Ok.
I applied for an NRA raffle offering as top prize, a new pump shotgun. A few weeks later I was notified that I had won the top prize, my very own shotgun! I was SO excited!
There were forms to fill out (which dealer would you like your shotgun sent to, etc) and "would you like to donate some of your VERY HARD EARNED money to us?". Of course I would! In those days $20 was a lot of money to me - and I gave it happily.
More paperwork. Then a survey. Then some more paperwork. Somewhere along the line in the paperwork trail, "you shotgun" changed to "your prize". All of this took around 9 months (if memory serves me correctly) to complete the back-and-forth. (I moved from Arizona to Montana during this time - addresses and info had to be changed, etc)
Finally a letter came saying " your 'prize' has been shipped". I was so excited, as were all of my buddies! It was awesome! We were all going to get to enjoy MY new shotgun courtesy of the NRA! ...
... My "prize" finally came in - a pack of Target Stickers.
I can't describe the shock.
Here's the problem: the USA was founded on a set of principles, some of which are Honesty, Integrity, and the Value of each Individual. Our founding fathers understood that there is another-would-be Tyrant born every day, so they handed us the 2nd Amendment to be used to protect those important principles. The NRA claims to be defending (protecting?) The 2nd Ammendment. ...
... you can't use Dishonesty and Deceit, to defend Honesty and Integrity - your credibility vaporizes when you do that.
If they had said, "Sorry you didn't win the Shotgun, better luck next time. Here's a pack of Target Stickers as consulation. Would you like to donate to our Cause?" ... I'd be a lifetime member today, as would my children.
3+/- yrs ago they offered me the same raffle - the format hadn't even changed ...
I've kept the pack of Target Stickers at the top of my loading bench ever since, to remind me of the importance of Honesty.