TheBanyanTree: Your NRA Convention reporter

[John]

The National Rifle Association of America held its annual convention in Charlotte this past weekend. I hadn't been to one since the 1999 get together in Denver, and since I am associated with a group of firearms enthusiasts and other staunch defenders of the Second Amendment, I and The Princess decided to attend. One of our leaders booked a highway bus for the two-hour trip to Charlotte, so some forty of us assembled at a local mall parking lot at 7 am Saturday to board the bus. The driver set the overhead TV's to Fox News network to keep us entertained during the trip. It had been set to CNN, but the group objected to the kind of programming that particular news organization is noted for.

 

Charlotte is the largest metropolitan area in North Carolina, and they have a massive convention center. This NRA convention was slated to be the largest convention they have ever hosted, and was expected to attract 70,000 visitors, which would be healthy for the local economy. Hotels were booked solid, and restaurants were expecting a lively business. I overheard someone at the convention saying that attendance had exceeded 70,000 by the end of the first day, of this three-day event.  

 

Notable people at the convention who made speeches, harangued you to be a better citizen, or played music included Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich, Chuck Norris, Sean Hannity, Ted Nugent, Oliver North, Glenn Beck, Charlie Daniels, and others. You could listen to them speak at various gatherings, and even get close enough to speak with them personally. Many folks waited in long lines to have their favorite celebrity sign a copy of their book(s). 

 

We arrived at the convention center shortly after 9 am and went in to register. Admission was free for NRA members, so we flashed our ID cards and went on in. The gigantic exhibit floor was thoroughly populated by more than 450 exhibitors of every description. All the big names in firearms were there. Remington, Winchester, Colt, Marlin, Glock, Ruger, Sig Sauer, Savage, etc, etc. Also it was easy to find rifle scopes, knives, outfitters, targets, bullets, taxidermists, boots, t-shirts, air guns, ear and eye protection, hunting guides and preserves, and on and on. The Princess found a purveyor of wildlife paintings to talk to, and I enjoyed looking at several museum-like displays of antique firearms from as far back as 1640. One thing we noticed about the throng in the exhibit hall, is that everyone we saw was being courteous, even though it was a shoulder to shoulder mob. Nobody seemed to be running, shoving or yelling; much more calm than your usual assembly of humanity like at a sporting event or parade.

 

After wandering the exhibits for a couple hours, we went across the street to have lunch in the Westin Hotel, because we needed something more substantial than hotdogs or Bo Jangles chicken. We had a nice sit down meal of Angus burgers with all the fixins.

 

In the afternoon we attended a seminar, along with 300 other people, on "Refuse to be a Victim," which was a four-hour lecture by a police officer about how to protect yourself from becoming a victim of crime. He covered many techniques for being aware of your surroundings, what kind of locks and devices to use around your home, what to do when traveling, how to employ various kinds of self-defense, and a lot of other interesting stuff.

 

At 6 pm we re-boarded our bus back to Asheville, and napped for much of the journey. If you would like to attend next year's convention, sign up with the NRA and make plans to be in Pittsburgh about this time next year.     

 

Later, John.