As of this writing, 2,822 TTAG readers voted in our unscientific Lockerdome poll pitting the National Rifle Association against the Gun Owners of America for most favored status. The GOA beat the NRA by 54 to 46 percent. What does that tell you? Nothing we didn’t suspect: TTAG’s readers tend to hold the absolutist position on gun rights, better exemplified by the GOA than the NRA. Don’t take this wrong way . . .
A Venn diagram would reveal that the vast majority of readers/voters are firm, perhaps even financial supporters of both gun rights groups. Still, the result has to come as good news for jefe Larry Pratt, the pro-gun spokesman the mainstream media love to hate. Even more than NRA’s Wayne LaPierre. And that’s saying something.
Gun to an anti-gun fight.
You say “absolutist’, I say “Constitutionalist”. It’s whole-cloth document. Either you accept all of it, or you accept none of it. “All of it” is not a difficult choice for me to make.
And I voted for GOA more because of the NRA’s present position, but because of all its prior decades of capitulation, as if the gat-snatchers were capable of any true compromise.
It left a taste in my mouth that I still haven’t been able to get rid of. That’s very real thing to me.
Here we go again. What part of “absolute” do the fans of TTAG not understand? An absolute right is not absolute if it is not. If a right can be constricted/constrained in any manner at all, it is not absolute. Once you start agreeing that “common sense dictates…”, you have crossed into the land of restrictionists. An absolute RTKBA would allow invalidate all crimes conducted with a gun. Under absolute, a felon has a RTKBA; no other law or constitutional provision can deprive the criminal of the natural and civil right to self defense BY WHICHEVER WEAPON THE CRIMINAL CHOOSES. For anyone to hold the position that some laws legitimately can deprive certain persons of RTKBA, that one or another of articles and amendments to the constitution can restrict an “absolute right”, you are no longer talking “absolute”; you are talking “absolute, except those restrictions we/I think are reasonable and common sense”. Whoever has political power of the day gets to choose those “absolute rights” that can/will be constrained, until the other side gets political power. In the end, there are no “absolute rights”. Which, by the way, is how this nation comes from the right to “life, liberty and pursuit of happiness”, to the right of the state to deprive certain individuals their right to life (can you say death penalty?). Can we get away from the simplistic slogan “absolute right to keep and bear arms”, and address how to limit the restrictions, and how to negotiate limits on our right? There will never be an immutable, permanent, un-challengable RTKBA, no how, no way. We can push hard in that direction, but we must also be able to recognize and deal with those moments when pushing hard is robbing us of credibility, sympathy and political leverage. If we do not become more sophisticated, we end up looking like a bunch of children with our fingers in our ears crying, “nana nana na na, i can’t hear you”. Who do we know that already displays that character trait? Liberals ? Gun-grabbers? Anti-gunners? Wimps?
I support the NRA, Gun Owners of America, and the National Association of Gun Rights monthly. I don’t agree with all of the NRA beliefs/policies , but they have the most sway in Washington D.C. Any Gun/ Pro-2A organization that whiny liberals vehemently oppose, I’ll back even if I don’t always agree with them on everything.
The NRA is the 800pound gorilla-GOA is Cheetah. Which is OK-CUBS WIN!
Both of them are bad in my opinion. I think SAF is the best, thus I didn’t vote. In all honesty I have been a life member of the NRA for almost 20 years and a life member of the SAF for a few years.
I support SAF as well, through their Amazon link: http://www.saf.org/amazon
I contribute to NRA, SAF and GOA. But in all honesty, the GOA is the John Birch Society of gun rights. Pratt is a whack job, but he’s our whack job so it’s okay. We need him.
When it comes to stopping the gun grabbers no organization has ever beat the NRA. That is the organization the Congressmen listen to. I am not against GOA at all but reality is reality whether you like the NRA or not.
Your a-hole neighbors needing jobs (a/k/a: you representatives and government) only listen to the NRA because they forgot who they (the “representatives”) were, AND THEY FORGOT TO FEAR YOU!!!
The NRA has slowly been selling out the second amendment. The 2-A is about more than hunters rights whixh is the direction they seem to be headed in. Where are they in lobbying against the BATF making policies and the ridiculous NFA, etc.?
It’s funny that you mentioned hunters’ rights. The Fudds say that they NRA doesn’t represent them because the NRA isn’t concerned about hunters’ rights. You say that the NRA only cares about hunters’ rights. One of you is nuts. Or maybe both of you are nuts.
I joined the NRA earlier this year. I get multiple requests for money/raffles/gear each month. When I make the decision to join an organization, I balance cost vs benefit. I resent the continuing requests for more money, many to fight against legislation that will never pass. I get too much junk mail from organizations looking for money for causes I support. As all politics is local. I just gave up and now support individuals and organizations in my home town.
Heller and McDonald were both 5-4 decisions. The 2A is only one Supreme Court Justice away from extinction.
Think about who nominates and confirms those justices the next time you’re inclined to quote Tip O’Neill.
I give a fair amount of money to a variety of causes. All of them will spam the dickens out of you once they know you have a checkbook and some sympathy with their cause. I’ve solved a lot of that by giving with money orders and sending the donations in envelopes with no return address. As a life member of the NRA, I still get stuff, but since I only donate anonymously, it’s a lot less than it used to be.
As to that legislation that will never pass. It’s so because we have drawn a line in the sand and fight everything vociferously. I don’t discount Pratt’s contribution, but the NRA is the main reason that.
And yet, amazingly, neither the left wing politicos nor the astroturf gun grabbing groups ever mention the GOA.
Say what you want about the NRA, but you can darn well bet that legislators know which of their votes are being scored.
http://www.rawstory.com/2015/10/nancy-pelosi-takes-a-slap-at-george-er-jeb-bush-while-having-ice-cream-with-larry-wilmore/
About halfway down the page she says both.
NRA and SAF life member. NRA has lobbyists in 50 states. SAF supports Alan Gura.
Lol, take that NRA. Call me an absolutist if you like, the NRA blew the fudd-whistle on themselves in August endorsing that background check bill.
It means that the GOA link was on the right side of the pic and I accidentally hit it while holding my phone in my right hand and scrolling with my thumb ? …a digital ND so to speak.
I didn’t vote because both have their place. I’ve been a Life NRA member since 1990, but supported GOA for at least 20 years as well. GOA does most of the heavy lifting in the courts, while NRA does Lions’ share of the lobbying. We need both. BTW, I was just on Larry Pratt’s show for an hour on Sept. 19, talking about my book, “A Time To Kill: The Myth of Christian Pacifism”. I also support the 2d Amendment Foundation when I can.
I was a GOA member until Sandy Hook. Within a month I had joined the NRA, SCOPE and became a life member of SAF. I don’t completely agree with any of them but if you’re gonna fight, FIGHT. They all serve different purposes towards the same goal.
Hmm, I never heard of the GOA. There are so many falsely titled organizations fielded by the Progressives, I guess I have blinders on. I will have to become a member. But, this does bring up a good conversation about building a coalition of allies. As we learned in WWII and other events throughout history, if you are divided, you will all fall. The GOA and NRA are allies in a war, and if we do not see it that way, we are doomed to fail. The Progressives go after the NRA because they are the biggest and strongest. If they take down the NRA, the Progressives have a beachhead to take out the GOA and all other resistance. This is not a time for attack your brothers.
Aw, garsh. Attacking each other on this blog seems to be one of the main reasons for participating.
The NRA and Texas State Rifle Association actively lobbied AGAINST Texans having the right to open carry reinstated. Fnck both of them. They’re the definition of Fudds. If it’s not traditional hunting rifles or concealed carry, they’re likely against it.
“If it’s not traditional hunting rifles or concealed carry, they’re likely against it.”
If that was true why did the NRA that 5.56mm green tip ammo ban the DoJ was trying to pull? Or is 5.56 suddenly a traditional hunting ammo? Open your eyes your just what the hopliphobes want 2A types who are so untrusting of each other that they’ll never cooperate.
Great just what we need people getting in a pissing contest over 2A advocacy organizations.
If we don’t hang together we’ll all hang separately.