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For all those who wonder what the NRA was doing during the I594 fight please read this reply I received after I "took them to the mat" over I594:
My e-mail to them:
"I, along with countless other Washingtonians are very displeased with the NRA's lack of effort in this major battle to stifle our 2A rights. I am a Life Member and YOU have broken a trust between the good honest NRA members. I wonder if the reason was since we are a liberal state, that it was not in "OUR BEST INTEREST" to intervene since we cannot out spend Bloomberg. We deserve a real apology!!! If there is a way to rekindle the injustice caused then I seriously suggest it is to be done "POST HASTE"!!!!
L.M. Caveman Jim "
The reply:
Mr. Caveman Jim,
Thank you for contacting the NRA-ILA regarding Initiative 594 in Washington State.
The NRA strongly opposed I-594, a comprehensive and very well-funded attempt to restrict the rights of law-abiding gun owners in Washington State. While we were disappointed that a majority of Washington voters decided to vote in favor of I-594, NRA was very actively involved in defeating the measure:
Our field staff accomplished the following in support of our cause in Washington:
NRA was fighting battles in both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives, in thousands of state legislative races, and in numerous gubernatorial and attorney general races. In the end, we were successful in achieving a number of very significant victories in elections all across the country, most notably electing a pro-gun U.S. Senate, which will pay dividends for gun owners nationwide (for more information on some of our victories, please click here).
Further, NRA was fully engaged in Washington state legislative races. We won virtually every critical race and will be aided by a philosophically supportive majority in Olympia.
Moving forward, NRA will continue to focus public awareness on the ineffectiveness of I-594 to stem violence or prevent determined criminals from getting guns. We will also expose gun control supporters' attempts to transform the federal and state background check systems into registries of gun transfers and, ultimately, registries of gun possession.
Obviously, we are disappointed in the outcome of I-594 and are committed to doing everything we can to mitigate the damage caused to our members in Washington State. We are already in discussions about legislative remedies to the most onerous provisions. As always, we will continue to work in whatever arena is realistic – legislative, legal or political – to address the concerns of our members.
Respectfully,
Rocco P
NRA-ILA, Grassroots Division
I know some of you will refute the facts as it is in your nature. I say then, what are we supposed to do when two of the Pro 2A groups can't play nice and get on with the fight?
My e-mail to them:
"I, along with countless other Washingtonians are very displeased with the NRA's lack of effort in this major battle to stifle our 2A rights. I am a Life Member and YOU have broken a trust between the good honest NRA members. I wonder if the reason was since we are a liberal state, that it was not in "OUR BEST INTEREST" to intervene since we cannot out spend Bloomberg. We deserve a real apology!!! If there is a way to rekindle the injustice caused then I seriously suggest it is to be done "POST HASTE"!!!!
L.M. Caveman Jim "
The reply:
Mr. Caveman Jim,
Thank you for contacting the NRA-ILA regarding Initiative 594 in Washington State.
The NRA strongly opposed I-594, a comprehensive and very well-funded attempt to restrict the rights of law-abiding gun owners in Washington State. While we were disappointed that a majority of Washington voters decided to vote in favor of I-594, NRA was very actively involved in defeating the measure:
- NRA spent more than $500,000 on the campaign to defeat I-594.
- NRA formed a separate political action committee (PAC) -- National Rifle Association of America Washingtonians Opposed to 594 -- to defeat I-594.
- NRA launched a website --Vote No 594 -- specifically to defeat I-594.
- NRA led the outreach effort to Washington law enforcement, garnering the support of 27 of the 39 County Sheriffs and virtually all rank-and-file law enforcement in opposition to I-594.
- NRA released articles in our magazines and websites regarding I-594, and the cover story in the September issue of America's 1st Freedom was an article on I-594, which informed every member in the state of Washington about the initiative.
- NRA included a "VOTE NO 594" flyer and bumper sticker in the October issue of NRA members' magazines that were sent to every member in the state of Washington.
- NRA sent mailers and made phone calls to hundreds of thousands of targeted non-member voters in the state of Washington, asking them to "VOTE NO 594".
- NRA bought billboard messages in key areas around the state.
- NRA had an aggressive social media outreach effort.
- NRA ran hundreds of thousands of dollars of targeted digital media advertising for several months (see videos here, here, and here).
Our field staff accomplished the following in support of our cause in Washington:
- Signed up tens of thousands of supporters and encouraged them to vote against I-594
- Distributed 60,000 flyers
- Printed and disseminated 8,000 yard signs, 30,000 door hangers, 10,000 bumper stickers, buttons and other items
- Knocked 18,000 doors
- Made 7,000 phone calls
- Attended hundreds of events
- Conducted three Grassroots Workshops
- Signed up nearly 900 new <broken link removed> to help us in our campaign to defeat I-594
- Recruited more than 20 new Second Amendment Activist Centers
- More than doubled our number of <broken link removed>
NRA was fighting battles in both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives, in thousands of state legislative races, and in numerous gubernatorial and attorney general races. In the end, we were successful in achieving a number of very significant victories in elections all across the country, most notably electing a pro-gun U.S. Senate, which will pay dividends for gun owners nationwide (for more information on some of our victories, please click here).
Further, NRA was fully engaged in Washington state legislative races. We won virtually every critical race and will be aided by a philosophically supportive majority in Olympia.
Moving forward, NRA will continue to focus public awareness on the ineffectiveness of I-594 to stem violence or prevent determined criminals from getting guns. We will also expose gun control supporters' attempts to transform the federal and state background check systems into registries of gun transfers and, ultimately, registries of gun possession.
Obviously, we are disappointed in the outcome of I-594 and are committed to doing everything we can to mitigate the damage caused to our members in Washington State. We are already in discussions about legislative remedies to the most onerous provisions. As always, we will continue to work in whatever arena is realistic – legislative, legal or political – to address the concerns of our members.
Respectfully,
Rocco P
NRA-ILA, Grassroots Division
I know some of you will refute the facts as it is in your nature. I say then, what are we supposed to do when two of the Pro 2A groups can't play nice and get on with the fight?
