Saturday, April 4, 2015

The NRA Annual Meeting in Nashville


I guess our commenters are right.  There wasn't a single mention of Nazi memorabilia or racist shooting targets.  Not a hint of anti-government propaganda either, except of course that little mention of "Obama's gun control agenda." 

And with that music lineup, I'm sure black gun owners will be turning out in droves. 

Yes, I suppose the NRA has truly become, not only gender balanced, but racially balanced as well.  Maybe next week we can get some live images to prove this.

16 comments:

  1. Yes, I suppose the NRA has truly become, not only gender balanced, but racially balanced as well.

    Actually, there's really no need to defend the NRA from charges of "racism." No such credible charges have been made, and won't be in the foreseeable future.

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  2. You know, one of these days you are going to point out a legitimate case of racism, and no one is going to believe you.

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  3. MikeB: "And with that music lineup, I'm sure black gun owners will be turning out in droves."

    A country music lineup? In Nashville? Yeah, that doesn't make sense. I'm sure you're right that it's just to keep the black people away.

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  4. Keep denying the obvious, guys.

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  5. Well... Those twenty foot tall banners towering above everyone's heads remind me of Munich about 1938. I'm sure it's just me.

    I think we need a perspective from Beale for a little balance. Imagine the shame and humiliation of having an organization like this descend upon your beloved city. Far worse than a republican convention.

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    1. Munich 1938? Seriously? Junior, you're usually the voice of reason--why the sudden swerve to Godwin?

      As for Beale's perspective, she's as welcome to her feelings as anyone. I might feel similar if a convention I was diametrically opposed to came to town. That being said, her and Mike's insinuations of racism on the part of the NRA fit right into a the current narrative of most parts of the left: "Everyone who opposes us must be racists!"

      This narrative is probably the most damaging thing to civil discourse, truth, and race relations currently going.

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  6. FJ - do you (like SB) think the airport should be able to decide who is allowed to purchase advertising from them?

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    1. Yes, of course. OTOH, the Convention Center appears to have little choice, if they wish to remain viable.

      Would that be discrimination? Isn't a business able to choose their clients simply based on taste, morality and basic decency?

      The airport would do well to double up on their TSA screening for all of the conventioneers on their way back home. More agents. Buy some larger locking containers to fill up with guns. Have the local police and federal marshalls on call to pick up the violators of federal aviation laws.

      More likely and to-the-point, the airport is very likely only to happy to cooperate with the NRA. Better business.

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    2. "Yes, of course. . . . Would that be discrimination? Isn't a business able to choose their clients simply based on taste, morality and basic decency?"

      In the past? Sure. You used to be able to deny service for good reasons, bad reasons, or crazy reasons. Now? What legal theory would you base the denial on?

      The left really has no basis to deny equal service to people they find reprehensible when they scream "public accommodation" and force those people to serve people they have a problem with.

      Whether you allow businesses to discriminate or not, there are going to be unsavory outcomes...unless you decide to legislate your morality in such a way that denying service to the NRA, Fundies, the Klan, and whoever else is allowed, but denying service to Planned Parenthood, gays, minorities, etc. is not. If you or other progressives want to go with that third way, feel free to advocate for it, but I ask that the proponents please be honest about what they're doing and stop screaming about how wrong "legislating morality" is.

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    3. FJ - I think some bakeries and florists around the country would say they have had a different experience legally with trying to choose their clients based on morality.

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  7. Apparently I was way off-base about conventioneers buying weapons and attempting to bring them home on airplanes. According to Addicting Info, there is a ban on functional weapons in place. All guns at the convention must be non-operational. And any guns purchased at the show must be picked up at a federally licensed gun dealer near the home of the purchaser.

    No guns at the NRA convention. It makes sense. It's good security. Of course. The presence of guns introduces danger. Still, it's a head-scratcher. Bends reality in a new direction.

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    1. Junior,

      That Addicting Info piece is one of many that are skewing the facts or outright lying. Ms. Peterson posted a similar piece at Common Gunsense the other day, and, to her credit, corrected herself in another post when informed of the truth in the comments.

      This is going to be the first one of these I've attended so I called the NRA and the relevant venues and got information on the rules.

      * Concealed Carry is allowed on the show floor and in the seminars which are being held in various locations. It is not allowed in the Arena where concerts will be held because the owners of the property have signs posted.

      * I called the hotel that the legal conference I'm going to is being held at to make sure that the NRA told me correctly. My call was referred to the security office. Their comments were to the effect that as long as I had my license on me (required by law), wasn't drinking (which would be illegal anyway), and wasn't doing anything reckless, they had no issue. I asked, "So, comply with the law by having my permit and not drinking, and don't touch it--that about cover it?" "Yep."

      *Regarding the show guns on the floor, they have to have the firing pins removed. They are the only guns that are supposed to be being handled--carry pieces stay holstered and untouched. These weapons are going to be handled in a crowded space and are for demonstration purposes, not defensive ones, so it makes sense that they be inoperative to prevent accidents. The guns carried with defense in mind are to be left untouched unless needed for that purpose. This seems to me to be a prudent balance in step with the NRA's principles.

      Finally, with regard to the purchases being shipped to FFL's local to the buyers, I think we can link that to two causes. 1: They're only going to bring a couple of demo items and take orders, not try to bring enough to sell one to everybody who wants one. 2: Federal Law--simplified version, most dealers won't be licensed to sell in Tennessee and most people won't be able to buy weapons in the state--this is the only way to comply with the law. Number 2 is probably the primary reason, but without it number 1 would likely result in the same outcome.

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    2. P.S. Re: bringing guns home by plane

      In case you or anyone else haven't looked into it, there is a legal method to travel with guns--they have to be unloaded, placed in a locked container, checked rather than carry on, etc.

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    3. Flying Junior, even the author of that "Addicting Info" piece issues a correction at the end.

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  8. Certainly legislating "morality" is not wrong when that legislation is aimed at giving and protecting equal rights for all. If one does not see slavery as immoral, then I can see they would be against legislation to protect the rights of blacks. Equal rights for all is the goal of the Constitution. Is it your right to discriminate, sorry, no.

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