Thread: I'm a leftie. Can I join the NRA?

Hi All,
First off, I know I "can" join the NRA. I'm wondering if I can do it without harming, hindering or otherwise going against my other political principles. I really don't want to sidetrack the discussion by going into the validity of those other beliefs. So, hopefully we can leave it at this:
1) I cherish the second ammendment and the rights that it grants.
2) For better or for worse gun rights are the domain and political property of the political right.
3) I'm a leftie in almost all other ways. Not a democrat, they aren't anywhere near far enough left.
So, here is my fear. Every dolar that I give to the NRA goes into the pocket of someone who, while they fight for my second ammendment rights, is also working against gay marriage, or is trying to dismantle labor unions, or is a climate sceptic, etc.
Again, please, let's try to stay on topic. Can a leftie, in good conscience, join the NRA?

Yes and No. That is my final answer!

Originally Posted by Pigdog

Hi All,
First off, I know I "can" join the NRA. I'm wondering if I can do it without harming, hindering or otherwise going against my other political principles. I really don't want to sidetrack the discussion by going into the validity of those other beliefs. So, hopefully we can leave it at this:
1) I cherish the second ammendment and the rights that it grants.
2) For better or for worse gun rights are the domain and political property of the political right.
3) I'm a leftie in almost all other ways. Not a democrat, they aren't anywhere near far enough left.
So, here is my fear. Every dolar that I give to the NRA goes into the pocket of someone who, while they fight for my second ammendment rights, is also working against gay marriage, or is trying to dismantle labor unions, or is a climate sceptic, etc.
Again, please, let's try to stay on topic. Can a leftie, in good conscience, join the NRA?

Yes you can join the NRA. Most of the NRA's political money flows through their institute for legislative action (ILA) and their political victory fund which are both entities that you join or contribute to separately.

Originally Posted by Pigdog

1) I cherish the second ammendment and the rights that it grants.

First off, neither The Constitution, nor ANY government entity "grants" the citizen his/her rights. Those rights are inalienable, The Constitution merely recognizes/reiterates that FACT.
See the difference?
One side of the political spectrum however, believes what you wrote. That "rights" are only rights because they say so.
That would be the left side of the spectrum, the side that supports the notion that all freedoms are spawned by the government, and can therefore be removed if they deem them unnecessary or "unjust" for social or other reasons.
This belief is entirely predicated on the notion that the government is the "be-all/end-all" for it's citizens.
This ideal runs counter to the founder's intent, and that is why The Constitution and the Bill of Rights came to be.

Originally Posted by Pigdog

2) For better or for worse gun rights are the domain and political property of the political right.

Gun rights are the property, political and otherwise, of EVERY AMERICAN, unless they surrender them through political folly, or by demonstrating that they are too irresponsible to wield them within the framework of an organized, productive society, and were judged to be so in a court of law.

It sounds like joining the NRA would be good for you, and help you with your ability to hit the correct "talking points" when you are contacting your government representatives, and may even help you decide on who to vote for!

If you are a true leftie, you shouldn't be joining an organization that believes ALL citizens have a right to keep & bear arms. The ignorent masses owning guns is "counter-revolutionary". They may revolt against your left wing nonsense when they won't go to your "re-education" camps. Please exploit the worker some other way comrade.

Originally Posted by Pigdog

Again, please, let's try to stay on topic. Can a leftie, in good conscience, join the NRA?

Forget the NRA.
Move to Oregon and support Oregon Firearms Federation (OFF).

Originally Posted by Asp

Forget the NRA.
Move to Oregon and support Oregon Firearms Federation (OFF).

Agreed. Although I am a life member of the NRA I believe they are too willing to sell out or ignore certain subgroups of gun owners. There are better choices.

I suggest you attend a local Friends of the NRA meeting and ask them in person. During the meeting just stand up and say "My name is Pigdog and I am a leftie. I am not a democrat, they aren't anywhere near far enough left for me. Can I join?"

As stated earlier..
Move to Oregon, support the OFF.

[IMG][/IMG]

better yet move to California on Mexico.

I avoid the NRA and OFF because both are largely now just tools of generally-right-wing political groups. Both take unfounded stances against Democratic candidates that are pro-gun solely because they are Democrats. I prefer the Second Amendment Foundation at the national level, and the Oregon State Shooting Association in Oregon. (Don't know about any Washington groups, sorry.)

The NRA used to be honestly non-partisan, and I could support them then. But as soon as they became just a wing of the Republican Party, I could no longer in good conscience support them. (And I was registered Republican when I made that decision!)

Originally Posted by CharonPDX

I avoid the NRA and OFF because both are largely now just tools of generally-right-wing political groups.

OFF is political because they support the constitution AS IS?! Is this madness!!?!

I'd like to know that my enemies are offshore and not living in my own country, living well on a system they say they hate.

The NRA has been a big supporter of Harry Reid (Democrat, Nv) due only to his strong 2nd amendment position. Like many of us, he believes that the citizens right to bear arms, for political reasons, gives the rest of the constitution and the Bill of Rights, teeth.

I don't see it as an "either" "or". Much like I think the ACLU is important. They differ on their opinion of the 2nd amendment, but still do important work.

Welcome to the site.

Originally Posted by Pigdog

1) I cherish the second amendment and the rights that it grants.

So, here is my fear. Every dollar that I give to the NRA goes into the pocket of someone who, while they fight for my second amendment rights, is also working against gay marriage, or is trying to dismantle labor unions, or is a climate skeptic, etc.

Look at the flip side of the coin: every time you support someone who is working for gay marriage, or is trying to strengthen labor unions, or believes in human-caused climate change, you are likely to be supporting someone who wants to severely restrict your Second Amendment rights.

That is the conundrum for liberal gun owners: most of the politicians they support are anti-Second Amendment.

The NRA cares about only one thing: support for gun rights. They have supported and will continue to support politicians based strictly on their support for gun rights. They have supported pro-gun Democrats over Republicans. It's just that there are more pro-gun Republicans than pro-gun Democrats, so most of their support goes to Republicans.

By the way, you should enjoy reading Daily Kos: Why liberals should love the Second Amendment

True liberals support 100% of the Bill of Rights, not just 9/10 of it.

To get yourself out of your dilemma join and support all of the groups that fight for your causes, including the NRA, as well as the ACLU or Sierra Club or whatever other groups you support. They aren't mutually exclusive and their activities extend beyond making campaign contributions.

Don't feel bad, there was an entire army of leftists with guns once. They were called Bolsheviks, who murdered millions of Europeans. And during the Spanish Civil War all the extreme leftists were called Republicans. Interesting.

But really, politics is not a 1 dimensional line. But many fall into the trap of making it so.

Redcap Bieber likes this.

You can join the NRA, but know that like any political organization, they are working for their own best interest... not necessarily yours. They may very well be the reason that the 2nd has not been completely neutered by politicians all these years, yet I refuse to agree with their support of a one party system, strictly on the basis that they are currently pro-gun. Someone in a previous post mentioned that in the past they have supported "the other party". I didn't know that before today. You have to weigh out the good with the bad and make your decision based on that. Perhaps it may be useful to note what the NRA actually stands for.

Originally Posted by Bennyhonda

Redcap Bieber likes this.

You can join the NRA, but know that like any political organization, they are working for their own best interest... not necessarily yours. They may very well be the reason that the 2nd has not been completely neutered by politicians all these years, yet I refuse to agree with their support of a one party system, strictly on the basis that they are currently pro-gun. Someone in a previous post mentioned that in the past they have supported "the other party". I didn't know that before today. You have to weigh out the good with the bad and make your decision based on that. Perhaps it may be useful to note what the NRA actually stands for.