[manicminer]

Here is the letter I have written to mail to the Membership Services Department of the National Rifle Association. Any proofreading or rewording suggestions are very welcome. Thanks guys

Dear Membership Director,

On the morning of Tuesday, January 15, 2013 I called your Membership Services Department seeking information on how to cancel my EPL NRA membership and stop the automatic debit of fund from my checking account. The technician I spoke with explained to me that the only way to cancel a membership is to contact you in writing. It is because of this I am writing you today.
I would like to cancel my current EPL membership to the National Rifle Association, have the automatic extended payments toward this lifetime membership stopped, and have my name removed from the membership roster. I request this with great confliction, as I believe deeply in the Second Amendment and all that the NRA does to protect it. Your publications and programs are outstanding and I have had nothing but good things to say about your organization, until recently.
The recent comments made by the Vice President of your organization regarding the Nation’s mentally ill population came as a horrifying shock to me. Not only did he generalize these people as monsters, but he called for the creation of a national database of the mentally ill, presumably to keep these people from lawfully purchasing firearms.
It is my understanding that the purpose of the NRA is to help protect the Second Amendment Rights of all law-abiding citizens of the United States of America. To say that those who suffer from mental illness are no longer entitled to that Right seems to massively contradict your organization’s main goal. The creation of such a database alone would be a violation of doctor-patient confidentiality laws and discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act. I fully agree that the criminally insane should not have access to firearms, but those that are deemed criminally insane are already locked up in state and federal psychiatric facilities and prisons.
You may be wondering why I am so concerned about the rights of the mentally ill citizens of this great nation. Well, the answer would be that I am one. In March 2009, I sought help for some psychological and emotional problems I was suffering with. I was voluntarily admitted to the mental health unit of the hospital connected with the university I was attending at the time. I remained there for seven days, during which I was formally diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I have been in recovery, undergoing psychotherapy, counseling and medicinal therapy to try to lead a “normal” life. One of the first things I did when I made it home from the hospital was to go out to my uncle’s to do some target shooting. I nearly wept when I felt the trigger break on .22 caliber rifle I was practicing with, a sensation I had not felt in many years due to the persistent symptoms of my bipolar disorder. So firearms actually helped in my recovery from mental illness.
Since my diagnosis, I have continued to responsibly and safely use firearms and have lawfully purchased many. I have a very nice collection of firearms started and do not intend to stop purchasing or using firearms at any point in my lifetime. Just because I suffer from a mental illness does not mean that I am dangerous, a threat to anyone’s safety, or a security risk when I am using or in possession of a firearm. I have received firearms safety training throughout my career in the Boy Scouts of America, where I attained the rank of Eagle Scout, through the Pennsylvania Hunter’s Education Program, the National Wild Turkey Federation’s JAKES program, local sportsman’s club’s youth programs and through the knowledge of many experienced family members. I know gun safety and I implement it every single time I pick up a firearm.
I am disgusted that your prestigious organization would go along with the mainstream media in portraying individuals with mental illness as a danger to society. It is sad that even Mr. LaPierre has fallen victim to the way the mainstream media portrays mental illness. His ignorance on the subject shone through clearly is his word usage and placement in the statement that was released in December.
This quote makes me sick to my stomach:
“The truth is that our society is populated by an unknown number of genuine monsters — people so deranged, so evil, so possessed by voices and driven by demons that no sane person can possibly ever comprehend them. They walk among us every day. And does anybody really believe that the next Adam Lanza isn’t planning his attack on a school he’s already identified at this very moment?”
“A dozen more killers? A hundred? More? How can we possibly even guess how many, given our nation’s refusal to create an active national database of the mentally ill?”
This basically lumps all those with mental illness in the same category as the true psychopaths and the criminally insane. The fact is that 1 in 3 Americans will be diagnosed with some kind of mental illness in any given year. However, an overwhelming majority of those suffering with mental illness never seek treatment. The only way this database you call for would work is if an individual sought medical treatment and was reported by a doctor as being a danger to others, or unfit to care for him or her self. That alone destroys any logic behind the idea of such a database. It would be like saying I feel people with French sounding last names are a danger to society, so Mr. LaPierre must be registered in a national database as such an individual. Sounds ridiculous, does it not?
In light of the statements made in this recent press release and my strong feelings on the subjects addressed, I have concluded, that although the National Rifle Association may continue to support and protect the Second Amendment Rights of the citizens of the United States of America as a whole, your organization no longer supports and protects my Second Amendment Rights as an individual, and is, therefore, no longer worthy of my financial support. I would like to make it clear that I am not asking for a refund of the monies I have already contributed toward my EPL membership. My hope is that these funds could go toward research on mental illness, so that Mr. LaPierre has the facts and will not come off sounding as ignorant and offensive as he did in this recent press release.

Regretfully Submitted,

Philip L. Slusser

#160806218

[~Christina]

I agree with it .. Good job !

I hope sending this letter makes you feel good, in reality no one at the NRA will give a damn. Sad but true .

[manicminer]

Originally Posted by morethingswrong

I agree with it .. Good job !

I hope sending this letter makes you feel good, in reality no one at the NRA will give a damn. Sad but true .

I just want the auto debit shut off and the lady said this is the only way to do it. I'd just click a button if I could. I know full well the wont give a ****. Just figured if I had to write them a letter I'd make it a good one. heheh

[~Christina]

I hear ya

[Clinte89]

Well thats good I hope you get your wish.

[usbusi]

good going mm.

(of course the NRA blames everyone but themselves about mass shootings, but that's another issue.)

[~Christina]

Why the hell would the NRA be the reason for mass shootings????

[hamster-bamster]

Originally Posted by manicminer

Here is the letter I have written to mail to the Membership Services Department of the National Rifle Association. Any proofreading or rewording suggestions are very welcome. Thanks guys

Dear Membership Director,

On the morning of Tuesday, January 15, 2013 I called your Membership Services Department seeking information on how to cancel my EPL NRA membership and stop the automatic debit of funds from my checking account. The technician I spoke with explained to me that the only way to cancel the membership is to contact you in writing. It is because of this I am writing you today.
I would like to cancel my current EPL membership in the National Rifle Association, have the automatic extended payments toward this lifetime membership stopped, and have my name removed from the membership roster. I request this with great confliction, as I believe deeply in the Second Amendment and all that the NRA does to protect it. Your publications and programs are outstanding and I have had nothing but good things to say about your organization, until recently.
The recent comments made by the Vice President of your organization regarding the Nation’s mentally ill population came as a horrifying shock to me. Not only did he generalize these people as monsters, but he called for the creation of a national database of the mentally ill, presumably to keep these people from lawfully purchasing firearms.
It is my understanding that the purpose of the NRA is to help protect the Second Amendment Rights of all law-abiding citizens of the United States of America. To say that those who suffer from mental illness are no longer entitled to that Right seems to massively contradict your organization’s main goal. The creation of such a database alone would be a violation of doctor-patient confidentiality laws and discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act. I fully agree that the criminally insane should not have access to firearms, but those that are deemed criminally insane are already locked up in state and federal psychiatric facilities and prisons.
You may be wondering why I am so concerned about the rights of the mentally ill citizens of this great nation. Well, the answer would be that I am one. In March 2009, I sought help for some psychological and emotional problems I was suffering with. I was voluntarily admitted to the mental health unit of the hospital connected with the university I was attending at the time. I remained there for seven days, during which I was formally diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I have been in recovery, undergoing psychotherapy, counseling, and medicinal therapy to try to lead a “normal” life. One of the first things I did when I made it home from the hospital was to go out to my uncle’s to do some target shooting. I nearly wept when I felt the trigger break on .22 caliber rifle I was practicing with, a sensation I had not felt in many years due to the persistent symptoms of my bipolar disorder. So firearms actually helped in my recovery from mental illness.
Since my diagnosis, I have continued to responsibly and safely use firearms and have lawfully purchased many. I have a very nice collection of firearms started and do not intend to stop purchasing or using firearms at any point in my lifetime. Just because I suffer from a mental illness does not mean that I am dangerous, a threat to anyone’s safety, or a security risk when I am using or in possession of a firearm. I have received firearms safety training throughout my career in the Boy Scouts of America, where I attained the rank of Eagle Scout, through the Pennsylvania Hunter’s Education Program, the National Wild Turkey Federation’s JAKES program, local sportsman’s club’s youth programs and through the knowledge of many experienced family members. I know gun safety and I implement it every single time I pick up a firearm.
I am disgusted that your prestigious organization would go along with the mainstream media in portraying individuals with mental illness as a danger to society. It is sad that even Mr. LaPierre has fallen victim to the way the mainstream media portray mental illness. His ignorance on the subject shone through clearly is his word usage and placement in the statement that was released in December.
This quote makes me sick to my stomach:
“The truth is that our society is populated by an unknown number of genuine monsters — people so deranged, so evil, so possessed by voices and driven by demons that no sane person can possibly ever comprehend them. They walk among us every day. And does anybody really believe that the next Adam Lanza isn’t planning his attack on a school he’s already identified at this very moment?”
“A dozen more killers? A hundred? More? How can we possibly even guess how many, given our nation’s refusal to create an active national database of the mentally ill?”
This basically lumps all those with mental illness in the same category as the true psychopaths and the criminally insane. The fact is that 1 in 3 Americans will be diagnosed with some kind of mental illness in any given year. However, an overwhelming majority of those suffering with mental illness never seek treatment. The only way this database you call for would work is if an individual sought medical treatment and was reported by a doctor as being a danger to others, or unfit to care for him or her self. That alone destroys any logic behind the idea of such a database. It would be like saying I feel people with French sounding last names are a danger to society, so Mr. LaPierre must be registered in a national database as such an individual. Sounds ridiculous, does it not?
In light of the statements made in this recent press release and my strong feelings on the subjects addressed, I have concluded that although the National Rifle Association may continue to support and protect the Second Amendment Rights of the citizens of the United States of America as a whole, your organization no longer supports and protects my Second Amendment Rights as an individual, and is, therefore, no longer worthy of my financial support. I would like to make it clear that I am not asking for a refund of the monies I have already contributed toward my EPL membership. My hope is that these funds could go toward research on mental illness, so that Mr. LaPierre has the facts and will not come off sounding as ignorant and offensive as he did in this recent press release.

Regretfully Submitted,

Philip L. Slusser
#160806218

Proofread. See above inside the quotation marks. Very interesting and eloquent.

[usbusi]

Not being against high capacity ammunition clips for one, which the Government is currently looking to (possibly if it passes) ban if I am read up correctly on it.

[BipolaRNurse]

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!!!

This is exactly what I want to say when I withdraw MY membership from the NRA. I've been a member for years and always supported them, but I am so disappointed with their use of mentally ill Americans as a straw man in their quest to defeat gun-control legislation. I am no more in favor of being disarmed by the government than the NRA is, but I am not going to let them throw me under a bus just because I have a mental health diagnosis.

The only thing I'd change about the letter is, you need to break it up into more paragraphs. Long columns of text are difficult to read and will lose your audience before they can finish it. I've been a semi-professional writer, blogger, and Internet forum moderator for many years, and I can tell you that long paragraphs are the death of many a good piece of writing in this age of Twitter and 15-second sound bites. Other than that......GOOD JOB!!!

[hamster-bamster]

I agree with BipolaRNurse - you need shorter paragraphs.

[~Christina]

Usbusi... There wasn't even magazines of extra ammo used to kill those children. It was 4 hand guns! The news reports gave out massive misinformation. Of course they didn't blast that all over the news.

I will keep my AR guns YES ! I have 4 of them and extra clips of ammo.. Why? Because it's my right. I am a responsible gun owner, I have extra clips / magazines of bullets for target practice.

[manicminer]

Thanks everyone! I have revised my letter and will be mailing it in the near future

[cocoabeans]

Letter to your local editor: why I left the NRA

But the part about firearms aiding your recovery may need some rethinking, given attitudes towards both seems a bit sketchy in many minds.

[Yoda]

[manicminer]

Originally Posted by cocoabeans

Letter to your local editor: why I left the NRA

But the part about firearms aiding your recovery may need some rethinking, given attitudes towards both seems a bit sketchy in many minds.

Hmm... I like to fly a little farther under the radar than that, as I have DUI charges pending against me. But if I was not already on Johhny Law's bad side I might consider it.

Also, I pick and choose who I let know about my diagnosis. The idea is extremely tempting though... hmmm Maybe if I have a manic fit I'll forget about all those inhibitions I just listed and send it.

Thanks cocoa

[manicminer]

Put'r in the mailbox today.

[manicminer]

For the President's gun control plan, see the following link:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/pre...g-gun-violence

[roads]

I'd changed this:
Excellent work. You may end up having to close your checking accounting with your bank to get the automatic withdrawal stopped. The bank can stop payment at your request, but only for six months in many states.

I would rewrite
"This quote makes me sick to my stomach:"
to read
"This quote is evidence of the ignorance shown here:" (and which you go on to explain in further paragraphs.)

I would re-paragraph too to make reading and taking in ideas easier. If you're interested let me know & I'll have a go at it.

Roadie