Official count of attendees has been announced, and it went over 81,000. That’s 81,000 people who came to Atlanta on their own dime, against a few buses full of protesters, many of them doubtless paid to be there. None of whom were at the Convention Center, though it seemed they got about as much publicity as the 81,000 law abiding gun owners. Sigh…
Overall mood of the conference? Solidarity, a definite post-November 2016 victory dance…and enough complacency to worry about. We won a battle, not the culture war that the other side wages on the gun debate.
Sales are down, but in perspective, the general consensus of the industry is that it isn’t a slump, but a return to normalcy. We’ve had a reprieve from a Presidential candidate who demonized guns and their owners. The mad rush to stock up on gun and ammo prior to the election was caused not a panic, but a perfectly logical rush to buy legal firearms before they were banned by malum prohibitum feel-good fiats by what would have been the most anti-gun (and anti-gun owner) President in history had she not been defeated.
Atlanta proved to be a very welcoming city. I drove there, but was told that at the airport, there were “Welcome NRA” signs. If you live in California or Maryland or New Jersey, remember that Georgia accepts refugees.
Some had been worried about “antifas,” the violent self-proclaimed “anti-fascists” who have physically attacked Republicans, Trump supporters, etc. elsewhere. The antifas were notable by their absence. I’m told one of their mottos is “Put Your Fist In A Fascist’s Face,” their definition of “fascist” being anyone they disagree with. How ironic that they don’t understand their behavior is the very exemplar of fascism.
Perhaps they thought if they tried to “Put a Fist in the Face” of an NRA member, they might get a response of “Blast a Bullet Into a Brainless Bully’s Butt.”
Not in the butt – you might hit their pea sized brain….. 🙂
Merle
Wow, great alliteration! Glad to hear of the good times in Atlanta. “Welcome NRA” signs at the airport! What a great indicator of freedom lovers.
So, the Anti-Fascists backed down when there was a possibility of them getting hurt or worse. Sounds like the schoolyard bully. What a country! Protest, burn and break things, and you can do all that while still remaining safe. I heard that in North Korea a man stole some government rope, back in the 1990s, when there was famine, in order to sell it in China. He simply wanted to feed his starving family. He was executed by firing squad for that. Isn’t there an American doing ten years of hard labor in North Korea for trying to smuggle a poster out of the country? I guess the principles of crime and punishment are not universal.
So the firearms buying frenzy has returned to normal after so many years. I wish the ammo companies would over produce, then get a glut in the market and lower the price of ammo. Ahh, we are still free! Too bad we are funding our own destruction with the way our tax money is being used against us.
Antifa violence is conspicuously absent from venues where 2A rights are not infringed.
Funny, that…
Yes, the slow down in firearms sales is not a slump and is just a return to normalcy. My own personal example illustrates this splendidly. In 2008, knowing who was likely to be coming into the White House, I more than tripled my personal inventory of firearms, buying five pistols, two AK-47s, one AR-15, a beautiful old Winchester 94, and a defense shotgun in about a 14 month period of time (the 94 was just purchased because I liked it – I wasn’t worried that lever-action rifles were going to get banned). Then, after the Virginia Tech shooting, I saw a story on Fox News Channel how in response to the tragedy, a Glock dealership was offering any Glock pistol at dealer cost to anyone who had a student ID. Bingo! I was a student at the time and took advantage, buying a 21SF from the dealer at a ridiculously low cost. But since then I haven’t bought any weapons – I feel my personal armory is fully stocked and try as I might, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to shoot more than one gun at a time accurately. 🙂 Seriously, I’ve got enough weaponry now to equip my “inner circle” of people if the SHTF. In this past election cycle, though I really thought the Republican win was a long shot, I didn’t feel the need to buy any more guns since I already had plenty. But if I hadn’t made the mega-purchases in 2008, I most certainly would have this past year.
Last thoughts (if you’re all still with me): NOW IS NOT THE TIME FOR COMPLACENCY. WE NEED TO THINK, WWPD? (WHAT WOULD PATTON DO?).
Mas wrote, “I’m told one of their mottos is “Put Your Fist In A Fascist’s Face,” their definition of “fascist” being anyone they disagree with. How ironic that they don’t understand their behavior is the very exemplar of fascism.”
Yes, I was thinking the same thought as I read the first sentence in your paragraph about the so-called “antifas”. They’re too ignorant to know that they are the embodiment of what they claim to be against. History repeats itself, again and again.
For what it’s worth, I believe that every inflated, over-priced weapon and round of ammunition bought during the Obama years was money well spent. My gut tells me that we are closer to a time we may need those stockpiles than ever before. Obama is starting up activist training, Hillary and the Hillary-ites are calling themselves the “resistance”, and the anarchists are attacking everything resembling a conservative American. Comedian’s “jokes” about the president are becoming more and more vile. Supposedly, now the “liberal/progressives” are buying weapons and getting training to protect themselves from what they perceive as the threat from conservatives.
Our society is deteriorating rapidly. Russia has long predicted our demise would come from within. Pray that they are wrong.
How many are aware of the ambush of a Dallas Fire and Rescue EMT two days ago? It got very little national news media attention as it was going down and no follow up after the details came out. The EMT was grievously wounded with multiple hits from a rifle while treating a gunshot victim (same shooter). It developed into an area shutdown and search, finally locating the shooter, who killed himself, and another deceased victim in a home. The shooter was a “New Black Panther Party” member and also one of the founding members of the “Huey P. Newton Gun Club” that was showcased in the events leading up to the protest march in Dallas last year that culminated in the ambush assassinations of five Dallas Police officers and the wounding of several more. Evidently the national media did not think this incident two days ago merited their attention.
From what I’m reading Anti-Fa was given their name by the media. Now at least some of them are calling themselves New Fascists. An honest descriptor. Still though, a troublesome bunch we could do without.
“Antifa” violence is notably absent when ANYBODY stands up to them. Perhaps one or maybe two people in that crowd of masked cowards will stand forward of their sheep to shout through their masks, but as soon as they are rebuffed they wet their pants and retreat among the sheep.
Mercifully, such BS has stayed away from my hometown but being home of a major Liberal University in New Haven CT (which I shall not name, of course) it is still very likely to arrive eventually.
And I’m still praying over here…
@ Dennis,
Thanks for the tip about the Dallas EMT shooting. Interesting story.
No, I did not know about it because it did not get much play in the Mainstream Media (MSM). The MSM are only interested in stories that fit the left-wing narrative. This story did not contain the elements that they like to see.
For example. The shooter was Black. That is no good for them. They want the shooter to be white or, at least, a “White Hispanic”. It is the victims that they want to be non-white. That way, they can play the “Race Card” in the story.
It is also good if the story can be made to fit their “Anti-gun” narrative. In this case, the weapon used is described as a “High-powered Rifle”. That could be anything from a .22 to a deer rifle. The MSM are woefully ignorant about firearms and have little or no knowledge about the true power of various cartridges.
I am guessing that the rifle was not of the AR or AK type. If it was, the MSM would be twisting the story into yet another call for an “Assault Weapon” (whatever that is! 🙂 ) ban.
As a general rule, though, stories that don’t play to the left-wing narrative are not “news-worthy” to the MSM.
” “Put Your Fist In A Fascist’s Face,” their definition of “fascist” being anyone they disagree with. How ironic that they don’t understand their behavior is the very exemplar of fascism. ” How frickin’ true . . .
” Perhaps they thought if they tried to “Put a Fist in the Face” of an NRA member, they might get a response of “Blast a Bullet Into a Brainless Bully’s Butt.” ”
Although of course this would only be an appropriate response if the NRA member believed that their life was in danger and that using lethal force was the only viable option.
Just sayin’
‘Anti-FA’ (anti-First Amendment?) fascists only come out to play when they are assured of police support. That’s not a dig on the vast majority of decent cops, but some agencies are definitely protecting them.
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