NRA Membership

Do you care about your gun rights?

I’m assuming by the fact you are here on this site that you most likely do.

So tell me, what are you actually doing to support the gun rights you enjoy?

The NRA and the Media

The NRA gets alot of negative attention in the media. If your opinion of the NRA is currently negative, I understand how you probably got there. It is very likely that the only place you have heard the NRA mentioned in your normal day to day life has been in the media. 

Think about it: The majority of media outlets are anti-gun. They are happy to take any opportunity they can scrounge up to make the NRA look bad. They want to make them look like a slimy organization. They don’t want people to join and support the NRA. They know that the more members the NRA has, the more successful they are at protecting our rights!

The media is a biased source. They aren’t going to highlight the good things the NRA is doing to protect gun rights. Portraying the NRA negatively works for the narrative they want to create surrounding gun culture. 

Every Gun Owner Should Support the NRA

I want EVERY GUN OWNER to be an NRA Member.

I want you to understand why the NRA is EVERYTHING when it comes to protecting our gun rights.

I want you to realize that it is every gun owners duty to support the NRA.

I am a Life Member. My husband is a Life Member. All 3 of my kids are annual members. That’s 5 members in my house and 5 members stronger for gun owners at large!

What the NRA has done for me

The reality is that most of us owe the credit for our ability to concealed carry to the NRA. In the majority of states, the concealed carry laws were largely forged by work the NRA did to get those laws in place. Unless if you live in Vermont, your state previously outlawed concealed carry. (Here in my state of Ohio concealed carry was outlawed around 1860.) The NRA worked nationwide to get every state the ability to conceal carry back. The last state in the United States to get the ability back was Illinois. It took an act from the Supreme Court to force the state of Illinois through an NRA backed court case.  

But it’s not just the concealed carry license that I owe to them. Since Ohio got the license, the NRA has pushed every year to improve the gun and self-defense laws. This effort is a national effort happening in every state. You probably don’t realize how much the NRA has done to pave the way for the gun rights you exercise.

Many gun owners will blame the NRA for not passing a law. The problem is that the NRA can’t pass a law. They can try to motivate legislators to pass laws, but they have no actual vote. Citizens need to also step up and motivate legislators.  

How much does an NRA membership cost?

An NRA membership is very affordable!

The Regular 1 year Membership is regularly priced at $45 per year. I can offer a discounted rate of only $35 per year. Is protecting your firearm rights worth $2.92 per month to you? I sure hope so!

(My husband and I are both Life Members. The regular price of a Life Membership is $1,500 but there is a current special for a Life Membership for only $750. I’m not sure how long that price will be offered. I’ll save you from busting out the calculator: it takes 22 years to come out ahead at that price. $35/year x 22 years = $770)

What does an NRA Membership do for Me?

The tangible things you receive from the NRA with your membership are:

• an official membership card
• decals (you can put them on your car/laptop/gun safe or wherever you fancy)
• a black & gold NRA shooter’s hat
• a monthly magazine (Shooting Illustrated is my favorite. It covers the tactical lifestyle and is the one that relates most directly to the concealed carry lifestyle. There is also American Rifleman, America’s First Freedom and American Hunter. Since we have 5 members in our house, we get all 4 each month.)

Those benefits are great but the whole point of membership is more of what YOU are doing for the NRA.

The intangible benefits you receive:

A watchful eye and a powerful voice

I can’t march down to DC personally. I have a job and kids and just life in general is crazy. (It would cost me way more than $35 to do that by the way!) But the NRA is doing that on my behalf. If I call my legislator and ask him to meet for lunch to talk some things they wouldn’t give me the time of day. But the NRA is the larger-than-me force that will get the attention and time from the legislator.  

The pride of knowing you are taking a stand for your gun rights.

You are DOING SOMETHING. And not just anything. You are doing something that has been proven effective. The NRA has accomplished great things. No other organization has done more for your gun rights than the NRA.

My Hubby Isn’t Perfect But I Love Him

Occasionally someone shares with me something that the NRA has done that they don’t agree with. (Hello bump stocks! Yes, that’s the unimportant-to-the-average-person thing people want to complain about to me when I’m working at an NRA recruiting booth.) Hey I kind of get it because I’m a very principals driven person. 

My husband does things that frustrate me. He leave his socks under the computer desk. He doesn’t wash gunk down the bathroom sink. He doesn’t load the dishwasher right. I could write a book but I will leave it there; I’m sure you get the point. Despite all these I love him. I appreciate all that he has done for me and the part he plays in my life.

I could say similiar things about everyone in my life: children, parents, siblings, pastors, everyone! People can’t please us 100% of the time. But we don’t find a fault with them and decide to abandon them. 

Don’t like something about the NRA? Voice your opinion to them. In a way that matters (not ranting to strangers any chance you get). Put you don’t abandon them. 

I don’t care if you don’t agree with the bump stock ban. (Or something else about the NRA.) Look at the bigger picture. Care about protecting your gun rights? They are the ones that can make it happen. You should support them. They’re your best shot. 

It is a Numbers Game

Yes, the NRA has electricity bills and staff to pay. They need money to operate. But more than money, they need people standing behind them.

Bottom Line: Without members, the NRA doesn’t have the influence to affect legislation.

Their power comes from the fact that they represent millions of Americans.

They could have all the money in the world, but if they had no members, they wouldn’t have power to accomplish anything.

Even if your husband, your brother or your dad is a member, YOU should be a member too…. and maybe even your kids! Again, it’s a numbers game! Be a number!

Be Honest With Yourself.

Have you actually done anything that matters to help protect and further the gun rights you enjoy?

Does wearing a Pro Second Amendment shirt really change anyone’s mind or help better gun laws get passed?

How about sharing a Pro Second Amendment post on Facebook or Instagram? 

I’m not saying don’t do these things. (Please do!) But don’t fool yourself into thinking that it’s making enough of a difference to cause real change. 

It takes BIG things to really be effective. Things BIGGER than yourself.  And it doesn’t get much bigger than the NRA when it comes to gun rights. If you want to be a part of something that really makes a difference, you need to be a member of the NRA.  

I Do My Part

Beyond my own membership, I support the NRA by trying to get as many members to join as I can! 

• We train a couple thousand students a year (through our company Armed2Defend) and we encourage all of them to join the NRA. In fact , we buy hundreds of those students the 1 year Associate Membership on our dime as a bonus when they prepay for our class.
• I work at booths a few times a year encouraging people who pass by to support the NRA. I don’t do it because I enjoy it. I’m an introvert. I don’t necessarily like bugging strangers. I do it because it is a message I believe in spreading. 

Are You Doing Your Part?

If you went into a restaurant and had a nice meal, you tip the server for their service. You do it because you appreciate the service they provided that helped you and your family enjoy your dinner. They already rendered the services. You could leave without tipping. But it would be wrong and you know that.

The NRA has helped forge the way for the gun rights you enjoy. You could continue to enjoy those gun rights and not “tip” them the $2.92 cents a month ($35 per year). But it would be wrong and you know that. So join (or renew)!

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