Act of 1968 into a RICO predicate offense.
        January, 1999: Jewish Senator Barbara Boxer introduces bill S.193, the American Handgun Standards Act of 1999.
        January, 1999: Senator Kohl introduces bill S.149, the Child Safety Lock Act of 1999. It would to require a child safety lock in connection with transfer of a handgun.
        February, 1999: Senator Frank Lautenberg introduces bill S.407, the Stop Gun Trafficking Act of 1999.
        February, 1999: Senator Lautenberg introduces S.443, the Gun Show Accountability Act of 1999.
        March, 1999: Senator Lautenberg introduces bill S.560, the Gun Industry Accountability Act of 1999.
        March, 1999: Senator Feinstein introduces bill S.594, the Large Capacity Ammunition Magazine Import Ban Act of 1999.
        May, 2000: Senate bill S. 2515, Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2000, is submitted by Senators Feinstein, Senator Barbara Boxer, Sen. Lautenberg and Sen. Schumer. It is a plan for a national firearms licensing system.
        January, 2001: Senate bill S.25, Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2001, is sponsored by Feinstein, Schumer, and Boxer. It is a nation-wide gun registration plan [apparently there were two versions of that Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act bill].
        May, 2003: Senators Feinstein, Schumer, Boxer and others introduce legislation that would reauthorize the 1994 federal assault weapons ban, and, close a loophole in the law that allows large-capacity ammunition magazines to be imported into the U.S. The ban is scheduled to expire in September, 2004.
        October, 2003: Senators Feinstein, Lautenberg, Levin [also Jewish] and Schumer co-sponsor bill S.1774, designed to stop the sunset [ending] of the Undetectable Firearms Act of 1988.
        March, 2005: Senator Lautenberg introduces bill S.645, “to reinstate the Public Safety and Recreational Firearms Use Protection Act,” in other words, to reinstate the 1994 assault-rifle ban [also known as the “Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994”] which expired in late 2004.
        March, 2005: Senator Feinstein introduces bill S.620, “to reinstate the Public Safety and Recreational Firearms Use Protection Act,” in other words, to reinstate the 1994 assault-rifle ban [also known as the “Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994”] which expired in late 2004.

        • I am a member of the NRA, NMLRA, GOA, and NCCA. I don’t necessarily agree with all that Wayne puts out at times. But I will not forgo my memberships in any of these organizations because I value my rights as a gun owner, hunter, for the legal protections these groups offer should I ever be involved in a self defense shooting. No one said you have to agree with everything everyone says 100% of the time. You take away what you want as to how best to defend your rights. But it is my firm belief that without these organizations our rights for any use or ownership of firearms would have gone down the toilet decades ago! It cannot be doubted that our combined voices, numbers and memberships in these organizations have been the driving forces to keep and protect our rights. So much so, that we have all seen the continued assaults on us as gun owners, hunters, firearms collectors, builders, and more by those of the extreme left. They fear us as you have seen in their public attacks, characterizations and attempts to instill unholy fear into the masses of the uninformed public of us. So protect your rights or lose them! Remember, the left only wants high body counts of innocent Americans to continue their assaults on us. They don’t care about you or your family unless you are dead and they can further their platform on your grave! You don’t like Wayne. That’s your choice! Don’t support the NRA and demand everyone else do the same and cut off your memberships and donations? Now that’s cutting your throat and playing into the hands of people like CUNTMO, Sillibrand, Shithead Schumer, mentally deranged Pelosie and the rest of those brain dead dumbassocrats that want you killed to further their war against firearms. To them, the only “good citizen” is a dead one that supports their cry to disarm all of us.

        • What in the name of YHWH does any of that stuff about Jewish Congress-folks have to do with Ayoob running the NRA? He’s Arab.

        • Guardiano are you sure about him being arab? i seem to remember reading an article by him years ago in which he said his dad immigrated from Sicily off the coast of Italy. it was the story of how he grew up being taught shooting and knife fighting from about age 4 to when at 18 he faced his first real threat to his life from thugs on the street. there had been heavy arab (moslem) infulence in the region (also spain and portugul) till the late 1800’s when they finally kicked them out completely (due to the crusades running out of steam)

        • Cherry picking. I notice you do not mention Nancy Pelosi or other anti-gun Christians. Neither do you mention anti-gun Muslims, Buddhists, or Pastafarians. Might you have other issues than gun rights?

        • I don’t think he’s an arab or a jew. He’s an American. Just like everyone else who is here legally with citizenship.

          I swear to god you people do more harm than good to gun owner reputations with the conspiracy theory and oftentimes outright racist comments.

          • i agree with you, he IS American first and foremost and that is what matters. i may not be American by birth or naturalization but my views are very much American along the lines of the anti-federalists. i hate with a passion big govt of any stripe as it always leads to corruption. small, lean and very afraid of the wrath of the people is how govt should be and that includes people like state troopers, sheriffs dept, FBI etc etc

    • Wayne L . has been seduced by Trump and has forgotten why we send the NRA our money each year.

      There are many vehicles to support Trump and the Republican Party. I pay the NRA to support gun rights, not the entire Trump and/or Republican agenda.

      Another reason for Wayne to go is that he is no longer quick on his feet in interviews. We can find (and have) better spokesmen and spokeswomen.

    • Wayne isn’t the problem, he’s a symptom: the PR outfit, something and McQueen, that runs the place, is the problem. They don’t care about rights, they care about cash flow.

      But since Wayne is their puppet, he should go, too. Reduce the salary by $750,000 and use it to help newcomers to shooting to get their first gun, specifically people in heavy-crime areas. Adding 1500 new gun owners a year could only help.

  2. Short answer, YES! My membership expires soon. I think my money will be better spent with GOA and SAF.

  3. I’m pretty unhappy with NRA after Vegas. Do NOTHING as in Newtown and it would have blown over. I disagree with no pressure on Trump but I thank GOD every day Donnie got elected. You are what you DO-not what Trump used to support. I wasn’t an early Trumpite either but he’s won me over bigtime. And he chose Pence👍

  4. “the NRA’s closerthanthis relationship with President Trump leaves no room for manuever (sic). ”

    Suuuuure, Wayne should tell POTUS that if he doesn’t get his sh!t wired, the NRA will support Hillary or some other lunatic fringe leftist next time. That’ll get his attention.

    Or, in the alternative — and I’m just spitballing here — you guys are nuts.

    • I’ll go ahead and nail myself to the cross now, but I believe the alternative would be the NRA getting behind a third party. I know most have already made up there minds against this, but we can’t knock it til we’ve tried it. Dragging my cross down main street now. Go ahead. Chuck the stones at me.

      • The problem is no third party has any realistic chance of making any real impact on American politics. The NRA has to work within the system that exists and that leaves the Democrats, with virtually zero pro-gun members, and the Republicans. It’s a crappy situation, but it’s the world we have to live in.

        • I get that argument. I do. I’d like to throw out an anecdotal comparison, if I may: So my kids, ages 5 and 7, are in martial arts classes. I’ve noticed some particularly misbehaved brothers alongside mine. I later found out those kids don’t get spanked. I’m not sure they even get voices raised at them. My initial reaction was, “Not my kids, not my problem. Those parents will reap what they sow, as will I.”

          But then my wife took the kids to the dojo, not long after a major surgery. She’s got internal stitches, as well as a scar still healing across a majority of her abdomen. So one of these kids, who’s allowed to do whatever he wants without a shred of negative reinforcement, draws his fist back like he’s gonna punch her in the gut. Fortunately for everyone involved, my wife shouted at him and he backed away. “So maybe,” I think now, “those parents and their ineffective methods ARE my problem.”

          So why shouldn’t we also apply negative reinforcement to our political parties, as well? Of course I won’t vote Democrat. But I’d like to see the Libertarian party grow big enough, maybe not to win, but to be a threat for the GOP to get their crap together. Sure, we might lose an election. Are you gonna give up your guns? I’m not. But maybe that slap on the wrist and timeout for the GOP will be enough for them to come out of the corner with a new attitude. ‘Murica.

      • Trump is the closest thing to a third party we’ve ever had, or will ever have. So enjoy it while it lasts.

  5. Trump and the NRA aren’t perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but they kept Hillary and democrats from getting control of the Nation. We came within a whisker of getting Hillary’s Australian Style Gun Control in the 2016 election.
    Gun owners who abandon the GOP & Trump in this year’s election will be cutting off their balls to spite their body.

    • It’s not about abandoning the NRA, it’s about voting out the dead weight and replacing it with serious pro-2d amendment members, like Adam Kraut (http://www.adamkraut.com/), who is pushing for term limits for the board. Lets get rid of the PC butt-kissers and make the NRA great again!

  6. The problem is the NRA is full of politicians! They are going to do just enough to be able to claim ptogress while doing as little to upset the whole into action. Do you think if the nra had put its full weight and resourse behind reciprocity, it wouldnt already be passed? Theyre not pushing it because they have theyre own election cycle comming upn and they want you and i to decide to ket them keep steering the ship because we have hope the bill will pass, and to change leadership midstream would derail that. So now we need them, and they keep theyre grossy overpaid jobs, doing just enough to stay there

      • Only because they’ve intentionally tied their own hands behind their back so they don’t have to do anything or make any tough votes. They can easily just change the rules of the Senate or use some of the other legislative maneuvering to push things through with a simple majority.

      • If you count the red-state dems who’s seats are up this year, you have over the 60 needed. They can’t very well vote against their own concealed-carry constituent’s right to carry in every other state and hope to get re-elected. Every republican will almost certainly vote for reciprocity, except maybe Flake, who I hope has enough of a soul left to do the right thing – for once.

      • That’s not true. They can beat a filibuster if they feel like doing it. It just takes cojones and about two months.

  7. Trump’s inaction on guns? The hell is that supposed to mean? Do you not realize federal laws have to be changed by an elected legislature? And to the point of executive orders Trump has done a lot. He rescinded almost all (maybe even all) of Obama’s EOs, while ending operation choke point. In that alone, he’s done more for gun rights than any president since Hoover. It’s a low bar, for sure, but it’s nothing to sneeze at. He’s also had a more conservative first year than Reagan, therefore also being the most conservative since Hoover as well. Want real reform on gun rights? We got to twist the GOPs arm into getting a bill to Trumps desk, that’s he’s already said he’d sign. Trumps lip service to the second amendment alone is more to the cause than the right lipped Romney/McCain/Bush republicans who saw the gun rights movement as an inconvenience. I expect TTAG to have a better grasp on the political reality of the situation than this.

      • Yeah. That’s kindve part of what I’m saying. Saying “Trump’s inaction on guns” is just being flat out ignorant. Trump has little to no power to effect federal law by himself.

        • He has it within his power to open NFA amnesty for 30 or 60 days. He has it in his power to rollback 41F BS, he has it within his control to have forms 1 and 3 rubber stamped within 30 days. There is a lot he can do if he was motivated

        • Hank, though I generally agree with you, Miserable Bastard is right. His specific example is just one of many.

          Ozzallos, of course Miserable Bastard would complain. I assume he is a miserable bastard.

    • The standing issue with carry on lands under the Army Corp of Engineers is still an outstanding point of contention that should not take a year if the Commander in Chief of the armed forces is pro-gun. HIS Corp has was told almost 9 months ago to settle the suit about carrying on their lands, yet they drag their feet with every step. Commanders of Engineer battalions can give permission to anyone asking. This issue should be easily dealt with within two internal emails.

  8. I don’t know enough about the players and circumstances to pontificate about politics. I can only try to discern right from wrong and do as much right and as little wrong as I can. I suspect that most of us see the world through a key hole and only ever know a small part of the story.

  9. The NRA is large DC lobby which means it has large DC lobby corruption. At this point the NRA has a business model, and that business model is that it needs a dragon to slay in order to justify it’s own existence, and ideally the country should be one democrat congress away from total gun confiscation, ie the 1990’s.

    The NRA’s deal making HAS resulted in a few things that are worthwhile – excepting the Hughes Amendment, FOPA86 is actually a good law. The compromise on armor piercing ammo back in the 80’s left rifles alone even if it’s getting in the way now. But make no mistake, the NFA34 and GCA68 are not going ANYWHERE if the NRA has a say in it. The NRA has supported the system those two laws put in place at every step of the way and do so even now with their urging of the ATF to ban “rate increasing devices.”

    The NRA is walking a fine line, how do they keep things just bad enough that you’re scared enough to keep buying lifetime memberships, but also how do they keep having just enough success that you’re confident enough in them to keep buying lifetime memberships.

    In other words you should be throwing your money to Gun Owners of America.

  10. Trump is currently in the process of destroying the Democrat party while fighting the RINO wing of the Republican Party, packing the courts with pro-constitutional judges, doing all that can be asked on the messes left behind by others such as North Korea and Iran, while simultaneously fighting an ongoing coup attempt by high level officials in the NSA/DOJ/FBI, and you’re disappointed that he hasn’t had time yet to handle your issues??!!!

    This coup represents an existential threat to our Republic. The outcome is still in doubt. Can we focus on helping him to win that battle before we worry about the heating protection act?

    • Indeed. Trumps leadership thus far has exposed just how deep, and just how far the swamp reaches. The insane media, the deep state, the international effort to destroy Americanism. We are lucky Trump ran and won. Any other republican president would’ve been effectively neutered by this extreme, insane, liberal media. He decided to fight it and won. Hopefully that will give the rest of the GOP their balls back in future elections.

      • Thanks, Hank. I hope Robert was just looking for so easy clicks, and he really isn’t this big of a fool.

        • Russians hacked our election, and you’re okay with it because Trump won.

          And the people who are trying to get to the bottom of it are being slandered for daring to care about the integrity of US elections and giving a shit about just how deeply in to the Russians a sitting President is.

          But he’s a Repulican, so it’s okay by you guys. Okay, comrade.

        • Swarf, the only Russian collusion was Hillary’s uranium one deal and Obama’s hot mike claim that he’d have “more flexibility after the election”. Nice try, troll.

          Your hero Mueller has found nothing after almost a year of looking, and recently had to delay the sentencing of Flynn because that whole case is falling apart with the recent revelations of corruption in the FBI/DOJ. Wanna’ bet that Flynn’s plea deal gets thrown out because the judge in that case was also the FISC judge who approved one of the fraudulent FISA warrants on Carter Page?

          Trump is doing the exact opposite of what the Russians would want, with the expansion of US energy resources, expanding US economy, maintaining and expanding sanctions on Russia, shaming NATO countries into increasing military spending, expanding relations with Poland, playing hard ball with Iran and N Korea, etc. And that’s just off the top of my head. I’m sure I missed a few.

        • ^^^this^^^

          All of you non-trolls need to get up to speed on the coup attempt. This is no joke. If they manage to take down Trump then we will never again have another free election.

          Here are some places to start:

          http://sultanknish.blogspot.com/2018/01/this-civil-war-my-south-carolina-tea.html?m=1

          https://statelymcdanielmanor.wordpress.com/2018/02/02/the-nunes-memo-just-the-beginning/#more-14603

          https://statelymcdanielmanor.wordpress.com/2018/01/29/american-constitutionalism-crossing-lines-part-1/

          http://victorhanson.com/wordpress/from-conspiracy-theories-to-conspiracies/#more-10929

        • ahhh .wordpress and .blogspot sources. Sources so pure they can’t even afford something more than the free domain name.

        • Daniel Greenfield is a serious guy. His video is available at other websites. And Victor Davis Hanson is a history professor with many books to his name. Mike McDaniel’s work has been published here before, and he’s a veteran, former cop and detective, professional vocalist, an English teacher, and a thoughtful guy. Ignore them at your peril.

          You’re not paranoid if they really are out to get you. Many of you liberals laughed last year when Trump said that basis of the FISA warrant was paid for by Hillary and the DNC but we now have definitive proof of that. And there’s more to come.

          This is an active coup attempt against the President. And he’s probably going to outsmart you again. Don’t you ever get tired of losing.

    • Amen to that. I threw in big with Trump despite many TTAG commenters lacking the wit to understand that it was Trump or Hillary. Sure, my favorite was Rand Paul, but he had no chance of winning.

      Trump has a very full agenda, and Ginsberg can’t live forever even if she’s made a deal with Satan to extend her life. We desperately need more pro-gun senators instead of a razor-thin majority. More pro-gun judges is an added bonus..

    • If Trump was half as good at management as he says he is, then most of the regulations we complain about would be fixed by now. All he had to do was appoint someone who knew what they were doing and was pro-2A.

      I (as an appointee) probably could have gotten it done by now, and I’ve never run a government agency before. (This is meant as a taller than Mickey Rooney comparison).

  11. Yes the NRA has fooled us. And it’s clear that they will not change, history has shown us this. They will continue to give our rights away and then fundraise off of it.

    They will not change, and their latest actions are inexcusable. Had any gun manufacturer (well besides AI) pulled the same stunt there would be endless calls for boycotts, but why not the NRA? Because of the fudds and fools.

    It’s time we take our money elsewhere, and to possibly start boycotting manufacturers that continue to support the NRA ad they give our rights away and profit off of it.

  12. theyre on 5 year probation after the vegas/bumpstock/atf debacle

    the claim or suggestion that was some type of a strategic retreat or cunning outmaneuver is a canard and woefully dishonest on its face

    it was either a rookie mistake cowardice or done on purpose

    there are no other possibilities

    either way it was just short of unforgivable

    maga

    four more years

  13. The NRA is midlife in the cycle of all large organizations. They start small with noble goals and motives. In mid life the organization becomes more important than it’s members and goals. Finally, they lose all touch with the declining membership and dwindle into obscurity.
    Some religions exemplify this final stage.

  14. I have always supported the NRA and I always will continue to do so….President Trump is no Ronald Reagan when it comes to coddling Democats to promote an agenda as Reagan didn’t have the luxury of Republican majorities in both houses….with the recent allegations of Russian bankers funneling money to the NRA to support Trump’s election, I would imagine Trump may be wanting to distance himself from the NRA….it will be interesting to see if Trump puts in an appearance at the NRA convention in Dallas this spring.

    • Oh come on, Trump is no Reagan… Trump isn’t Hillary, that is all. She would have been the worst president in history, or not, didn’t happen can’t know. When you have a choice between two shit birds, you’re going to get one shit bird. So we get the other worst president in history, not by policy mind you, but by personality. I can agree 100% with the daily work that’s getting done, but he continues to embarrass whenever he actually opens his tweet hole, he’s made a virtue out of not knowing anything, about literally anything.

      The fact that we got down to a choice between Hillary and him is a frickin’ disgrace, and the fact that only 58% of eligible voters showed up during the general, and less than 25% in most primaries is also a disgrace.

  15. You nailed it! The NRA has failed the People of the Gun. We must band together and punish Wayne by ensuring the filthy, lying democrats take control of the United States House of Representatives and Senate. No more money for the NRA ILA. That will show him! As for Trump, what has he done for us lately? He is a big do nothing president. It is not as if he has to contend with filthy, lying, obstructionist democrats in the congress and corrupt, traitorous, criminal bureaucrats in the Department of Justice and FBI. He has wasted an entire year focused on trivial issues like the economy, national defense, immigration, health care reform and judicial appointments. We want what we want and we want it now! Are we becoming special princess snowflakes?

  16. NRA has become more political and less advocate for its core principles. The relentless marketing, big salaries, selective (I’m in NY, I’m fairly convinced NRA works with a 49 state map that doesn’t include us in NY) support and condescending attitude toward the voice of the membership.
    It’s time for Wayne to move on, it’s time for grass roots safety and marksmanship programs to return to NRA’s priorities and it’s time for the membership to have a true voice in the organization and not only the hierarchy.

    They have accomplished a lot for some of us and near nothing for many others.

      • My point is the National Rifle Association accepts dues and solicits financial support from all of us, including us in NY. We get near zero return on those dollars. Indirectly, sure, we all benefit in some ways but NRA does nothing for us here.
        A state with nearly 20 million residents, 20% gun ownership, gives us more gun owners than many states. Hell, it gives us more gun owners than 17-18 states total populations.

        Tired of gun owners who are not being oppressed thinking our problems are not their (your) problems. Eventually we will have another Obama/Hillary/Kerry/Bloomberg White House and Congress.
        When they come for your rights the way they’ve trampled ours, let me know how that works out for you.

        • Fed up in ny: Do you remember back in 2013, when over 10,000 people (NYSRPA & the NRA members) showed up in Albany and again and again and again, were said in newsprint “almost ‘1,000 protesters (their stats) caused $60,000 in lawn damage” and (cannot be proven) the promoted unSAFE ACT Version 2 never happened? Were you there, were you one of the 3,000,000 NY gun owners that “Could Have” and “SHOULD HAVE” talked to friends to vote against this demoncrat-wanna-be-president andrew coumo (sic -k). We (breakfast club upstate) are STILL stamping all our dollar bills “CUOMO MUST GO.” In short, fed up in NY, are YOU still doing every thing YOU can (primary elections, elections, town meetings, letters-to-the-editors), The NRA, NYSRPA, GOA, NY2A, SAF, et al. have all been trying to help us. Take the advice that sustains the leftists: Don’t Stop being a pain in their leftist butts. Few single persons can do ALL that is needed, but All can do SOME.

  17. No, they have not failed. Having a President Clinton would be a fail. Any while our petty issues may seem important. There are higher priorities on the front burner. And until you get 60 votes in the Senate to move anything to a floor vote. The status quo will remain.

    • neiowa: DARN YOU, ANOTHER least of many evils to choose. I guess I’ll have to toss coins and pick a$$es again.

  19. The NRA has totally missed its mark and gotten away from what their goals should be. Here’s what I think they should work toward.
    1. Full repeal of NFA, GCA, and Hughes.
    2. National reciprocity.
    3. End state level gun control.
    4. Make training and ranges easy to access for all.
    5. Build at least one range with full facilities in every county across the country.
    6. Encourage and assist gun oriented entrprenuers.
    7. Support and expand gun sports (3 gun etc).
    8. Maintain those victories and expand on them.

    I understand completing these goals means a massive shift in policy, but their goal should have always been a slow transition to a civilian training and competition organization. Sure, they may lose that huge bankroll and the execs may have to give up that private jet but hey your post shouldn’t be your career. You want a career in corruption and screwing over your voters just run for Congress or POTUS.

  20. Failed would imply they’ve actually tried to defend the second amendment.

    Betrayed is the better word.

  21. While Trump could do a little more, the real problem is with the Senate, especially Majority Leader Mitch McConnell since he could have set votes on any of what we want months ago.

  22. I still got all my shit and what not. Then again I live in a state that respects my rights. Not sure what the NRA has to do with anything. I was a member but they spent most my money on cheap knives and worthless coins. So I am not a member anymore. Honestly I think a lot of the noise around gun rights is just another way for certain folks to make money.

  23. [Apologies in advance for the length.]

    I’m probably going to be in the minority here but no, I don’t think the NRA has “failed”. Stumbled, sure but no war is a series of continuous victories with no setbacks.

    The NRA finds itself in an odd position because, at least on paper, they should be winning. Republicans control the House, POTUS and technically the Senate but don’t have the votes in the Senate to get to 60 on practically anything pro-gun related. They might be able to pull Manchin over to the vote Yea on something but that’s about it due to the liquidation of *cough* rational Democrats in previous election cycles.

    Combine that with a media that has, quite frankly, lost it’s collective mind and will attack anything Trump supports as “treason”, “Russian collusion”, a “Constitutional crisis” or a “threat to National Security”. Then add in the Mueller investigation which is going God-knows-where and may end up with politically motivated charges against God-knows-who, including the POTUS. Then add in the fact that 2A issues were never really on the front-burner because immigration, taxes, the ACA, the economy, trade and a bunch of other issues like ISIS were far larger fish to fry and you get what we have today.

    Now, on the plus side, taxes have been dealt with, the economy is improving (though unevenly in some regards) for the near-term and ISIS has been driven from it’s strongholds in the ME. However, immigration is shaping up to be one hell of a fight, ISIS is on the move to safe havens which are shortly going to enter into the American consciousness when people start seeing serious movement in Africa (where ISIS an, AQ, AQAP and others are moving to) and our necessary responses to that. Afghanistan is going to continue to be a problem. Of course the Republicans botched the ACA which will have to be revisited, especially since a ton of smaller and more rural hospitals are about to get fucked (which is going to become a serious political hot potato later this year or early next). Trade is going to be a cluster-fuck for awhile here… and then of course there’s the other shit that’s either too long of a list to mention here or is currently lurking out there in the darkness of the unknown.

    So, irregardless of what the NRA says or does the status quo shall remain until at least after the midterms. The impatient won’t like it and will look to blame someone or some entity but the facts are the facts. We’re small potatoes and there’s a lot of bigger shit going on at this point at the national level.

    Were I a betting man I’d place money that there are winning bets to be made that if we watch for some strategically placed lawsuits against certain States and certain State laws coming from the NRA, that we might see some movement. However I don’t expect much else in the immediate future. Some of this shit is winnable, er… well, it should be pretty easily winnable if the court bothers to read the Constitution (in some cases that of the State in question). Other states are effectively lost to the NRA. There’s not much point in them spending money in a state like Massachusetts or California to lobby. That’s just pissing money down a rathole.

    As for other organizations to support I am of two minds on that. There’s nothing wrong with supporting GOA or whatever but these organizations are generally small in comparison to the NRA so I question how effective they really can be no matter how driven they are.

    • I support NRA and GOA and state affiliates. Biggest problem is the NRA won’t attack fake anti gun Republicans who are anti gun because they don’t care about guns until the election.

      The bigger problem is idiot Republican voters nominating pieces of dung candidates. After Trump won TTAG said both HPA and reciprocity were done deals. R’s just go to sleep and attack the Left once their Champion is in. Sad that Trump is the best we’ll ever have when it comes to anti establishment people. Rand Paul is the best man in Congress but he’s too polite and reasonable and vastly outnumbered by hardcore statists in the GOP. People like Rubio, McCain, Graham, Paul Ryan, McConnel, etc, etc. I predict no HPA, no House reciprocity (senate version is worthless, even harmul).

      • I agree. I don’t really see any legislative movement at this point.

        Sadly I think there very well might have been if that asshole hadn’t shot up Las Vegas. However that changed the calculation for a lot of Congress critters.

        • Interesting how a major shooting incident happens every time there is important pro-gun legislation being pushed!

      • I’m not sure if the Senate version is harmful, but it is largely garbage when compared to the House version.

    • I think this sums up the situation quite well. The whole focus of this year is going to be trying to win the midterms, as it should be. If we lose a chamber in the midterms then it’s another stalemate till 2020, on everything. I wasn’t really even worried about the midterms until I recently saw how many republicans are retiring this year. Granted the whole “blue wave” thing is a flat out myth and the democrats will be on defense in the senate, but the house is much more chaotic and anything can happen. Any given Tuesday.

    • “We’re small potatoes and there’s a lot of bigger shit going on at this point at the national level.” This will always be the case. If we want change, we’re gong to have to be willing to take our ball and go home every now and then, which is scary.

  24. “But why should he? President Trump’s inaction on firearms freedom risks nothing…”

    This is the problem with the 2nd Amendment movement’s close relationship to the GOP as a whole. The GOP gets the most money and voter activity when gun rights are threatened. Fear motivates voting more than gratitude. So of course they’re not going to do anything really useful in terms of legislation when they’d rather pay off huge multi-national corporations with tax breaks instead.

    But I don’t see a way out of it either. It’s a secondary harm from the ridiculous 2 party monopoly that has been allowed to entrench itself.

    • If calling and writing to them doesn’t work, the only solution is to not vote for them, but that risks the Dems passing bad law, and the Republicans not learning the lesson that they need to do something for us.

  26. Oh, for f-ck’s sake Farago, this again?

    Trump lifted the ban Obama placed on firearms in government park lands/lead ammunition. Trump reversed the rule that required social security to report mental disability for background checks. Trump has taken no action during a mass shooting when it would have been politically expedient to do so. Oh, look: Trump Dismisses Calls for Gun Control Post-Texas Church Shooting. And where’s this headline in your monologue: Trump Opened Door for Citizens to Acquire More Surplus Pistols from U.S. Military

    “In December 12, 2017, Trump signed the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act which included an amendment allowing citizens to acquire another batch of surplus 1911 pistols from the military. The International Business Times estimates approximately 100,000 1911s could soon be available for purchase via the Citizens Marksmanship Program.”

    Sure you reported the guns are coming, but there is one person singularly responsible for them.

    Look, I know you’re not getting everything you want now-now-now like a petulant child, but what’s with these panic pieces? TOO COZY TO TRUMP! NO ROOM TO MANEUVER! FAILED THE PEOPLE OF THE GUN! And while you’re panicking about this crap, how about mentioning his progun nominations in Ryan Zinke as Interior Secretary and Neil Gorsuch to the Supremes? All of this is easily more pro-gun than the last three presidents COMBINED.

    No, seriously. WTF is wrong with you? That’s my question of the day.

    • Exactly! All the m1 garands coming back too. And the presidents lip service to the second amendment after mass shootings isn’t small potatoes. It’s worth it’s weight in gold. The national conversation following shootings is no longer one sided with just constant gun controllers screaming. We’re screaming back and lead by our president. That changes everything.

    • ozzallos – Yeah yeah right. It’s the one step forward and the two steps back Strategy to fool the masses as they call US privately amongst themselves.They are not Idiots like “We” are and believe them.
      The NRA and President Trump have fail US both so far!
      Trump recognized (((twice))) nationally the “Paid” that is their job to do Capital Police “First Respondents” after the Ball Game Shooting, but didn’t give a hoot or any Medals to the two “UNPAID” not their job, true Hero normal Americans “First Responders” in the Sutherland Springs TX Shooting. That was his time to shine, but he forgot us all.
      So I have very little faith in them all, Republicans included.
      When this “Fix NICS” and the very (vague) “Bump Stock Ban” Bill and anything that allows you to increase the (Rate of Fire) which could include magazines too, they’ll stab us in the back and sign. Exactly like he let Hillary go and gave her a (((Standing Ovation))) at his Inauguration Luncheon (((DISGUSTING!!!))) if you watched it, amongst his other reneges.
      Pay attention and not what they say, but what they do. Congress has a 10% Approval Rating. I ask you how do “We the People” allow that (((?))) Can anybody can answer that for me (((?)))

      • Look, I’ve got no answers if all of your discontent lies in the conspiracy that Trump is part of the system and these are token gestures just to give us hope like the Matrix trilogy. I’m sure it’s a favorite of Farago’s as well. But honestly, if that’s as far as you can go, there’s only one option left for you.

        Wait, no. I actually do have an answer for you. Again, look at his long term appointments. Not the people who can be fired on the spot; the people who be there long past Trump’s eight years. These people are solid conservatives. Most of them pro gun rights as far as I can tell. I mean, you have to dig really deep into the whole government conspiracy to counter that, but this is TTAG. Whatever you want, man.

    • With the exception of Gorsuch, that’s all peanuts. Still the best president on guns since gun control became a thing.

  27. Because We the People, have no say. Republicans and Democrats are just good cop bad cop. And the president is just a figurehead or scape goat depending on how ” the powers that be” need to play it. As ISIS proved to North Korea, and Clinton proved to impeachement, America has no power.

  28. Wayne LaPierre or more properly LaChamberlin Needs To GO and Don’t Let The Door Hit Him In The Backside On The Way Out Said Door.
    No more Stand And Capitulate that the Negotiating Rights Away since 1934,time to become the NRA.

  29. If all the people who truly cared about Liberty had voted Libertarian in the last election, the Libertarian party would have received at least 20% of the vote, and that would have shaken Washington and the establishment parties to their core. It is so lame to say that “I won’t vote for such-and-such a party because they don’t stand a chance”!
    It is frequently said that a vote for a third party is a wasted vote. I say that the only wasted vote is a vote that doesn’t reflect your conscience! If you “strategize” how you vote and think that you have to pick between the lesser of two evils, then you are contributing to our slide into tryanny.

    • Except the libertarian party isn’t libertarian anymore. They’re pretty much just liberals now who are slightly less aggressive on gun control.

        • You obviously didn’t pay attention to the two candidates the libertarian party put forth in 2016. Far from libertarian. One was very pro gun control, the other mushy on it. But that’s all ok because “muh weed” right?

      • Hank: Thank you for pointing out what should be obvious:
        Libertarians aren’t libertarian,
        Republicans aren’t repub, but it’s hard to tell them from
        Democrats that aren’t democratic,
        Conservatives that aren’t NEO,
        Who the F— ISN’T working toward globalism? It seems ONLY the Non-Swampers might not be, but there’s too much muck sticking to the wall to find out.
        I tell my swamp representatives: Might as well try MAGA, it appears to be the only possible escape, but they reply “I hear you, BUT…”

      • jwm, if you want to play the short game, then your only choices (forever) will be statist R or statist D. The long game is what counts in the end…

          • I must respectfully disagree. I see so many of these Molon Labe signatures, stickers, inscriptions etc. Let’s put our money where our mouth is.

        • Your strategy is seriously flawed, proof is the election that gave us slick willie! Many of us voted for the third party candidate, remember Perot? If “we” third party voters had looked more toward strategy than making a point, the clintons might have faded away AND al snore the climate guy would still be a NOBODY!

          • Well you see, Jake, this talk of the long game is actually in reference to a future tense. Your ramblings of Perot don’t do any more good than telling us how your life would be different if Coach would have just put you in the game, all those years ago.

            On a serious note, ManBearPig is real, so you should be thanking Gore for warning us about him.

    • Ben Shapiro put this best, “Perhaps the saddest party in the saddest year in major party history is the libertarians. All they had to do was nominate a libertarian.”

      Gary Johnson was the “We’ll all toke up while the country gets sold to corporatism” candidate. He also reminded me of that guy who smoked too much pot in high school. Not to say that’s without its entertaining value but it’s not exactly top choice in my presidential candidates. The nail in the coffin was Weld, why in your right mind would you have a statist RINO as your Libertarian co-runner? Give me a break.

      • There’s a ring of truth to this, but such a complicated situation can’t really be distilled into two witty sentences. Johnson and Weld weren’t ideal, but in a society so ingrained in a two party system, you have to pull from one of two parties if you want any political experience on the ticket. I’m grateful they pulled from the right.

        But the reality is that we’re so fixed on binary choices that you could cultivate the progeny of Ayn Rand and Chuck Norris in a Petri dish, put them on a third party ticket, and they’d still lose. Insert your own fantasy power couple. The results would be the same.

        But if a good enough chunk of us could agree that even schmucks like Johnson and Weld are a better choice than Robot Hillary or Poonaner Grabbin’ Trump, maybe the GOP would shape up. Or better yet, maybe our kids will eventually have a third or fourth party worth their salt.

      • “The nail in the coffin was Weld, why in your right mind would you have a statist RINO as your Libertarian co-runner? Give me a break.”

        That was the kicker that said the libertarian party isn’t even serious,it did long term harm to the party.

  30. Hey, isn’t it time for the NRA to back another NFA 1934 or yet another 1986-style machinegun ban?? Pfft….NRA can go pound sand, I dropped it years ago….

    One (or both?) of Pres. Trumps sons *shoot* and *hunt*, I’m not talking about ‘landed gentry quail hunting’ like that miserable Senator John Cornyn pulls to fool the Texas voters. They’ve got their Dad’s ear, NOT the NRA.

  32. Why blame just the NRA for stalled legislation. McConnell is a large part of the swamp and he has got to go. To jerk around any bill on his desk for almost a year is unforgivable.
    With one exception. Reciprocity doesn’t have the senate votes. Yet.
    No ones rights should end at an imaginary line. NO ONES.
    There is no reason what so ever that a state issued permit which is a tax to begin with. Isnt seen in the same light as a marriage or drivers license.
    I want the swamp drained and Trump is doing what he can to drain it.
    1 or 2 more Supreme Court appointments and a lot of our current problems will have a good chance of being in the past.

  33. Judicial Watch seems to be doing 10 times more good for us than the nra. I’m throwing in with them. The nra has degenerated into a perpetual fund raising activity.

  34. NRA got complacent and is too busy trying to be an insurance co. Carry Guard may or may not be great, but for the 25% of the country that lives in a shall issue state its a slap in the face. And also opens the NRA up to conflict of interest if mandatory insurance comes up in a bill. What will they go with- your rights or their bottom line? I always bet on bottom line.

  35. The NRA should be no politicians friend. Instead it should hold all of their feet to fire in support of our constitutional rights.

  36. I did pay attention to the candidates, and running as Libertarians they did adopt the platform. It’s not about “weed” for me(never touch the stuff),it’s about our right to run our own lives. They weren’t purist libertarians, for sure. But I’ll take a Republican-turned-imperfect-libertarian over the other offerings…

  38. If we align ourselves like the unions we will find our selves getting visited by the politicians every 4 years when they need votes and forgotten about quickly after. We should be loyal to no one blindly but rather by the results they get and the record they hold.

    • @ Kenneth G Maiden

      “When Wayne and Chris are gone, I’ll come back. Till then, GOA gets it all.”

      Wayne and Chris can take Marion with them,GOA gets my dollars until the NRAe is gone.

  40. I looked at that pic of Wayne again, he kinda looks like an old carp sucking air in a drying mud hole, and he’s all pissed off and mad about it.Thats uncharacteristic of a carp,they usually just flop their tails, gasp for air and die

  41. All of you non-trolls need to get up to speed on the coup attempt. This is no joke. If they manage to take down Trump then we will never again have another free election.

    For a good primer see several recent articles by Victor Davis Hanson or at Stately Mcdaniel Manor. Also Daniel Greenfield recently made a great speech on the “cold civil war” at a South Carolina Tea Party meeting.

  42. The NRA is just the firearms union. They started out with a pretty good cause but have been corrupted over the years to the point of hurting far more than they are helping. They have had their hands in every gun control law since 1934 and are now openly calling for unelected bureaucrats to regulate away accessories because the peasants can’t be trusted with them. They don’t deserve any support.

    • I remember posting awhile back that TTAG should post the contact info for every states rep so we can try to get some accountability.

      This week I got a life insurance mailer and a lifelock offer from the NRA, and as Billy-Bob points out, what’s with all the JUNK they offer as gifts for membership. I DON’T WANT THIS SHIT IT COMES FROM CHINA!!!
      At times I’ve spent hours just digging for a contact to let them know this. An organization that doesn’t make it easy for it’s members to contact them about concerns is a bit suspect to me.

  46. The NRA and CRPA let legislators pass ridiculous anti guns laws and do NOTHING to fight against them ever. They write and complain about them but sit on their hands and let the laws pass without a fight. Legislators, NRA and CRPA are all a joke.

  47. I worked hard mowing lawns for many summers to save money for my Life Membership to the NRA because I was led to believe they were the 2000lb gorilla in the gun rights room.

    They can change but, sportsman,hunters skeet tards only care about their double barrel cuz they are too ignorant to see the big picture and stand strong with the semi-auto rifle/pistol owner.

    The NRA will die or just become the weak FUDD NRA!

    #ShallNotBeInfringed is just that NRA!

    They failed us with bump-stocks rate increasing devices….saying its ok to ban plastic junk etc.. setting dangerous precedents!

    Every gun owner should join the GOA because its about NO COMPROMISE!

    You cannot compromise with gun hating gun ban liberals because we have given almost all of our rights away and gained back very little …..

    Instead of constantly being on the defense lets go on a WW3 offense and earn all of rights back through activism,education and exposing the anti-freedom politicians!

    All gun owners should be harassing politely… the hell out of all their Reps daily!

  48. they have, repeatedly failed gun owners. the problem with the stance of just giving up a little, it that over time we lose it all, as we keep seeing.
    BUT the NRA is still playing that game.
    the bump fire stocks are just the last in a long list, going back to supporting the NFA in ’34.

  49. Yup it is a mistake.

    The NRA does not need to appear this close to Trump. And it alienates plenty of people who are repulsed by Trump (many of them for legit reasons).

  50. LaPierre must go; he has grown too fond of the trappings of his position. The 5 Star hotel rooms, the 1st Class airline tickets, the security detail, and the ability to rub elbows with those in power as a peer have resulted in him becoming part of the elite while wasting member’s funds.

    Find a more suitable successor and send him on his way.

  51. I bought lifetime memberships in the NRA for my sons which now I regret. The NRA has cheated me out of 2 years in a row of membership from buying Taurus handguns & frankly has gotten too big for the common working man. I don’t want to be in the wine club. My sons get e-mails weekly wanting more money, buy this buy that, well I’M DONE NRA. I joined Gun Owners of America where it’s all business & little to no waste as far as I can see. I get pre written letters to send to government officials & I can & do change the wording & am very impressed with GOA & would advise everyone to check them out. And here’s a shocker, people answer the phone that really care about 2A & if they can’t answer your question they get you to someone who will.

  52. @ raptor jesus Thank you, you are 100% right. They are Americans and until they really do something that proves different remain Americans. We can agree and disagree, debate, etc. But cripes sake stop the racist, bigoted, etc. crap already folks. Many of you talk and seemingly behave like both Trump and HC.

    To answer the question yes the NRA has failed us. They have gotten into bed with a snake that will eat them and spit them out when he is done with them. There are tons of things this POTUS could have done already and be doing if he really cared about the 2A. Here is some truth for you, Trump cares no more about the 2A then HC does. He cares about shilling the NRA money though, our member money. He is great at stealing money, conning folks, and leaving them high and dry…. always has been, it is his business SOP.

    The NRA is hurting us more than helping. They need a massive leadership change with some integrity. Kind of like our country needs in its leadership, a massive change with integrity.

  53. Of course they’ve failed: any time an advocacy organization isn’t pitching “their” president to “Do all you can do!” (to mangle a phrase), they’ve failed. The NRA isn’t pushing for even half of what Trump could do.
    La Pierre ought to be telling Trump, “Tell the Democrats they can have the DACA issue in exchange for the reciprocity.” It would happen in a flash!

    • I don’t think the NRA is even pushing Trump. All they really need to do is say “Look, a core constituency that helped you win in a tight election is getting upset. Throw them a bone. This bone.” They don’t even have to be the bad cop. They can be the good cop. All “we can make this problem go away if you do x.” X can be a combination of any number of things. ITAR, 41-F, significant changes to the NFA process (like NICS check instead of months long wait (which they already do for trusts doing a form 4 anyway)), various import/export things, settlements with “offenders,” amnesties for some NFA items until Congress passes at least some of our agenda. That’s just off the top of my head, not a single one of them requires an act of Congress, and not a single one is an overreach of executive power (at least not an overreach that isn’t routine; I think the entire administrative state is an overreach of executive power).

  54. While we are all disappointed that a completely Republican-controlled Congress hasn’t sent the Republican President any meaningful legislation to advance Second Amendment rights, this isn’t Trump’s fault and it isn’t the NRA’s fault.

    It is a bunch of namby-pamby Senators and Representatives who cringe behind the 60-vote nonsense to claim that they simply cannot get the HPA and other legislation passed. (Insert strong and insulting language describing the various flaws of that mindset here).

    We’ve also seen crushing losses at the Supreme Court level where even despite the appointment of Justice Gorsuch, challenges to Maryland’s assault-weapons ban and other gun challenges were turned away without comment. This only emboldens gun-grabbers. Appointment of rational federal judges who respect all of the rights in the Constitution should be a huge priority as they have lasting effects on a more operational level. There are 146 vacancies at present with only 50 nominees pending (see here: http://www.uscourts.gov/judges-judgeships/judicial-vacancies ). Failure to appoint these judges right now will be a lost opportunity which will continue to damage the POTG for years if not decades.

    The clock is running down. People have seen how little this Congress has accomplished with their majority and there is another election in November, only 9 months away. It is widely expected that the Dems will come roaring back as they have done in every state election that happened since Trump got elected. Nine months left. It’s enough to make an entirely new human being. Maybe the Republicans can grow a spine in enough time to get something done before they lose their majority.

    • Cadeyrn: Damn You for taking away the RINO-shield, and telling us the self-anointed emperors ain’t got no clothes. Who do you think you are? President Trump? Well, THANK YOU for laying it on the line, and putting OUR (constituents’) FEET to the fire. MAGA can’t work without US!

    • “Representatives who cringe behind the 60-vote nonsense to claim that they simply cannot get the HPA and other legislation passed.” “Dems will come roaring back as they have done in every state election that happened since Trump got elected.” Those statements are not true. The Representatives actually pass things. They’ve passed reciprocity, for example. The Dems have won two significant victories. One in a state Trump lost, and another when the front running candidate was torpedoed by McConnell, so a perceived pedophile took his place and then barely lost. Neither one was an impressive victory.

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