Why isn't there a moderate alternative to the NRA like J Street to AIPAC?

[DemocratSinceBirth]

I am sure there are a lot of responsible gun owners who would like an alternative to the NRA.

[Journeyman]

1. Interesting concept . . .

that could be a winning approach to the problem: rather than anti forces seeking to restrict, pro forces seeking to modify.

[branford]

2. There are 80-100+ million legal gun owners in the USA.

The NRA has about 5 million members, and only represents 5-6% of gun owners.

The NRA individually is not nearly as influential as you are led to believe, and the influence they do have is because so many Americans agree with many of their ideas even if not a member.***

Every time an elected representative or other notable leader suggests gun control proposals, usually that would have little overall affect and/or would not have stopped the tragedy which engendered the proposal, the NRA grows stronger. There's a reason why some call President Obama the best gun salesman in a generation.

There's no significant "moderate alternative" to the NRA because the gun control lobby is so extreme compared to the general gun rights consensus, and most are content to let the NRA lobby on their behalf.

Other significant gun rights groups tend to be hyper-focused, like the Second Amendment Foundation, which deals with gun rights legal battles are were responsible for the Heller and McDonald decisions, the National Shooting Sports Foundation, which is primarily a trade association for the firearm industry, or the Gun Owners of America, who some consider even more extreme than the NRA.

Mother Jones identifies some of these groups and others:

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/01/gun-appreciation-day-groups


***
http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2015/oct/02/mass-shootings-have-no-impact-on-support-for-gun-rights-in-the-us

http://www.gallup.com/poll/179213/six-americans-say-guns-homes-safer.aspx

http://www.gallup.com/poll/179045/less-half-americans-support-stricter-gun-laws.aspx

http://www.people-press.org/2014/12/10/growing-public-support-for-gun-rights/

[Hoyt]

4. There are millions of right wing gun owners who support NRA, but are too cheap to pay dues.

Heck, you don't need a NRA sticker on your car when you have a confederate flag, W, GOP, or "I hate Obama" sticker that shows you support gunz and hatred.

[branford]

6. The NRA has 5 million members and untold numbers of supporters.

If you believe they're virtually all racists, you not only have your head in the sand, but are helping to explain why they are so successful. Your stereotyping effectively underestimates their reach and persuasive abilities.

[Journeyman]

11. Thank you, branford, for a well reasoned response. . .

and especially for the links.

Given me much to contemplate here, and I appreciate your intelligent post (don't get enough of them on these boards, especially on this topic).

[GGJohn]

3. Here.

http://www.theliberalgunclub.com/




The mission of The Liberal Gun Club is to provide a voice for gun-owning liberals and moderates in the national conversation on gun rights, gun legislation, firearms safety, and shooting sports. We serve as a national forum for all people, irrespective of their personal political beliefs, to discuss firearms ownership, firearms use, and the enjoyment of firearms-related activities free from the destructive elements of political extremism that dominate this subject on the national scale. We also actively develop and foster a variety of programs for the purpose of firearms training and firearms safety education, for both gun owners and non-gun owners.

[Hoyt]

5. Best estimate is less than 1000 members.

[GGJohn]

7. So what?

DemocratSinceBirth asked if there was a moderate alternative to the NRA, I provided a link, something you should learn to do.

The NRA was less than 1000 members at some point in it's history and built up it, the Liberal Gun Club has the potential to do so as more liberal gun owners learn of it's existence.

[onehandle]

8. Because most gun owners are all or nothing.

It's the ultimate entitlement.

[Rex]

9. Because the NRA is THE gun lobby in Congress and controls their votes with the fear of losing

their seats. Who could compete with that? Ever heard of a gun club besides the NRA? I bet 99% of the people posting here say 'no'.

[karynnj]

10. Interesting conjecture

I know that many Jews contributed to various peace groups before J street. The difference between them and J street was that it was a lobbying group that reflected the position of the majority of American Jews.

Before then, many people were told that American Jews had more power when they spoke with one voice - AIPAC ' s. I joined J STREET years ago, because I agreed with them and because I thought there had to be a voice for the majority of American Jews.

I am not a gun owner. I suspect that for many moderate gun owners, it is not a big piece of their idenity. If that is true, though they disagree with the NRA, they might not have the same sense of discomfort that liberal Jews had with either Netanyahu or AIPAC speaking in their name. After all the NRA says it speaks for its members, not all gun owners.

There might not be the same level of discomfort.

[KamaAina]

12. Why don't you start one?