GunShy wrote:"That might be the case, but if so, I'd still rather put my money into matches at the local level or grassroots postal matches than send USAS a dime."
Same here. Free pistol matches in particular.
I won't say I disagree. If you can get enough interest at the local level and there's some contact/interest at a regional level.
I don't know what USAS membership costs, but SFC or FTQ (Fédération Québécoise de Tir) or membership in another organisation here is worth it just for the insurance coverage.
Then if you have the time and energy to organise locally, it's often easier to become the golden example and effect change within an organisation than it is to build an organisation and contacts from the ground up.
The FQT gets the same derision that I see here for USAS for supporting only their elite teams. And ignorantly misplaced derision for not doing the "gun rights" thing. But for $40/yr per member you get $5M insurance and access to a mailing list of thousands of members and a place on their website to announce competitions.
Xman wrote:Got a letter from Wayne..he called me his friend right at the start and stated how proud he was to have me as a friend...
I became a Golden Eagle just to get the hat. It comes with a letter from Wayne saying that he'll stop whatever he's doing and shake the hand of anyone he sees wearing that hat. They send a new one every year with a different design, I guess so Wayne can keep track of who his current friends are.
I swear, if I ever attend another big event with him in attendance, I'm going to bump into him so many times he's going to regret that Golden Eagles even exist. :)
Xman wrote:Got a letter from Wayne..he called me his friend right at the start and stated how proud he was to have me as a friend...
I became a Golden Eagle just to get the hat. It comes with a letter from Wayne saying that he'll stop whatever he's doing and shake the hand of anyone he sees wearing that hat. They send a new one every year with a different design, I guess so Wayne can keep track of who his current friends are.
I swear, if I ever attend another big event with him in attendance, I'm going to bump into him so many times he's going to regret that Golden Eagles even exist. :)
Work really hard on your grip so you'll be able to crush whichever hand he uses to primp that ridiculous comb-over.
Another reason not to give money to USAS: I haven't heard one peep from them against eliminating Free Pistol from the Olympics. Seems like they totally caved to the ISSF, and didn't even put up a fight or offer a counterproposal as some NGBs did.
I've been around longer than I would like to remember. I've been a member of the NRA for many decades. Although at the national level, we may be in good shape right now regarding the 2A, I think, at the local level and state level, there are big battles ahead. The NRA has been the strongest organization to protect our individual rights (Remember Hillary's statement regarding the NRA?) Anyway, nobody is required to join or support the NRA, but I will. I also started competitive shooting many decades ago. I still dabble in NRA sponsored events. I don't see the NRA "throwing competitive shooting under the bus". There is no doubt that the vast majority of NRA members have little interest in competitive shooting, so there is that. I actually have seen the NRA make many changes with the intent to stir up interest in the competitive shooting area. Whether or not one agrees with the changes, doesn't mean that the intent is bad. Competitive shooting is a money loser every year for the NRA. If they want to try to save money in this area without hurting the sports, then they should go ahead and try. I really do find it tiresome that many competitive shooters seem to whine all the time and some act like spoiled children. We gun owners need to always be focused on taking the forefront in the fight for rights, especially when a political opportunity presents itself, as in this last national election. Unfortunately this takes money. Either donate, upgrade or not. It is your choice, but don't try to convince me of how bad the NRA is. They aren't perfect, but they are out there fighting. BTW, if you don't want to get solicitations from them, you can contact them and request to be dropped from their list. I did that years ago and receive little mail from them now.
Misny wrote:I've been around longer than I would like to remember. I've been a member of the NRA for many decades. Although at the national level, we may be in good shape right now regarding the 2A, I think, at the local level and state level, there are big battles ahead. The NRA has been the strongest organization to protect our individual rights (Remember Hillary's statement regarding the NRA?) Anyway, nobody is required to join or support the NRA, but I will. I also started competitive shooting many decades ago. I still dabble in NRA sponsored events. I don't see the NRA "throwing competitive shooting under the bus". There is no doubt that the vast majority of NRA members have little interest in competitive shooting, so there is that. I actually have seen the NRA make many changes with the intent to stir up interest in the competitive shooting area. Whether or not one agrees with the changes, doesn't mean that the intent is bad. Competitive shooting is a money loser every year for the NRA. If they want to try to save money in this area without hurting the sports, then they should go ahead and try. I really do find it tiresome that many competitive shooters seem to whine all the time and some act like spoiled children. We gun owners need to always be focused on taking the forefront in the fight for rights, especially when a political opportunity presents itself, as in this last national election. Unfortunately this takes money. Either donate, upgrade or not. It is your choice, but don't try to convince me of how bad the NRA is. They aren't perfect, but they are out there fighting. BTW, if you don't want to get solicitations from them, you can contact them and request to be dropped from their list. I did that years ago and receive little mail from them now.
I don't think it's whining like spoiled children. You bring up that there are legitimately good points about the NRA. I don't deny that. But in turn, you have to concede that there are bad points from the perspective of the competitive shooter.
Also, I've requested to be dropped from both their mailing list and email list several times. Doesn't work. That's standard procedure for advertising.
Misny wrote:I've been around longer than I would like to remember. I've been a member of the NRA for many decades. Although at the national level, we may be in good shape right now regarding the 2A, I think, at the local level and state level, there are big battles ahead. The NRA has been the strongest organization to protect our individual rights (Remember Hillary's statement regarding the NRA?) Anyway, nobody is required to join or support the NRA, but I will. I also started competitive shooting many decades ago. I still dabble in NRA sponsored events. I don't see the NRA "throwing competitive shooting under the bus". There is no doubt that the vast majority of NRA members have little interest in competitive shooting, so there is that. I actually have seen the NRA make many changes with the intent to stir up interest in the competitive shooting area. Whether or not one agrees with the changes, doesn't mean that the intent is bad. Competitive shooting is a money loser every year for the NRA. If they want to try to save money in this area without hurting the sports, then they should go ahead and try. I really do find it tiresome that many competitive shooters seem to whine all the time and some act like spoiled children. We gun owners need to always be focused on taking the forefront in the fight for rights, especially when a political opportunity presents itself, as in this last national election. Unfortunately this takes money. Either donate, upgrade or not. It is your choice, but don't try to convince me of how bad the NRA is. They aren't perfect, but they are out there fighting. BTW, if you don't want to get solicitations from them, you can contact them and request to be dropped from their list. I did that years ago and receive little mail from them now.
I don't think it's whining like spoiled children. You bring up that there are legitimately good points about the NRA. I don't deny that. But in turn, you have to concede that there are bad points from the perspective of the competitive shooter.
Also, I've requested to be dropped from both their mailing list and email list several times. Doesn't work. That's standard procedure for advertising.
Strange, I've also asked to have mailings stopped for myself, my father, and my son, and haven't gotten anything but my American Rifleman in well over a decade. You can call their main line at 703-267-1000 and ask to speak to someone in membership and they can take care of you.
I agree that the never-ceasing solicitation of money from the NRA is annoying. I will say, in their defense, that the "Friends of the NRA" supports our local junior club tremendously. Both of my daughters, one now shooting in college, the other now shooting with her own equipment, spent years shooting rifles and equipment granted to our club by "Friends of the NRA".
