NRA Pulls Convention Out Of Columbus (Assault Weapons Ban Blamed For Decision)

WCMH-TV Columbus, Ohio ^ | July 18, 2005

[Columbus Dawg]

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The National Rifle Association announced Monday that it would not hold its 2007 national convention in Columbus as planned.

The announcement came one week after City Council passed an assault weapons ban, NBC 4's Kyle Anderson reported.

NRA officials said the group would return once the state legislature enacts a pre-emption that would overturn the Columbus ban, Anderson reported.

Local convention officials said the three-day convention would have brought 60,000 people and $15 million to the local economy.

The officials had hoped the speculation would not prove true, and as of late last week said it had not heard anything from the NRA, Anderson reported.

Watch NBC 4 and refresh nbc4i.com for additional information.

[bobjam]

Medium large and large cities across America have invested millions of dollars in convention centers in a bid to make money off out-of-town visitors. It's the "If you build it, they will come" mentality. Pulling out of Columbus is not only a publicity blow to the city, it is an economic disaster.

[brazzaville]

Good morning.
"...any type of gun that goes BANG, BOOM, THUMP, THUD, BASH."

I'm fond of the CLUNK when the bolt on a suppressed M-3 slams forward.

Michael Frazier

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Good !

[brazzaville]

Good morning.
"I wish the NRA would come to Wisconsin."

I think they should come to California. Throw the 2nd Amendment in the faces of the statist swine and launch a public fight for a repeal of the "assault weapons" and .50 BMG bans.

Michael Frazier

[coloradan]

And bring $50 million to the Kali economy? Nope.

[Dan from Michigan]

They probably do run it, but it's only a little more than an hour from where I live. :)

[Ghengis]

Lt. Rick Zwayer, spokesman for the Highway Patrol, said the agency has not taken an official position on the forthcoming bill. But the agency doesn’t see a need to change the current law, and he disagrees there has been trouble interpreting it.

"It has proven so far to be safe for passengers in the vehicle and the officers who are performing traffic stops on a daily basis," he said. "The law is safe as it is."

Gun safety statements coming from the agency that injured one of their own in a circular shootout with an armed subject on I-71.

I know many an Ohio police officer that loathe the Ohio State Patrol's weapons handling and training methods (along with their political lobbying). A retired Columbus SWAT officer just told me a few weeks ago, "If there is a single police agency in Ohio that should keep their mouth shut on firearms issues, it is the Ohio State Patrol. They are the most dangerous group I have ever trained with."

He gave me the Kehoe shootout as evidence that this point of view is accurate.

[kAcknor]

"I am not aware of any instances where there was harm from the release of the lists."

Blind man leading.

Mr. Deaner of the Ohio Newspaper Association fails to see that indiscriminately releasing the names of permit holders is at best gossip and at worst a political action advocating a particular course of public policy.

Neither one is part of the media's "watchdog" role.

[Columbus Dawg]

I have the same experiences with police officers as well. They all are very critical of the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

[jaaakemm]

Yep .... same platitude spewing hookie-bookie mayor that continues to stonewall (along with the leisure suit wearing watermelon school superintendent) the sexual gang bang activity that occurred earlier this year in a Columbus city school.

Yep .... same platitude spewing hookie-bookie mayor that just floated down the Scioto River this weekend on some sort of raft or boat while holding flaming torches celebrating what I'm not sure ….. almost resembled a nazi book burning ceremony.

Yep .... same platitude spewing hookie-bookie mayor that floated down the Scioto River this weekend past all the flag poles on Marconi Blvd that have in the past flown the American flag along with all fifty state flags ….. now only 50+ Columbus city flags fly because some of the other flags “offended” his highness the mayor.

[brazzaville]

Good morning.
"And bring $50 million to the Kali economy? Nope."

What was I thinking? Of course it is better to deny a state with a trillion dollar economy $15 million than to stick it to the enemy in their own backyard.

Michael Frazier

[dc27]

I just got of the phone with the NRA, thanking them for their decision to pull out of Columbus. I am a member as well.

[coloradan]

I would rather the NRA bring its business to a state that just did the right thing, (f.ex became shall-issue) instead of one that just did the wrong thing (f.ex banning .50s). The "message" of the NRA sticking it to Kali would be lost on the Kali legislatures, media, and most of the general public. OTOH the message of losing many millions of dollars in revenue would register quite loudly, in fact, it's exactly what the NRA has done to Columbus by pulling out.

Should the NRA re-book Columbus, to stick it to them despite a bad law just being enacted? No! Money talks, and in this case money walks. Bye bye Columbus. And Kali too.

[2nd_Amendment_Defender]

The National Rifle Association is sending a message to all the gun haters with this action.

The message is:

[brazzaville]

Good afternoon.
"Bye bye Columbus. And Kali too."

Don't mean nuthin. NRA wrote California off years ago. The only time we hear from them now is when they want money and it doesn't look like a lot that comes back to us in lobbying Sacramento.

To my mind, GOA and California Rifle and Pistol Association are better situated to be advocates for Californians but I will still maintain my membership in NRA just because of the size of the organization's war chest.

Michael Frazier

[BurbankKarl]

The NRANews wouldnt load for me today...guess they were overwhelmed with viewers...

They should only move it to a state and city that allows CCW, etc.

[coloradan]

I agree, I think the NRA should and does spend most of its chest fighting things at the federal level, so what any given state wants to do, is either up to the state-level NRA affiliate, or to another organization.

[Shooter 2.5]

If you're a member of the NRA, please put the initials in your tagline. If not, please join.

Thanks

[rw4site]

Excerpted comments from NRA EVP Wayne LaPierre:
1. "And your city council didn’t learn how voters react to politicians who abuse their Second Amendment freedoms — like Al Gore, John Kerry and Tom Daschle."
2. "It’s also proof for state lawmakers that it’s time to protect lawful gun owners by making firearm laws uniform across Ohio."

1. Short of armed confrontation with lawmakers, not voting for one is the next best thing.
2. I have to wonder why W LaP would take this stand if he truly believes in the Second Amendment. Uniform laws? Hell No! No laws!