John C Donahue.com

So, as of June 4, 2009 at 3:45 pm, I am a “card-carrying” member of the National Rifle Association.  I am very excited, and a little nervous about having this membership.  I am excited because I fully believe that we need to retain our rights to own/keep/use firearms.  I also believe that there is, and has been, a very conscientious effort by many politicians, for many years, to legislate that right into oblivion.

I am also a little nervous because some of you will say that I am a “right-wing” extremists, a gun-carrying, militia supporting, pro-war, Christian zealot…  Some will say that I am anti-Obama, a racist, too hard on crime, un-supportive of the presidency…

So, I would like to tell you why I joined the NRA.

• I love my country. And I never want to allow the government to forget that the United States is a nation “Of the People, By the People, and For the People.”  Don’t get me wrong, I think that the Government has it’s place, but all too often, the leaders of this country forget that they only wield power that is GIVEN to them.  The NRA helps the legislators to remember why they are there: to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.
• I want to protect myself and my family. I live in a state (Florida) that is known for for its high crime statistics.  My truck (yet another NRA stereotype… but it’s a Toyota, take THAT!) has been broken into TWICE, my wife’s car has also been burglarized.  We have a fairly beefy alarm system, and I don’t like Sid to be downtown at night without a weapon.  The NRA helps protect those rights town own handguns.
• I want to support some of my heroes: Law Enforcement. They have arguably one of the THE hardest jobs in America.  They don’t get paid peanuts, and they put their lives on the line EVERY DAY on our behalf.
• I want my voice heard in Washington D.C. The NRA lobbys for less governmental control and more freedom for the American Citizens.  If the American public is not allowed to own firearms, then it won’t be long before we will no longer be a free country.
• I want to be a better American. I want to start standing up for my rights and EARNING my citizenship.  I have to start educating myself and voicing my opinions.  This is one way I know to do that.

George Stephanopoulos said, “Let me make one small vote for the NRA. They’re good citizens. They call their Congressmen. They write. They vote. They contribute. And they get what they want over time.“

I’m not a nut-job, a right-wing extremist, a whacko-conservative, a pro-war zeaolot… I am a man who wants to stand up and represent the BEST of Americans.  I want to make my family proud, to support his country, and live freely in this nation, that I desperately love.  I may not agree 100% with everything that the NRA supports, but that’s the beauty of this country…and it’s that freedom the NRA is working to protect.