I was describing what I think would be needed to have an organization doing position advocacy.

Obviously, a club (here we are) doesn't require that.

It's just slow, it's not a lack of desire.

The affiliations, the safety classes, and the regional gatherings and the annual meetings all are incipient to getting "real" as it were.

Several of us, as representatives of the club, are making attempts to get local Dems to pay attention. Dem caucus in MO, affiliation with the dem caucus in Oregon, etc. some of us are doing stealth advocacy through our existing non-profit affiliation.

While we may not be the "moderate" alternative described in the OP, we are certainly "something"

I'm new here and right now out of town, but I like reading this discussion.

CDFingers

Get involved. You guys can help drive direction.

Well, I never know when the family is going to swarm the laptop, but I came here because I enjoy the shooting sports and like to talk about them, but I didn't want to keep defending that a leftist owns and enjoys guns. Most gun boards are right leaning. Unless a person talks only guns, at a certain moment folks learn, for example, that the concept of high taxes on the rich does not indicate a commie or what not.

I'm listening to that old fool LaPierre at the conference, who represents the kind of gun owner I'm not. He's the kind of gun owner who will say anything to keep donations up and thereby keep his salary high. He is the most of suck.

Pancakes...must cook. I think it's possible to argue cogently about guns. But pancakes, well, that's another story...

CDFingers

That wasn't solely directed at you

JoeW1911 wrote:I'm not saying that we go out and supplant the NRA (although I wish someone would) but couldn't this club organize some sort of response or organize a letter campaign to the Vice President's new commission? Shouldn't a club with our mission statement do at least that?

Not a bad idea at all. Sort of the old Amnesty International model. Letters, even form letters, from individual members that identify us as an organization and inserts us as even a small player in the debate would be of value. It says "hey, we're liberals who own and enjoy firearms, we're (mostly) not crazy nutjobs, and we are paying attention to what you are doing, and you should pay attention to us." We hit them with letters once, they see it as an anomaly, but over and over, over time, a couple of hundred people can begin to have an impact on things.

Some folks are doing that:
http://www.theliberalgunclub.com/phpBB3 ... =1&t=16929

It is important to understand the NRA's unique "business model."

They are not a legitimate advocacy non-profit, like say the ACLU or the Sierra Club, funding their operations from small donations of members and well-wishers.

The are a an industry lobby, pure and simple, disguised as a rights advocacy nonprofit.

Every position they take is designed to maximize the profits of the gun industry. And when taking positions is not enough, they use their communications arm to manufacture hysteria designed to, once again, increase sales of guns and ammo.

In return, they are funded lavishly by the industry they serve, far beyond the wildest dreams of any legitimate advocacy organization that has to beg and scrape for small donations from members.

I don't see any way a more moderate organization would be allowed to muscle in on that racket.

As the LGC grows in membership, and please keep in mind that registration and participation in the forum is not membership in the LGC, we grow in our ability to use our collective voice.

We can become that alternative. It takes members and it takes money.

If any of you who are not members of The Liberal Gun Club like the attitude and direction represented by the club please become a dues paying member.

If you don't like it, join anyway and change it while its in its infancy.

MtnMan wrote:Good read: http://ideas.time.com/2012/12/19/viewpo ... o-the-nra/

That's just a big fat article attempting to perpetuate the "2A = sporting/hunting" myth. #### them.

Sometimes I really really want to smack someone when they say "you can't use X for hunting". I don't give a flying #### about hunting. The second amendment doesn't mention ####ing hunting. The Federalist papers don't mention hunting either.

"A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."

Tell me where it says hunting? Where does it talk about "sports" or "sportsman"?

SO frustrating!!!

Wurble wrote:

MtnMan wrote:Good read: http://ideas.time.com/2012/12/19/viewpo ... o-the-nra/

That's just a big fat article attempting to perpetuate the "2A = sporting/hunting" myth. #### them.

Sometimes I really really want to smack someone when they say "you can't use X for hunting". I don't give a flying #### about hunting. The second amendment doesn't mention ####ing hunting. The Federalist papers don't mention hunting either.

"A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."

Tell me where it says hunting? Where does it talk about "sports" or "sportsman"?

SO frustrating!!!

Oh yes, very much so, which is why I do think that the NRA is a necessary evil right now. In fact, I'm thinking of joining them. While I think there are many things that are more helpful that Wayne LaPierre could have said then what Wayne LaPierre said on Friday, I do think that it is important that we maintain the right of citizens to carry weapons of war. They don't belong in the hands of criminals, the President is right about that, but they do belong in the hands of law-abiding citizens because the 2nd amendment is about the right to bear arms in defense of ourselves and our neighbors. While a handgun is more convenient to carry with you in everyday life, no handgun is an ideal weapon- when you know you will be in a gunfight you want a rifle.

We need an organization that will stand up for "assault weapons". It's inevitable that a single-issue gun-rights group will give most of their support to Republicans. The NRA has given money and support to pro-gun Democrats in the past, and in fact it did so in this election cycle. They should not have supported Romney- or anyone- in the Presidential race this time around, but they are taking the correct stance right now. I think that the best way for us pro-gun progressives to move the NRA away from support for the GOP is to change the Democratic party's platform on guns, or at least elect more pro-gun Democrats.

Why not an open letter to the NRA, denouncing their conservative stances that aren't related to gun ownership, and calling them to task for using scare tactics and lies just to sell more guns? In other words, take back the NRA and inform their members that all liberals/progressives are NOT out to ban their guns or take away their rights (we just demand that they respect the rights and person of others, even as their rights and person deserve respect).

(BTW - a black - or very dark - helicopter flies overhead here several times a week. I understand that it belongs to a company that transports time-sensitive paperwork for the banks - I've seen it land on a couple of the bigger ones in the area. So yes, the black helicopters are around!) (LAUGH!)

Walkaway wrote:Why not an open letter to the NRA, denouncing their conservative stances that aren't related to gun ownership, and calling them to task for using scare tactics and lies just to sell more guns? In other words, take back the NRA and inform their members that all liberals/progressives are NOT out to ban their guns or take away their rights (we just demand that they respect the rights and person of others, even as their rights and person deserve respect).

(BTW - a black - or very dark - helicopter flies overhead here several times a week. I understand that it belongs to a company that transports time-sensitive paperwork for the banks - I've seen it land on a couple of the bigger ones in the area. So yes, the black helicopters are around!) (LAUGH!)

Been there, done that. Crazy Wayne didn't magically turn into a liberals friend, nor a vigourous defender of the rest of the BoR, regardless of any AWB renewal opposiyion. The enemy of my enemy is not my friend, that thinking will always backfire. Consider that before donating to them. That said, do as your conscience dictates.