Opinion by Adam Kraut
USA – -(AmmoLand.com)- In 2016, I began a campaign to run for the NRA Board of Directors by petition of the members. The idea to run for the Board started with a conversation between myself and two Board Members at the Great American Outdoor Show in Harrisburg that February. Those two Board Members were amongst those who recently resigned. After many phone calls, questions, and a lot of thought, I decided the pursue a seat, in the hopes that I would be able to lend some new ideas and a different take on issues of the Organization.
Much to my surprise, my well-documented (and freely available) ideas and proposals met severe institutional resistance. In spite of that, this past year, I hesitantly pursued a seat again, for a third time, at the encouragement of friends and many NRA members who believed that I could add value to the Organization. Once I received the results of the mail ballot, I opted to not pursue the 76th Seat at the NRA Annual Meeting in Indianapolis, as I had done the two years prior. While I gave my best efforts over the past three years’ election cycles, I respect and have accepted the choice of the voting members.
After the learning that I was not elected to the Board during this year’s election and coming to understand that my role would have been reduced to simply ‘filling a chair’ even were I to have been elected, I began to focus my time and energy on other exciting opportunities to accomplish my genuine personal desire and goal to advance the Second Amendment, individual liberty generally, and continuing to help educate and inform gun owners about important issues and challenges.
Between the time I began to collect petition signatures in 2018 and the election results being returned this year, news about the NRA began to emerge from a variety of sources. Since these claims and allegations have been the focus of much discussion within the firearms and Second Amendment community for the past several months, I need not recount them here.
Based on my review and understanding of the by-laws, the recent resignations of the three directors would potentially allow me to serve until the adjournment of the next Annual Meeting in Nashville, Tennessee. Just prior to the release of this statement, I was contacted by the NRA and informed that there was a vacancy on the Board, which I would be able to fill. Prior to receiving the phone call, I devoted time to consider the possibility of accepting the position, based on the news that three directors had resigned and my understanding of the by-laws.
After careful thought and consideration, and because of the magnitude of time, work, and attention these exciting and important new endeavors that I am currently involved in require, it would not be possible for me to provide the NRA Board of Directors, the Organization, and the Members with the significant time, work, and attention a board of directors role – especially in the current climate – would require. Further, I am not willing to put the NRA into a position where my new position and role in our community could even potentially create a conflict or even a bad optical light that could be leveraged against it by the media and its enemies.
Thus, I cannot in good conscience accept a position as an NRA director.
It has been my honor to have your support these past few years. It is humbling to know that so many share my passion for liberty and supported my proposals to improve our NRA. And I sincerely hope that the Board and the Executive staff of the NRA will do what is right and necessary to create a healthy, strong, and positive force for our rights.
I am excited to support the NRA’s good work, and that of many others, from my new position through coalition building, hard work, thoughtful strategy, and undertaking those efforts that will, I hope, result in a more free America and restored Republic. I am eager to continue promoting the advancement of liberty and hope that you’ll continue to join me in doing do.
Yours in Liberty,
Adam Kraut
I am curious of this “new position “ Adam has referred to. What may that be?
Additionally the NRA should be eliminating board positions not filling them If the NRA wants to live, its time it opens its mind to the criticism of many, that the board ineffective because of its size and amount of dead wood it contains.
As for Wayne, I wonder whats in his contract with the NRA. poison pill perhaps, a payoff so large it would cripple an organization already in debt.
Classy way of turning it down, from someone who is actually a dedicated defender of the Second Amendment in its actual written form.
@Adam, a little birdie told me that the executive vice presidency will be open soon.
Adam, It has been my pleasure, and that of my family members, to vote for you each time you ran. When Colandro was given your position on the BoD it proved Stalin’s words that it isn’t who votes that matters, it’s who counts the votes. IF the NRA survives, AND you decide to run for a position again, PLEASE let all of us here know.
The present NRA BoD situation reminds me of Puerto Rico’s Governor debacle. Open positions and nobody willing to take them. Perhaps we can ask AOC if she’s interested in holding two more loser positions.
As someone who voted for Adam, I fully support Adam’s decision. The current NRA leadership is broken beyond repair. Why join the NRA Board of Directors only to get sidelined by the NRA leadership and still be legally liable for their actions? Also, given that the NRA Directors and Officers just lost their legal liability insurance, I expect more resignations and even less people willing to fill in for the empty seats. You may notice that the NRA leadership has reached out to Adam to fill one of the open 3 seats within a day or two of the resignations.… Read more »
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