Shall Not Be Questioned – Page 935 – The right of the citizens to bear arms in defense of themselves and the State …

Smart Marketing

I’ve been critical of NRA’s marketing before, but I’ve also offered suggestions. Today, it’s time for another suggestion.

We all know that periodically NRA offers discounted life memberships and life member upgrades. However, the portion of the membership to receive the offers often seems quite random. I’m sure there’s some equation they do to come up with their lists, but, regardless, not every one gets the offer. In addition, when some do get the offer, they just don’t see the benefit over annual membership. The discount is great if you actually plan on buying a life membership anyway. For those who never thought about it, the conversion rate is going to be greatly reduced.

So, how do you market to a) people who are more likely to take advantage of the buy-in, b) people who could find a “use” in being a life member, and c) get other NRA to do your pressure sales for you?

Taking a look at Sebastian’s gun club newsletter this morning, I see that roughly 10% of their club members have expiring NRA memberships coming due in the next few months. Since the club is a 100% club, there’s a vested interest by the members in keeping up their NRA memberships. Since the club checks everyone’s NRA membership, there’s a vested interest in leaders to minimize work. Haha, we’ve now found a group that meets all three needs above.

So for those of you in Fairfax reading, perhaps it’s time to update the Clubs & Associations databases, plead with membership to open their minds to new ideas, and offer clubs who recruit life members at discounted prices the chance to minimize their own paperwork. Frame it in terms of incentives. Crazy enough, it works as a pitch to most people. In fact, make the minimization of paperwork a theme and offer to create a special co-branded flyer for the clubs to send to their members either via email or snail mail. Bringing on even one new life member, even at a discounted rate, would more than cover the costs.

Now, if we really want to get crazy and look at the incentives for NRA to take a chance with a new marketing idea, they could look at doing this now so that they have more people on their lists for the 2010 elections. I know, it’s nuts!

Oh yeah, and I’ll use this post to put in a pitch that NRA should offer the life member discount their give to their own staff to the staff members of official state associations. They usually make far less than those in Fairfax do, have far fewer benefits (if any), and don’t get much in return. It would the decent thing to do to recognize the contributions those folks (however few right now) make to the cause.

Corzine Signs Bill Weakening His One-Gun-A-Month Election Scheme

When John Corzine thought that pushing gun control was the key to his re-election bid, there was nothing more important that the legislature could possibly do. Without fanfare, he signed the measure that makes the law slightly less of an abuse on the law abiding gun owners of New Jersey. I guess the theatrics don’t matter to him anymore now that he’s politically irrelevant.

We are the NRA

It would seem that someone in Tennessee finally figured out something important about the culture of the Second Amendment:

Legislators are often scorned for being afraid of the National Rifle Association and passing gun bills, quaking in fear of the special interest group. Most Tennessee legislators are not afraid of the NRA, they are the NRA. Most rural Democrats and most of the Republicans have been members of the NRA for decades. They feel exactly like the NRA lobbyists on most gun issues.

It’s amazing that it took this long for them to notice. How many candidates use their membership in stump speeches and materials? It’s fairly common and yet the press just now noticed? Observant ones, they are.

The easiest lobbying job in Nashville is the gun lobby. The only controversy on gun issues is an argument over who gets to sponsor which gun bill.

Somehow I doubt that. If it was really that easy, there would never be debate.

It is also argued that the last session of the Legislature was only about guns and gun bills. The last session of the Legislature passed more bills than any other in modern history. The gun bills got coverage, as they should have, but it doesnâ€™t mean the regular work of the General Assembly did not proceed as usual. There are always one or two big issues that suck up the coverage and the vast majority of legislation passes unnoticed. Thatâ€™s how we get blindsided with bills like the workmanâ€™s comp bill, which turned out to be such a disaster it will have to be dealt with in a special session.

This is not the fault of the people who cover the Legislature. They get limited minutes and inches to report on the doings of the day, and gun bills are going to get more play than workmanâ€™s comp.

You mean the press purposely sensationalizes coverage and ignores major legislative concerns? Shocking, I tell you.

Yes, it is true that it’s not actually the fault of people who cover legislative news that Tennessee’s lawmakers screwed something up. However, perhaps if those covering the legislature were more interested in the overall work of the legislature instead of only the sensational stories, more of these problems would be caught. There is no excuse for poor work on the matter, especially when the coverage of gun-related bills is often terrible to begin with.

Phoenix, Not Philly

It would appear that Philadelphia is making a play to grab the 2012 Democratic National Convention. Â Phoenix is also submitting a bid, though they will also try to get the Republican National Convention.

Here’s hoping that the Democrats find the desert air refreshing enough to choose Phoenix. Â It comes with our endorsement as a great convention city. Â If Phoenix wins, it means that I won’t have to go on vacation to avoid the added stench of dirty hippie blended with corruption.

Legitimately Unsure

If you’ve taken enough new shooters to the range, you’ll run across one who becomes less frightened/disturbed/bothered by firearms, but they still don’t quite get why people enjoy shooting. Â It’s not that they have a bad time, they just don’t get as into it, and they are legitimately curious about people who do enjoy it. Â What do you tell those people when they ask why you are a gun owner and shooter?

One LA Times columnist wants to know before she writes her next column.

Netflix + Wii = Goodbye Comcast

So now that it’s finally official, I think Comcast can expect our cancellation shortly after this goes live. Or sooner. Mix it in with a bundle that Verizon is willing to offer so that we get discounts on the phone & basic tv service, and there’s absolutely no justification for Comcast’s high prices.

Since my last Netflix-related post was unexpectedly popular, here are more topics for discussion:

The Warner Bros. Compromise: Good or Bad?
Wii Streaming: Will you use it if you don’t already stream through another method?
Lost: Ana Lucia’s Finally Dead to Me! Yay!

My own answers will start the comments.

Light Reading: Analysis of The Stevens Dissent

Dave Hardy has a law review article out examining the Stevens Dissent in DC v. Heller, here’s the intro:

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA V. HELLER ESTABLISHED THAT THE Second Amendmentâ€™s right to arms existed as an individual right, with no requirement that the rights-holder be functioningÂ as part of a well-regulated militia. While the majority opinion has been subjected to extensive review and commentary, the Steven dissent, joined by four members of the Court, has not. The dissent came within one vote of becoming the majority; it clearly merits close examination.

Had the dissent become law, the Court would have informed the American people, seventy percent of whom believed they had an individual right to arms, that their rights-consciousness was sadly mistaken. If done on the basis of sound research and reasoning, this would involve no more than the Court performing its duty. An examination of the dissent suggests, however, that the Court would have been taking this position based upon surprisingly thin reasoning and evidence.

Footnotes removed for purposes of quoting. I joke when I say light reading. It’s very in depth. I won’t have time to read it all until later, but it looks good.

Upgraded

Snowflakes in Hell just got an Internet upgrade. It’s been about four years since I signed up for FiOS Internet, and my connection was 15 megabits down and 2 megabits up. I noticed when I posted pics of my Webley Mark IV, it was getting pretty pokey when enough folks were downloading. I also noticed Verizon didn’t even sell my package anymore, so I quickly realized I might be able to get an upgrade without paying anything. Typically you have to ask, as Verizon will be happy to sell you slow service for yesterday’s price.

Calls to Verizon are aways rough, because I have an unusual account. When you call, they ask for a telephone number to cross reference account info. I have Verizon FiOS for Small Business, because I need a static IP so you all know where to find me. My phone number is a standard residential POTS line. Invariably they ask for your phone number to determine your account, which always sends me to residential service, who quickly realize they only have a phone account for me, and transfer me to business support, who then look at my phone number and say “Oh, this is residential service, let me transfer you back.” Â A back and forth twice, finally being able to say “No, no.. it’s a residential phone line, but I do have a Small Business FiOS account!” Finally I get to talk to someone, but someone who ends up being very nice and helpful.

Turns out I can upgrade to 20 megabits down and 5 up for the same price, but for ten dollars more a month I can do a whopping 25 megabits down and 15 up. Hell yeah, I’ll take that. Apparently I can also save money bundling my phone and TV service with my Small Business Account, which I couldn’t do before. I’m going to look into doing that. To make a long story short, Snowflakes in Hell now has over 7 times the upload bandwidth it used to, and I’m hardly paying any extra for it.

Never Here

What two brothers are going to in order to get their permits approved for getting pistols before a ban goes into effect in Ireland. Â Doesn’t look good. How would you like to find yourself having to do this?

â€œ[IPSC’s] not in the Olympic arena?â€ the Inspector asked. â€œNo,â€ the applicant replied.

â€œIâ€™d like to say that the Superintendent might have had concerns at the level of security but that wasnâ€™t being mentioned to us at any point,â€ he said.

His brother took to the stand and described a Glock pistol as a semi-automatic 9mm firearm which is used in competition.

He said the gun is â€œpopular because it is reliable and cheapâ€. â€œIs it fair to say it is easy to conceal?â€ Inspector Ruane asked. â€œIf you were wearing a trenchcoat it would be easy to conceal any gun.â€

The Inspector told him he was engaging in semantics and put it to the applicant that a Glock pistol is â€œthe weapon of choice to criminals in this jurisdiction.â€

The applicant said he was entitled to a licence under that legislation in place in October, 2008. â€œYou were entitled to be considered for the licensing of a firearmâ€ Inspector Ruane clarified. The applicant agreed.

Yes, before a judge, being treated as if you might be a common criminal, just because you want a Glock to do IPSC competition. You might hide it under your trenchcoat, you know. It’s the “weapon of choice” for criminals. Where have we heard that before? Never here.

Gun Owners in Massachusetts Reminded to Show Up

It would appear that NRA is subtlety jumping into the Massachusetts Senate race based on their current PVF front page. (I’d screen shot it, but it’s been changing as I even link it.)

They don’t list an official endorsement, but they do remind gun owners that Sen. Scott Brown has an A rating and Atty. Gen. Martha Coakley has a solid F rating. They also put a shot of Sen. Brown up just as a friendly welcome to the page. Brown has previously been endorsed by NRA & the state affiliate in Massachusetts.

Rasmussen has Coakley up by only 2 points in the latest poll. In her desperation, she flew down to DC last night to beg lobbyists for more money. According to sources at the event, the Democrats are saying in close circles that if Scott Brown wins, health care stands a very real chance of dying where it is. Cap and trade will be more toast than it appears to be now, along with several other Democratic bills that they would try and pull out during the election year to pull their base out to the polls. In fact, Coakley herself was trying to scare fellow Democrats by saying that if she loses, no Democrat is safe in November. As Geraghty points out, the fact that she’s not safe in Massachusetts is a sign that few Democrats are really safe in 2010.

I’m kind of surprised that NRA is doing anything public for this race, even if it is just an infographic on their PVF site. Statewide, being pro-gun doesn’t help. Being anti-gun doesn’t help either. It’s just better to leave guns off the table for a large percentage of voters in Massachusetts. BUT, a robocall this weekend reminding members to vote for Scott Brown would be nice. A little GOTV effort is always useful at the last second.

UPDATE: Yeah, think this was a worthless reminder? How about this: Don’t be Virginia. There is no done deal for Republicans, conservatives, or pro-gun politicians in 2010.