For the last three NRA Annual Meetings, open and concealed carry have been legal and practiced on the premises. In 2015 it was at Nashville in Tennessee. In 2016, it was at Louisville in Kentucky. In 2017, it is in Atlanta, Georgia. Today in the press room, there were a few open carriers. From the printing that I noticed here and there, there were a significantly greater number of concealed carriers.
I was one of those. The Press room was rather chilly for a Yuma, Arizona resident. I kept my jacket on. Out on the floor, there were few open carriers. Then it hit me. President Trump was scheduled to speak. The Secret Service does not allow anything that they consider a weapon in the room with the President for the speech. I noticed one gentleman with an empty holster, heading toward the venue for the President's speech.
I asked him if the empty holster was because he was going to hear President Trump.
Yes, he said. That was exactly the reason.
When I talked to people who had attempted to enter the forum for the speech, it is questionable if even the empty holster was allowed. One man was had to go to Knife Rights knife check facility and check a penlight flashlight! The explanation for the small numbers of open carry on the first day was obvious. I expect the numbers to increase over the next few days.
Open and concealed carry at NRA Meetings is here to stay. I doubt the NRA will schedule a meeting in a state that does not respect the Second Amendment enough to have a shall issue concealed carry law, and reasonable reciprocity.
A national reciprocity law could change that, opening up the 10-13 states that severely infringe on Second Amendment rights.
People who live on the borders of Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland, California, Connecticut, and Delaware would appreciate the change. Even Illinois, Oregon, and Washington state would become much friendlier to visitors.
I expect more open carry in the next few days.
©2017 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
I truly Believe in protecting the president, BUT, Our government is set up to replace the president in a physical heart beat. Anyone stupid enough to draw a weapon in a forum like this deserves to be shot by every carrier there. I cant see how the secret service can legally stop anyone from legally carrying. it would take a crane to remove the body of a shooter. I whole heartedly support everything President Trump is doing, But the supreme court ruling says NO Body Can Deny you the right to carry and I believe that includes the secret service. I see no reason why the secret service could not , under these circumstance, have their weapons at the ready but they have no legal authority to deny you the right to be armed. a forum like this creates a very soft target with hundreds of unarmed people. If you are not armed hit the floor immediately. If you have a shot take it. we the armed people are supposed to know when , where and who to shoot. I would be willing to bet there are far better shots in the audience than in the secret service. the right to carry is the right to carry any where. Regan had already been shot when Bready took a bullet for him. Brady should have been shooting the shooter. to this day I have no explanation why that shooter survived and it makes me question the entire situation. I'm certainly willing to teach the secret service my fast draw techniques. Hell I would be happy to teach the President. He is a concealed carrier. I carry because I never know who my enemies might be. I wont take a bullet for anyone but I will stop a shooter before he can shoot anyone else. If you are not going to shoot get out of the way. Hit the dirt you can always buy clean clothes.
ReplyDeleteYes leave your gun in your car and someone steals it.
ReplyDeleteI have no objection to open carry, but doing it without a retention holster is probably not the best idea.
ReplyDeleteWhom ever gets off the first shot can make the difference. If retention holsters were not worn in such a stupid locate and were not so slow to draw from you might have a point. Personally I would not have a retention holster. a Good fast draw holster has a loop for a hammer catch to retain the weapon. a thumb pops it off. someone might get my gun out of a fast draw holster then he only has to worry about the guns in my shoulder holsters. If someone grabs for one gun just surprise them with another. If they grab you gun you have a solid reason to shoot.
ReplyDeleteCould some one explain what keeps a gun in those holsters. I think it is a release button. I wonder what is the difference between the owners finger that would press that button and any other finger. so what is the security feature. all that button does is keep the gun from falling out. I once read a book printed around the turn of the 20th century about 1908. it was a book for dentistry. the section on anesthesia read " to induce unconsciousness for approximately 15 minutes. strike the patient slightly above and to the rear of the ear with the butt of a 45 caliber hand gun in a sharp glancing blow". So if someone wants to take your gun out of one of those fancy holsters all they have to do is knock you out and take their time pushing the button. anything could replace the butt of a 45 caliber hand gun. when you wake up you would have no idea of which way your gun went. I do not even like modern dentistry. In fact I convinced an air force dentist he did not need to work on my teeth any more, He agreed that my loaded M-16 on full auto pointed between his feet could cause more pain for him than his lousy work caused me.
ReplyDeleteI live in Connecticut and have had a carry permit for over 20 years. Connecticut is pretty much a "shall issue state". For the record, Connecticut DOES IN FACT ISSUE CARRY PERMITS TO NON-CONNECTICUT RESIDENTS. Meaning, that anybody who wants to carry legally in Connecticut can if they fill out the required paperwork/documentation to get a non-resident permit.
ReplyDeleteConnecticut: If you are willing to put up with that, that is your loss. States rights do not even enter into this. the second amendment is in the federal constitution, the states are required to up hold the federal constitution above their own. the supreme court has made it clear in numerous rulings that a citizens rights travel with the citizen where ever that citizen is in this country. You do not lose your rights by crossing a state line. the right to keep and bear arms is a federal right not a state privilege. One state can not tax a person from another state. How many quotes does it take to convince you Conn. Law is unconstitutional. don't brag about being a shall issue state. work to get rid of the unconstitutional permit system.
ReplyDeleteThe states try to back up their reasoning with federal laws. You can not base your thinking on federal laws that are unconstitutional, the problem is that it requires a specific case to be heard by the USSC to over turn the federal law. that is why the USSC rulings over turn all state laws on any issue at the same time. USSC rulings become the controlling law for the nation. recently there was a story about a cop beating a black man in the street for J walking. that cop committed a federal felony assault. because the supreme court over turned all J walking laws many years ago. The USSC over turned all vagrancy laws. You do not have to have a job or a dime in your pocket but recently cops were harassing a vagrant and because he tried to defend himself they shot him. wilful felony murder and criminal assault under color of law. Hang all of those bullies. cops like to claim he was trying to get my gun, well if the cop is committing a felony assault you have the right to try to get the cops gun to stop the assault. when the cop commits a felony assault he is no longer a cop.
ReplyDeleteIn a civil society if the cops state they are going to arrest you. the proper thing to do is surrender, then you have your day in court. the cops are not hired to beat the hell out of you or kill you and then say they are going to arrest you . If the cops blow the procedure that is their fault. If they say they are going to arrest you and you resist they have the authority to use all force necessary. to often the cops initiate the confrontation. cop have no authority to touch you before they say the word arrest. if they do that is assault.
ReplyDelete