This morning I went to a gun show in Murfreesboro, TN. It was absolutely packed, so much so that moving around was an exercise in frustration, negotiating tiny gaps between groups of people, and squeezing past those standing at tables examining firearms and other goodies. The parking lot was full to overflowing, and cars lined the street for half a mile in either direction. Other businesses nearby were complaining about their parking lots being taken over by gun show attendees. Some did more than complain – they called in tow companies, and the gun show was constantly interrupted by broadcast reminders not to park in front of certain businesses, or advising the owner of a vehicle with a given registration number that if it wasn’t moved within the next five minutes, it was going to be towed.
The show may have been crowded, but there wasn’t too much trading going on. People were looking rather than buying. The vendors I knew were all complaining about it, and private sellers hoping to make some extra money for Christmas were mostly disappointed. I was, too: I took a couple of guns to sell, but had no luck at all until I’d actually left the show and was on my way back to my (distant) car. A guy who’d looked at my guns in the exhibition hall caught up to me and made a low-ball offer on one of them. He seemed a little embarrassed about it, but admitted he just didn’t have enough money to go any higher. Since I had things I wanted to buy, I accepted the offer, so the morning wasn’t entirely wasted. I also traded five used magazines (for a gun I no longer have) plus $10 for three new magazines (for a gun I do have). At least that was cheaper than buying them outright for cash.
I was surprised by the amount of anger and resentment directed against President Obama. I’ve heard it all before, of course, but today it was laced with profanity and real bitterness. I think, if he tries to restrict private sales at gun shows or any other such step, he’s going to spark the most widespread civil disobedience since the civil rights era. People are fed up to the back teeth with the left’s anti-gun rhetoric, and they simply won’t take it any more. That’s just the way it is.
Ah, well . . . the money I got for my gun will pay for a Crimson Trace Laserguard and some spring kits for various weapons (mine and my students’). I’ll have fun installing them soon, with a little help from a friendly gunsmith.
Peter
I've never met anyone that voted for him but he keeps getting into office.
Oh, it's not just guns people are mad about…but you know that.
Merry Christmas.
Gail,
obviously you don't live in Silicon Valley! Seems like virtually everyone here supports him. Nothing but '0' bumper stickers, from both elections, as far as the eye can see. Most are still proud of voting for him. However, I'm starting to see some of them are beginning to question his policies. This coming year is going to be interesting!
Lots of baby boomers voted for him, including my oldest sisters. They tend to deal in emotions to justify this political position. (the "do it for the children" default thinking) My youngest sisters, almost a generation younger, are conservatives, and religious, and don't see what the attraction to his policies is. They can see the damage he is doing. One has a carry permit, the other is again considering it. They live on the opposite side of the country, which may be a factor.
I went to a show in Amarillo last weekend, and it was the same way.that place was packed!
Every body it looking… And counting pennies…
The anger you saw and heard expressed is echoed up here. Not everyone feels that way, of course, but those who do are particularly vehement about it these days.
A friend and I are planning to go to one tomorrow. I'll have to see how the crowds are.
I hear a lot of talk, and people are forever saying "next time people will rise up" . . . but they don't rise up. Because nobody wants to be the next Violent Right-Wing Extremist on the news. And without coordination, that's all anyone would be.
You want effective resistance? Organize. Get a nationwide group together, willing to abandon everything they have. Willing to risk imprisonment, humiliation, "enhanced interrogation" and death. Make coordinated plans — with real, practical outcomes.
For example: feds begin gun confiscations? Empty out armories. Raid Federal offices and release all their data to the Web (and keep copies). Then personally (anonymously) notify the law enforcers and their families that they must stop or face personal consequences. No shootouts required. Think "Anonymous" but with the threat of armed resistance behind it.
Grumbling accomplishes nothing. Organize. Prepare secure communication channels (NOT the internet). Gather intelligence. Prepare false identities and cutouts. Gather supplies — before they're tracked or banned. You want a revolution? Be ready to make one.
As I keep saying; Obama WANTS a civil war in America. That's his endgame. —Ray
I missed our local gun show this weekend (opted out for leaving earlier for a deer hunt) and I don't feel TOO bad doing it. Past shows have been somewhat disappointing – virtually no good deals, some worth consideration but … naw, forget it. Christmas rush crowds everywhere – I just wanted to get away from civilization.
Worth it – I took a small eight point buck yesterday morning. Christmas tamales – a real crowd pleaser !