Second Amendment Blog Bash

Friday night’s Happy Hour with Michael Bane and many wonderful industry folks was a resounding success. As we were winding down for dinner, Para USA had Todd Jarrett stand up to announce a great opportunity for Blog Bash bloggers:

Bloggers who registered for & attended the Second Amendment Blog Bash are eligible to win a weekend in August training at the Blackwater USA facility with practical shooting champion Todd Jarrett.

With only 10 spots available, winner selection methods will be announce shortly. The blogroll will be updated with those who actually attended, and we’ll pick on the rest for next year.

Sebastian’s presentation on new media at the NRA Meeting:

This guest post comes from  Jeb Bradley who is running to represent New Hampshire again.  He submitted this post for bloggers and commenters enjoying the events in Louisville.

Dear Friends and Readers-

I am sorry that I can’t be there with you all at this year’s NRA Convention in Kentucky, when I served in Congress I was proud to work in New Hampshire and in our nation’s capitol in support of the 2nd Amendment.  I earned an A rating from the National Rifle Association because of my strong support for the rights of Americans to keep and bear arms.

Unfortunately, my Democrat opponent Carol Shea-Porter apparently does not share the belief that Americans have the right under our Constitution to own a firearm in order to defend their lives, liberties, and loved ones.  I posted the following on my website about her refusal to sign a letter urging the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the Washington, D.C. gun ban.

“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

The Second Amendment of the United States Constitution is fundamental to the right of individual Americans to keep and bear arms in order to defend their lives, loved ones, and property. The Second Amendment is enshrined in our Constitution much in the same way as freedom of speech or religion.

Unfortunately not every local government has the same clear view of the Constitution, and so for a number of years law abiding citizens in the District of Columbia have been banned from legally owning and possessing fire arms. A case recently argued before the US Supreme Court will hopefully restore the rights of DC residents to possess a gun.

Mr. Dick Heller, a Washington DC security guard brought suit against the gun ban. As a security guard he is utilizes a weapon for his job—-but is not legally entitled to own a gun in Washington DC.
250 members of the US House recently signed a brief to the Supreme Court urging that the gun ban be overturned and DC residents be able to own firearms as other Americans are entitled to. Conspicuously absent from signing that brief is Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter.  By not signing the brief, it is clearly evident that Shea-Porter does not support the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution.

When I served in Congress, I was proud to have earned an “A” rating from the National Rifle Association for supporting the 2nd Amendment and the right of individual Americans to keep and bear arms. When the issue of overturning the DC gun ban and restoring DC residents 2nd Amendment rights came before Congress in 2004, I voted to scrap the ban. (Roll Call 477 on September 29, 2004: HR-3193) Furthermore I was a co-sponsor of this important legislation.

It is my hope that the Court will rule clearly and convincingly on the side of Mr. Heller and proponents of the 2nd Amendment. I intend to remind NH voters of the differences between myself and Carol Shea-Porter on this issue so critical to the individual liberties of all Americans.

During the years I served in Congress there were several other 2nd Amendment issues that were noteworthy. I did not support a ban on so-called “assault weapons” and thankfully it was not renewed by Congress. The House and Senate passed legislation which became law to protect gun manufacturers from frivolous lawsuits. I was a co-sponsor of this legislation (HR-800) and voted for it (Roll Call 534 10/20/2005).

I also co-sponsored legislation (HR-3436) which would have withheld funding from the United Nations if it undermined rights of Americans guaranteed by the 2nd Amendment. Lastly, I co-sponsored legislation that would establish a national standard (reciprocity) for carrying of concealed firearms. This legislation (HR-4547) would make it possible for non-residents of a state to legally carry concealed weapons.

I look forward to returning to Congress to fight for American’s rights to keep and bear arms, and hope for a successful convention.
Very Sincerely Yours,

Jeb Bradley

Tonight the Press Office is closing at 5pm for the Annual Banquet.

If you want an individual tour of their products when the floor opens at 9am, go to booth 1023 and let them know you are with the Blogger Bash.

UPDATE: The Press Office also has a delayed opening.

Listen to this great speech by Marcus Luttrell, author of Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10.

UPDATE: The speeches from the Leadership Forum are now posted on the Second Amendment Blog Blast Channel.

• Those who were unable to exchange their banquet tickets earlier this morning should be able to now in the Press Office.
• GunsAmerica.com is sponsoring a “Guns are an Individual Right” Giveaway.

The first evening was a resounding success, even if rainy and humid. However, Glenn Reynolds still managed to sit down and opine on the state of pro-gun politics over the last decade and a half.

Don’t just blog about your time in Louisville, share it with your readers and other bloggers in new ways.  Follow the Twitter account for the latest updates, join the Flickr group to post your photos, and follow the soon to be launched Eyeblast channel for video.

View Larger Map

The map above outlines the directions from the Kentucky Expo Center to the Bass Pro Shops, site of the Friday night Happy Hour sponsored by Michael Bane. For those of you who will have transportation, or plan to get a cab, the address is 951 E. Lewis & Clark Pkwy., Clarksville, Indiana.

View Larger Map

Those of you who are arriving on Thursday shouldn’t miss out on the meet and greet with NRA-ILA Public Affairs staff at 6:30pm at the Maker’s Mark Bourbon House & Lounge located in Downtown Louisville’s Fourth Street Live. Above is a map from the Kentucky Expo Center.

By now all of the registered bloggers should have received information about check-in to receive their media credentials by email.  If you did not receive this information, please email me at organizer -at- 2ablogbash -dot- com, and I’ll be happy to respond.

Banquet keynote speaker Glenn Beck has declared this week to be “Gun Week” on his shows.  It starts out with this interview with Chris Cox, head of NRA-ILA.  Obviously, the week will conclude with his speech in Louisville.

For those of you flying in, you might be interested in this new offer from NRA:

NRA has arranged Airport Shuttle Transportation with Sandollar Limousine.

For pick up upon arrival into Louisville International Airport, proceed to Baggage claim, and then go to Ground Transportation. Once outside you will go to the “Hotel-Motel Shuttle Area” between the green pillars. Look for the Sandollar vehicle with the NRA signage.

If the shuttle is not there shortly after your arrival, call (502) 561-4022.

Airport Shuttle to Downtown Louisville and Southern Indiana Hotels is $10 per person one way.

Airport Shuttle to the Kentucky Expo Center and Surrounding Area Hotels is $4 per person one way.

We previously posted a very thorough overview of Kentucky’s concealed carry laws provided by a local blogger GreatBlueWhale. Today we received a report about a change with at least one local museum in time for the NRA meeting. Chaz reports:

The GOOD NEWS is the the Frazier Historical Museum, just down the street from the Louisville Slugger, has now taken down their “no weapons” signs and informs us that they welcome CCDW permit holders as long as they observe the laws pertaining thereto. Their web site is http://www.fraziermuseum.org and if you love edged weapons, firearms of all types and all ages and the history that surrounds them they you’re going to LOVE this place! They even have a large section of arms on loan from the Tower of London armory!

By all means, if you love history and guns and knives and swords, take the time to visit the Frazier museum, you’ll have a ball. They have fencing demonstrations in addition to the static displays, and the layout is as modern as it gets, very nicely done.

He goes on to mention another local museum that is sticking to its (lack of) guns policy.

Unfortunately, some few places still haven’t gotten the word and they prohibit legal CCDW on their premises and in their buildings. Sadly, one of those is the Louisville Slugger museum, where they show you how they make the famous hardwood baseball bats. Their website is at http://www.sluggermuseum.org. They have signs posted on their doors prohibiting lawful citizens from exercising their right to carry in their building. Sounds to me like a reason not to go there, if that’s what they want.

That’s too bad to hear.

I’ll add one final personal thought about carry. I’ll premise this with the fact that I don’t know what the situation will be until we arrive, but this is based on previous experiences.

With Senator McCain now a confirmed speaker at the event, those attending the Leadership Forum on Friday might want to reconsider carrying that day if they were planning on doing so while in Louisville. Last month, McCain accepted Secret Service protection. I can’t speak for the exact set up this year, but when Vice President Cheney spoke in Pittsburgh, the Secret Service did send everyone through a metal detector at the entrance to the room. I can only assume it will be the same. Should the policy be the same this year, please understand that it is out of the hands of NRA. Ask anyone who was waiting to eat in Pittsburgh that evening…

UPDATE: The day after I posted this, it has been announced that the Secret Service will not be an issue and carry will be allowed to the event.

UPDATE II: Looks like the report is potentially false. I would play it safe on Friday and not carry to the McCain event based on previous experience with the Secret Service.

UPDATE III: It is confirmed, there is no carrying in the Leadership Forum.

Scott Bach serves on the Board of Directors of the National Rifle Association, but his involvement doesn’t end there. Scott is also the President of the Association of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs, the Garden State’s NRA affiliate that also runs the Cherry Ridge Range, and a contributer to NJ Voices, a series of blogs run by the Star-Ledger.

Scott will be dropping by to chat with bloggers during the Second Amendment Blog Bash, so I  sent a few questions his way to find out more about his thoughts for new media and the Second Amendment rights movement.

2ABB: Your blog is one of two pro-Second Amendment blogs in the nation to be affiliated with a mainstream media outlet (The New Jersey Star-Ledger and NJ.com). How did your blog come about?

SB: When a prominent gun ban extremist was given a blog by the media outlet, I requested equal time. The request was greeted with some skepticism and a challenge to first demonstrate my qualifications. After presenting copies of two full-length op-ed pieces of mine that the media outlet had previously published, as well as other credentials, there was no rational basis on which the outlet could refuse and the blog was hesitantly (at first) approved.

2ABB: What differences are there between pro-gun blogging on a mainstream media outlet and blogging on a “private” outlet?

SB: Because the blog reaches a mainstream audience rather than just those interested in the issue, the writing must be based on the assumption that many readers will have no familiarity with the subject matter. At the same time, the writing must also be sophisticated enough to interest the pro-gun community, forceful enough to dispel anti-gun myths, persuasive enough to influence policy makers, and adept enough to avoid giving skeptical editors a reason to terminate the blog. It also needs to be concise, punchy, and educational enough to keep everyone’s interest. It’s quite a task.

2ABB: You have a website, something that’s not common for NRA Board Members. Before you began blogging for the Star-Ledger, did you consider starting a blog on your own page?

SB:I considered starting my own blog in 2003 at the urging of a dear friend in the blogging community, but concluded that I would not have sufficient free time to do it justice back then. But that friend’s suggestion planted an important seed that sprouted when the Star-Ledger opportunity presented itself.

2ABB: Have you received any feedback from New Jersey gun owners about your blog posts?

SB: Actually, I receive a surprising amount of positive feedback about the blog from around the country. I have also learned that it is read by a number of New Jersey mainstream media editors and writers, legislators, and of course, local and national gun ban groups. I have even drawn the fire of the Huffington Post.

2ABB:What do you view as the most important role of the blogosphere in shaping the pro-gun debate?

SB: In my view, rapid and widespread dissemination of information and advocacy is one of the blogosphere’s key roles right now. While our ability to reach the world in an instant is at unprecedented levels, we must always remember that the quality of the message delivered is more important than the method by which it is disseminated.

2ABB: Blogger SayUncle has said that bloggers are the grassiest of grassroots. Do you agree with this, or do you think traditional outreach efforts are still the core of the movement? Is there room for the two to merge?

SB: I actually agree with both statements, because I believe we are in a transition that will span several generations. There are still large numbers of people who are either not online or not fully comfortable being online. Until everyone is online, traditional outreach efforts should and must continue in parallel with blogging efforts. Eventually the two will merge, of necessity. It is also possible that other technologies will evolve and supercede what we now know as blogging, in the same way that music downloads are now displacing CDs.

2ABB: Beyond politics, do you see any role for blogs or other web technology and communities in the shooting sports? As the president of a state association with a very busy range, do you see how ranges could benefit from an active online presence?

SB: Absolutely. Electronic media offer unlimited possibilities to the shooting community, from marketing and communications to training and everything in between. The now-embryonic field of “haptics,” or force-feedback computer and peripheral technology, is of special interest to me. When fully developed, I believe it has the potential to provide realistic firearms training in any environment. In the meanwhile, we’ll have to settle for the mundane, and in that vein, I’m pleased to report that the NJ State Association range may be the first range in the nation to provide free WiFi in its club house.

2ABB: Do you think being active in the pro-gun web community has given you special insight into concerns of NRA members that has helped you in your role on the Board?

SB: Being active in the pro-gun web community has helped me interact very efficiently with more members than ever before possible. I am able to get feedback, and be responsive, with tremendous speed.

2ABB: More than 60,000 people are expected in Louisville at a time when we could be mere weeks away from the decision in Heller. Do you have any predictions for what the atmosphere will be like?

SB: The atmosphere is going to be electric. Between the anticipation surrounding Heller and the daily unfolding Presidential election drama, we’re going to get charged up in a big way, as only defenders of Freedom can. See you there!