josephusminimus
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- Sep 4, 2012
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I don't join organizations and I'm not about to join this one, but if one existed I think I'd be willing to scrape together $100 per year to contribute to it as a non-member. And that $100 for me would come with more difficulty than $1000 would for a lot of posters on this site, I suspect.<br /><br />My thought is, special interest groups and professions of all sorts have organizations, even unions looking out for their interests and intervening on behalf of them in some cases, when things happen to individuals that could spill over and happen to the rest of the people in the profession or group.<br /><br />Firearms enthusiasts have the National Rifle Association to keep track of attempts to regulate firearm ownership. Cops have their unions and organizations to insulate them from scrutiny and consequences in their jobs, firemen have their unions to protect and enhance their salaries and working conditions, AOPA originally was there to protect the interests of retirees and senior citizens, attorneys have theirs, physicians have the AMA union, engineers of every sort have their specialized groups, even ranchers have livestock growers associations to lobby to keep open range benefits and stronger punishments for cow theft. Teachers unions and strong organizations overseeing how teachers are treated in the workplaces. In Texas, even hunters have their groups.<br /><br />There are a lot of possible functions a strong arm of RV owners and Van Dwellers might be a help in, similarly to the way the AOPA used to work, getting special rates for members in travel, lobbying for SS protection, various insurance matters.<br /><br />But an RV Van Dweller organization contacting town mayors about local police abuses or harassment of people living in vehicles would be a voice with more volume than single, scattered cries from individuals. State and local laws in the making involving the status of vehicles-as-homes might be influenced. <br /><br />A legal defense fund, and in some cases, just an emergency source of funds to get stranded people back on the road or help find them a place to park might be a function.<br /><br />Money for this type of activity is raised by raffles by a lot of those groups, and a blind eye is turned to questions of legality by enforcement authorities. It's not unusual to see and hear of all manner of items being raffled off regularly by groups. Around here it's hunting rifles, ATVs by the volunteer fire department, vehicles, camping equipment. I recall several raffles of new vehicles by a particular church in Albuquerque, and a donated vehicle being raffled by a Catholic church during festival at Jemez Springs.<br /><br />A lot of posters here might not have my particular aversion about joining organizations, some might even be organizers. Maybe this forum would be a place to plant the seeds. <br /><br /><br />