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Earlier today I tweeted that the NRA was thinking of selling out it\’s principles by supporting Harry Reid in this re-election campaign against pro-gun Sharron Angle, after seeing an article on Red State about it…

Now, I’m getting credible reports that the NRA is leaning toward endorsing Harry Reid, even though the NRA is finally saying it will score a vote on Kagan — something that was not a sure thing.

Why would they do this? Why would they go out of their way to protect a Senator who has demonstrated a repeated hostility to the Second Amendment in his votes and his leadership?

Well, I thought perhaps the NRA carveout in the DISCLOSE Act might be the answer. But, there is more. It turns out, Reid secured a $61 million earmark for a gun range in Clark County, Nevada.

That sounds you heard was jaws dropping at gun ranges all around the country.

Now granted the NRA hasn\’t always been the best partner of Second Amendment activists.  They have been reluctant to fill their role, more concerned with protecting their power than using it to advance the reason for that power.  Good example would be the now groundbreaking Supreme Court case Heller vs DC, which for once declared that the Second Amendment protected an individual\’s right to keep and bear arms, where the NRA was reluctant to get involved, fearing the potential outcomes.  The NRA was also virtually non-existent in the effort to get a carry law passed in Minnesota.  But they also have numbers and clout and they can accomplish a great deal when they decide to do it.

Which is why it\’s all the more tragic that the NRA would even be considering this.  I\’m not sure of the reason, it\’s all speculation at this point, but Wayne LaPierre being crazy is a distinct possibility.  While the NRA is trying to claim that Reid has been a big supporter of the Second Amendment, his voting record tells a vastly different story.  Reid getting one shooting range built does not erase years of anti-Second Amendment votes.  The NRA needs to understand that, and soon.

Now shortly after my tweet, Andy Aplikowski, took up his torch and pitchfork, a rather predictable reaction to such news…

After I saw the reports that the NRA was considering or has endorsed Democrat Majority Leader and all around scumbag Harry Reid, I sent response back to the NRA demanding to know how to cancel my membership.

Now I can\’t fault Andy\’s reaction, it was my initial reaction as well.  But at the same time, I do have to recognize the NRA for what they are….a huge lobbying organization that can have great value if managed properly.  It is worth trying to save, and it\’s worth noting that the NRA hasn\’t endorsed Reid yet, and it\’s our job to make sure they don\’t.  You can call the NRA at (800) 392-VOTE (8683) and you can write them at the following address:

National Rifle Association
11250 Waples Mill Road
Fairfax, VA 22030

Or send an email to them here.

Make sure they understand that an endorsement of Reid means they lose your membership fees….forever.  Make sure that they understand you\’re tired of their lackluster performance.  And make sure they understand that there are other pro-Second Amendment organizations that you can support instead.

If that doesn\’t work, or you\’re still bitter at the NRA, may I suggest several other organization that are worthy of your support??

For you Minnesotans, there is hardly a better organization than the Gun Owners Civil Rights Alliance (GOCRA).  It\’s a small local organization that has been at the forefront of every firearms rights battle in Minnesota, and every carry permit holder in the state (all 75,000 of you!) owe them a great deal of thanks.  Now I\’ll warn you their website is nothing to brag about, but they do good work where it counts.  You can become a supporter here, and know your dollars aren\’t going to a fancy website, they are going to support the Second Amendment in Minnesota.

If you\’re thinking more on a national scale, allow me to recommend the Gun Owners of American (GOA), a no-compromise top-notch organization.  While it doesn\’t have the millions of members the NRA can claim, it does have a respectable 300,000 members and growing.  They spend several million dollars every year lobbying Congress on behalf of the Second Amendment.  You can join them here.

But regardless of what you do, do take my advice and lobby the NRA to continue lobbying on behalf of us.  Call, mail, email, whatever….just make sure they know that their members have noticed their impending betrayal and we\’ll not going to overlook it.

[Crossposted at True North]