Bring your carry gun

To the NRA Annual Meetings!

One of Louisville’s biggest conventions, the National Rifle Association, begins Friday May 16th with most events at the fairgrounds. The NRA is advising its members to feel free to bring along their own firearms if they are so inclined. And apparently even to a speech by the republican presidential candidate John McCain.

When McCain appears at the NRA convention in Louisville next Friday, not only will his security detail be armed, but so will the audience.

The national rifle association’s Ashley Varner says it’s “a treat” that the Kentucky Exposition Center, unlike previous NRA convention sites, allows concealed weapons.

This is neat on multiple levels for people attending the Annual Meetings and the Blog Bash. First off, since the convention center is allowing carry guns, that means you don’t have to worry about leaving your gun in an unsecure hotel room while you go gallivanting around the convention. Secondly, like Sebastian I’m very pleased that McCain has called off the Secret Service and will allow said permit holders to attend his speech while armed. It shows a tremendous amount of respect for law-abiding citizens, and is an excellent way to start his courtship of the gun owner vote that he will need come November.

Remember, Kentucky honors all carry permits, so it doesn’t matter where you’re from, as long as you have a permit you’re good to carry in Kentucky. Of course, it creates the other question of what carry gun to bring with me to Louisville. Sure, I could just bring my Beretta 92D, but that’s not sufficiently snazzy enough. A good Bar-B-Que gun might be in order to carry to NRA Annual meetings, something with a little bit of class and panache to it would obviously be the order of the day. Maybe my ’37 Brazilian S&W? On the flip side, I’m going to be doing a lot of walking, and I don’t know if I want to be weighed down by a heavy carry piece – I could always go old school and pack a .32 ACP Beretta from WWII, that would be neat-o. Oh, decisions decisions.

Clarification: It seems that the reporter got a little carried and took a bit of “creative license” (I know, I know, a reporter making a mistake – will wonders never cease).  You can carry at the convention center on the convention floor, however security details for McCain’s speech are being kept confidential.

4 Comments

  1. The grounds of the Palace of Versailles were open to the public, at least to the public in decent clothes. There were places in the town that would sell you a bath and rent you court clothes.

    The only other requirement for approaching and speaking to the Sun King was that a man be armed. The rented clothes would include a sword. That had been true since the time of Charlemagne.

    We have come a long way from rule by an absolute divine right king, unfortunately, part of it has been downhill

  2. I don’t think Senator McCain has a Secret Service detail yet (in fact, I found a post confirming it: http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/04/03/mccain_has_not_requested_secre.html ). He may get one when he’s the offical nominee, but he’s technically not yet. Apparently, though, he even wants to reject his presidential detail should he win: http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2007/11/18/mccain_entry.html . OTOH, he does have private security, but presumably the party or his own pocket is paying for them, not the taxpayers.

    Senator Clinton has a Secret Service detail in her role as former First Lady, although I believe it’s reduced from when that was an active title. Senator Obama has had a detail since last year, which, honestly, is probably a good idea.

  3. I don’t know – Kentucky’s laws permit open carry, however I don’t think I’d be willing to test that provision.

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