AARP SEEKS INPUT ON ITS POLICIES

[230RN]

On page 36 of the AARP Bulletin for June 2017, they are requesting input on their policies at

aarp.org/input

or by mail to

AARP Office of Policy Development and Integration
601 E street NW, B3-441
Washington DC 20049.

The last time I looked at their policy statement was about 2011 or so and it was full of platitudes about how guns is bad, especially for our older folks.

OK, I don't feel like digging through this...

http://policybook.aarp.org/the-policy-book/chapter-7

...right now to see if they still have an anti-gun policy.  Maybe later in the week I'll have time.  So this is just kind of an advanced "heads up."

So IF anyone here is a member and finds that policy still in effect, you can dig it out and let the rest of us know.

Thing is, they want comments by July 31, so I figured I'd post something on it now.

If  you decide to communicate with them, make sure you include your AARP membership number.

If that policy is still in effect, I will write to them in terms of it being based on validly debatable points and should be completely removed for that reason alone.

I will not cite the Second Amendment  --they know what it says, they just don't know what it means.

Terry

[Angel Eyes]

I will not cite the Second Amendment  --they know what it says, they just don't know what it means.

They know what it means.

They don't like what it means, so they pretend it means something else.

What is a moderate interpretation of the text? Halfway between what it really means and what you'd like it to mean?

[Scout26]

I'm a member of AMAC:  The conservative (or at least more "right")  group for us GreyWolves.

https://amac.us/

[230RN]

Oh, I knew someone would bring that up.  The trouble is that AARP has embarked on an extremely powerful new member campaign.  High quality ads flooding the old pharte channels,  reduction in membership age to 50, "deals" on membeship fees, and so forth.

They're already the dominant senior/retiree force and it looks almost as if they're trying to eliminate the competition.

An increased membership means they can swing better deals with their service "partners" like insurance companies and the legislatures.

And they have a powerful influence on individual members.  I was absolutely swamped with calls and mailings and (real, written) petitions regarding the Obamacare thing.  I suppose that's something in which they had a legitimate interest, regardless of the positions held by some APS members.
  
But the point here is that if they push a position on gun control, they can be very powerful in influencing individual members as well as the legislatures --both in the States and federally.  We speak of the NRA being our 800 lb gorilla with  our ~4-5 million members, but the AARP has nearly 38 million members the last I checked.  With their (rather obvious, to me) leftist orientation, that kind of difference is important.

My position is they should not be making any comments at all on what is a fundamental civil right.  Thus the OP.

Anyhow, I figured I'd let the AARP members of APS know that there is an opportunity to comment to them.

Terry