This is the courthouse the Dred Scott case was first heard in.
Month: April 2012
Observations on St. Louis for NRAAM
We’re staying at the same hotel we did in 2007, the last time NRA was in St. Louis for the Annual Meeting. Our first observation was that the hotel is much improved. When it was suddenly sold at the last minute, I was very concerned. However, the upgrades are very nice.
More importantly for purposes of this blog, I couldn’t help but notice far more people showing up to pre-register for the events that start tomorrow. I realize that NRA now schedules more on Thursday than they have in the past, but this was nuts to see people just heading back to the registration booth that’s open today. Tomorrow, and throughout the weekend, far more registration areas open, and it sounds like they will need them.
The hotels surrounding the convention center are bustling. Our hotel is across the street, and there has been a steady stream of cars pulling to drop off and check in, and many exhibitors are spotted in the hallways. The lobby of another hotel where we met with some staff members was a hub of activity as well.
While some St. Louis lawmakers may be protesting our appearance in this city, it’s clear that the staff at eateries and hotels are not with them on that. They have been nothing but welcoming and pleasant.
I still can’t believe that any prostest permit was honestly granted for the sidewalk outside of the convention center with so many expected to be inside. That area was already a bit crowded with a line today just for the Guns & Gold event – an Antique Roadshow-type show for guns. And I did get a kick out of NRA Secretary Jim Land helping out and checking out the guns. To me, that kind of illustrated that even though NRA might have professional staff, the vast majority came to NRA because they really love what’s important about the issue.
So, overall, signs point to a very busy weekend for NRA members in St. Louis. I’ll be tied up much of tomorrow morning with a meeting, presentation, then heading over to the Leadership Forum to cover the political news. At some point this weekend, I hope to cover some stuff from the floor, but mostly the people. Much like last year, I want to talk to real NRA members about the political scene.
Differences
I’ve been to every NRA Annual Meeting since 2004, save Houston in 2005 when I was starting a new job the week prior. At nearly every convention, businesses and staff typically welcome NRA members with open arms. Residents may not love the extra traffic, but they usually tolerate things for purposes of the millions of dollars NRA infuses into the local economy. (The exception may be Pittsburgh last year where, from what I was told, horrible is too kind for describing the traffic.)
There is one group that always seems to fret about the arrival of so many NRA members coming to town – bureaucrats. No Lawyers has a great illustration of that effect in St. Louis that appears to have just happened this morning. I guess that is the government worker’s version of a welcome sign.
UPDATE: According to a staffer here on the ground who saw the signs after they went up today, he says that not only are they new, but they are insanely huge. In other words, it leaves me wondering if, based on his description of how absurdly large some of these signs are, some bureaucrat seems to have been trying to send a message that gun owners aren’t welcome.
Charges Expected Against Zimmerman
Looks like the special prosecutor is going to bring charges. Probably manslaughter charges. The question is: will manslaughter appease the mob? Or will the media renew calls for Zimmerman’s lynching?
This is what justice looks like. Now the true facts will come out.
UPDATE: Nope, it’s 2nd degree murder. Either there is some new evidence in this case that we have not yet seen, or the special prosecutor has gone with total mob appeasement on a charge she knows the can’t win. If that’s the case, the hot potato now goes to the just who has to decide on Zimmerman’s eventual motion for immunity.
Justice Scalia’s New Hunting Partner
Justice Kagan? Perhaps this portends some positive news for the Second Amendment, but I wouldn’t count on it.
Consequences of Canadian Long Gun Registry Demise for Americans
Arma Borealis, an Alaska blog, has some pretty good discussion on the effects of the Canadian Long Gun Registry for Americans traveling through Canada. Apparently the long gun registration requirement had a very negative effect on Americans traveling to the great white north for hunting trips, into the 4 to 5 billion dollar lost range.
Keep in mind that the requirement did not ban Americans from hunting in Canada, they just had to register their long arms and obtain a 50 dollar license. The license fee is peanuts compared to the cost of a Canadian hunting trip, so if that many hunters, to the tune of billions of dollars, were unwilling to register their hunting guns, it should offer our opponents an example of why they will have such a hard time getting registration. There are certainly hunters out there who meet the classic definition of “fudd,” but there are also many, probably more, who have no more enthusiasm for registration than most hard core gun rights activists.
Challenge to Self-Defense Law
There’s an activist in Georgia who supposedly challenging SYG in federal court. In reality he’s challenging centuries of common law, and attacking the very core of self-defense:
“It is not clear what actions would create ‘reasonable belief’ that deadly force is necessary,” said the suit filed in U.S. District Court in Atlanta. “An individual seeking to stand their ground and assert self-defense has no way of knowing if their ‘reasonable belief’ comports with the standards protected by the law and [they] want to ensure that they do not subject themselves to criminal penalties.”
Reasonable belief has always been the standard. This case is pretty obviously a publicity stunt, and I don’t believe the federal courts are going to overturn centuries of common law and statutory law. Besides, after Heller, there’s arguably a constitution right to self-defense. But it’s worth noting that there are enough hucksters out there capitalizing off this case, that they’ll try anything, even attacking the very foundations of the rule of law, to make a name for themselves.
Back in the Black
Cemetery tries to shoot an IPSC match with black powder:
Shot a local USPSA match yesterday, signed up for Single Stack in Minor, since real black can’t deliver the power factor needed for major. Maybe, just maybe, SWISS 3f can squeak by…..and what about Triple Seven? Triple Seven is noted to be 15% hotter than any black powder in each grade, so that’s a possibility, but that’s a black powder substitute, and we don’t need to discuss such things here.
I once joked with Cemetery at a local blogger gathering, that he ought to carry cartridges loaded with pepper, and at meals unseat the bullet and sprinkle it on food, offering up “a little seasoning” to the folks around him to see if anyone accepts. I thought it would be a nice touch.
Decision in Zimmerman Case: Next Three Days
The special prosecutor in the Zimmerman case (media keep saying the Martin case, but that is wrong) suggests that an announcement will be made in the next three days. If you live in a major city, be prepared. Thanks to the media, we may get some civil unrest out of this.
Zimmerman Case Gets Weird
His lawyers are withdrawing as counsel, citing that they haven’t been able to contact him. They say he is still in United States. Would you blame him if he decided to run off to Peru or something? Can he get justice after what’s happened in the media?
I also heard that he had ignored advice from his lawyers, and spoken directly to the police and prosecutors. If that’s the case, it’s a remarkably bad idea. But I’ll be honest, whoever Zimmerman’s lawyers were, I have not been impressed with their ability to handle a trial by media. To me you can’t let the family set the agenda in terms of public opinion. I wouldn’t be surprised, facing impending indictment because the mob demands it, if Zimmerman didn’t feel he was just not well represented.