Bad PR
Via Oleg, comes this charming bit on the NRA annual meeting. First, he’s wrong. NRA doesn’t ban guns there. The rules and laws for the venue, however, do. Being in North Carolina, carry laws are pretty strict compared to other carry states. But enough people have complained about it this year that, hopefully, going forward NRA will factor in carry laws and the venue before committing to a city.
Also, metal detectors? Really?
May 4th, 2010 at 9:06 am
Wasn’t the 2008 show the FIRST time that there was a state w/ progressive enough laws that CCW was available during the convention?
So people are boycotting and blaming the NRA because they’re following the laws that aren’t perfect in each and every state?
How many states can they hold the meeting in that do allow CCW in convention halls?
May 4th, 2010 at 9:27 am
With all due respect, Oleg & Company carry guns (concealed and otherwise) because the NRA did the ground breaking work in Florida. Marion Hammer should take a boat to Nashville and spank those ingrates crybabies.
May 4th, 2010 at 9:56 am
using usacarry.com:
idaho, minnesota, texas, to name three based on the “places off limits” paragraph for each state.
Not exhaustive study, nor I am absolutely sure that there are not other issues, but that took all of 10 minutes and I’m not on the NRA convention comm & I did not stay at a Holiday Inn Express, but I am on the IL Libertarian Party State convention comm. 🙂
There are many, often conflicting, requirements when deciding on a venue for a convention and the NRA convention is only 500 times larger then the one we are planning. But I would think that they could have done a better job of this detail then is apparent.
Using the same resource you can see that the law prevented CCW at the St. Louis convention. I think that law is unconstitutional, but then I live with that every day in IL.
May 4th, 2010 at 10:29 am
He is just mad that the NRA does not support anything but a sure bet. Not a lot of sure bets in life so hence the disgust. If the NRA supported all legal gun owners I would support them. The do not however….
May 4th, 2010 at 10:41 am
Miguel:
With all due respect, Oleg & Company carry guns (concealed and otherwise) because the NRA did the ground breaking work in Florida.
It’s not respectful to make stuff up out of whole cloth. This has been rehashed enough that it shouldn’t be needed here. But the simple facts are that the (national) NRA wasn’t behind Florida’s liberalization in the late 80s, didn’t start getting behind concealed carry until it was a smashing success politically, and *still* opposes (vocally) any sort of concealed carrier being allowed on any school campus.
Marion Hammer should take a boat to Nashville and spank those ingrates crybabies.
Yeah, that’s not respectful, nor saying it “With all respect” changes that.
Especially since your basis for saying that is incorrect.
May 4th, 2010 at 10:55 am
I wonder how long it will take before the NRA is given credit for Heller?
May 4th, 2010 at 11:21 am
Louisville was a great meeting!
I look forward when the NRA comes back to a state that is not afraid of guns.
May 4th, 2010 at 11:29 am
As I pointed out on my blog: I understand the NRA’s need to accommodate as many of its members as possible, but the NRAs job is to fight for RKBA. Giving into a venues policy is not doing so. Negotiate with them, or find another place.
Until then, no matter how many letters Mr. LaPierre writes to me – I’m not renewing until the NRA stops doing only the easy stuff, and starts fighting for the RKBA in its entirety.
May 4th, 2010 at 1:01 pm
NRA’s job is to create the easy stuff in the first place by fostering a culture that is friendly to gun rights. They didn’t avoid Heller because they opposed the goals of Heller, the opposed it because Heller was a gamble and they knew that a case like Heller would eventually be an “easy win.”
The NRA is cautious because the NRA knows that time is on our side. We’ve mostly won the culture war so it’s only a matter of time before the courts catch up. The NRA didn’t want to risk creating a bad precedent before the time was right. It was just blind luck that O’Connor and Rehnquist got replaced by Roberts and Alito and Kennedy turned out to be firmly pro-RKBA.
Once the NRA caught on that there were 5 pro-gun votes on the supreme court, participation in further lawsuits was a foregone conclusion. It was only when it looked like we had 4 votes that they were afraid of going there to risk a national level Silviera v Lockyer.
May 4th, 2010 at 1:16 pm
Unix-Jedi, next week we will hear all about how the NRA was secretly funding VPC. If you refer to Unified Sportsmen of Florida’s successful efforts into passing Florida’s CWP, allow me to inform that USF was created by the NRA and its main lobbyist was Marion P. Hammer. She also was the guide to pass the Stand Your Ground / Extension of the Castle Doctrine and Guns in Cars At Work.
May 4th, 2010 at 1:43 pm
Just think…If the NRA would set up their conventions in states with good carry laws, all of this could be avoided. Virginia comes to mind….
May 4th, 2010 at 3:09 pm
Still gotta give the NRA props for getting behind MacDonald v. Chicago, though.
Campus carry is largely a state by state issue…press your state rifle association for action on that front instead. TSRA (Texas State Rifle Assn) is supportive of campus carry for CHLs.
May 4th, 2010 at 3:16 pm
The problem comes in that there are very few venues can can handle the size of NRA convention. If I remember correctly the dinner usually runs around 7000 people eating at the same time.
May 4th, 2010 at 4:38 pm
The convention centers in Charlotte are state/city owned. NC has a law making it illegal to carry on state and municipal property. This wasnt the NRA’s doing. We here in NC are hoping that we can use this even to help get the law repealed.
May 4th, 2010 at 5:23 pm
Uh huh, next let’s hold the National Finals Rodeo in a venue that prohibits animals. Are you people stupid?
May 4th, 2010 at 5:38 pm
allow me to inform that USF was created by the NRA
You can try, but you’ll still be wrong. They were and are affiliated, yes.
its main lobbyist was Marion P. Hammer.
That, you’re right about, and Hammer’s been a force for good. Not saying she wasn’t.
But you’re mightily confused about the time line and causative effects.
Yes, USF spearheaded concealed carry reform in Florida. No, it didn’t do so with the support of the _national_ NRA. Yes, Hammer is great. I had high hopes when she was President.
May 4th, 2010 at 8:44 pm
Uncle, it’s not true that the NC law prohibits firearms at the venue. ASM826 has posted the relevant statute, and there’s an explicit exception if the sponsoring organization allows it.
IOW, if the NRA said “sure, everyone can bring their guns” then it would be perfectly legal.
IANL, but it seems that the NRA is way off base here. Doesn’t look like the NRA can claim “the law prevents this” which makes it even worse.
May 4th, 2010 at 9:04 pm
Kind of hard for heller to be a slam dunk and a gamble at the same time. The NRA swooped in on the chicago case like vultures on a carcass. After the heavy lifting is done then it is the NRA’s turn. I guess that I should not be surprised. They are just a group of lobbyists.
May 4th, 2010 at 9:08 pm
Nice find borepatch. Wonder what the NRA worshippers will say now. So what we have is a pro gun organization unwilling to give permission to gunners to carry at a pro gun meeting. Am I shocked at all. NO.
May 4th, 2010 at 9:39 pm
Oleg’s not a member but it didn’t stop him from asking us for a job. Man of principle.
May 4th, 2010 at 10:07 pm
Hey NRA lovers check this out. The NRA doing what it does best….
http://georgiapacking.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=45080
May 5th, 2010 at 5:15 pm
Wait John, someone will be along shortly to explain why you are too unnuanced to understand NRA’s exotic and effective strategy for the longhaul. Oh yeah, and why we are all stupid because we don’t applaud their betrayal.