Uncategorized

Uncategorized

Is NRA Membership A Requirement Of Your Club?

February 22, 2022 by 14 Comments

I need your help.

NRA membership has been dropping. One reason is that some gun clubs have dropped the requirement that you be a member of the NRA. I am trying to get a handle on how widespread this is.

If you belong to a gun club or range that has totally dropped the NRA requirement, let me know.

If your club has changed the NRA requirement to either the NRA or another 2A organization, I’d like to hear that as well.

Finally, if your club is still 100% NRA but is considering dropping that requirement, that, too, is something I’d like to know.

If your club falls into any of these categories, please give me the details in the comments. Alternatively, you can send me an email at jpr9954 AT gmail DOT com. Let me know the name of the club, its website (if any), and what actions they have taken.

Many, many thanks.

Uncategorized

National Second Amendment Day

February 22, 2022 by

Officially or unofficially, today is 2A Day or National Second Amendment Day. That is because the date is 2/22/22 or all two’s when written that way.

Brownells has set up a separate website to celebrate the day. They suggest three ways to commemorate the day. They are to celebrate it by going out shooting, advocate for the Second Amendment by contacting legislators, and by joining 2A organizations. In North Carolina, they suggest Grass Roots North Carolina and I heartily endorse that suggestion.

Brownells is also putting their money where their mouth is.

The third element of the Inaugural National 2nd Amendment Day is a calling on gun owners to join a national and/or state-level gun rights organization. Brownells will promote Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC), Second Amendment Foundation (SAF), and the American Suppressor Association (ASA) on its website. Brownells will also feature a clickable map of the United States visitors can use to find a state-level organization to join.

In the spirit of joining, Brownells will purchase FPC memberships for its employees, and donate $22,222 each to FPC, SAF, the ASA, and the Iowa Firearms Coalition.

As an aside, I would point out there is an organization missing from this list for which Brownells’ Chairman of the Board Pete Brownell used to serve as president. Just saying.

National Second Amendment Day is not just Brownells. The DC Project produced the powerful video below featuring Lucretia Hughes, Georgia delegate, and Mary Forgues, Connecticut delegate.

I know many of the women in the DC Project and this is another organization that is definitely worthy of your support.

If you do go to the range today or participate in a shooting sport, make sure to post pictures to social media and use the hashtag #2ADay.

Uncategorized

Two Openings On NRA Board

February 18, 2022 by 6 Comments

There are suddenly two openings on the NRA Board of Directors. The first one was due to death of John Cushman on February 15th in New York. He was 76 years old. John was the president and found of New York-based Sportman’s Association for Firearms Education.

The second opening was due to the resignation today by Todd Rathner of Arizona. He had been on the board for 23 years. As the email below from NRA Secretary John Frazer states Todd is leaving for a position with another Second Amendment organization.

From: John Frazer <John.Frazer@nrahq.org>
Date: Thursday, February 17, 2022 at 5:34 PM
To: John Frazer <John.Frazer@nrahq.org>
Subject: Todd Rathner resignation

Dear Board and Executive Council members:

This note is to inform you that Todd Rathner has resigned from the Board to pursue opportunities with another Second Amendment organization.  Please join me in thanking Todd for his service to the NRA, and in wishing him well in his new endeavors.

Sincerely,

John Frazer

Secretary and General Counsel

Todd posted this letter announcing his resignation on Facebook a few hours ago.

Dear Friends and Supporters,

I wanted to let you know that after almost 23 years I have resigned from the National Rifle Association’s Board of Directors.

America needs, and deserves a strong National Rifle Association, and I wish the NRA nothing but great things in the future.

My personal commitment to the Second Amendment has never been stronger, and I will continue my work to defend it as long as I live. I am still in the fight, I am still working EVERY SINGLE DAY to fight against those who would leave us defenseless. My advocacy will continue.

Thank you again for your years of support and encouragement, I am fully at peace with this decision.

Sincerely,

Todd J. Rathner

Since they didn’t fill the 76th Director spot, this means that there are effectively three openings. It also means that in the current election that 27 seats will be elected plus the 76th Director.

I have not heard if there are any plans to fill the spots in the interim.

Uncategorized

The Remington Settlement

February 17, 2022 by 2 Comments

You can hardly turn on either local or national news for the past couple of days without hearing that “Remington” settled with the Sandy Hook plaintiffs. The settlement was for $73 million.

For those that are ignorant of the business of the firearms industry, they will think that Remington Arms or Remington Outdoor Company decided to throw in the towel and make a settlement. The problem with this thought is that Remington Outdoor Company as we knew it is long gone. It was dissolved in a bankruptcy court in Alabama in 2020 and its various parts were auctioned off to companies like Ruger, Vista Outdoor, and Franklin Armory among others.

So if Remington as we knew it is gone, who settled?

From Tactical–Life:

Today, representatives for the plaintiffs announced they had reached a settlement with Remington Outdoor Company for $75 million. This number is the maximum amount that Remington’s four insurance carriers could fund. The list of insurers includes Ironshore, owned by Liberty Mutual, James River Insurance Co., Chubb Ltd. and Swiss Re.

Although a $73 million settlement isn’t as damaging as the potential $1 billion in damages could have been, it also represents a new development in the ongoing legal battles over gun ownership. Because of this case, there’s now legal precedent that manufacturers can be sued over their marketing practices. In fact, this is already happening. New Jersey is pursuing action against Smith & Wesson based on S&W’s marketing.

I would disagree that there is legal precedent as the case was settled before its final adjudication. I also disagree that the amount was the maximum that they insurers could fund. Rather it was the maximum amount of coverage that had been purchased by the former Remington Outdoor Company.

I think the insurance companies started looking at their legal fees and decided it was cheaper to cut and run. Moreover, it isn’t their name on the settlement.

As Stephen Gutowski of The Reload reports:

The firearms industry disowned the settlement. The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), which represents gun makers and dealers, said insurers made the decision to settle. The group said the settlement is only between the parties involved, does not create a legal precedent, and does not implicate the larger industry at all.

“The decision to settle in the Soto v. Bushmaster case was not made by a member of the firearms industry,” Mark Oliva, a spokesman for the group, told The Reload. “The settlement was reached between the plaintiffs and the various insurance carriers that held policies with ROC, which effectively no longer exists. We remain confident ROC would have prevailed if this case had proceeded to trial.”

While the advertising for Bushmaster may have been dumb as David Yamane puts it, it did not encourage a middle-aged woman to purchase the rifle, it did not cause a mentally ill young man to kill his mother in her sleep. and then take that stolen rifle to kill those school children and others.

It should be remembered that the only reason this case even continued is because the Connecticut Supreme Court said in a 4-3 decision that the case was about advertising. As a result, Remington could be sued for misleading advertising under state law.

Uncategorized

Intervention By Rocky Marshall Denied

February 16, 2022 by 1 Comment

Former NRA Director Rocky Marshall had filed a motion to intervene in the NRA dissolution case. His motion was filed in September 2021. He was still a director when he filed the motion to intervene. New York Not-for-Profit Corporation Law § 720 b (1) gave him the statutory right to intervene.

Today a hearing was held on this motion in New York County Supreme Court. Unfortunately, Judge Joel Cohen denied Mr. Marshall’s intervention motion. I did not have an opportunity to listen to the hearing.

However, Stephen Gutowski of The Reload did cover the hearing and posted a series of tweets about it.

He wrote:

The hearing over former board member Rocky Marshall’s attempt to intervene in the New York suit against the NRA is happening. Marshall and others are trying to intervene as a way of providing an alternative representation of members. 

The judge seems skeptical of letting Marshall intervene without evidence he was illegitimately pushed off the NRA board. 

Marshall’s lawyers are noting they have different claims against the NRA than what New York has brought. They note that a big one is potentially trying to recover legal fees that the interveners believe are excessive. 

The judge says that sort of claim isn’t at issue in the New York suit and wouldn’t be decided there. So, an intervention isn’t necessary. Marshall’s lawyers counter that the NRA could be dissolved in this suit and they wouldn’t be able to make any claims at that point. 

The interveners argue NRA leadership, such as CEO Wayne LaPierre, has acted against the interests of NRA membership. They argue leadership has harmed the organization and they should be able to intervene on behalf of NRA members. 

The NRA’s lawyers are arguing, basically, what the judge had argued earlier. They say Marshall doesn’t have standing to intervene since he isn’t a director anymore. 

The NRA is arguing that because Rocky Marshall ran for NRA president during last year’s board meeting he has a conflict of interest in trying to invene (sic) in the case. 

The NRA is also arguing Marshall filed his intervention too late. The New York AG’s office also don’t want Marshall to intervene. They also argue he has no standing. 

The judge has denied former board member Marshall’s motion to intervene in New York’s case against the NRA. 

The judge says he does value the input of NRA members who don’t agree with how NRA leadership has run the organization, though. 

Judge says Marshall lacks standing because he is no longer an NRA board member. 

It will be interesting to see whether the judge has to decide this same intervention question for a third time if Frank Tait, who is another one of the interveners, is able to get on the NRA board. 

Well, crap! I thought Mr. Marshall had a chance to become an intervenor. As things stand now – and I hate to say it – the closest thing we as members have to someone representing our interests in the case is the NY Attorney General’s Office. That sucks.

Frank Tait noted in a post today:

Rocky’s attorneys made the point that the NRA is being bled dry and that this helps achieve the NY AG’s intent of dissolving the NRA.

That correlates with reporting in The Reload that analyzed the NRA’s finances and found that 20% of the budget is now going for legal expenses. Moreover, Wayne’s attorney Phillip Correll has billed the NRA approximately $175,000 in legal fees as of this past August.

One last thing that came out in the hearing today is that Susan LaPierre is also being represented by Phillip Correll. That leads to the obvious question is who is paying him to represent her – the NRA or the LaPierres?

Uncategorized

Social Media And ATF – A Match Made In Hell

February 14, 2022 by 2 Comments

Given how the government works, I am guessing the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives is paying their Manager of Social Media a six-figure salary. I have been reading their posts on Facebook and Twitter for a few months now. I continually am shaking my head. However, just when I thought it could not get any worse, it did.

The tweet below which is also posted to Facebook is asking the spurned ex to go full Stasi on the former boyfriend or girlfriend.

I’ve heard of being tone deaf but urging an ex to take retribution on someone with whom they had an intimate relationship on a day supposedly devoted to love is profoundly tone deaf.

The comments have run as you might well expect. They contain tons of pictures of Eric Holder and hashtags of Operation Fast and Furious.

David Codrea reminded them that they still have done nothing about Hunter Biden who lied on his Form 4473 about illegal drug use.

One of the better comments was this one:

Even if I did, my Ex’s dog doesn’t deserve to die.

On a more serious note:

Encouraging revenge based reports, many of which will be false to get Ex’s ‘SWAT’ed, while your own agency still has to answer for #OperationFastAndFuriousThat’s a bold strategy.

Way to use a Hallmark/Hershey’s holiday to turn people into your own personal, unconstitutional gestapo.

This post by BATFE gives new meaning to the Valentine’s Day Massacre.

UPDATE: Then there is this great response by @docboogie.

Uncategorized

I Disagree With Mr. Pearson

February 10, 2022 by 5 Comments

Richard Pearson is the Executive Director of the Illinois State Rifle Association. He has held that position for many years and I have a lot of respect for what he has done over the years in a difficult state.

In the course of his job, he puts out a weekly email newsletter dealing with gun rights, issues within the Illinois General Assembly, and other issues.

In this week’s issue, he started off regarding problems within the NRA. Specifically it dealt with declining membership, declining revenues, and Wayne LaPierre. He said:

The online publication “The Reload” reported what we already suspected about the NRA and their financial condition. The phalanx of lawsuits launched against the NRA and Executive Vice President, Wayne LaPierre, has hurt them badly.  Of course, the lawsuits were designed to do just that.  Legal fees now make up 20 percent of the NRA’s expenses.  The Reload sort of backhands the NRA for paying Wayne LaPierre’s legal expenses but in the real world, that is what has to be done.  LaPierre was acting on behalf of the NRA and I am glad they are backing him up.

There are those who want Wayne LaPierre fired immediately.  I am not one of those.  First of all, to fire Wayne LaPierre at this time would give the anti-gunners an immediate victory.  Secondly, just who do you have in mind to take that job at this time?  You may have noticed there are no long lines of people applying for the position. Their name plate wouldn’t be on the office door before they were sued.  Third, there is no one who has the corporate knowledge that he has.  Like it or not, that is important.  These are perilous times.  You may not like the captain but it still wouldn’t be a good idea to replace him with the cabin boy.

I would agree that the NY Attorney General’s lawsuit has hurt the NRA. I would also say that given what has been contained in the allegations and what many of us know to be true that it is also a self-inflicted injury. There would have been no grounds to bring a suit to dissolve the NRA if Wayne and company hadn’t treated it like their personal piggybank. Moreover, if the Board of Directors had done their fiduciary duty – which I contend they have not – then the issues would have been identified and remedied long ago.

It is the second paragraph with which I really take issue. Firing Wayne might be seen as a victory for the gun prohibitionists. It would, however, be a win for every one of us who wants to see a reformed NRA where money is spent wisely and judiciously, which has a board doing its fiduciary duty, and, most importantly, a NRA that stops compromising on Second Amendment issues.

As to the second point, Wayne and his coterie of followers have actively prevented any sort of succession plan. In October 2020 I attended the NRA Annual Meeting. I did so at my own expense. I presented a well thought-out resolution calling for a formal succession plan. I watched as directors Joel Friedman, Don Saba, and Kayne Robinson savaged my resolution saying it was not needed. I watched Wayne himself raise his hand to vote against this. Study after study has shown successful organizations have formal succession plans; troubled organizations do not.

Finally, to the third point, there was a person who not only had the corporate knowledge but had the skills to replace Wayne. Thanks to Wayne’s paranoia and what I suspect was the Machiavellian string-pulling by Bill Brewer, Chris Cox was forced out of the NRA after heading the institute for Legislative Action for many years. He was the natural successor and thus a threat to Wayne’s continuing in office. While I can’t speak for Mr. Cox, I get the feeling he would have booted Bill Brewer’s gaudy, pin-striped ass out the door if he had his choice.

I agree with Mr. Pearson that the NRA will continue to struggle for a long time. I am also gratified to see other Second Amendment organizations stepping up on the national scene. However, none of these have the clout, real or perceived, on Capitol Hill of the NRA. Imagine what a growing NRA with the spine of a GOA, the dexterity of a FPC, and the legal prowess of the Second Amendment Foundation could do in battling the Biden Administration and the gun prohibitionists in Congress. Unfortunately, until Wayne is gone, that will only be a pipe dream.

Uncategorized

NYPD Signals They Expect To Lose Bruen

February 9, 2022 by 5 Comments

The New York Police Department is looking to hire 73 part-time investigators whose job includes doing background checks for handgun licenses.

From Rob Romano on Twitter:

Among the job duties the NYPD has for these new hires is this:

Conducting interviews and investigations of candidates applying for handgun licenses; process various applications for carrying handguns; determine and ensure applicant meets requirements for license requested; fingerprint applicant using LIVESCAN system; research various databases and contact references to substantiate information submitted by applicant; and notify applicant of approval or appeal process for denial of handgun permit.

While you can never predict what the Supreme Court will do, it seems to me that the NYPD is signaling that they expect the court to rule against New York in NYSRPA v. Bruen. That case is a challenge to the state’s denial of carry permits for the purpose of self-defense.

In this instance, I really hope that the NYPD is correct in their assessment.

Uncategorized

They Call This A Protest?

February 6, 2022 by 3 Comments

The Complementary Spouse and I were able to attend a couple of days at the Safari Club International Convention in Las Vegas. It coincided with the SHOT Show which really worked out well for us.

Just like with those who push gun prohibition, the hunt prohibitionists are divided between the well-funded astroturf groups and the wannabe players like Compassion Works International. The former would include well-funded organizations like PETA, the Humane Society of the US, and the Center for Biological Diversity. I would liken the latter to groups like the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence (sic). In other words, they put on “protests” with lots of advance fanfare that draw little more than a dozen protestors.

Frankly, I would not have even known of CWI if I hadn’t seen a mobile billboard like this one on Saturday, January 22nd, as we were leaving the Mandalay Bay complex.

After doing a bit of online sleuthing, I found their website and their social media pages. They call themselves “animal advocates” and “activists”. As part of their mission statement they say:

CWI is  committed to ending speciesism and fostering a compassionate, vegan world that shows respect for the autonomy of all beings.

Ye gads!

They say that they participated in protests every night of the SCI Convention as part of the Worldwide Rally Against Trophy Hunting (WRATH). They say that they had people standing in solidarity with animals who braved the cold of Las Vegas to make their voices heard. The cold of Las Vegas? If I remember correctly the evening temperatures were in the 50s.

Here is a picture from one of their protests that I found on their Facebook page. I count all of 16 participants.

May be an image of 6 people, people standing and outdoors

By contrast, the auctions and events held at the Safari Club International Convention raised over $15 million for wildife conservation and advocacy. I sincerely doubt that these protestors have ever considered funding anti-poaching efforts in Africa or even the United States.

While I am sure some of these protestors are well-intentioned, they fail to recognize their own neocolonialism and cultural imperialism. They believe that THEY – upper middle-class Americans – know what is best for Africans and not the scientists and wildlife conservationists on the ground in countries like Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Namibia (among many others). These and other African countries use a model of wildlife conservation where the wildlife policy is governed by science, that animals are considered a public resource, and that it is a shared resource that must not be wasted.

In the interest of full disclosure, I am a member of both the Dallas Safari Club and SCI. Also in the interest of full disclosure, I have treated the anti-hunting movement with disdain long before I learned of DSC and SCI.

Uncategorized

You Can Still Buy A Cannon!

February 4, 2022 by 3 Comments

As Tom Gresham often says on Gun Talk, a lie repeated often enough becomes the truth. I think that is Joe Biden’s mantra especially with regard to all things Second Amendment and firearms.

Even though his lie about the Founders not allowing you to buy a cannon was debunked, he still repeated it again yesterday. Joe, Joe, Joe. SMDH.

Even the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives will tell you that you don’t need a license or have to pay a tax to own a muzzle-loading cannon. Moreover, for a $200 tax plus registration, you can own a more modern artillery piece. My friends Cheryl and Danny Todd have one.

So Joe’s Big Lie got me to wondering where I could go if I wanted my very own muzzle-loading cannon. Turns out I didn’t have to look too hard.

Hern Iron Works of Couer d’Alene, Idaho is offering a Model 1861 3″ light artillery rifle for only $3,951. While that doesn’t include the carriage, I’m sure anyone handy with wood could make their own.

Let’s say you want to go a little bigger. Dixie Gun Works has their Civil War Field Cannon with an 8″ muzzle diameter for a little bit more. This steel-lined, cast iron beauty weighs a mere 875 pounds.

If you want something a little smaller but with lots of style, Steen Cannons of Ashland, KY offers their US Model 1857 12-pounder Napoleon in bronze. Price, unfortunately, is on request but Steen has a lot of models from which to choose.

These are all legal and all are working cannons. You just need a supply of black powder, fuses, and some ammunition. If you want an idea of your choices, Wikipedia comes through!

So do the guys on Myth Busters.

If you do buy a cannon, play it safe. We don’t want a Moms Demand Action Against Cannon Violence to be Shannon Watts next new gig.