Project One Million: Texas

[Charles L. Cotton]

I just got back from NRA headquarters. I had to go there for a budget meeting. During the meeting, I got an idea for a membership drive I have titled "Project One Million: Texas." Here is a copy of the post announcing the project on TexasCHLforum.com.

Thanks,
Chas.

PROJECT ONE MILLION: TEXAS

President-Elect Obama is assembling his administration “team” and many of the people he has selected have an anti-gun track record. Rabid anti-gunner Nancy Pelosi will be re-elected as Speaker of the House and Senators Charles “Chuck” Schumer, Diane Feinsten and Barbara Boxer are itching to file several anti-gun bills like the “assault weapons” ban, gun show “loophole,” ballistic fingerprinting, ammunition microstamping, child-proof firearms, and more when the new Congress convenes in 2009.

Although the 2008 federal elections were not the blood-bath for Second Amendment supporters as claimed by the New York Times or the Brady Campaign, gun owners and supporters of the Second Amendment must prepare now not only for the next two legislative sessions, but also for the mid-term elections in 2010. While the party that controls the White House usually loses some seats in the House and Senate, Republicans again will have more Senate seats at-risk than will the Democrats. We absolutely cannot let the Democrats get a filibuster proof 60 vote margin in the Senate. If President Obama gets a blank check for his coming Supreme Court nominee(s), then even the Heller decision could be in jeopardy. Remember, we only won by one vote and that was cast by Justice Kennedy who is 72 years old.

The NRA and its members are the only organization that can prevent a constitutional disaster in terms of attacks on the Second Amendment and the Heller decision. Even if Heller is not overturned, if Justice Kennedy is replaced by an anti-gun Obama nominee, then you can count on the Supreme Court finding any conceivable gun control legislation to be a “reasonable restriction” on a constitutional right.

The 2008 federal elections make it abundantly clear that the NRA must grow at an unprecedented rate the next several months, if gun owners are to protect the Second Amendment and the gains we have made at both the state and federal level in the last several years. That is no typo, I said months, not years. We do not have years before the anti-gun leadership in the Democrat Party start their agenda. If the NRA doubles or triples in membership relatively over night, that will send a chill through the likes of Senators Schumber, Feinstein and Boxer, and even Nancy Pelosi will have to admit that gun control is still a losing issue for their Party. The message will be both in terms of the number of NRA members and in the speed with which the membership grew after the 2008 election.

There are approximately 250,000 NRA members in Texas. Many Texans are surprised to learn that our great State is actually third in terms of NRA membership nationwide. I am starting what I call Project One Million: Texas. This is not an official NRA membership program or campaign, but I promise you I will not be kicked off the NRA Board of Directors if Texas quadruples its NRA membership! From time to time, many of us have commented that if every NRA member recruited just one more member, the NRA would double in size. Well, Project One Million: Texas is only asking you to get four new members. I know, I know, but this is Texas and we do everything bigger and better here.

Seriously, this is obviously a very ambitious undertaking and it will not be easy to increase Texas NRA membership fourfold in a matter of months, but it is certainly doable. All of the elements of a successful campaign are present. I am not sure what the current figures are, but only a very few years ago, Texas sold over 1 million hunting licenses. Every one of those licensees should be a member of the NRA and the TSRA. There are no accurate figures for the number of Texans who own guns, but they must number in the millions. All of these people are candidates for membership. Even NRA members have family who have not joined the organization so our recruiting can begin at home! If we can accomplish the goal of 1 million Texas NRA members, then our achievement will serve as a challenge to other states and we can see the NRA with 8, 10 or perhaps even 12 million members! With membership at that level, no one will dare to attack our Second Amendment rights, either in Washington or Austin.

If you are not an NRA member, or if you have family members who have not yet joined the fight for the Second Amendment, please click on the link in my signature line and join. I get a monthly report on the number of people who join the NRA by clicking on this link and I will post that information on TexasCHLforum.com. I will contact the NRA Membership Dept. and ask to be provided membership figures for Texas and will post that information also, so we can track the progress of Project One Million: Texas.

Please join me in this effort and spread the word: Support Project One Million: Texas!

Chas.

 

[Texan2]

After years of having a lapsed membership I joined again 2 months ago... and I just now signed up my wife and son (Jr. membership)....
I will be on the prowl for other potential members...
Despite some gun owners thinking the NRA is not hard core enough for them...the NRA does swing a heaviest hammer of all the pro 2A groups in DC.

 

[jgedmond]

I never belonged to the NRA before in my life, this despite owning a 22LR pistol for range use for 15 years (I'm ashamed to say). But my first post-election firearm-related purchase was a 2-year NRA membership and a small donation.

I too will look for opportunities to educate other gun owners about the need to support the most effective gun control opponent out there.

 

[Jeff B]

Another longtime gun owner & shooter that has joined the NRA in the last month. As usual, Charles has made a clear and rational case for his call to action.

I will be signing up my wife and checking with like minded friends to see if they are members or not. and if not, encouraging them to join, quickly.

Jeff B.

 

[Charles L. Cotton]

Thanks guys! If this project is successful, it will send political shockaves through Washington.

Chas.

 

[LittleGun]

I joined a few months ago, after I purchased my first gun.

 

[TexasFats]

I am a Life Member, but I just got something in the mail about upgrading to Endowment for $200. I think that I will do it just to spite the left-wingers. That is why I started paying on my life membership several years ago--to spite Bill and Hillary.

 

[PopsXD9sc]

Recently joined in order to become a member of the local gun range. 100% NRA membership. When I got my card I re-upped for another year. Don't know why it took so long (I'm 60) since I grew up around guns and my dad was a card carrying TSRA and NRA member his whole life. Better late than never. Let's get those million members.

 

[Texas1911]

 

[Brewgod]

I've signed up 6 folks this week, and am trying to sign up at least 1 person per week for the next year. When I sign someone up, I've been asking them to find 4 people over the next year to sign up and so on. I remind them that they make great Christmas and birthday gifts. Folks also need to sign up their spouses and children. We need to remember TSRA in this as well, they have a family membership for $45.00

I can't emphasize how important this is...

Thank you Charles for your post and work...