NRA 'Stand and Fight' convention: Political big guns will be there
Consider it an after-party, victory lap, pep rally, and huddle, rolled into one rollicking shindig. It鈥檚 the National Rifle Association鈥檚 annual convention, held this weekend in Houston, and the timing 鈥� after the gun bill鈥檚 defeat in the Senate聽almost three weeks ago 鈥� couldn鈥檛 be better for the gun rights group.
By our estimation, the gathering of 70,000 NRA members, supporters, and Second Amendment activists will be one part congratulatory back-slapping, one-part good ol' fashioned gun show, and one part strategic planning session for the gun fight ahead.
And boy, is the NRA ready for a fight: Its theme is 鈥淪tand and Fight,鈥� as NRA spokesman .
鈥淥ur theme here is stand and fight,鈥� Mr. Arulanandam said. 鈥淔rom our perspective, this is not over. This is a fight that will take years. And what happened a couple of weeks ago [in the Senate] was the first battle in what will be many battles. But we're prepared for a very long and extensive war.鈥�
War-mongering by a hawkish NRA? Defensive posturing to intimidate gun-control groups? Here鈥檚 what we鈥檝e learned about the gun debate, no matter your stance: If you鈥檙e not actively waging a campaign for your cause, you鈥檙e losing ground.
That point is not lost on gun-control groups. Although the Senate defeat of the gun bill, including its centerpiece provision of expanded background checks, marked an end to one chapter of the gun debate, gun-control groups vow to press on. They鈥檝e taken the fight to the state level and the airwaves, where they鈥檙e pressuring senators who voted against the bill with a shaming campaign of sorts. (Most recent was a headline-making town hall meeting in New Hampshire where gun-control advocates confronted听箩耻苍颈辞谤 Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R) on her "no" vote.)
Those very same gun-control activists will have a presence at the NRA鈥檚 Houston convention, staging rallies and vigils for victims of gun violence outside the convention center.
No surprise, the NRA isn鈥檛 taking this lying down.
The 鈥淪tand and Fight鈥� rally is an opportunity for gun rights supporters to recharge for the political fight ahead. They鈥檝e already begun with TV ads supporting senators who voted against the gun bill 鈥� and, no doubt, are preparing for the 2014 midterm elections.
The rally is also an opportunity to let loose and celebrate their Senate victory, NRA-style.
Imagine flag-draped NRA supporters milling the halls of the George R. Brown Convention Center, the venue itself plastered with bold red, black, and white, eagle-emblazoned .
The speaker line-up is a who鈥檚 who of conservative activists including Texas governor and former presidential candidate Rick Perry (R), former GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin, former US senator and presidential candidate Rick Santorum (R), Sen. Ted Cruz (R) of Texas, and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R).
Oh, and did we mention the headline speaker, conservative favorite Glenn Beck? He headlines the convention鈥檚 centerpiece 鈥淪tand and Fight鈥� rally May 4.
Also on the docket is a gun trade show, antique gun show, prayer breakfast, as well as patriotic concerts and classes on handgun retention, defensive shooting, competition shooting, firearm law, and our favorite, .
On the menu, perhaps? Venison, with a side of victory-fueled strategizing?聽
