After 20 Years, Midwest Firearms Group President Rejects the NRA

Mike Nollet has been the president of the Nebraska firearms group for the past 20 years. He remembers shooting BB guns growing up on his family farm and he told KCRG he "purchased his first rifle at 19 years old and joined the NRA in 2003." Years later he became the president of the Nebraska Marksmanship Association.

One of the reasons Mike originally joined the NRA was he wanted to support the right of firearms ownership. He told KCRG

The notion that the NRA was there to defend the Second Amendment rights for firearms ownership, I thought I should add my voice and support that organization.

Today, his views have changed a little bit. He wants nothing to do with the NRA organization. Despite wanting to no longer be associated with the NRA, he is a supporter of the Second Amendment.

If you're like me, one of the first questions you might have is a simple one. Why? That's what first came to my mind. What could've changed or happened that led to Mike no longer wanting to be associated with the NRA. He wasn't just your average NRA member, he was the president. It was a huge part of his life and something he's put countless hours into.

KCRG reports, that this past January Mike chose to not run for president and as of a couple of weeks ago, he has stepped away from his lifetime NRA membership completely.

In a letter Mike wrote to the NRA he stated "the organization is afraid of objective examination of the root causes of gun violence that plagues the United States."

He told KCRG

If mental health is a cause of gun violence in the country, you would think they would support politicians that would also support those efforts. But they don’t even seem to do that.

I was curious what does an actual NRA membership get you? According to Membership NRA, you get an official NRA membership card, a free NRA decal, and a free subscription to one of the NRA's award-winning magazines. There are also NRA 5-Star Benefits. These benefits can lead to an NRA member magazine, savings from NRA Member Partners, free admission to NRA's guns, and free admission to NRA's guns, gear, and outfitter show.

I also wanted to know, what does the NRA do with your membership fee? "Your support will help us defend your Second Amendment freedom whenever and wherever it comes under attack." 

Membership fees also go towards firearms training for men, women, and youth, as well as police officer enforcement training programs.