Faq
No Secrets Here
Below are some of the most common questions people ask about Save the Second. If you have a question that isn’t answered here, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
No. Most of us are life members, serial donors, former or current employees, or certified instructors for the NRA. We support its mission and purpose as stated in the NRA bylaws. But we are disturbed by the recent scandals and controversies that continue to weaken the NRA’s standing in the public sphere. We want to help the NRA overcome these plagues and emerge even stronger.
No. We are funded by private donations, mostly from fellow NRA members.
We have a small board of volunteers who take the lead on our Five Goals. We are also supported by a few volunteer staff members.
We believe the NRA is (or should be) much bigger than any one person. Save the Second is not calling for the specific ouster of any individual person. Instead, we hope to empower the membership to get more involved, be better informed, and take proactive steps to ensure that the NRA leadership reflects their preferences and values. We also encourage the members to maintain high standards for the directors and officers and to hold them accountable when their behavior undermines the NRA’s purpose and goals.
We absolutely believe the NRA should support competitive shooting. When we advocate for a strict 2A focus, we mean the NRA should focus on causes, issues, and activities that involve guns, the right to keep and bear arms, and the underlying, preexisting, universal human dignities that the Second Amendment was codified to protect (i.e., the right to self preservation). This includes not just owning guns and accessories, but also gun-related education and training, safety programs, crime prevention programs, collecting, hunting, competitive shooting, recreational shooting, defensive shooting and carrying, etc.
This also includes political advocacy. We support the NRA’s political efforts — but only insofar as that advocacy is aimed at preserving the right to keep and bear arms for any lawful purpose. We do not want the NRA to bog itself down with other controversial issues like abortion and immigration, which have little or no connection to the Second Amendment. We commend the NRA and the ILA for their progress in the legislative and judicial arenas, and we hope those successes will continue with renewed focus on firearms policy.
No, it would not. We think the NRA could be a perfect organization for vetting election candidates with respect to their record on the Second Amendment and our freedom to keep and bear arms. However, we do not believe the NRA should blindly endorse or blindly condemn any political candidate (or any group) based solely on party affiliation or general ideology. If the NRA publishes an official opinion about a candidate, we think that opinion should be based on the candidate’s stance on guns, and nothing more.
As noted in response to the previous question, when we advocate for a strict 2A focus, we mean the NRA should focus on causes, issues, and activities that involve guns, the right to keep and bear arms, and the underlying, preexisting, universal human dignities that the Second Amendment was codified to protect (i.e., the right to self preservation). This includes not just owning guns and accessories, but also gun-related education and training, safety programs, crime prevention programs, collecting, hunting, competitive shooting, recreational shooting, defensive shooting and carrying, etc.
This also includes political advocacy. We support the NRA’s political efforts — but only insofar as that advocacy is aimed at preserving the right to keep and bear arms for any lawful purpose. We do not want the NRA to bog itself down with other controversial issues like abortion and immigration, which have little or no connection to the Second Amendment. We commend the NRA and the ILA for their progress in the legislative and judicial arenas, and we hope those successes will continue with renewed focus on firearms policy.
No, we are organized as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit, commonly known as a social welfare organization.
Here’s what the IRS says about donations to a 501(c)(4) organization like Save the Second:
Contributions to civic leagues or other section 501(c)(4) organizations generally are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. They may be deductible as trade or business expenses, if ordinary and necessary in the conduct of the taxpayer’s business. However, see Nondeductible Lobbying and Political Expenditures for more information. Also, the organization may be required to disclose that contributions are not deductible when it solicits contributions.
Donations to Save The Second are NOT tax deductible.
To be eligible to vote, you must be either (1) a life member or (2) an annual member for at least the last five consecutive years.
Any level life member is eligible (regular, Patron, Endowment, or Benefactor). If you’re on the Easy Pay plan for your life membership, your plan must be paid off in full before you can vote. For annual members, your membership must have been continuously active for the last five years, with no lapses.
Unfortunately, the NRA membership has a dismal record of voter turnout. If you’re eligible to vote, please do so! One of our five goals is member engagement. To that end, Save the Second will be spearheading efforts to get out the vote and help members make more informed decisions when voting.
Any NRA member who is eligible to vote can sign the petitions. To be eligible to vote, you must be either (1) a life member or (2) an annual member for at least the last five consecutive years.
Any level life member is eligible (regular, Patron, Endowment, or Benefactor). If you’re on the Easy Pay plan for your life membership, your plan must be paid off in full. For annual members, your membership must have been active for the last five years, with no lapse.
We are in the process of consulting with colleagues, peers, advisors, and stakeholders about the best way to frame these petitions to maximize chances of success. As each petition is finalized, we will post it here on our website for supporters to download, sign, and mail back to us. We hope you’ll add your signature to the bunch.
Yes! All you have to do is download and print the petition and the instructions. Each one has space for ten signatures, and you can print several copies to collect as many signatures as you like. Please be sure to follow the instructions precisely, or the signatures might not be counted. If you have any questions about collecting signatures, please contact us. Thanks!
It’s easier for us if we get signatures grouped together, but you can certainly send in more. So, for example, if you collect ten signatures and want to send those in, please go ahead and send them. But if you then later manage to collect a few more signatures, by all means, please send those in too. We’ll assemble all the signatures we receive and submit them to the Board in one package. Please visit our Petitions page to download the materials. Thanks in advance!