NRA Convention! NO GUNS ALLOWED!

[Joanne98]

ThinkProgress is reporting from the NRA Convention. This is our fourth dispatch. See our previous posts here, here, and here.

The NRA is holding its annual meetings this weekend at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, NC. Violence Policy Center executive director Josh Sugarmann noted this sign at the convention warning its members not to bring concealed carry weapons onto its property:




ThinkProgress spoke to a number of attendees and asked if they were bothered by the convention center’s policy. Nearly everyone agreed that there needed to be some sort of restriction, suggesting NRA members who attended the conference understand the need for sensible safety regulations. “I think that’s probably a pretty good policy,” one NRA member said. Some other reactions:

http://thinkprogress.org/2010/05/16/nra-gun-restrictions-convention/

[xchrom]

1. Oh the irony. Nt

[bulloney]

22. self delete

[safeinOhio]

2. Like a sign is going to

keep out a mass murderer. :wtf:

They do support guns on campuses and in Starbucks.

[baldguy]

5. No, but the morons attending won't notice the abject hypocrisy.

And, being conservatives they wouldn't understand it if they did.

[baldguy]

3. Hypocrisy is the hallmark of conservatism.

[X_Digger]

4. It's not the NRA setting this policy.. it's the state of NC..

§ 14‑269.3.

(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to carry any gun, rifle, or pistol into any assembly where a fee has been charged for admission thereto, or into any establishment in which alcoholic beverages are sold and consumed. Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.

[baldguy]

18. I wouldn't have thought NC was so anti-gun.

Or more likely the more intelligent citizens among them realize that crowds & guns don't mix well. Perhaps the NRA should take a clue.

[X_Digger]

19. It's a law from 1977- pre-CHL

It would have been cleaned up by H 270/S 235- http://www.ncleg.net/gascripts/BillLookUp/BillLookUp.pl?Session=2009%20%20&BillID=h270

[AlinPA]

6. Why in the hell would they have a convention in a gun-controlled place?

[Georgia farmer]

11. Convention place

They held it there because the City gave them the hall rent-free.

[AlinPA]

20. Money talks. Accept the gun controlled place because it's free. nt

[rrneck]

7. The video would seem to indicate

that NRA members are a diverse bunch and hardly in lockstep with some off-the-shelf-pre-fabricated-divorced-from-reality-political-orthodoxy. Not that we see any of that around here...

[hlthe2b]

8. Yet they demand no restrictions on gun carry in church, airports,

Starbucks--and some want no restrictions at all....The hypocrisy boggles the mind....:shrug:

[X_Digger]

9. "They" didn't set this policy, see post #4. n/t

[hlthe2b]

10. "They" DID accept the policy when they decided to hold their

convention their. Thus, the hypocrisy.

[X_Digger]

12. Is this a "church, starbucks, or airport"?

No? Has the NRA taken the position that convention centers shouldn't be able to set their own policies regarding concealed firearms?

[hlthe2b]

15. what an incredibly ludicrous retort..

Ludicrous and disingenuous. Good God, X_Digger. Can you not do better than THAT? Do you want to come across as a Freeper, who, when faced with the facts, simply continually change their arugments? Come on....

[X_Digger]

17. Feel free to get your GRR on.. just realize it's not connected to reality.

Hey, if it makes you feel better, jump right in.

I haven't changed my argument. I just don't see the hypocrisy of having a convention in a convention center- one of the places in this state that statutorily prohibit concealed carry. I haven't checked whether or not there's any pending legislation to in NC to change this restriction (re a venue that requires admission or serves alcohol) so I can't comment on whether or not the NRA-ILA has taken a position on such a proposed change.

[safeinOhio]

13. Well, they could

1. Not charge to get in.
2. Not serve drinks.
3. Boycott the states law and move it to Arizona.

They might as well of held it in Chicago.

[X_Digger]

16. Have you ever been to an NRA convention?

It's crawling with law enforcement. Just like a gun show, I don't see any issue with being unarmed there.

I haven't seen the NRA take a position that gun shows shouldn't disallow concealed carry, either.

In short..

[The Backlash Cometh]

14. Too funny.

[rpannier]

21. You think they'd have chosen a different venue rather than have their rights trampled on

But then again, they got the use of the building for free
I guess some things are more important

[Proud Liberal Dem]

23. But they seem to want guns EVERYWHERE else

they can possibly get them. Laws (and bills) seem to be sprouting up everywhere allowing people to take guns with them to work, into restaurants, and pretty much just about everywhere.

I would think that out of all places, they *belong* at the national NRA convention.

Wierd

:banghead:

[yellowcanine]

24. Does this mean their hands are cold and dead?

[Aristus]

25. Damn. I was hoping they'd all get liquored up and start shooting each other.

Well, a guy can hope...

We live in a country where a guy can purchase all the guns he wants, but he can't marry another man. Crazy shit...

[marmar]

26. I guess there are some places where they'll allow their precious 2nd Amendment rights....

to be trampled on.


Sweet Jesus I hate the NRA.

[Canuckistanian]

27. Isn't that TYRANNY?

At least by their own definition.