Record numbers of people are going to be learning to sing the fun show song. But not all is well. A gun show in Stamford, Connecticut, by what looks to be an antique collectors association, was protested by twelve or so whole people. The great irony of all the signs being hoisted by the folks here, demanding we ban automatic weapons (you’re almost 30 years too late for that folks. Been there, done that) and “assault weapons” (which I’m betting none of those intrepid folks could define if you asked them) is there probably wasn’t an “assault weapon” in that show, except the kind that were primarily designed for killing large numbers of indigenous people quickly. But have no fear, those have been classified as “assault weapons” in past bills too!
Meanwhile, around the country, gun show attendance is at record levels. I’d add to that mix, Morgantown, West Virginia. You know something you can do to help the cause? Become an NRA recruiter. Call your local gun show promoters, and find out if they know if any NRA recruiters will be working the floor. We’ve worked gun shows before and most promoters are happy to give NRA a table gratis. When you’re a recruiter, you get something like $5 for every person you sign up. We have a lot of first time buyers out there, and people who haven’t been buying guns for a while. We need those people in this fight, and joining NRA is a first step.
UPDATE: Here’s another gun show in Pennsylvania that was sparsely protested (thanks to reader Dave). My point here is that their numbers dwarf ours, but I would not discount the fact that you’re seeing any energy at all, for the first time. I’ve always believed when we see gun shows being protested regularly, that’s when we’re in trouble. Is this all top-down controlled? I think we’d be making the same mistake our opponents make in believing so. The anti-gun people are starting to show some energy and organization, and with the media and White House behind them that makes the current situation very dangerous for us. They have a top-down organization that, in terms of organizational discipline, beats our regular cat herding any day of the week if they really throw down. We have to turn ourselves into a well-disciplined political machine very quickly if we’re going to get through this. There needs to be less herding of cats.
UPDATE from Bitter: I found an interesting report from a gun show promoter here in Eastern Pennsylvania. Many readers of this blog have been to an Eagle Arms show somewhere in this part of the state, so they might find this interesting on how things are going locally:
Joel Koehler, a Pennsylvania gun dealer, said a few dealers have dropped out of a show this weekend in the Pocono Mountains, but only “because they have nothing to sell. They are out of inventory.”
You notice it was an ‘antique’ gunshow? That alone should be a wake up call to gun owners…..
The Ontario CA bun show was heavily attended, to the point it was a front page story in the Lost Angles Times. The story written was factual, no big statements either way, but positive IMO in the lack of stereotypes and inflammatory language. No protestors. Prices were high and supplies low.
Informal polling indicates any program of forced-buy-backs would not go well and that faith in government would decline further from its already depressed levels. The proles are not a happy lot, and wish to be left alone.
The organizer of this little protest has an M2 assault conviction, and has been charged with felony burglary as well as being subject to a handful of protection from abuse orders.
http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=441896
Who are we to deny someone the most congenital working environment possible? All those guns make burglary, assault and abuse so nasty and dangerous. Shouldn’t we follow our mother country where broadcaster and model “Myleene Klass [was] warned by police after scaring off intruders with knife“:
They were outside and stayed that way after she illegally brandished the knife. As I understand it, her right to effectively defend herself was judicially nullified in the ’50s and removed by statute in 1967.
Yeah, Dave? That isn’t helpful unless you identify the felon.
The organizer is named in the article. You just have to use the UJS portal to look up James Keller, Berks County. It’s wise to use public records to discredit all these gun grabbers. There are a great number of them with violent past acts, theft charges, and drug charges. Public records are your friend and the worst enemy of a derelict.
Also I did not say he was convicted of felony burglary, he was charged with it and the charges were reduced to misdemeanor criminal mischief. What this translate to is that he got pissed and someone and kicked in a door to their house.
Are we sure it’s the same James Keller? That doesn’t strike me as an unusual name.
Yeah, it’s the same guy. More research details to follow.
I know the gun show I went to Saturday was the busiest one I’ve ever seen in my area. There were AR-15s available this time, but I suspect that’s because the dealers weren’t caught by surprise by the increased sales like they were at the last one (which was only a week after Sandy Hook) and had time to order ahead.
Still, I saw one dealer packing up by 11:30. I assume he had sold out of whatever he had. At 11:00 when Dad and I went in, the count on just one of the turnstiles was over 1000, and when we left at about 3:00 the line for tickets was still extending out the door (note: the lobby at that venue is extremely large, making the line somewhere around 50-75 yards long).
if there are a large number of people going to the gun shows and a very small number of protesters, how in the world did Obama get re-elected?
There are a lot of people, unfortunately, who would probably tell you they care about gun rights who voted for Obama. There are a lot of people who own guns who voted for Obama.
Will they call their congresscritters, though? That’s the interesting thing.