| Note: North Carolina State law prohibits the carrying of firearms in the Charlotte Convention Center, and the Time Warner Cable Arena. In addition, the Rules and Regulations of the Charlotte Convention Center prohibit the carrying of firearms in the Center. Pursuant to Time Warner Cable Arena policy, all individuals entering the Arena will be subject to a magnetometer security check. |
This was not a welcoming city. This was not a city that respected the privacy or dignity of 60,000+ guests and more than 150 vendors. This was not a city deserving of $15,000,000 or more of revenue from the NRA, its' members, or its vendors.
This was a mistake.
That a good time was had by many is indisputable. That the event provided aid and comfort to persons and organizations hostile to the NRA's goals and interests is equally indisputable. That many, because of the relevant laws and policies either stayed home or refused to attend the "official" events in the verboten spaces is again equally indisputable.
I do not, and will not, criticize those who were both able and chose to attend - after all, an NRA convention is a big fling and it's not all that often one gets to attend. I applaud those who made the best of a bad situation, particularly and especially folks like Breda who not only made the best of a bad situation - she managed to generate a fair amount of joy and festivity despite amount of fail built into the event by the NRA's bad venue choice.
That said, this needs to be the last time. Regardless of the NRA's pitiful excuse "there's just not that many cities that can do a convention our size", there are sufficient cities that would welcome the NRA, its' members, its vendors, and the vast outpouring of cash resulting from their appearance that the NRA can do without Charlotte and other cities that are either hostile or don't quite get it.
Seattle, Phoenix, Albuqueque, Houston, Dallas, New Orleans (dear gawd, the NRA in New Orleans...what a party!), Miami, Ft Lauderdale, St. Louis, even Tacoma for heavens sake...and if the facility is crowded - so be it. Reward the virtuous and starve the hostiles and the clueless.
No more conventions in anti-gun towns.
I currently live in that sorry-a$$ anti-gun town - making plans to move back to Virginia as soon as I can. Was the event fun? Yeah. Was it kind of a WTF moment with no carry firearms allowed - hell yeah.
ReplyDelete-Scott
Agreed!
ReplyDeleteI don't know if there should be a policy that they will only do the convention in gun friendly cities, but it should certainly be a major factor. Exceptions should be if there's no appropriate venue available in a large area of the country.
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