This is a letter I sent out and we used while calling many sponsors that donated to the Santa Barbara Friends of NRA last year. We are boycotting the dinner...the NRA needs to understand that when they hurt us, we can hurt them back. I am a life member of the NRA, I fostered and built the foundation for the very first Friends of NRA dinner in Santa Barbara and I realize many will say that the Friends of NRA is different than ILA...they need to understand that the NRA, is the NRA, is the NRA and that they are accountable for their actions, or lack of!
We are requesting that you do not donate or be a sponsor or attend the Friends of the NRA banquet this year. The reason is that the NRA helped get Sheriff Bill Brown elected. They knew that he was anti gun because I personally contacted them well before election day, as did David Codrea, who is a writer for, "The War on Guns." The NRA did not bother to return either one of our calls. We know that the reason is that they deliberately got him elected knowing that he wasn't the most pro- gun candidate.
Many people have called the NRA in Sacramento and Fairfax, VA, from Santa Barbara area about this issue and they have not returned anyone's calls. Sheriff Bill Brown has not renewed the majority of CCW holders in Santa Barbara County since becoming Sheriff. We want to make a statement with the NRA that the Santa Barbara community of gun owners and 2nd Amendment patriots can make a difference, with our votes and our dollars. If people go to the Friends of the NRA dinner, the NRA will feel that they do not have to be accountable.
We have stopped a very high percentage of sponsors and members from going to the NRA dinner by making these calls and letting them know the truth. They will see the lowest count, in Santa Barbara's NRA dinner history. We will give you a count after the dinner June 2nd, 2007.
Update: The dinner took place as scheduled on June 2nd, 2007. They had 90 people that paid to show up at the Friends of NRA fundraiser. Many called in to say they could not come or were no-shows. Seventy (70) people did show and a few came in and purchased tickets at the door. They had around 25 free tickets which they gave out and figured they had a total of around 100. The Elk's Club had a minimum of 125 dinners. They had no real bidding in the auction. Sam Neeley, the auctioneer, made a speech about the sheriff and how many were unhappy with what is was doing (not about the NRA helping cause the problem) and the people should support the NRA and not stay away from these events by boycotting them because it only hurts you. This of course is self-serving for him because he did not make much money on the auction.
The NRA had a check written to them at the end of the event for $2,800. Anyone that knows about fundraisers know that is like breaking even.
It was said that many were really ticked off at me for starting the boycott and because they found out we had called many past patriots of the function. I will say, I am proud of what I did and I understand many of them can not see out of the box. I will stand behind my action with my head up high! I will boycott the event next year if the NRA does not call and do what they should have done many months ago. That will not be, "I am sorry", it will be a lot more involved. Keeping that under hat for how. As of today, June 7, 2007, we have not been contacted by the NRA and we know they are well aware of what they have done to us. They even checked out the posting on "The War on Guns" website.
I want to thank each and every one of you that supported us on this very important issue!
With warmest appreciation,
Larry R. Rankin
2 comments:
I also called numerous people that had gone to The Friends of The NRA dinner in the past and asked them not to attend because of the NRA giving Sheriff Bill Brown a "A" rating. I got good responses from all and none that i call did attend the dinner.I also asked them to call other that they know .People where very sportive to our cause and are really displeased about NRA, Brown and the current denials of CCW's and restrictions.I will do it again next year and already started a new list with more people.The word is getting out.This "A" rating is not new from the NRA. They are NONE responsive and i stopped paying my membership some time back and now give elsewhere because of it.I was a voting member of the NRA.Try calling Ed Worley and see if you ever get a call back.Why is he getting paid?It's your money.
Gerhard Paul
Goleta CA./Santa Barbara
New Update, 6-08-07: 105 tickets were purchased, not 90 as I first reported. 70 was the correct number that showed up out of that 105. This means 35 people that purchased they did not show. That is a high percentage, over 30%.
I do not expect the NRA to do anything to make it right, just by their past history, except try to play it down as though we are the bad guys, spin as they say. We will get our message out that there are other gun rights groups that love, support, will defend and protect from harm our 2 Amendment rights and they will not cause harm or injury to those rights as the NRA has done. The NRA ,as I see it, is only interested in how much money they can make not what they can do for the same people that support them!
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