Bitter – Page 111 – Shall Not Be Questioned

By the Numbers

As I’m preparing for a planning meeting for our Friends of NRA banquet, I’m going through the notes I took during the NRA board meeting on programs that often benefit from those fundraising grants. If you’re a fan of our dinner, you’ll see a few of the facts and figures appear on our Facebook page in coming months. Still, I thought I would share some of them here with everyone.

There are more than 75,000 NRA-certified instructors.
There’s a new program being launched to specifically target & recruit female instructors. Â (Yay! That’s me!) When it comes to teaching women, more than 75 grants have been awarded from Eastern Pennsylvania Friends dinners to run Women on Target programs.
There have been 57 Youth Hunter Education Challenge events this year.
This year, there have been more than 400 Boy Scout instructors trained. In Eastern Pennsylvania, the Boy Scouts have received 101 grants for shooting programs that total nearly $190,000 since the Friends program was launched.
NRA has run more than 20,000 youth through their various programs in the last year. For our region, various youth programs have benefited to the tune of $1.3 million through the Friends program since 1992.
In two years, 50 ranges have been built with the help of NRA programs. With the assistance of grants from our area, more than 450 grants have been given to clubs & ranges for improvements and developments through NRA Foundation money. The total assistance since the Friends program launched? More than $1.1 million for those facilities.

An Update on Antler (Non-)Thieves

I blogged about the seemingly very bold thieves who tried to swipe some very large antlers from the NRA annual meeting while the vendors were cleaning up. It turns out that charges have been dropped.

The men’s attorney said the two are union carpenters who were working to dismantle dozens of booths at the convention. Freddy Rabner said at the end of the convention they saw the antlers lying on the floor as they were about to get crushed by a fork lift. …
Rabner said the men brought the antlers to the registration table in an effort to find the rightful owners. According to the carpenters, the antlers never left convention center property. …
The judge dismissed the case because of lack of evidence.

If all they have is security footage of them walking inside the convention center in plain view with the antlers, I think this is a good call. You can’t prove one way or the other what their intent was in that case. If they were getting them out of the way of potential damage, then they should be thanked.

Flashbang Bra Holster: A Chick’s Perspective

Steve from the Firearm Blog wants to know, as a non-bra wearer, what women might think about a bra holster. I watched the video with an open mind, but watching it through a lens of “is this something that a woman could really wear every day (or even semi-regularly) and be somewhat comfortable” isn’t quite the same as trying to show how fast some chick on a range can flash the camera and pull out a gun.

I immediately noticed that something was off about her bra under that shirt. Â Sure, she’s wearing a somewhat form-fitting top, but it’s not that tight. Â While it’s not printing as obviously as some belt carry options, it may still attract unwanted attention in the form of men, women, and possibly children staring to figure out what, exactly, is wrong with a woman’s breasts. Â So they won’t likely figure out it’s a gun, but it’s still people staring at your chest and knowing something is off, that’s not attention most women I know would enjoy.
The holster is restricted to women with boobs. Â That’s not the end of a world for products, as a number of carry options for the waist are often restricted to women with hips or women without hips. Â Everyone is built differently, and that’s fine. Â But, it’s a reasonable question on how well it will fit a woman with the average bra size. Â (Last time I checked, it was like a 36C or somewhere in there.) Their ebay listing says they have them for sizes as small as 32B, but I have my doubts about what a B-cup can realistically conceal.
It doesn’t look like it will fit every bra. Â This may mean that a woman has to go out and buy all new bras. Â That isn’t cheap. Â Not to mention, some women find a bra that’s comfortable and stick with it. Â Granted, carrying on a belt may have many of the same challenges, but rarely are people as picky about their belt fit as women are about good bra fit.
The gun is going to poke some seriously uncomfortable places if you have to move around a lot or even bend down. Â Yes, this can be an issue with other on-body carry options, but I think it’s worth pointing out that this holster isn’t anything special. Â It’s the same problems, just in a very different area where tolerance for discomfort or adjustment may not be as high.
They illustrate this on a mannequin that doesn’t have squishy breasts and on a bra with no underwire. Â Considering the photo shows the barrel of the gun tucked into the left cup, this is a potential problem. Â One, if it sticks under there too far, ouch. Â Two, more than 2/3 of women wear underwire bras. Â Even if it is comfortable, a woman will probably have to shape the wires of her bra around it. Â It is also likely to push the ends of the underwire into unnatural and highly “pokey” positions. Ouch.
The underwire issue takes us back to the problem in point 1, visibility. Â If the gun is pushing an entire cup out from your body, it’s more likely to be visible that you have something under there. Â I didn’t study the video closely enough to see if their trial chick had on an underwire or not. Â I’ll leave that to you men.
Lord help you if you have an accidental discharge. Â Given the direction that the gun faces, if the holster isn’t incredibly tough, that would be mighty unpleasant.

NSSF on MAIG’s Real Goals

Writing on Opposing Views, NSSF’s Larry Keane highlights how the response to Wal-Mart selling guns in more stores from Boston Mayor & MAIG leader Tom Menino reveals that even when they get what they want, MAIG still isn’t happy as long as law abiding Americans are still allowed to purchase & own firearms.

Keeping Busy

I have been planning to work on the NRA convention protest video, but yesterday I was tied up with Friends in an hours-long meeting. Not friends as in shooting the breeze friends, but Friends as in Friends of NRA. I got word that they were looking to restart a committee locally, and now I’m co-chair. It’s kind of amazing how that happens.

Anyway, Jason from NUGUN happened to accompany the Eastern Pennsylvania Field Representative out to the NRA Youth Education Summit here in Pennsylvania, and captured a few action shots to illustrate just what the Friends of NRA program supports.

If you happen to read this blog and live in Southeastern Pennsylvania, I’d like to invite you to attend our dinner in September. To get an idea of the gear we’re going to give away in raffles, games, and auctions, follow us on Facebook. We’ll be posting updates on prizes and programs running in the area that benefit from the generosity of gun owners who want to recruit more to our ranks. (Example: Know a woman who wants to learn more about shooting? We have a Women on Target clinic coming up on May 14 in Green Lane that will cover handguns, rifles, shotgun, and archery.)

You can buy a regular banquet ticket here. Or, if you have a little more money burning a hole in your pocket and you want some extra goodies such as a knife and a chance at some special gun raffles, we can send you information about our higher end ticket packages that give you a tax deduction & some good gear. (Sorry, I can’t tell you about the exact gun in the special raffle because, well, we haven’t picked it yet. That should be done at our next meeting.) Just email the committee at BucksNRAtickets@pagunrights.com with the request, and I’ll make sure someone gets back to you as soon as possible.

If you happen to own a business in Southeastern PA or want customers from the area, email the same address above for sponsorship & ad opportunities in our program. We’ve got bargain rates for our first year, and we’re working on a possible incentive program for our attendees to visit our advertisers.

So if you’re reading anywhere near the Bucks County, PA area, just remember that I’m asking you to come out because it’s for the children. And for the women. And for the gun clubs that host events supported by NRA Foundation grants. And for the Boy Scouts who earn their shooting merit badges. And for the 4-H kids who benefit from the programs. You get the idea. If you want our shooting & hunting cultures to grow, supporting the Friends of NRA program is a great way to have a good time while ensuring those legacies are passed on.

As a side note, if you’re in the Lansdale area, the Montgomery County Friends of NRA banquet is on May 19, and they still have tickets available. Their upgraded ticket packages include entries into a special raffle for a Remington Model 700 SPS. Just email or call the contact on the linked page and ask about their Gold & Silver packages.

Talking to Pennsylvania’s Gun Owners

Since I was representing PAGunRights.com this year at the NRA meeting, I decided to do a little research on attendees. I picked up my media credentials on Thursday, got permission to film without an escort, and didn’t step back into the press office again during the weekend. When I wasn’t interviewing NRA protesters, I was interviewing NRA members from Pennsylvania to conduct a bit of a survey on their civic engagement with elections, campaigns, and voting.

I also questioned people on whether their mayors were members of MAIG and whether their members of Congress were pro or anti-gun. The good news is that people overwhelmingly got those questions right. The only wrong MAIG response was from someone who thought his current mayor was a member, but his mayor is not part of Bloomberg’s coalition of anti-gun mayors. So that’s okay for him to be wrong since it’s good news. :) On the Congressman question, a couple of folks from Pittsburgh were mistaken by saying their guy is pro-gun. But, if they claim to be “from Pittsburgh,” but are really from any suburbs, then their actual Congressman may not be anti-gun.

Apologies for some shaky camera work. I should probably remember the tripod next time.

NRA Protests

I’ve seen a lot of misinformation put out about the protests against NRA’s annual meeting during the last few days which is a little odd since there were only a few pro-gun people who actually attended the protest to find out what was happening. It wasn’t something you could watch from the windows of the convention center or see from the sidewalks anywhere near the main hall. The actual protest & rally took place about a mile from the convention center, and almost every person there marched all the way back to the Westin across the street from the convention center.

I’ve seen some people try to claim there were only 30 people, and that the media is lying when they say around 200 people marched against NRA. There were easily 200 people, and I might even say closer to 250 or more. And almost every single one of them not only came out for the rally, but they marched for a mile in the heat and bright sun. (Seriously, I got sunburned and I wasn’t out there that long on the warmest day of the convention.) I took video which I’m currently editing. I interviewed quite a few protest attendees during their march, and I have to say that it was a very enlightening experience.

Before I get into the details of why people told me they were out there marching against NRA, I just wanted to set the record straight on the numbers game and who was involved. We had 71,139 members come through those convention hall doors. We don’t need to lie about the other side to claim victory in this case. I also know that someone somewhere mentioned that Ceasefire wasn’t involved, something that could lead people to believe that they have basically given up. That’s absolutely not the case. They were decked out in their organization t-shirts, and their director even addressed the rally. They are still around and planning to fight.

We win because of larger numbers, passionate grassroots activists, and people who are willing to turn up to the polls to vote for freedom. Trust me, the other side knows this. One key theme in Saturday’s rally was that the NRA wins because we get involved and the politicians listen to us. If we try to belittle the other side & their efforts to motivate their base, we risk missing the point where they could become relevant if we become complacent.

(Photo credit: Adam Z. who, along with his friend who is new to the issue, hopped in a cab with me up to the rally & marched down taking photos while I interviewed protesters.)

Not Free of Criminals

You have to be a bold thief to steal from a room full of gun people. Apparently, the exhibition services company retained for the NRA Annual Meeting appears to have found two bold thieves.

Two men working for an exhibition service at the National Rifle Association convention over the weekend were arrested late Sunday for stealing two sets of elk antlers.

According to Pittsburgh police, the antlers were stolen from a vendor’s booth while the operator was waiting to pack up his truck at the loading dock of the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. …

The theft was reported about 8:45 p.m. Sunday. Security officers in the area spotted two men on the east side of the convention center walking with the antlers, and they were detained.

Stephen C. Lee, 44, of Cumberland, Md., and Gary C. Felts, 49, of Joppa, Md., are charged with theft and criminal conspiracy, and taken to the Allegheny County Jail.

Both men worked for Brede Exposition Services, of Beltsville, Md.

Antlers. Seriously, how do you even pretend to just walk off with antlers?

More About NRA’s Latest Volunteer

Sebastian live blogged the morning session of the NRA Board of Directors meeting, and made a brief mention about a special guest who addressed the board & members. I told him later that I was really amazed that I didn’t tear up listening to Tucson shooting survivor George Morris speak. To know that his support for freedom remains strong is absolutely inspiring.

According to news reports, George Morris met his wife Dorothy at a high school dance where she took the initiative at the end of the night and asked him to call her. They celebrated 54 years of marriage, and their 55th anniversary is next week.

Friends told the press that George still referred to Dorothy as his “sweetheart,” a fact that I can absolutely say is true after listening to him speak. During the shooting, he tried to shield her from the gunman and ended up shot twice himself. According to a friend who spoke with the media, he was placed in intensive care, had one bullet in his right leg, and suffered a broken rib and punctured lung from the other. He was in the hospital for 11 days recovering.

During his address to the board, he referred to the “NRA family,” and he made it clear that he recognizes it was not a gun that killed his wife. It was a “vicious young man” who should not have been on the streets. George said that standing up for what his rights & freedom was something his wife would support without question. He and his wife were at the event even though they were both Republicans because they were simply engaged in their community and with their elected officials. It’s incredible to hear about someone whose dedication to civic participation and protecting our rights remains so strong even after such a terrible tragedy. And I’m very happy to know that he does with the sound knowledge that his wife absolutely supports him in such an endeavor.

One of the best parts about Annual Meeting, for me anyway, is to meet these types of people. It’s so moving to know that there’s someone else out there whose shared values with their spouse can remain so strong even through the toughest times. I know that if in a similar position with Sebastian, it would absolutely be the same for us. It’s very refreshing to know that there’s someone else out there who feels as strongly about liberty. To have the opportunity to learn more about that person, it’s very touching and even inspires some watery eyes.

Other Resolutions During NRA’s Visit to Pittsburgh

It would seem the Tribune-Review felt some heat from Eric Heyl’s column last week, and they opted to run a couple of the responses. One from a Delaware woman who states that she’s a pistol instructor:

I disagree with Eric Heyl’s column “NRA effort to attract women off target.” The NRA seems to be trying to “attract” women already involved in shooting sports to become instructors.

I am of both “worlds” — an NRA member and pistol instructor, and a facials-and-pedicures woman. The two aren’t mutually exclusive.

Heyl writes that to most women, a pistol-instructor seminar “probably wouldn’t have the same appeal as, say, a holistic facial at the day spa.” I’m sure “most” women also expect someone else to save them from a mugger, rapist, burglar or other bad guy. Unfortunately, the NRA will appeal to women more independent in their assertions of safety and security.

It’s pretty insulting to insinuate that women would choose helplessness over the right shade of lipstick or a spa treatment.

Being of “both ‘worlds'” is something that applies to most of the NRA women I know. Heyl inspired another response by a different female pistol instructor from Pennsylvania:

Contrary to the assertions by Eric Heyl in his column “NRA effort to attract women off target,” Pennsylvania women are capable of making informed decisions on gun ownership, political activism and participation in the shooting sports.

As a woman headed to the Pittsburgh NRA event this week, I plan to shatter the misogynistic view he takes toward females who might be spotted there. Rather than worrying about lipstick colors and compacts in my purse, I’ll peruse more than 4 acres of handguns and self-defense gear. Instead of fretting over the price of a trip to the spa, I’ll spend hard-earned dollars at the Friends of NRA dinner or women’s luncheon in support of the hunting and shooting programs.

While Heyl might be concerned that too many firearms accessories come only in black, I’ll talk to manufacturers that recognize women as one of the fastest-growing groups currently purchasing firearms.

I’m not quite sure how a column that so openly mocks women who make independent choices beyond what shoes to buy was published in any newspaper in 2011, but I am sure that I’ll be just one of thousands of women at the NRA annual meeting.

Two different types of responses, but very much in opposition to Heyl’s column. I never found a single letter published in support of Heyl’s column. I’m curious to know if any were ever sent.