Wayne LaPierre, the longtime leader of the National Rifle Association, announced his resignation as chief executive on Friday, days before a corruption trial involving the gun rights group begins in a Manhattan courtroom.
“With pride in all that we have accomplished, I am announcing my resignation from the NRA," LaPierre said in a statement released by the NRA.
According to the NRA, the 74-year-old LaPierre cited health reasons for his decision to step down. He has served as the NRA’s chief executive since 1991.
“I’ve been a card-carrying member of this organization for most of my adult life, and I will never stop supporting the NRA and its fight to defend Second Amendment freedom. My passion for our cause burns as deeply as ever.”
New York Attorney General Letitia James sued the NRA in August 2020, saying it diverted millions of dollars to fund luxuries for top officials, including travel expenses for LaPierre to several resorts.
He did this shit before. He stepped down as leader, let Charlton Heston run the place as a PR stunt, then came back when the heat was off. When it’s safe for the soulless piece of garbage to come back, he’ll return.
What’s the over-under on the NRA going back to it’s original mission promoting gun safety and sport shooting?
For that to happen, rationale people would have to start paying the NRA so they’re eligible to vote on its leadership.
That’s why stuff like this only tends to go one way.
Extremists have no qualms joining a normal organization and making it extremist.
But normal people who join extremist organizations, are just funding extremists.
It would need a coordinated movement where a shit ton all join right before an election, then immediately cancel memberships if they lose. And it would still end up giving them a lot of money.
At which point current NRA would just rename themselves and keep doing the same shit as a different group
NRA’s dead, no coming back. There are plenty of gun rights groups that aren’t full whacko.
LOL, here’s one just for lemmy!
Haha yes everyone there is normal and not a whacko
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NRA safety instructors have continued to be a thing as many states require a class be taken by an instructor with an approved certification to get a hunting or carry license. The NRA cert for being an instructor is still the largest most recognized one, even if it’s not the highest standard.
I think realistically we can expect somewhat of a collapse in the NRA. Or at least the branch dedicated to litigation as other groups have stepped up in the past few years as a result of the corruption of the NRA.
It’d be nice if they expanded back into the educational aspect but I don’t think they’ll be doing much expanding any time soon.
Oh to dream!
No bookmaker would offer odds on that, it’s a completely one sided bet.
Why now? Why not 20 years ago?
LaPierre, 74, who has served as chief executive since 1991, steps down just before a corruption trial brought against the NRA by New York Attorney General Letitia James was set to begin on Monday.
No one had called him on his corruption before. Why give up a good thing?
Progun people have argued for years that Wayne was siphoning funds for his own gain and that the board (which is supposed to reflect its members) was cooking the vote process so that Wayne would remain in charge. Real firearms activists tried to get seats on the board and were shut out in favor of cronies. Reference the saga of trying to get Adam Kraut on the board, from several years ago.
The NRA has been reduced to a sacrificial distraction dummy for years. While antigunners have directed their ire at NRA, there are much better groups such as GoA, FPC, and SAF quietly doing the real work to restore and protect our rights.
This guy has lots of blood on his hands.
Let’s all fire our guns into the air to celebrate!
I’ve helped ensure that our ravenous base is completely unable to think about gun-related legislation with any nuance or thought. I’ve done a great job at keeping this country as a threat to children. I’m going to go relax now.
