This is what the NRA is up to this morning....

[Dickster]

I just received a call from the NRA. I usually hang up on the bastards, but today I decided to listen. I am a former member, gave up my membership five years ago, I just couldn't stand the bullshit they were pedaling every month in their publications. So this morning I get this call from them, and this young man asking for money to rebuild their war chest after spending so much money on the election. In his spiel, he was worried that Obama might be able to appoint up to 3 more liberal Supreme Court members and that would be devastating to their cause. Because I am such a good and faithful member (LOL), hey offered me a shiny, brand new, authentic hunting knife if I would be so generous to donate $250 to them.
Well call me dumbfounded! I tried to keep my cool as I told the caller that he sounded like and intelligent young man and that there must be something better he could be spending his time at. When he persisted, I told him I was embarrassed for him to be making these kind of calls so soon after the Newtown tragedy. Unfazed, he kept on, and I offered to donate to the Brady Campaign. That unnerved him just a little, but he kept to the script. Finally, I lost it and called him an a**hole for groveling for money after 20 kids were just killed and barely buried in the ground. And I said, goodbye a**hole one more time and hung up. Folks, they may be silent publicly after the tradgedy, but behind the scenes they are back to their old tricks of scaring the shit out of their base and raising bundles of money.

[onehandle]

1. You can get a great hunting knife for twenty bucks.

No amount of money can bring those 20 Kindergartners back.

[geckosfeet]

25. I was looking at knives recently - the world of folders has changed a lot!

[HockeyMom]

2. Good for you

Maybe their current membership has declined so they need to look to FORMER members for $$$?

[glinda]

3. K & R n/t

[erpowers]

4. Not Silent Just Undercover

In your post you wrote "they may be silent publicly". It seems they may not have actually been silent publicly just undercover. I may be wrong, but the NRA may have been doing web addresses/shows. I thought sure I saw on a few news reports that claimed the NRA had done at least one web address/show. So it seems that the leadership of the NRA has not made a major public statement, but others in the group have been putting out some talking points.

[progressoid]

5. Up to three Supreme Court justices? Cool!

But what could your donation have done to stop that. Pay to keep Scalia on life support?

[JohnnyRingo]

10. That's what jumped out at me.

That certainly is optimistic... or a disaster, depending on which side you're on I guess, but it's a typical scare tactic by the NRA.

Apparently, NRA members have never watched a confirmation process. They usually begin with queries about abortion and end with pro-life questions. I don't think I've ever heard a SC Justice asked about guns. Since there is no such thing as a "liberal" federal judge, they should skip the obvious and be directly asked about cases that are more likely to be brought before them. How do they feel about corporate monopolies and laws designed to minimize the consumer?

I can easily predict that no Supreme Court in our lifetime will ever approve of banning guns, regardless of how many supposed "liberals" there are on the bench. There may be some nuances if they decide to hear it someday, like if owners can purchase silencers and drum magazines, but never will they adjudicate on an outright ban for gun ownership like the NRA implies.

I know people personally who vote strictly on gun issues, and others on whether a politician is pro-life, but those pols (and the judges they appoint) just spend their terms voiding our rights against corporations and making billionaires out of millionaires.

[2ndAmForComputers]

18. It's gun nuts we're talking about. Look up "stochastic terrorism."

[barbtries]

6. the money

is what in fact they are all about.

[rurallib]

7. poor kid probably needed the job real bad

I have had Republicans call and I often engage them in conversation.
One time it was a young lady from Georgia. She was not married and had just had a baby. She desperately needed the job. She told me she couldn't believe a word she was saying but was desperate.

Sad that Republicans have fucked up the economy so badly that kids have to basically prostitute themselves to eat.

[LynneSin]

8. I've said it before and I'll say it again - the NRA doesn't give a rats ass about the 2nd Amendment

They are the people hired by gun manufacturers to ensure that they can make the maximum amount of profits possible by ensuring that the gun laws stay lax.

Personally I think we should go after the gun manufacterers the way we went after the Tobacco industry.

[geardaddy]

9. This ^ ^

spot on LS.

[blue_heron]

12. +1000

yes, they have to be held legally accountable....

someone needs to get letters from their lawyers where they admit they knew these weapons could/would cause catastrophic incidents in the hands of the wrong people. and they sold them anyway.

[Roland99]

13. Hear! Hear!

[wtmusic]

14. Exactly. Make them liable, and you won't even need regulation.

Funny how getting hit with a billion-dollar class action lawsuit makes an industry self-regulating.

[uponit7771]

16. +1

[Chorophyll]

11. Thanks. For what you said, and for letting us know.

[NICO9000]

15. Truly shameless!

This is unbelievable. Maybe it's time the government declares the NRA a domestic terrorist operation.

[99Forever]

17. Any of the assholes that...

... tells me that I need to be "respectful and polite" when dealing with NRA assholes, is living in a dream world.

I have no respect for those that are accessories to the murder of innocents. None.

I am polite to civil human beings that know right from wrong, not lying scum with deadly obsessions and fetishes.

[rivegauche]

27. Same here. nt

[TeeYiYi]

19. $250... That must have been one fancy knife...

TYY

[johnnyrocket]

20. Could not imagine giving the NRA the time of day, much less one...single...red...cent.

They are a right wing militia organization and are for profit from violence and death.

[el scorcho]

21. Petition: add a 100% tax to all firearm sales to fund mental healthcare & additional police

Add a 100% tax to the purchase of all firearms to fund additional police and access to mental healthcare resources.
Our nation is in crisis due to easy access of firearms, not enough access to mental healthcare resources and too few law enforcement personnel.

In the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary school massacre the NRA has called for stationing armed police at each public school to provide protection for our children.

We propose a 100% tax on the purchase of all firearms and ammunition, the proceeds shall be used to strengthen the mental healthcare system nationwide and hire 250,000 new police personnel to guard our schools.

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/add-100-tax-purchase-all-firearms-fund-additional-police-and-access-mental-healthcare-resources/RMxBLK9S

[LiberalArkie]

30. Done and great idea

SIGNATURES NEEDED BY JANUARY 20, 2013 TO REACH GOAL OF 25,000 24,996
TOTAL SIGNATURES ON THIS PETITION 4

[otohara]

22. The Nerve

I am reeling over what that fucking asshole said.

[smirkymonkey]

23. Good for you!

They are beyond disgusting.

[libodem]

24. Snakes

[wryter2000]

31. Pity the poor reptiles

Snakes are lovely creatures. I wouldn't let my sweet little snakey bite LaPierre for fear of getting poisoned.

[libodem]

32. True

My apology to snakes.

[rivegauche]

26. GOOD FOR YOU! I hope it makes a difference. nt

[arthritisR_US]

28. They have absolutely no shame! Thanks for

the heads up

[wryter2000]

29. Welcome to DU

LOL on offering to contribute to the Brady Campaign.

[Doctor_J]

33. The Gun Culture is very good at politicizing tragedies

I believe their boasts this week about guns & ammo sales going through the roof since Newtown. Good on you for smacking them down.

[underpants]

34. First principles, Clarice. Simplicity. Read Marcus Aurelius

First principles, Clarice. Simplicity. Read Marcus Aurelius. Of each particular thing ask: what is it in itself? What is its nature? What does he do, this man you seek?
== Hannibal Lecter

The influence of the NRA is the second step. The first step is fund raising. The third step is inflation of size.

The NRA is basically only a fundraising operation. They do have actual programs but for the most part they exist to raise some money and then inflate that money (that they really don't spend) into more influence while using the money to raise more money.

First principles.

[Skittles]

35. three Supreme Court justices

based on Obama's last two picks, I am salivating!