2007 NRA Annual Meeting and Exhibits Review

Note: I was going to spare you guys the boring (to some) full report I put on the Ohioans For Concealed Carry website last Sunday (April 15), just throw up some pics, and spend most of the time talking about the freaking awesome Budweiser event... but I don't feel like writing up something new. So here's how I spent April 12-15.

OFCC President Jeff Garvas and I were fortunate enough to attend the 136th NRA Annual Meeting and Exhibits this past weekend in St. Louis, Missouri. Joanna, my beautiful and gun-loving wife, also joined me. How lucky can one guy be? While extremely tiring, we were able to attend informative and inspirational seminars, meet personally with key NRA staff to discuss pertinent Ohio issues, and walk in complete awe through acres of firearm exhibits and vendor booths that made up the largest convention of any kind that St. Louis has ever hosted. This was my first NRA Convention and I can tell you that it certainly won't be my last! I urge any freedom-loving American that has not yet attended this wonderful event to do so at their earliest convenience. Luckily for Ohioans, the 2008 Convention will be held on May 16-18 in nearby Louisville, Kentucky. All NRA members and their immediate family are not charged general admission.

Before I continue with a more detailed recap of the weekend's activities, I do need to fulfill a promise...

Jeff and I were lucky enough to share a few minutes with NRA Executive Director Wayne LaPierre at Saturday night's Annual Members' Banquet. We were able talk with Mr. LaPierre about OFCC's recent win in the appeal against Clyde, OH. As soon as I handed him my business card and mentioned that we represented OFCC, he looked me straight in the eye and said, "Ohioans For Concealed Carry? You guys have been doing great work in Ohio. We're very proud. Make sure to tell your members how much we appreciate all that they do for the Second Amendment. We're all in this together." Needless to say, each and every one of you should feel very proud of your individual efforts that have yielded our recent successes in Ohio. Wayne LaPierre, the NRA, and OFCC sincerely thank you!



Now, on to what I hope can be a full report to our loyal members and supporters...

Joanna and I arrived in St. Louis Thursday afternoon so we could get the sight-seeing out of the way early and devote all of our energy to the upcoming Convention. The first thing I noticed in exploring the beautiful city was the overwhelming support that St. Louis provided to the NRA and the nearly 70,000 participants that booked hotel rooms, ate in local restaurants, and shopped in local stores. Every storefront window had a sign welcoming the NRA and residents were extremely friendly. However, as expected, there were a few anti-gun zealots interviewed on local news programs giving illogical statements like "St. Louis has fought hard to keep guns off our streets and now the NRA is flooding the convention center with Assault Weapons." Well, I'm here to tell you that I spent almost every waking moment of this weekend in that convention center and I did not hear of one incident involving display firearms causing havoc, even if some did happen to have evil cosmetic accessories like a pistol grip or adjustable buttstock.

Friday morning began with the NRA Institute for Legislative Action (ILA)'s Grassroots Seminar. This event gathered hundreds of dedicated activists from all over the country to learn how to be a more effective grassroots activist. There were specific tasks outlined that the NRA-ILA asked us to pass on to other like-minded individuals.

--Election Volunteer Coordinators (EVC): Do you ever wonder how you can help more in times of election? Hopefully you are aware of the efforts organized locally by Ohioans For Concealed Carry. All Second Amendment advocates should also contact the NRA and get in touch with their EVCs to learn how to help pro-gun candidates. A few hours of your time can make the difference in a close campaign. Some activities include voter registration drives, yard sign distribution, and door-knocking. You can use this interactive map to contact your local EVC or volunteer to become one yourself.

--Frontline Volunteers: Local EVCs rely on active people that donate their time and energy as Frontline Volunteers. To get directly in the political fight for firearm freedom, visit this page to specify which activities are most suited to your talents. I am happy to report that the Grassroots Seminar yielded several hundred people gratiously choosing to become Frontline Volunteers. This segment of the program forced me to realize that with people like Hillary Clinton campaigning every day on platforms that will take away our freedoms, we can not wait until 2008 to get in the game.

--Second Amendment Activist Centers: NRA-ILA is setting up partnerships all across the country with businesses that choose to become official Activist Centers. This mutually beneficial relationship is really rather simple. Businesses distribute NRA-ILA materials to customers and receive priceless publicity in NRA correspondence with local residents. Firearm and sports stores are prefered for this program, but it's certainly not a requirement. Please visit this page if you can recommend a good candidate to become a Second Amendment Activist Center.

--Contacting Lawmakers: The Grassroots Seminar provided a wealth of information regarding the best way to contact your legislators and public representatives. While it's important to regularly speak with federal and state officials, we must also be diligent in local affairs. Obviously, the most effective method of communication is:

----Personal Visits: Contact your representative ahead of time, inform them that you are a constituent, and attempt to make an appointment. If you are unable to speak directly with your rep, then be sure to request a meeting with someone that handles firearm issues specifically. Dress professionally, be polite, and (even though they work for you) make them aware that you appreciate their time. Always ask for any statement they make to be provided in writing so that you can remind them of their promise/stance at a later date. Follow up with a thank you letter.

----Handwritten Letters: When personal visits are not possible, written correspondence is the next best thing. Be sure to reference the bill number or specific issue, stick to one topic per letter, and request a written reply with their official position.

----Phone Calls: While not as effective as the above methods, we should still be making regular phone calls to our representatives. Why? Because they are easy. If you can not speak directly with your official, ask to speak with the Chief of Staff or an aide that works directly with firearm issues. Reference the specific bill number and request a written reply.

----Emails: At the bottom of the totem pole are emails. However, like phone calls, they are easy and can be done quickly. Follow the same general guidelines noted above.

One important thing that I learned throughout these presentations is that NRA-ILA asks that you forward any written correspondence stating a representative's position to them. I was not aware that they keep diligent records regarding what a public official says to their constituents. Having proof come through each of us makes their records much more valuable. Another small suggestion that wasn't mentioned that I always try to implement is to politely inform the official how you plan to share this information with others. Simply saying that you look forward to informing members of OFCC, gun clubs, community organizations, work, or just your poker buddies could have a positive influence on the encounter.

Executive Director Wayne LaPierre, President Sandra Froman, NRA-ILA Executive Director Chris Cox, and other NRA officials periodically addressed the Grassroots Seminar with motivational words informing us about dangerous legislation currently in Congress like the H.R. 1022 "Assault Weapon" Ban and numerous attempts to close the non-existent "Gun Show Loophole". They also gave updates on progress of pro-gun legislation like the DC Personal Protection Act, the BATFE Modernization Act, and National Right To Carry bills. Please make sure to contact your U.S. legislators in opposition to and support of these respective bills.

After a quick bite to eat, we were off to attend the official Opening Ceremonies for the weekend. This was a spectacular event that included key speeches, musical entertainment by Ty England, and Missouri Governor Matt Blunt making NRA history by signing Missouri's version of Katrina Legislation into law during the ceremony. As you may know, this law will prohibit the confiscation of firearms from law-abiding citizens during times of national emergency that tragically occured in the wake of Hurrican Katrina. The citizens of Missouri will never have to undergo the forceful confiscation of self-defense tools that took place in New Orleans.



We were forced to alter our Saturday schedule a bit, but it was for a superb reason! We were able to sit down with key NRA legal representatives to discuss the incredible news of OFCC's successful appeal against the city of Clyde's illegal ban of firearms in their city parks. These morning meetings turned into a whirlwind of activity that allowed us to meet with other members of NRA leadership, appear live on NRA News' flagship program Cam & Company, and discuss the impact of this monumental litigation with the esteemed Director of Research Dave Kopel of The Independence Institute, one of our country's leading non-partisan free market think tanks.





We had to physically break ourselves away from celebrating the Clyde decision and skipped lunch in order to hurry to an inaugural panel session entitled "In Their Own Words". Where Friday morning's Grassroots Seminar provided an opportunity for NRA staff to speak to us about activism, this event allowed individual grassroots volunteers from around the country to talk about their pursuits and answer questions from fellow NRA members.

After the "In Their Own Words" presentations, Joanna and I stopped by for a quick opportunity to meet world class exhibition shooter Tom Knapp before heading to the hotel in preparation for the evening's main festivities, the Annual Members' Banquet.

We arrived at the banquet's preliminary reception and was lucky enough to meet with other OFCC members that made the trip to St. Louis. After sharing a few stories, it was time to find our tables and got to meet even more fine folks from Ohio! We all settled in for a delicious meal, entertainment from comedian T. Bubba Bechtol, and the keynote address from former United Nations Ambassador John Bolton. Ambassador Bolton spoke of the hard work that he has performed on our behalf in keeping international anti-gun forces away from the freedoms upon which America is founded.

At the conclusion of the Members' Banquet, one thousand lucky guests were bussed to the Anheuser-Busch Budweiser brewing facilities for an exclusive event that featured entertainment, free food, and free specimens of Budweiser's finest products. I won't mention at this time who was better at the interactive video trap shooting tent in the late hours of Saturday night, but let's just say that there's a reason why the President and Founder of OFCC didn't form a non-profit clay sports organization.

Sunday morning came much too quickly after only a few hours of sleep and brought a sad reminder that we were leaving 70,000 like-minded individuals that are steadfast in the defense of our innate right to keep and bear arms. We weren't looking forward to rejoining Ohio's freezing spring temperatures.

I hope that this brief account of my experience at the 136th NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits will convince you to attend next year's event in Louisville. Hopefully, the NRA will soon fulfill their promise and bring it back to Ohio now that we have defeated Columbus' Assault Weapon Ban! There truly is nothing like this event held by our nation's most effective firearm rights defense organization.