The theme of the 2011 Gun Rights Policy Conference sponsored by the Second Amendment Foundation and the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms kicked off today, with several hundred gun owners’ civil rights activists from all over the nation in attendance.
Alan Gura, who won the great Supreme Court decisions in Heller and McDonald has more very important cases in the works, and treated the attendees to a briefing on all of the above. Professor Adam Winkler, author of the controversial new book on the firearms control debate, “Gun Fight,” noted that banning guns would in his opinion increase criminal activity and do little good. “I hate people telling me, ‘we have to get rid of all the guns,’” he said. “They don’t understand the lessons of history.”
David Codrea and old friend Dave Workman are the two bloggers who seem to have done more digging into the ATF’s “Fast and Furious” debacle than anyone else, and both were there to put forth details on something that, in a mass media less protective of the current White House occupant, would have been bigger than Watergate. It was bloggers, said Codrea, who outed the whole ugly matter, and he emphasized, “This is not a partisan issue. This is a basic issue of rule of law.”
Chicago was the scene of this year’s event: symbolically, “enemy territory,” and the last state in the union to have zero provision for a law-abiding citizen to carry a handgun in public. They came close in the past year, though, and Rich Pearson and the Illinois State Rifle Association are still trying valiantly. “It’s the Chicago stranglehold,” says Rich.
At this writing, says Gene Hoffman of CalGuns, there are separate bills on California Governor Jerry Brown’s desk to be signed, one banning open carry of unloaded handguns but another that should considerably ease the strictness with which concealed carry permits are administrated under the current system there. Jeff Nass of Wisconsin Concealed Carry, one of my Level IV graduates I’m proud to say, told of the great victory in his state some months ago, proceeding from no carry at all to shall-issue permitting, which will take effect November 1.
Jim Irvine, of Ohio’s Buckeye Firearms Association, thanked Alan Gottlieb and his Second Amendment Foundation crew for the GRPC, noting that the Federal Flight Deck Officer program that armed commercial pilots was born at the Gun Rights Policy Conference ten years ago.
The dreaded UN treaty was thoroughly discussed. It turns out that the Arms Trade Treaty draft does not yet exist. D. Allen Youngman, executive director of the Defense Small Arms Advisory Council, commented, “No congressman or senator ever got elected or reelected by doing favors for the UN, and that’s not going to change.”
There was much more, of course, but that’s all there’s room for now.
The event continues tomorrow, a renewal of the spirit and a recharging of the batteries for those of us who have been in this fight for our entire adult lives.
Flanked by co-plaintiffs David and Colleen Lawson, lead named plaintiff Otis McDonald accepts his award for the civil rights triumph of McDonald, et. al. v. City of Chicago.
Jim Irvine of Buckeye Firearms Association.
David Codrea, a leader in the exposure of the “Fast and Furious” scandal.
The panel on Personal Defense and the Justice System. From left: Chris Bird, Kathy Jackson, Mas.
Found out that SAF arranged for live video and audio streaming of the conference at the last minute. You can catch the remaining day (Sunday) on this website…
http://gunrightsradio.com/live/
Imposing strict gun control on Americans would be easy at this point in time. Since the majority of Americans are now dependent for their economic survival on government transfer payments of some kind (social security, gov’t pensions, food stamps, etc.), all the feds would have to do is declare that anyone who doesn’t surrender his firearms to the government will be permanently denied payments for any and all federal, state & local government programs. The American sheeple wouldn’t be able to line up and surrender their guns fast enough!
I can’t believe the ATF…. sometimes I ask myself were they trying to give guns to the wrong people or were they just that clueless. I can’t decide.
For being as anti-gun as he is, I think Obama has been great for gun rights. I mean look at how many new gun owners the guy has made. NSSF should send him a thank you letter.
Out of curiosity, was there any talk at the GRPC on the National Carry bill? Any predictions for it?
My work takes me from Wisconsin to the Chicago area on almost a daily basis. Saturday I was in Elgin and had thought of heading over to the conference after I was done. Alas, I was too dang tired. I was hoping to catch Mas and a few others and collect the stack of reading material they are supposed to give to all attendees.
On a side note: Mas, I’m quite pleased to say that I’ll finally be meeting you in February when I attend your MAG-40 class in Live Oak. I feel like a kid (albeit a 49 year old one) waiting for Christmas to come around. Thanks for your hard work.
I’d like to see them try that – that’s extreme enough to make some people start handing over their ammo, hot and fast. I also know a bunch of people down here in the South that would happily give up any government benefits to keep their guns.
Mas, I/we so much appreciate your reports and perspective of these important events. Thanks.
Who are those very handsome people in the last pix posted? Us gun folks are some fine looking folks, don’t you think? Way to go 2nd Amendement Association (and Women and Guns of course). And Mas and Kathy – best wishes and hold the line.
Jo Ann Wheatley
Mas, now we know what you were doing Saturday night while we were all having a couple of adult beverages and recording a live show. You’re putting together this excellent article.
Glad we finally had a chance to meet in person just wish we would’ve had more time to talk. But we are both working at the conference.
For all practical purposes Hawaii is as restrictive of concealed carry as Illinois. Yes, there is a provision in law for police chiefs to issue permits in extreme circumstances, and yes, no chief has ever seen such extreme circumstances.
In reality, Hawaii has no legal concealed carry. In fact, even if there is no gun present, it is a misdemeanor to even transport ammunition in your car trunk if you are not traveling between your home and an approved shooting range.
The Hawaii Defense Foundation has recently filed a federal suit against the law and those who enforce it. More here: http://hawaiiccw.com/news/honolulu-police-chief-state-hawaii-sued-amendment-violations/
I was surprised to see that they aren’t challenging the requirement that citizens get the police chief’s permission before acquiring a gun.
Re: Hawaii, I heard somewhere that there are three carry licenses current in Hawaii, and one is held by the Honolulu Police Chief’s brother-in-law. Whether this story is true or not, Hawaii NEEDS “shall issue” without a doubt.
Side story: Whenever I hear about Hawaii and gun issues I remember the (true) story about Jack Lord (of Hawaii 5-0 fame). This very outspoken anti-gun guy (now deceased) had a prowler in his home. He called police who discovered that he kept a revolver (unregistered) on his bedside nightstand. When asked why, he replied, “My life is important and I need it for protection.” I read that as he thought his life was more important than the “peons” so it was ok for him to have a gun but no one else should…
Not to take anything away from Dave Workman, but Mike Vanderboegh belongs with David Codrea as THE two bloggers responsible for exposing the “gunwalker” scandal. How you can ignore Mike’s enormous contribution at Sipsey Street Irregulars is beyond me.
Scott, thank you for the reminder to recognize mr.vanderboegh. Mistake on my part, good catch on yours.
Cordially,
Mas