Are USCCA Members required or expected to support the Republican Party?

[CHRIS4]

With regard to support of the NRA, one question which gives me pause for thought is seeking the answer to how effective the NRA-ILA donation system is in comparison to general fund donations which are often sublet to marketing machines which require their tithe before the monies are further divided among the various operational departments of the organization.

I’ve been looking for an accounting review of both systems. So far the only one I have (and at the moment do not remember the specific citation) indicated less than one half but more than one quarter of the gross funds given to NRA, at the time of writing and limited to a given period, were made available to the NRA Herself. Needless to say, if this is accurate and there is a more efficient path to seeing my donations do the works I hope for, I may well need to change the terms of any grant or bequeath I have scheduled or intend.

If anyone here has relevant data, I’d be most appreciative and interested.

[Johnny2]

Not all Democrats are anti gun. Our States Attorney in Madison County, Il. Allowed non felons to carry and poses a firearm before the conceal carry law was passed. He will not enforce RED Flag laws unless factual proof exist. " Hearsay does not prove anything " " I will not violate any person’s right to own, poses or carry do to what might he or she do, I want hard facts". He held a pro gun rally at the County Capital building. I will admit he is not liked within the Party. He is definitely pro gun.

[Robert8]

@Johnny2 That States Attorney is definitely unique. Most all politicians nowadays are party before constituencies. You better hold on to that guy.

[Terry7]

Craig6, I agree with you. It’s not what he says to the media, it’s what he does after he says it. There is not one dem running that doesn’t want to take away law abiding citizens guns. Bad guys do not register their guns. Every law that is passed chips away at our ability to defend and protect ourselves from the bad guys and a tyrannical government. IMHO.

[Dave17]

However, politicians that truly believe in our rights do not vote against civil rights, etc., those actually are part of Conservative ideology. Too many Republicans in office are RINOs and are not Conservative. Although the Republican Party itself isn’t a Conservative party, there are some that do believe in our natural rights and believe in our Constitution. Unfortunately, there are not enough Conservatives to win an election, so we end up voting for the least of the worst, which typically is a Republican candidate.

Democrats do not believe in equality and equal rights. They believe in making special classes of citizens and dividing us into little groups to pit one against the other. Quotas, etc., do not make people equal. Signing laws allowing a mother to kill a baby after birth, as the Democrats in NY proposed and their Governor signed, is not protecting your right to “bodily autonomy” - that is legalized murder. So you believe in your RKBA, but what Democratic politician that you have voted for does?

Your definition of Liberal is actually “progressive”, aka, socialist. The Democrats co-opted the term to mask their Socialist agenda. Look up the term Liberal, it isn’t Democrat. It means exactly the opposite of what the Democrats propose, it is liberty and freedom. Laws that restrict us are repressive, not liberal. Laws that oppress one group are not liberal. Laws that create special classes of citizens are not liberal. Laws legalizing murder of newborn babies are not liberal.

[Hailey]

You started out well, then you nose dived into fiction. No law was passed about murdering babies after they were born. You’re just wanting to justify your own voting record in the end, and do what ever you need to do. You then go into the Ad-Hominems, and continue what you intended to do from the beginning, which wasn’t to shore up an argument for conservative ideals, but to attack liberal, Democrat, and the stale red scare rhetoric. Look the bottom line is, I have my morals and others have theirs. I’m not going to support a child molester like Roy Moore, and excuse what he’s done, just because he supports guns more than Doug Jones. Yeah, Roy Moore is also Anti Abortion, no ■■■■, he’s a damn child molester. And stop with the legalizing murder nonsense. It’s completely intellectually dishonest, a lie. If you support the death penalty however, then you do, support legalized murder.

[Dave17]

I did not use any ad hominem attack. I made a mistake about the abortion law. It allows abortions after 24 weeks, typically when a fetus is deemed viable, meaning able to survive outside the womb. It was Governor Northam (D) that stated he believed in killing newborn babies, but that law was never proposed nor passed. However a female Democrat in Virginia did advocate for a bill that would have allowed abortion up to the time of delivery for any reason. That bill did not get passed. That is not “bodily autonomy” that is legalized murder.

As I suggested, look up the definition of Liberal. You will not find any policy proposals of Democrats that fit the definition of Liberal.

So you mention two people that are anti-abortion and you believe they are what all those opposed to are? Many women I know, and some that have had abortions, are not in favor of abortions, and those having gone through it, I would believe to have the best understanding of the issue, do not believe in abortion for any reason. I never stated I was anti-abortion.

The death penalty does not kill innocent life. That is one of reasons people cite for not using the death penalty, that one might be innocent. Unfortunately, 100% of the time, innocent life is taken when an abortion is performed. The other reason against the death penalty is that it isn’t a deterrent.

Speaking of dishonesty, your labeling of me is intellectually dishonest. Nowhere in my post did I state I was pro- or anti-abortion. Neither did I state I was pro- or anti-capital punishment. You assumed, because you have an inaccurate understanding of who Conservatives are, that I am pro-lie and pro-death penalty.

You might want to open a book and read about what the political positions of Democrats, Republicans and Conservatives are. And also learn the history of those affiliations. You clearly lack that understanding.

Democrats are the party of the CSA, the party of the KKK, and the party of the Jim Crow laws. Jim Crow laws denied the rights of blacks to vote and to own firearms. Interestingly, the Democrats are still trying to deny the RKBA. Passing laws that make firearm ownership onerous and costly denies the right to the poor. These same legislators supposedly believe in equal rights, but are making it more difficult for poor people to own firearms. We know that more blacks, as a percentage of their population, are poor. It would seem Jim Crow is alive and well in the Democratic Party. Many of those same laws will not impede the ownership of firearms to the wealthy, who are mostly white, because they can afford to pay the additional costs.

Currently, most firearms, by percentage, are owned by the wealthy. Maybe those Democratic politicians that supposedly believe in equality, should not only advocate for food stamps, etc., but also for free firearms for the poor that live in areas where there is more crime and could benefit by having a firearm for self-defense. They could even pay for firearm safety classes. Now that is a program I would back.

[Hailey]

You, are mistaken. I called the thing you admitted being wrong about, intellectually dishonest. I also did not say you were pro or anti anything, I stated what Roy Moore was, and I stated that if you, support the death penalty, you do support legal murder, which is factually true.

You go on and on with your assumptions however, of me, assumptions of what I do or, in much of what you said, don’t read. You assume I have no knowledge of the histories of either party. You conveniently try to include the entire history of the demotract party, calling it, disingenuously the party of the KKK, while ignoring the changes of both parties. I’m as aware of the Democrats history, as I am aware of the changes to the GOP, and it’s current place as the party of white supremacists, and yes, I am intelligent and honest enough to also know that while there are white supremacists in the party it does not mean YOU, or everyone in the party, if you are in fact a member of the party, no assumptions to your party choice, are white supremacist. So, just, enough with the intellectual dishonesty already, you have no gotcha moments here, and I’m tired of replying when yours aren’t in good faith. I believe women have full right and control of our own bodies, and that regardless of your anecdotes, you a man, have no say over it, at all. You wanna think abortion is murder, you have that right, and I served and defended your right to your opinions. But I have my right to my own, and abortion when not interfered by nosy Interlopers who have no business when it comes to my body, done between a woman and her doctor isn’t murder it’s a discharge of cells no different than all the cells you get rid of cleaning the house.

Now can we PLEASE get out of women’s bodies, and get back to the second amendment? I am very well aware it was Feinstein (D) and Regan ® who reacted in racist fear at the Black Panthers legally owning firearms, legally open carrying, doing neighborhood watch, free lunch programs, reading programs, and other novel community programs that would be adopted across the country, but the ‘scary’ black people legally owning guns was the impetus for the oppressive gun laws in California, and the narrative grew out of that. Red Flag Laws are the latest, and dangerous threat to not only the Second Amendment, but Fourth, and First.

[Dave17]

I was not being intellectually dishonest, it was a mistake, not dishonesty. You are either naive or being dishonest if you actually believe the parties “switched”. Their histories do reflect what they are today. Jim Crow laws of the past evolved into the gun control laws of today. You just admitted such in your last post. It seems you are the dishonest one here. You are also dishonest claiming that the Republican party is the party of “white supremacists”, however, that is “intellectually” dishonest. Yet, caging your comments about me, not calling me a racist or “supremacist”, but the implication is readily seen. You also are making the presumption that I am white. You also still assume I am Republican, even though I stated I am a Conservative. Unlike you, I have not used any ad hominem attacks, even though you claim that I did - typical of Leftists - not calling you one, right?

You claim my statements are “anecdotes” in the attempt to diminish my comments about abortion. Clearly you are threatened by the truth. My statements about other people that have had abortions are not anecdotes, those were real people and real feelings and events, not amusing, nor even in the slightest funny. Nowhere in my posts have I told you what to do with your body.

I am not in “women’s bodies”, nor did I make any claim to that effect. I, again, never stated, nor still do not, that I am pro- or anti-abortion. However, you must admit that abortion is not merely a discharge of cells, it is killing a life. You know this to be true, since you know a pregnancy going to full term results in a newborn baby not a lifeless mass, and killing the entity growing inside the mother results in no live birth. If abortion isn’t murder, why are people that perform unwanted abortions charged with murder, if nothing is being killed? Shouldn’t it merely be assault?

[Hailey]

I did not assume race, party, only that you are Male, based on your comment of having female friends. That’s the last I’m gonna let you drag me into this distraction from both the thread intent, and what should be congeniality, that I would rather continue in, despite your efforts to “own the libs”.

[Zee]

Maybe it’s time for everyone to have a deep breath, a walk around the block, and a little friday chill…
Just saying that we’re on the same side in this, and its easy to misinterpret the intent behind written words.

[Dave17]

Hailey, I am not trying to “own the libs”. If you believe you got “owned”, then that’s on you. I was only stating my opinion, and facts. Accept them or not. I will not vote for a politician that wants to infringe on our inalienable rights. They infringe on one, they will, and do, infringe on all, the ERPO laws are a good example of that.

If those politicians believed in our rights, they would not be so willing to infringe on them. If they believe having ID to vote is wrong, why do they insist on ID and background checks to exercise our 2A rights? If they believe in subsidizing the poor to provide housing, food, etc., why make the basic right to self-defense so onerous and costly that those same people cannot afford to defend themselves? Give them training and a firearm so they can defend themselves.

[Hailey]

Dave, you missed the point, the mark, the message, and only owned yourself. We’re done, I hope you have a wonderful weekend, and wish you good health.

[Dave17]

No, I was not owned, but you still haven’t gotten over yourself - you were the one that got bent, not me. Read and understand what I wrote. I am a Conservative - not a Republican. I believe in our inalienable rights. I will not vote for anti-rights politicians - of any party. I believe in helping those in need. I also believe in self-reliance, and therefore, I believe in limited government - keep government out of my business (your “bodily autonomy” is part of that, of course).

[MikeBKY]

I’m with @Zee on this. I think it’s time for everyone to take a step back and take a breath. It’s 5 o’clock somewhere, how bout we all just grab a beer virtually together? I’m buying. . Take your pick!

[DBrogue]

It does feel like this thread has taken a turn on emotions and is headed in the wrong direction.

Remember civil exchange of ideas even when you disagree.

I am not trying to call anyone out, just reminding everyone we can agree to disagree and if there is no new information being presented is it really any longer an exchange of information/ideals?

[Robert8]

This topic is becoming well; I’m reminded when I was a Chicago Teamsters union member as a Licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer for many many years. At Union Hall meetings before state or Federal election the Union Stewards or your Business Agent passes out a sheet of paper telling you who the Union wants you to vote for; of course their is not a way to check up on voting records how you and your family cast your ballots but every election the Union gave you their wish list and asked you to vote for whom they selected, many of my union brothers and sisters did follow orders but many didn’t. This topic kinda sorta reminds me of that somewhat.

[David38]

This topic IS starting to sound like twitter, full of sound and fury yet signifying nothing.

How about we do as suggested? Take a breath, agree to disagree, and then our attention to something more productive. Or at least interesting.

[Dawn]

Thanks for the self-monitoring everyone. Remember, we don’t have to agree, but we have to be respectful/civil. No name calling or bashing on here please.

[Danny10]

It’s sometimes difficult to figure out Trump’s stance on gun control, but I will say the NRA has a positive influence on his thinking. For those wondering whether or not to support the NRA, you might keep that in mind.