OK, NRA Guys
I was going to say it but Sebastion beat me to it in comments:
I think what they need to concentrate on now is engaging their membership, and I don’t mean only their usual bit about asking for money, even though that’s important too. I think the internet is an invaluable resource for organizing gun owners, and I don’t think the NRA honestly does a very good job of utilizing it. The only thing that’s going to keep the Democrats in line at the federal level for the next two years is fear of the NRA, and that’s only going to happen if they are strong and can deliver up votes and money. They can only do that with our help. That’s why I’m wary of squabbling amongst ourselves because some people favor different tactics for achieving our goals.
I think the recent transfer of power to folks with Ds after their name will likely lead to an increase in NRA members. Bill Clinton and Janet Reno were the best thing for their membership numbers.
That said, the NRA should use the internet more effectively. It’s good to see that Wayne LaPierre has a blog. There is a very active gun-blogging community and the NRA should openly support those folks. Link to good blog articles from your news page, mention us in your magazine articles, offer discounted membership in NRA through our websites, and other things. Hell, I’ll even give you guys free ads.
Other things to consider would be to set up a NRA blog. You could even get some prominent gun bloggers to contribute there. Sell ad space on it.
But, here’s the thing: We internet guys are more your black rifle sorts. The NRA caters largely to hunters and outdoorsmen in their publications. Bridging that gap may be tough. I know the NFA guys feel mostly abandoned by the NRA. Some of your hunting types don’t like my pimped-out AR-15 because it looks scary. My response to those sorts is, generally, that: if they come for your hunting rifle, I can’t help you because they already have my assault weapon. But those guys don’t like to hear that. It scares them. So, that could be tough. But we could be united on gun rights, regardless of our tastes in toys.
When Al Gore invented the internet, he gave the NRA great tool and, so far, they haven’t quite taken full advantage of it. They need to get on it in this increasingly webcentric world.
I was having a discussion with bitter about this and I gave her some suggestions. Never heard back from so I don’t know if she concurs or if my email got lost. But, there it is.
January 5th, 2007 at 11:28 am
I’ve been trying to organize my feelings on this for quite some time. I’ll bet that the NRA think they are all bad ass over http://www.givethemback.com/ , and it’s a pretty good site. But they don’t seem to be willing to post those shocking videos on You-Tube so a zillion bloggers could embed those videos in their blogs. They ask for cash, and promise to send a full-length DVD if you send in $30 or more, but somehow I think they might make a bigger splash if they edited down an excerpt, perhaps about 30 minutes or so, watermarked the hell out of it, and legally put it up on Bittorrent. That way they could distribute a video for almost zero cost, while bypassing the mainstream media they always talk trash about and claim won’t sell them ad time. I’d be willing to seed that torrent.
BTW: this page has the video that’s the best of the lot http://www.givethemback.com/pages/never
January 5th, 2007 at 12:03 pm
Also, more people are going to see Loose Change, (a full length, jumping to conclusions, tinfoil hat wearing, Predator-dronish look at some suspicious stuff that went off on 9/11), than are ever going to see the NRA’s in depth look at the rape of the Constitution after Katrina in New Orleans.
That’s just sad.
January 5th, 2007 at 1:47 pm
[…] Serious blogging to resume later. (I get this feeling I’m being paged to check my email.) For now I’ve got to figure out if I feel like getting up and going to go sit in a meeting or if I’m going to be productive. Or just go back to sleep. […]
January 5th, 2007 at 8:54 pm
[…] […]