Safer to be at an NRA convention than at college

[Robert Hairless]

Has anyone else noticed some of the ironies surrounding the date on which the Virginia Tech shootings took place?

On April 16, 2007, while Cho Seung-Hui was murdering people at Virginia Tech, the NRA had just concluded its 136th annual convention in St. Louis.

Virginia Tech is a "gun free zone." Thanks to its administration and the Virginia legislature, no one can have a gun on its campus legally except the police. In contrast the NRA convention halls were packed with guns of all kinds, all the participants were gun owners, and many of them had concealed weapons permits.

The 2007 NRA convention had a recordbreaking 64,500 people in attendance. In contrast the number of students and faculty of all kinds at Virginia Tech is just 27,124. That includes part timers as well as full timers, and of course not all are on campus at once.

One student murdered 32 people and wounded more than 20 others on one day at gun free Virginia Tech in April. No one was murdered or wounded in several days at the NRA convention.

In fact there have been many murders on America's gun free schools and campuses throughout the years, but no one has ever been murdered at an NRA convention in the 136 years of their history.

As Texas Representative Susanna G. Hupp pointed out, if guns are the problem how come nobody has ever been murdered at an NRA convention while mass murders are committed in gun free zones?

 

[Gene Beasley]

Along with those dreaded gun shows and their loopholes - or ranges - etc.

 

[outerlimit]

A thing that's never pointed out is a majority of these nutcases are either illegals or foreign born. Cho had been here for ten years or so I believe. Three of the alleged terrorist army base plotters were illegals the others were not natives.

The last native nutcase we've had that caused any kind of serious damage was McVeigh.

The problem goes far deeper than just gun free zones. Making college campuses gun zones is a great idea, but is still a band-aid on a gaping headwound. If there's one thing that tells you how much this "war on terror" is a joke, it's our immigration policy. Or lack there-of.

 

[El Tejon]

The boys in Colorado were born in Yemen I believe.

Plenty of homebrewed nut jobs.

 

[ingram]

A thing that's never pointed out is a majority of these nutcases are either illegals or foreign born.

Yeah........... untrue. You are either purposely ignoring most all other school shootings prior or trying to be funny.

How do we go from NRA concealed carry in a convention to "foreigner" bashing? Classic Highroad.

 

[camacho]

A thing that's never pointed out is a majority of these nutcases are either illegals or foreign born.

So were McVeigh, the Columbine killers, Ted Bundy.

Outerlimit, while I agree that our immigration policy is in desperate need of repair I definitely think that crime goes across ethnic lines.

 

[svtruth]

It occured to me

that Jeff Cooper probably fired, or was present when more than a million rounds were fired, and died peacefully at home from natural causes.

 

[outerlimit]

camacho,
you're right, I overlooked the Columbine killers. Although it's still not known how many were actually killed by the SWAT team and not by the killers themselves. I did mention McVeigh in my post in case you misread.

svtruth,
interesting observation and something we should all remember.

 

[Archer1945]

There should have been no guns, other than the displays at this years NRA Show, as the Convention Center is a posted no firearms area. Not only that but it was publized as such. There are also metal detectors all over the Convention Center. I don't know if they were operating but how many people would be willing to take the chance they weren't.

 

[WeThePeople]

There should have been no guns, other than the displays at this years NRA Show, as the Convention Center is a posted no firearms area.

That really burns me. Knob Creek - sidearm zip-tied, Gun shows - sidearm zip-tied, NRA convention - gun free zone.

What in the world are we telling people? That even firearms owners don't trust firearms owners?

I anticipate a whole bunch of reasons why those situations are legitimate. But in the end, they are no different than Sarah Brady's reasons.

 

[Robert Hairless]

There should have been no guns, other than the displays at this years NRA Show, as the Convention Center is a posted no firearms area. Not only that but it was publized as such. There are also metal detectors all over the Convention Center. I don't know if they were operating but how many people would be willing to take the chance they weren't.

Okay, ignore the point that I tried to make--that the convention was packed with guns and gun owners but no one was murdered--and let's go with your point instead.

I stand corrected: the NRA convention was a gun free zone but it had metal detectors all over the Convention Center, which is why no one was murdered there.

That's a good point. Maybe the high body count at Virginia Tech resulted not from its being a gun free zone but that it didn't have metal detectors all over the campus. Let's support having more metal detectors on the campuses of our schools and colleges. After all, even the NRA conventions are gun free zones, right? So gun free zones can work as long as there are enough metal detectors to keep them truly gun free.

Your point is much more useful than mine. Thanks for correcting me.

 

[Car Knocker]

What in the world are we telling people? That even firearms owners don't trust firearms owners?

No, we're telling people that the Convention Center is owned by the local government and they get to make the rules for their property, and the NRA , and its members, have to abide by those rules.

 

[Autolycus]

And that VA Tech was owned by a State government if I am correct...

 

[Jeff White]

There are also metal detectors all over the Convention Center. I don't know if they were operating but how many people would be willing to take the chance they weren't.

I didn't see any or pass through any.

Jeff

 

[Blackfork]

Perhaps White has never been to Camp Perry during the months of July and August where thousands of people have constant access to their own firearms and ammunition, (including children competitiors) -functioning guns that they are firing daily with zero gun related injuries. Those firearms include pistols, rifles and assault weapons with high capacity mags. There are no mass murders, no homicides, no armed robberies, no confrontations with civil authority...no problems. I doubt an abandoned bandanna would be stolen.

And this has gone on for 100 years at Camp Perry, this year. Crime free. Injury free. Police-free.

Contrast THAT with any gun-free zone you care to.

 

[Jeff White]

Blackfork,
Are you talking to me? What does Camp Perry have to do with the fact that I didn't see any metal detectors at the NRA convention?

Jeff

 

[bsf]

Quote:

There should have been no guns, other than the displays at this years NRA Show, as the Convention Center is a posted no firearms area. Not only that but it was publized as such. There are also metal detectors all over the Convention Center. I don't know if they were operating but how many people would be willing to take the chance they weren't.

Okay, ignore the point that I tried to make--that the convention was packed with guns and gun owners but no one was murdered--and let's go with your point instead.

I stand corrected: the NRA convention was a gun free zone but it had metal detectors all over the Convention Center, which is why no one was murdered there.

That's a good point. Maybe the high body count at Virginia Tech resulted not from its being a gun free zone but that it didn't have metal detectors all over the campus. Let's support having more metal detectors on the campuses of our schools and colleges. After all, even the NRA conventions are gun free zones, right? So gun free zones can work as long as there are enough metal detectors to keep them truly gun free.

Your point is much more useful than mine. Thanks for correcting me.

If Archer1945 is correct, then your argument is weak, plain and simple. No need to get sarcastic or uppity w/ him because you made a poor argument. Just devise a better argument. Just so you do not jump all over me, I agree "gun free zones" = "smorgasbords for wolves".

 

[Smurfslayer]

not uncommon

It is not uncommon for the NRA convention to be held in a carry unfriendly venue. It's gotten better over the past few years but it wasn't too long ago ... I remember a recent PA one... the year escapes me...

There is a value to showing the "Good Neighbor" flag certainly, but there is also the other side of the coin which is that it's hypocritical to patronize a gun unfriendly venue....

 

[bsf]

Off topic.

It is unfortunate that some live in gun-hostile areas. It is also understandable that some, especially pro-RKBA activists, might feel abandoned or snubbed. Still, as a matter of principle, I wish the NRA would only hold the annual shindig in gun-friendly convention centers, cities, and states. If there are only a few suitable convention centers in the entire lower 48 that will accommodate gun-toting consumers looking to spend money, I say use the same centers over and over.

 

[sadhvacman]

It's a shame that cho didn't choose to have his murderous rampage at the convention instead. He wouldn't have had the pleasure of blowing his own brains out.

 

[obxned]

The crazies of this world usually pick gun-free zones for their evil. They also seem to quit very quickly when met with armed resistance. I guess being a vile, murderous maniac does not impair your intelligence.

 

[Richbaker]

Quote:"It is unfortunate that some live in gun-hostile areas. It is also understandable that some, especially pro-RKBA activists, might feel abandoned or snubbed. Still, as a matter of principle, I wish the NRA would only hold the annual shindig in gun-friendly convention centers, cities, and states. If there are only a few suitable convention centers in the entire lower 48 that will accommodate gun-toting consumers looking to spend money, I say use the same centers over and over."

Are there any left? I can;t think of any locally...