The Second Amendment Foundation and the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms held the 25th Annual Gun Rights conference at the Hyatt Regency Hotel near San Francisco airport starting on Friday evening, going through today Sunday 26th of September. The event was sponsored by CalGun Foundation, and the California Rifle and Pistol Association.
Saturday saw about 400 attendees from various clubs and organizations in California and other grass roots activists turn up to listen to the speakers.
Topics on Saturday covered ranged from covering the current state of the gun rights battle, through a federal and then State legislative affairs briefing, National Sovereignty vs. Global Gun Control, building on the McDonald decision by the Supreme Court, Success and future of concealed carry, States rights and federalism, gun rights and midterm elections, to diversity among gun owners with a very interesting approach to be used with a representative from the Pink Pistols as the poster child for a forthcoming legal battle in California over CCW’s. Discussions continued on Sunday with topics such campus safety, countering establishment media bias, battling for places to shoot and other important topics related to hunters nationwide.
Saturdays speakers included the following list:
State Sen. Sam Slom (R-Hawaii), John R. Lott, PhD, author, More Guns Less Crime, Eugene Volokh, Gary T. Schwartz Professor of Law, UCLA, Tom Pedersen, legislative liaison, California Rifle & Pistol Association, Julianne Versnel, publisher, Women & Guns and Journal on Firearms and Public Policy, Alan M. Gottlieb, founder, executive. vice president, Second Amendment Foundation, William McGrath, associate legislative counsel, Safari Club International, Sheldon Clare, President, National Firearms Association (Canada), Richard Pearson, executive director, Illinois State Rifle Association, Jim Wallace, executive director, Gun Owners Action League (GOAL) Massachusetts, The Hon. Bob Barr, former congressman from Georgia, Tom Gresham, host of Gun Talk radio, Alan Gura, Esq., lead counsel in Heller and McDonald Supreme Court cases, Gene Hoffman, president, CalGuns Foundation, Donald Kilmer, Esq., constitutional issues litigator, attorney in Nordyke case, Massad Ayoob, author, founder Lethal Force Institute, member SAF board of trustees, Bill Caffrey, editorial advisor, Handgun Club of America, Alan Korwin, author and president, Bloomfield Press Inc., Gary Marbut, president, Montana Shooting Sports Association, Michael Boldin, director, Tenth Amendment Center, Nick Dranias, legal director, The Goldwater Institute, John Fields, executive director, California Rifle & Pistol Association, John Velleco, legislative director, Gun Owners of America, Paxton Quigley, firearms trainer-author, Armed and Female, Nicki Stallard, representing Pink Pistols, Timothy Wheeler, MD, director, Doctors for Responsible Gun Ownership, a project of the Claremont Institute, David Theroux, president, Independent Institute, Joseph P. Tartaro, editor of Gun Week, president, Second Amendment Foundation (SAF), Zakariah Johnson, former chair, Blue Steel Democrats, Gary Mauser, Professor Emeritus, Institute for Canadian Urban Research Studies, Simon Fraser University.
What most hunters need to realize is that whatever happens in California will spread to other states in the US; if we can turn the tide of anti-gun sentiment in California it will be easier in other states, and even in other countries. Many other countries like New Zealand watch what is happening in California, and tend to some degree follow. Change is already upon us, the demand for pistol, rifle and shotgun classes has risen, as have gun sales in California for the last 2 years. Many more women are interested in shooting, thanks to Hollywood and the media due to the increase in action figures who are women in TV shows which started with Lucy Lawless in Xena the Warrior Princess, followed by Angelina Jolie’s series of adventures as Laura Croft and in Mr. and Mrs. Smith, continuing on with the latest and hottest of Femme fatales – Nikita with Maggie Q in the starring role. The fast shooting, strong characters on Angelina Jolie’s roles and the new role of Maggie Q have elevated the interest of the 20-40 year old females in society, which is obviously an area firearms trainers will be increasingly paying attention to.
Stronger alliances with local and national gun rights organizations have developed, as well as many new alliances with traditionally very liberal and even anti gun people such as Gay and Lesbian groups.
For information on the Second Amendment Foundation: http://www.saf.org/
For information on the groups sponsoring the event
CalGuns Foundation: www.calgunsfoundation.org/
California Rifle & Pistol Association: www.CRPA.org
NSSF: www.NSSF.org
Women & Guns: www.WomenAndGuns.com
The New Gun Week: www.GunWeek.com
KeepAndBearArms.com: www.KeepAndBearArms.com
CCRKBA: www.CCRKBA.org
For a review of Nikita: http://www.tv.com/nikita-andndash-a-terrific-new-twist-on-an-old-story/webnews/153740.html
