Past Meetings
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2008 NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits
Later, Special Forces Sgt. 1st Class Greg Stube explained how he and other Green Berets fought thousands of Taliban for days before he was badly wounded. Stube's life was saved by the heroics of his fellow soldiers and the battle was won. Ever humble, Stube recalled that while he lay wounded for a year at an Army hospital, his wife lived out of a suitcase while raising his infant son. "A soldier is only half the story," said Stube. "It's not easy to sit at home and wait for a phone call." Near the end of the forum, Sen. John McCain took the stage. "I've opposed efforts to ban guns," said McCain. "The Second Amendment is unique. To argue anything else is to reject a clear meaning from our founding fathers." McCain promised to put justices on the Supreme Court who believe the U.S. Constitution says what it means and means what it says. He thereby solidified the day's message on American values with a call to action to defend them this November. Inspiration was followed by festivity at the Friday evening, free outdoor concert at Fourth Street Live, hosted by NRA and sponsored by Gander Mountain. Here, NRA members were treated to a toe-tapping set of country music from some of today's top female acts, including Sara Johns, Cowboy Crush and Jennifer O'Neil. NRA's favorite funny man, T. Bubba Bechtol, provided his distinct brand of comic relief.
GETTING DOWN TO BUSINESS
"The reception was incredible," said Blanton. "Afterward, folks came forward wanting to share their stories with me . . . I am truly blessed to see firsthand how many are touched by God." By 10 a.m., it was time to get down to the business at hand. In his Executive Vice President's message, Wayne LaPierre warned that our Second Amendment is facing a "perfect storm"—that anti-freedom forces are pressing forward with their "elite conceit," that American citizens do not have the right to defend themselves. NRA-ILA Executive Director Chris Cox explained how NRA keeps politicians honest about their record on gun rights. "It's gun owners like you who help us keep politicians on the right side of the Second Amendment—or out in the cold," he noted. NRA President John Sigler recalled his travels during the past year, his first as NRA president, meeting gun owners from every walk of life, each of whom enjoy the shooting sports in their own way, but all of whom share one common denominator. "You are all stakeholders in the Right To Keep And Bear Arms," he exhorted the crowd, "and you belong in the NRA. When any gun owner's rights are diminished, every gun owner's rights are endangered." Saturday also featured a special press conference at which Remington introduced the new face of Remington Country. Legendary Green Bay Packer quarterback Brett Favre, after a 17-year career destined to earn him a spot in Canton, has agreed to represent Remington in national advertising campaigns, retail promotions and special events such as industry trade shows and consumer sweepstakes hunts. His focus will be on hunter safety, wildlife conservation and youth programs. (For further information on winning a sweepstakes quail hunt with Favre, visit www.remington.com. To view an online exclusive interview with the three-time NFL MVP or highlights of the 2008 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits, go to www.nrapublications.org.)
FEASTING ON PATRIOTISM
From the National Anthem, performed by Kelly Ford, to the colors presented by the Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, to the video tribute to Charlton Heston and the closing remarks, the banquet exuded red, white and blue. Keynote speaker Glenn Beck, a new NRA Life member and popular radio talk show host, was on the receiving end of several ovations with his witty, yet poignant, remarks about life in today's world. "Where the hell are the real Americans?" Beck asked at the conclusion of a critique about lawmakers, politicians and Washington, D.C., insiders. "I can tell you where they are—lots of them are in this room!" Beck, whose love for America shines through in his appearances, drew emotional responses from the crowd when he declared, "America is a special place. This land has a golden door. We want to do the hard work now so our children don't have to." He drew them in yet again when he threw down the challenge, "Are we a country that can't get it done—a country afraid to stand on our own two feet? Or are we the country that changed the world—that first gave humans the real taste of freedom!?"
IT'S A WRAP
So how successful were the 137th Annual Meetings & Exhibits from the standpoint of those in attendance? "This has been a blast, unforgettable," said Bobby Loftis of the entire event. The NRA- certified firearm instructor from Kentucky was accompanied by his friend, Susan Lewis, and her teenage son, Andrew. "I help out with our local Friends of NRA, and now we come here and actually get to meet (past NRA president) Sandy Froman and (NRA director) Ollie North. This is a great place to bring youngsters." On the vendor side, exhibitor Justin Moon, CEO of Kahr Arms, was also pleased with the outcome. "This is a great opportunity to meet our customers and people we want to be our customers," he said. "One thing about NRA members—they give feedback. And we listen. That's how we are able to make the products that make them happy, that's how we stay in business." Clearly the 2008 NRA Annual Meetings, with its Celebration of American Values, was an emotional highpoint for NRA members in their quest to preserve their Second Amendment rights. Those who attended left re-energized for the work ahead. ON TO PHOENIX The 2009 Annual Meetings & Exhibits will be held May 14-17, 2009 in Phoenix, Arizona. Housing is now open. For more information, logon to www.nraam.org.
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Saturday was even busier than Friday, starting
with the Prayer Breakfast. David Blanton, well-known television producer and
personality from Realtree Outdoors, delivered a powerful message about how he
became too wrapped up in his career, in being a "famous hunter." Then, he said,
at a moose hunt in 1995, God spoke to his heart.
Presentations
and awards are yet another highlight at the Annual Meetings, offering a
way for NRA to honor those who have gone above and beyond. At the
Corporate Executives' Luncheon, held at the home of Bill Samuels, Jr.,
president of Maker's Mark, Senator Phil Gramm and NRA Executive Vice
President Wayne LaPierre thanked over 100 corporate executives for
lending their support to NRA and helping defend the Second Amendment.
J.D. Williams and Ugo Beretta were presented with NRA awards for
distinguished corporate leadership in the advancement of America's
firearm and shooting heritage.
presented in recognition of the various NRA affiliated gun collector
clubs that gather at the Annual Meetings to display their collections
for the public. With 24 affiliated clubs represented at this year's
event, the prestigious NRA Gun Collectors Committee Trophy was presented
to the American Thompson Association for their exhibit entitled "Dr.
Calvin Goddard: CSI St. Valentine's Day Massacre." The exhibit featured
two Model 1921 Thompson Submachine guns that have been forensically
linked to the slugs and empty .45 ACP casings found at the garage
located at 2122 N. Clark Street in Chicago on February 14, 1929.
Of
course, nothing shows the patriotic nature of the NRA, its leaders and its
members like the annual Saturday night
banquet,
and this 137th celebration of freedom was no exception.
For
those who wanted to take home a memento of the occasion, there were a variety of
meeting collectibles for sale at the NRA Store. There were also abundant
opportunities to purchase celebrity-signed books by such notables as former
Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, Ted Nugent, Lt. Col. Oliver North, Glenn Beck,
Marcus Luttrell, Grover G. Norquist and Stephen Halbrook—providing you were
willing to brave the long lines.
