Recently I attended a “Friends of NRA” dinner where I was seated with the event chairman and one of his friends. After brief introductions, the friend turned to me and said, “I didn’t know we have a state association. When did this happen?”

You might think I would be surprised at such a statement, but unfortunately, it ‘s a response that I’ve heard too often over the years as I traveled around the state. My response always shocks the inquirer. “Well, we’ve been around for awhile, since 1927, in fact. That’s when the Oklahoma Rifle Association became the incorporated official state affiliate of the National Rifle Association.” It still amazes me that after all these years and a myriad of accomplishments working with the state legislature that Oklahomans, especially NRA members, are yet unaware of the ORA.

I can recount just a few of the many successes ORA has had in standing up for Oklahoma citizens, gun owners and sportsmen:

• Hunter Safety, required training for new hunters to obtain a hunting license; The State Firearms Pre-emption that reserves firearms laws to the state and does away with a hodge-podge of municipal ordinances.

• A “Primitive Hunting season” for black powder shooters (after more than three years effort, that first year we only got a couple of days, but look at where it is today).

• An anti-lawsuit law that protects firearm and ammo dealers from frivolous lawsuit. The Oklahoma Self-Defense Act that allows law-abiding citizens to carry concealed firearms (there are many that wish to take credit for this ground-breaking achievement, but I can’t recall one of these individuals or groups that were walking the halls of the Legislature for eight years to accomplish this).

• The “Make My Day” law and the “Stand Your Ground” law that protects law-abiding citizens’ right to defend themselves and their families without fear of criminal prosecution and civil lawsuits.

• Standing up for the average Oklahoma hunter against some well-financed commercial hunting interests and companies that regard wildlife as just another “cash crop.”

These are but a few of ORA’s contributions in behalf of all gun owners and sportsmen, yet the average Oklahoman still doesn’t know who got these critical items for them. The usual response is, “the NRA.”
The NRA is very important association that has long fought the good fight for the Second Amendment. They’re the “army,” but ORA is the “ground-pounders.” Oklahoma is our state and we take care of business locally. We spend a vast number of hours at the Legislature when they’re in session each year and we monitor all threats to the Second Amendment and sportsmen’s interests in Oklahoma throughout the year.

Isn’t it about time that the Oklahoma Rifle Association gets some credit for what it has done?

Next time you hear someone state they “didn’t know we had a state association,” enlighten them. And if they’re really serious about the Second Amendment, they need to join the “ground-pounders.”

Thanks to you, the individual ORA member, you’re standing with us and continually support the Association’s important mission. See you at the State Convention.


Good Shooting,

CHARLES H. SMITH
Executive Director