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One of Us |
Maybe now to put an absolute pitbull at the head | |||
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One Of Us |
FINALLY, and Hallelujah!! He has cost the NRA now $$Hundreds of Millions in legal fees to defend this recent NYAG case... so much they have sold the NRA Museum gun collection, and now the Museum Building so pay fees!!... he still owes Tony Makris millions for "UNDER WILD SKIES"... I stopped donating 5 years ago and returning every solicitation for money with a written statement, I WILL NOT SEND FURTHER DONATIONS TO NRA UNTIL WLP IS GONE AND ALL LEGAL BATTLES ARE SETTLED!!" Gun Owners in the US and every State have been shortchanged for years while WLP has been defending himself... especially us here in Washington State... with the new 10 day waiting period on ALL GUN PURCHASES!! Sadly, a great replacement left several years ago... CHRIS COX, former NRA ILA chief!! He is now head of a very successful investment firm and probably wouldn't come back now!! I hope this is not to late??!! The cases of attacks on NRA Insurance and Financial Institutions by politicians in now going to the Supreme Court. The upcoming case is another attack by NYAG but may be too late to be included in the SOCTUS reading of the other attacks??.... Here's hoping for a GREAT IMPROVEMENT at NRA!! 470EDDY | |||
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One of Us |
About time. Now we need serious corporate reform. Mike Wilderness is my cathedral, and hunting is my prayer. | |||
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One of Us |
I hope the NRA gets its house in order starting with the weaklings on the board they should have booted him long ago. We’ll see,I hope I will see my way clear to re up.. "Suppose you were an idiot and suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself." Mark Twain | |||
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One of Us |
Part of the problem is the size of the board . It makes the board awkward and inefficient. The board may have some serious issues . Perhaps the audit committee as well. Hopefully the ship can be righted . | |||
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One of Us |
Larry is spot on. Big donor should not equal a board seat. Board work is hard and not glamorous. NRA needs a real and experienced board. | |||
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One of Us |
I have no respect for Monday morning quarterbacks, but truly this situation has been telegraphed for years, actually decades. It's obvious that AR members come from a huge variety of backgrounds and experiences and clearly many have a history of operating professional organizations and businesses. That there is rotten leadership in the NRA can't come as a surprise. How many of these characters would we trust to partner with in business? nuff said! | |||
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One of Us |
True. No one, including WLP is perfect, I am friends with many of those involved with this and we have discussed what I think are issues, to no avail. I really hope that NRA will get its ship righted, I believe the NRA is all that stands between us firearms enthusiasts and the confiscation/ban crowd. I’m equally certain that some of those that are slinging arrows at the NRA are working on their own agenda. Karl Evans | |||
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One Of Us |
"Lord Acton writes to Bishop Creighton that the same moral standards should be applied to all men, political and religious leaders included, especially since “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely” (1887)" 470EDDY | |||
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One of Us |
In my opinion, this is not entirely good news. Will the successor have the same impact on 2nd amendment issues? I hope so. The reality is that the NRA has been our saving grace. It is hard to defend much of what Wayne did . I am surprised he has not been indicted . | |||
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Administrator |
Of course it is not good news! Lots of damage was caused so far! They need to re-think their board! For quite sometime he has been a negative part of the NRA. No one did anything! | |||
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One Of Us |
After WLP went rogue, I have heard it said by several knowledgeable people, he hand picked the Board for total control!! I agree with Larry!! There was a NY TIMES article on Friday that stated WLP plead guilty to Fraud!! That article has been pulled.... 470EDDY | |||
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One of Us |
The NRA board is elected by the membership. | |||
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One Of Us |
The NRA board is elected by the membership.[/QUOTE] True, but how is the slate of Directors selected?? There is an Election committee, but I understand there has been significant specific selection of Board members for election influenced by WLP and his wife that make it to the slate presented to members!! The brief Bios that are presented for members to review makes it difficult to make a qualified selection. And the number presented becomes a huge task to do a reasonable job!!...one just gives up!!.... Personally, I believe the Board should be no more than 20 quality, experienced people... leaving out the movie and sports stars, and Generals. Keep it to effective leaders with business and lawmaking experience!! 470EDDY | |||
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One of Us |
+1, although I would not rule out all "celebrities" but leave that up to the vote of the members. Mike Wilderness is my cathedral, and hunting is my prayer. | |||
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One of Us |
In this situation, my suggestion is to gut the entire board and start over. Maybe some of the same people wind up back on it, but starting over would send a good message. Make donors feel like there's a better chance that their money won't be used buy a quarter-million dollars worth of business suits for some self-entitled asshole (that's WLP for anyone who doesn't know that he did that). Basic rule: The people who f&*ked the situation up are never the best people to right the ship. | |||
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Administrator |
Exactly! | |||
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One of Us |
One of the issues is that the governing documents of the NRA must be followed . They can be modified . However, in this case , there will need to be a massive percentage of the voting members to vote for change . I have forgotten the percentage required . It was way over 50%. These governing documents set forth the size of the board and how they are elected . The board is way too big. Some if not most need to go. How this plays out under the governing documents remains to be seen. It certainly sounds like the board is distancing themselves from WLP. | |||
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Administrator |
Why did they not kick him out a long time ago? | |||
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One of Us |
Valid question. | |||
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One of Us |
Since public perception is a large factor in the issues we as hunters and members of the shooting sports face, a carefully chosen celebrity, with broad appeal could be a very good choice. My experience with SCI/ the Executive committee, and this goat rope with WLP had me distance myself from both organizations. I would return in a heartbeat with an attempt at righting the public perception ship. The elitism and cronyism was very off putting Formerly "Nganga" | |||
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One of Us |
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One of Us |
Hard to believe the ACLU is supporting the NRA in this legal case. Simply bizarre.. Vote Trump- Putin’s best friend… To quote a former AND CURRENT Trumpiteer - DUMP TRUMP | |||
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Administrator |
Like everything political, it does not have to make sense. Just serves a purpose! | |||
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One of Us |
Why? It’s simply a case of civil liberties that applies to everyone. Roger ___________________________ I'm a trophy hunter - until something better comes along. *we band of 45-70ers* | |||
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One of Us |
I agree | |||
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one of us |
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/u...details-l-rcna135842 NRA head Wayne LaPierre, testifying at corruption trial, confirms details of lavish lifestyle In testimony Friday morning, the longtime chief of the gun rights organization confirmed that he used the group’s resources on private planes, family trips and gifts for friends. Jan. 26, 2024, 1:01 PM CST By Daniel Arkin and Melissa Chan Wayne LaPierre, the National Rifle Association’s longtime leader, confirmed under oath in a New York City courtroom Friday that he used the organization’s financial resources on chartered private jets, family trips, black car services and high-end gifts for friends. LaPierre, 74, other NRA leaders and the organization itself are fending off a lawsuit brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James in 2020 that alleges they violated nonprofit laws and redirected millions of dollars of NRA funds for personal use. He took the stand Friday morning for the first time, answering most questions with a simple “yes” or “no.” Citing health issues, he has previously said that he intends to resign at the end of the month from the gun rights group, which he has led for more than 30 years as its executive vice president. LaPierre testified that he had no knowledge of the large sums the NRA was spending on chartered private planes and black car services, though he did not dispute the dollar figures when presented with invoices and receipts. He confirmed under oath that NRA funds were used to bankroll a flight from the Bahamas to Washington, D.C., in 2017 that cost more than $22,000, for example. He conceded that NRA rules mandate that employees fly coach. He testified that, on occasion, family members would fly on private planes when he was not present. He authorized a $11,000 flight taken by his niece Colleen Sterner, an NRA employee, and her daughter, for instance. He testified that he and his family often traveled on a luxury yacht, known as Illusions, owned by David McKenzie, the head of a television production company that had a contract with the NRA. McKenzie and his wife hosted the LaPierres for vacations in the Bahamas and joined them for trips to India and Abu Dhabi. LaPierre acknowledged that the NRA board did not approve these trips, and he confirmed that various financial disclosure forms he filled out in 2017 and 2018 did not detail his financial entanglements with a “non-NRA entity.” McKenzie’s company, Associated Television International, produced a program called “Crime Strike,” which LaPierre once hosted. LaPierre was asked whether he knew that the NRA paid Associated Television “millions” for its services. He replied that he did not know the exact figure. Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Conley showed jurors copies of reimbursement requests for gifts that LaPierre purchased for friends and associates over the years, including $830 candlesticks from Bergdorf Goodman for the McKenzies’ daughter. Conley showed that LePierre had also submitted reimbursement forms for gifts from Neiman Marcus, Christmas tips for landscapers at his house, membership dues for a golf club in Washington and hotel rooms for Sterner, including a 2017 stay at the Beverly Hills Hotel that cost more than $6,000. In the morning session Friday, LaPierre — brow furrowed and tone even — rarely elaborated on his answers beyond “yes” or “no.” He appeared most animated when answering questions about why he decided to open bankruptcy proceedings for the NRA, insisting that he did not do so to avoid regulatory scrutiny from New York state. “I filed for bankruptcy to protect the NRA from dissolution and seizure of its assets by the attorney general, and to put NRA in a sound position for the future in a state where we would have a fair regulatory playing field, which was Texas,” he said. The other defendants, including the NRA itself, are accused of violating nonprofit laws and internal policies as they enriched themselves, the suit says, contributing to the gun rights group's loss of more than $64 million in three years. They are Wilson “Woody” Phillips, a former NRA treasurer and chief financial officer, and John Frazer, the corporate secretary and general counsel. If the jurors find LaPierre, Phillips or Frazer liable, they will recommend the amount of money that each would have to repay the NRA. State Supreme Court Judge Joel Cohen, who has the final say over monetary damages and remedies, could determine whether the defendants should be permanently barred from serving on the board of any charity in New York and whether an independent monitor should oversee the NRA’s finances. Kathi kathi@wildtravel.net 708-425-3552 "The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page." | |||
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One of Us |
Simply disgusting. $64 million siphoned off in just 3 years. Vote Trump- Putin’s best friend… To quote a former AND CURRENT Trumpiteer - DUMP TRUMP | |||
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One of Us |
It is welcome and logical, but surprising, that the ACLU is on the right side of this lawsuit. They have historically been complete hypocrites concerning our constitutional right, as American citizens, to keep and bear arms. This right is, of course, enshrined in the second amendment to the US constitution. The old joke asking "How does the ACLU count to ten?" has been sadly funny for many, many years, and generally still is. The punchline is: "One . . . three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten." Mike Wilderness is my cathedral, and hunting is my prayer. | |||
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One of Us |
Not sure that means they squandered $64 million . They lost $64 million . They lost a bunch of money in Trump’s election. Not saying all of this spending is okay . It isn’t. | |||
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One of Us |
Agreed. Not all of that $64M was wasted. But, just as an example, and there are many more, LaPierre spent nearly a quarter of a million dollars of NRA members' money on his luxury wardrobe. He was shamed/forced into paying that money back toward the end of last year. For many years, he was an effective advocate, but he lost his moral compass along the way. At the end, he became a leech on the organization. It should not have come to this, but I say, good riddance. Mike Wilderness is my cathedral, and hunting is my prayer. | |||
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One of Us |
It all sounds pretty bad. Interestingly, Wayne Sheets seems to never be mentioned. He was very high up. | |||
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One Of Us |
This is just disgusting and deplorable!! Shame on All of the Senior NRA OFFICERS and Board in allowing this to happen!! And what about the $4million said to be owed to Tony Makris for "UNDER WILD SKIES" the NRA TV Series?? This doesn't mention the Officers/Board selling out the IRREPLACEABLE NRA FIREARMS MUSEUM COLLECTION, and now the Museum Building to pay legal fees, probably now exceeding some $200 Million!! MAKES ME SICK!!... I used to be a PROUD to be a LIFE BENEFACTOR member... and sent at least $1000 a year for 30 years!!...NO LONGER!! I admired the job WLP did in his early years, with CHRIS COX head of NRA Institute for Legislstive Action. "THE 900LB GORILLA!!" What is it they say about POWER CORRUPTS?? POWER TENDS TO CORRUPT; ABSOLUTE POWER CORRUPTS ABSOLUTELY!! LORD ACTON Well if SOCTUS hears the cases against NY Officials who threatened NRA Banks and Insurance vendors that they would be severely compromised if they serviced NRA, which caused severe damage to NRA, maybe damages will restore some of these huge thefts, and abuses, legal fees?? If Trump and Guilani legal damages are any measure.... $$4-500 million isn't out of reason...against huge banks and insurance companies, vs INDIVIDUALS!! The purpotrators won't cough up the funds!! They are GONE!!SQUANDERED BRAZENLY!! They should be charged, and forced to pay, and liquidate all assets!! NOTHING WILL RESTORE THE TRUST AND INTEGRITY MEMBERS HAD, AND LEGISLATORS FEARED!! 470EDDY | |||
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One Of Us |
BREAKING NEWS- NRA MUSEUM SAFE!! Apparently, all of the rumors of the Spectacular NRA Firearms Museum being sold off IS BOGUS!! It is the work of the alternate Curator leaving the Museum and taking his 150 firearms upon departure, leaving some holes in the displays... he has proceeded in defaming the NRA by spreading the rumors that the WHOLE FIREARMS COLLECTION WAS SOLD OFF, AND THE BUILDIING NEXT!! A Great Friend celebrating his 59th Birthday this evening at the Big Beinfeld/Morphy winter Las Vegas Gunshow, had dinner with Gary James, Guns and Ammo writer, and the NRA Museum Curator/Director, Phil Shreier. Both confirmed the complete collection is safe and protected under a SEPARATE 501c3 Corporation and entity!! ALL OF THE RUMORS ARE BOGUS AND INTENDED TO FURTHER DISPARAGE NRA!! WHAT GREAT NEWS!! 470EDDY | |||
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One Of Us |
POSTED ON THE WRONG THREAD- Here is a direct cut and past article from OUTDOOR WIRE NEWSLETTER regarding the NRA Lawsuit progress- "One of the topics that dominated every conversation -at least the ones I heard- was far away from the miles of aisles here in Las Vegas. Many of the industry eyes are still focused on the New York Supreme Courthouse in lower Manhattan where the case of the State of New York versus the National Rifle Association continues. Last Thursday, former heir-apparent to Wayne LaPierre, Chris Cox told the jurors he ultimately had no choice but to leave the organization after he became aware of the disgusting financial abuses of LaPierre. Those abuses, Cox said, extended to the NRA Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) which he headed. Cox told the courtroom that when he asked to see the expenses LaPierre was running through the NRA-ILA, he wasn't just denied, he was told Nobody sees those. Despite the growing litany of financial question marks, from the payments and a toxic relationship with service supplier Ackerman McQueen, Cox claimed the final straw that led to his leaving in 2019 was learning about the $250,000 in luxury clothing LaPierre had billed to the NRA. I was floored, as Cox told jurors, I was extremely disgusted. To the point, he said, he drafted a resignation letter that morning. But before he could leave on his own, he was placed on administrative leave, accused of attempting to a coup against LaPierre. Cox told the court he was so pissed off by the accusation, primarily because I never had any intention of running against Wayne LaPierre. It was absurd. Surprise, it seems, isn't in short supply in this trial. Friday afternoon, word of a filing by the LaPierre defense team that claims, among other things, that LaPierre's medical condition has caused a significant deterioration of the physical size of his brain, mental fogginess, severe headaches, fatigue and eye pain that will likely impact his abilities to testify for extended periods each day. In response, LaPierre's defense counsel has asked the trial judge for a reasonable accommodation allowing LaPierre flexibility in testifying. He is -or was- expected to begin what was originally anticipated to be lengthy testimony later this week. A letter from LaPierre's physician to the NRA's Charles Cotton on January 3 was introduced in the motion. In that letter, the doctor says Mr. LaPierre's health has been slowly deteriorating these last few years. In August 2022, he had worsening headaches, and a CT Head was done, with demonstrated significant cerebral volume loss and chronic small vessel ischemic changes. Those, Dr. Pappas concluded, lead to significant pain and discomfort. All this leads to couple of simple questions. First, how is it possible for this trial to continue for the original six weeks anticipated? There's not a lot of defense being mounted at this point, and virtually all testimony has affirmed, not refuted, the alleged pattern of bad conduct by senior officials. Which leads to a more focused question: is the LaPierre defense tossing a Hail Mary with the failing health disclosure? What looked like an advanced accounting course for not-for-profits when it opened, this case is looking more like the final episodes of a soap opera by the day. Whatever, we'll keep you posted- even if it's from a distance." Jim Shepherd You may subscribe to this great newsletter at OUTDOOR WIRE DIGITAL EDITION 470EDDY | |||
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One Of Us |
POSTED ON THE WRONG THREAD- Here are comments from the person who sent me the OUTDOOR WIRE NEWSLETTER article: "We must make sure that any sitting board member is removed, especially Cotton and Coy, but there are many unnamed that are just as big of a threat. The next thing will be to file a lawsuit against the CPA firms that did the outside audits - they allowed bills to be paid without any documentation - simply submit a bill for $100k for "services" and get paid. That is malpractice." Well, maybe this is a track for Attorney George Douglas who was filing an early law suit to stop the nonsense?? I contributed to it. It didn't get any traction!! This is going to get really ugly, and the NRA Firearms Collection has already been sold to pay legal fees, the building is up for sale too!! Sad story!! Where is the 900lb Gorilla when we need them??!! 470EDDY 470EDDY | |||
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One Of Us |
Here is a cut and paste from "OUTDOOR WIRE" industry newsletter after SHOT SHOW: FEATURE Distrust to Disgust SHOT Show 2024 saw a uniquely large gathering of CEOs and other senior industry leaders. The occasion? The joint 75th birthday celebration of Hornady and Ruger. It was a large party, with live music, a sit-down dinner for 400-plus guests, giveaways, and, very few speeches. It was an occasion, as society writers used to write, where a good time was had by all. Even as the a good time was being had, there was more than a small bit of discussion regarding the state of another, older organization: the National Rifle Association. As usual, no one was going on the record about the NRA's current state. That's just as well, many of the comments would have been unprintable. With one possible exception, resplendent in his canary yellow NRA million-buck contributors jacket, no one seemed happy about the NRAs current state of affairs. The comment of the evening came from the CEO who spotted that yellow jacket and quipped he's probably drinking Budweiser, too. For nearly three years, many of these CEOs have quietly protested the corruption among the NRAs senior leadership by closing their corporate wallets. Dollars that once flowed into NRA coffers have been placed in escrow, waiting for the NRA to clean up its house. As the proceedings in the New York City courtroom have demonstrated, any organizational cleanup is a long way from complete. Yesterday, Wayne LaPierre continued his testimony regarding his spending on travel, clothing and contracts with associates. During his testimony yesterday, LaPierre told NRA lawyer Sarah Rogers he felt the attorney general should have praised the NRA for it's â course correction - reforms to improve accounting practices in 2018, two years before the AG sued the organization for violating New York State law governing nonprofits. Instead, LaPierre finds himself essentially the primary witness -for the prosecution- in the corruption case. Later in yesterday's testimony, he admitted he failed to do fulfill his duties by not disclosing transportation he authorized for family and friends. But, there is -finally- light at the end of the tunnel. Effective tomorrow, January 31, 2024, Wayne LaPierre will no longer be the Executive Vice President of the National Rifle Association. Despite a dislike of Letitia James and her undisguised hatred of the NRA, she has done - using the rule of law - what the membership was unwilling OR UNABLE to do for years: remove the executive who, by his own testimony, was for years using the organization as a personal piggy bank. Although LaPierre's attorneys say his resignation was health-related, there's little doubt that the trial less than 72 hours before the resignation was weighing -heavily- on LaPierre. Work stressors were cited as a factor in his decision to announce he would be stepping down. For years, reformers daring to defy the cabal that controlled the NRA have been punished. That became obvious in 2019, after reformers in Indianapolis offered LaPierre the opportunity to resign. Instead, he and his supporters punished every dissident. Since then, corporations have closed their wallets and quietly delivered the message that the NRA needed to clean itself up. Instead, more than a hundred million dollars of membership funds have been spent to defend indefensible abuses of trust and duty. Abuses that have been admitted to in court. Not liking truth doesn't make it any less true. NRA members must acknowledge, then move beyond the fact that LaPierre and his cohorts have effectively bankrupted the organization. Instead of dwelling on things the membership allowed to happen (denying is enabling) because they didn't like the people delivering the news, they must decide if they want their organization to be around in the future. Survival will require significant change. If the NRAs house isn't put in order after this trial, future judicial proceedings are all but certain. Should that happen, future judges won't find petitions to dissolve the organization to be a bridge too far. The pattern of misconduct would be undeniable. Allowing it to continue would be inexcusable. In the current trials opening arguments, defense counsel created an organizational chart that showed the membership changes on the NRA board during the LaPierre tenure. It was effective at showing how the members have changed over the years. That helped reduce the pro LaPierre BoD argument. But the chart didn't show how pro LaPierre members had been elevated to senior positions. Ranked by power positions on the board you could see their ability to control (rubber-stamp) all the spending, monitoring and reporting of the organization. In a board with too-many members, placing the most ardent supporters into the most influential slots meant the pillage was on. Several of those board members profited, too. This trial has shown their continued mendacity to cover their misdeeds. The duplicity shown by the defendants, some board members and senior staffers is almost beyond belief. Breach of trust and duty isn't debatable; it's admitted by their testimonies. For three years, we've avoided speculation regarding the NRAs problems. We've often been criticized for ignoring the story. We weren't ignoring it we were waiting to see facts, not assertions. After more than half a century covering courthouses, I know nothing is ever accurately -or fairly - decided in the court of public opinion. Only when right hands are raised, oaths are sworn, and the potential for punishment is present does shading stop and truth dominate. The outcome of this trial is still to be decided - by the jury. Administration of justice- if the verdicts go against the defendants- will come via Judge Joel Cohen. But whatever the verdicts, they are not where the righting of past wrongs end; they're only where they can finally begin. Should the National Rifle Association members and supporters not demand effective, honest and transparent leadership moving forward, it only a matter of time before the organization will be disbanded by its opponents. They will have the law on their side. None of us want that. The NRA is still needed. Jim Shepherd The reference to the Yellow Coat is, of course, BIG Donor, from every purchase you make from MIDWAY USA, CEO Larry Potterfield. WHAT A TRAVESTY!! 470EDDY | |||
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One of Us |
Good article Spot on with changes to the board. I know that I have voted at election time for new board members who were not on the approved list. I always thought that the NRA board should be 20 or less members. >>>>>>>>>>>>>> "You've got the strongest hand in the world. That's right. Your hand. The hand that marks the ballot. The hand that pulls the voting lever. Use it, will you" John Wayne | |||
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One Of Us |
EXACTLY BWANA!! And freely nominated properly, not hand selected by WLP!! I actually think it is time for a PILE ON, Class Action Law Suit by members for damages caused by Officers and Board, on NRA and individuals personally!!... E&O Insurance and personal assets and insurance. I hope George Douglas is reading this!! 470EDDY | |||
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One of Us |
I agree with Larry. The size of the board is way too large. It is hard to point to accountability when there are so many. It also slows things down as there are too many personal interests involved when voting on any particular topic. As for LaPiere , I think he should be prosecuted he is simply a greedy thief and has stabbed the people he was WORKING FOR in the back. | |||
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