I spent much of the weekend at the Gun Rights Policy Conference in Ft. Mitchell, KY this weekend.

Sponsored by the Second Amendment Foundation and the Citizens Committee to Keep and Bear Arms, among others, this event brought together leaders from scores of grassroots organizations throughout the nation to hear a Who's Who of distinguished speakers.

The accommodations were very good.  The convention center that hosted the event was huge, with wonderful pools, both indoors and outdoors.  It even had a bit of "Hogwarts" flavor in both the decor and the numbering system (or lack thereof) for numbering rooms.

Here are some photos...

Photo #1.  Alan Gottleib presents Miss America 1944, Venus Ramey, 82, with an award recognizing her contribution to the cause for using her gun to thwart a criminal act.


Photo #2.  Registration was busy throughout the weekend as approximately 800 pre-registered attendees signed in.  An additional 800+ walk-ins also came over the course of the weekend (many of those were Saturday afternoon for Ron Paul).


Photo #3.  Congressman Jean Schmidt (R-OH) receives an award from Alan Gottlieb.  She was a VERY impressive speaker.


Photos #4, 5, 6, 7.  Presidential Candidate Ron Paul made an appearance for about a half hour or so.







And he received an award from Mr. Gottlieb:


And he gave a nice ten-minute speech which was well received by GRPC attendees, wildly approved by his die-hard supporters, and omitted any reference or re-statement of any of his recent observations like 9-11 was America's fault.



Mr. Paul's supporters were bordering on obnoxious to GRPC staff, demanding their place in a room to see Mr. Paul, even though they weren't GRPC participants.  My friend Tom suggested that we just ask everyone to show their carry piece and those who are armed can see Dr. Paul, and those who aren't can wait outside the conference area.  

Instead, GRPC people broke down part of the main room to allow additional room for the Paul supporters so nobody had to get hurt.

To their credit, some of the Paul people stuck around after Ron left to re-assemble the broken down tables.



Good size crowd (this was less than a third of the seated audience.



Last observation:

I was pleasantly surprised that Mr. Paul showed absolutely no reservations about wading directly into an audience chock full of people like me packing heat.  Heck, many of the GRPC attendees were open-carrying.

I was taking photos and was within literally a half an arm's reach of Mr. Paul for probably five minutes each in front of him and behind him.  The time I spent taking photos over his shoulder and generally following him around, I was right there with nobody between me and him.  

Bet you wouldn't find Barack or Hillary doing the same.

Hope you enjoyed.  

John

And where was Fred/Rudy/Mitt?

Quoted: And where was Fred/Rudy/Mitt?

A-hem.  They had scheduling conflicts.

Hill, on the other hand, didn't even bother calling to say she was busy.

J

Quoted: Quoted: And where was Fred/Rudy/Mitt? A-hem.  They had scheduling conflicts. Hill, on the other hand, didn't even bother calling to say she was busy. J

Was Duncan Hunter invited?

Thanks for the report!

This is why seeing people bash Paul on arfcom is so mindblowing.

He may not believe exactly as you do on all issues, but at least he is actively working to restore the Constitution and Second Amendment rights.

Cool photos

Observation: thats a lot of white people.. there is one black guy.. kinda like playing Where's Waldo.

Bump for the morning crew.

RP's people acted as though they had a constitutional right to see him.  

Also, RP had a room there at the hotel, but apparently so many people found out about it that they asked him to get a room elsewhere in town for security reasons because RP supporters were literally running around asking one another if they knew what his room number was.

John

Quoted: Quoted: Mr. Paul's supporters were bordering on obnoxious Moonbats can't help it.

GO RON PAUL!!!!!! I hope Thompson crashes out and Paul gets the nomination.........

So what candidates have secret service protection?  I bet that would be a security nightmare for them.

I want to consider Paul viable, but I can't support anyone who will not promise to nuke iran, china, russia and mexico.

Quoted: I want to consider Paul viable, but I can't support anyone who will not promise to nuke iran, china, russia and mexico.

You want a candidate to promise to nuke other countries if he's elected President?

I'm being facetious, but I am worried about RP's appeasement of iran. He wants to ignore them, Bush wants to do the job half-assed...I want someone who will  annililate the shit out of any country responsible for killing anyone of our service members.

Quoted: I'm being facetious, but I am worried about RP's appeasement of iran. He wants to ignore them, Bush wants to do the job half-assed...I want someone who will  annililate the shit out of any country responsible for killing anyone of our service members.

Amen!

I was there too, Ron Paul had absolutley no reservations about walking into a room filled with armed strangers, many of whom were open carrying.  I got to shake his hand with a pistol on my side, how cool is that.  He only had between two and four "body guards" who may have been cops judging by how they were dressed.  They tried unsuccessfully to kind of form a barrier around him, but he kept slipping out and torpedoing right into the crowd, so they just left him alone, but kept an eye out.  I was watching there eyes, they seemed really jittery like since they failed to surround him they at least better keep a really close eye on all the guns.  There were guns everywhere surrounding him, I would not want to be one of those cops tasked with his protection, although Ron Paul has probably never been more protected...by us.

All the candidates both R and D were invited, all but one declined to accept (Ron Paul), and also all but one responded with a "thanks but no thanks" (Hillary Clinton).

RP got my vote.

ETA: Thanks for the pics!

I don't care for the man's foreign policy stance, but anyone who thinks he doesn't have the best position on the 2A should turn in their guns.

"I was asked, if elected president who would I appoint as the head of the BATF?  I said, I thought we were suppossed to get rid of the BATF!"
-Ron Paul

Quoted: "I was asked, if elected president who would I appoint as the head of the BATF?  I said, I thought we were suppossed to get rid of the BATF!" -Ron Paul

Damn.


Ron Paul fucking rocks.  Right now I am leading toward thompson though, just because he also fucking rocks and I think he is our best shot.

Several  Ron Paul supporters were reported to have reached spontaneous orgasm in his presence.
Just like page 2 has in mine.

Quoted: I'm being facetious, but I am worried about RP's appeasement of iran. He wants to ignore them, Bush wants to do the job half-assed...I want someone who will  annililate the shit out of any country responsible for killing anyone of our service members.

While I agree, to a very limited extent, with Paul's non-interventionist policies, we've gotta carry a VERY big stick and not be afraid to use it. Especially against the Iranian Hitler Imanutjob. Being an objectivist/non-initiation of force does not mean that they have to hit you "harder" to earn said smack down. Iran's involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan more than earns them a nuclear birthday candle.

Quoted: Several  Ron Paul supporters were reported to have reached spontaneous orgasm in his presence. Just like page 2 has in mine.

Thompson supporters reach orgasm just talking about him on ARFCOM.

And he hasnt even established a position on anything yet.

That's cool.  It looks like Ron Paul was there to show his support, unlike Kerry running around with a shotgun over his shoulder.

Quoted: That's cool.  It looks like Ron Paul was there to show his support, unlike Kerry running around with a shotgun over his shoulder.

Alan Gottleib introduced him by saying:

"Ron Paul is not just here because he is running for president, and this is not his first time comming to the GRPC, he is a repeat offender"

Quoted: Quoted: Yes, I too thought this would make for nervous cops, but not because of the GRPC packers, but a handful of Paul's supporters looked a little outside the mainstream.  I'd be more worried about some nutcase pulling something stupid, not the certified, card-carrying good guys.   John  I thought there would be more Fred supporters there, but when a group of Paul supporters started chanting "Ron Paul, Ron Paul" a guy started up in the most slack jawed vernacular you could imagine "Freayd Toumson, Freayd Toumson", he was alone and I almost wanted to help him out so he wouldn't feel so outnumbered but there was nothing I could do, he was met with silence and smiles. The worst thing about the Ron Paul crowd was having to endure some of the really smelly hippies, who were particularly ripe that evening.  I wonder if they were intimidated by the number of arms amidst there presence.  If they are the pacifist type maybe they will stop equating guns with mean bully men.  Thankfully for my olfactories they were a small minority, but thankfully for my eyes there were quite a few really hot chicks. BTW, the GRPC did not break down the tables, they suggested that some room be made and supporters immediately sprung to action on their own volition and started cleaning off tables breaking them down and stacking them off to the side, it was a highly cooperative and spontaneous event considering the mob mentality of most groups.

Didn't smell anything funky myself (I was at one of the tables when not taking pictures and it wasn't crowded at all on that side of the room).

Yes, there were some very nice looking chicky snacks easy on the eyes...  especially after seeing nothing but a bunch of guys (for the most part) all day long.

I don't remember the "Fred Thompson" guy having a southern accent, but I know it seemed to go over like a lead balloon.

I liked RP and got a favorable impression of him.  I could support him as a VP candidate.

RP as VP!

And yes, his supporters should have graciously allowed the GRPC people - who were by and large leaders in the gun rights community - to hear and ask questions of Mr. Paul.  Instead, they seemed to want to hijack his visit for themselves.

J

I was hoping that Ron Paul would show up and give a talk like all the other GRPC speakers and possibly field questions, but I concluded the only way this could happen is if his visit would have been kept secret.  If the public knows where he will be, they will come in droves forcing him to give a more inspirational type speech.  Ron Paul will never be VP, who is going to choose him as a running mate?  Everybody hates him except Tancredo and he is going nowhere fast.  Besides it may put the president in danger, I don't know what those hippies are capable of.  Prez all the way!

Quoted: I want to consider Paul viable, but I can't support anyone who will not promise to nuke iran, china, russia and mexico.

Good! Guess that means you're not voting!

Quoted: "I was asked, if elected president who would I appoint as the head of the BATF?  I said, I thought we were suppossed to get rid of the BATF!" -Ron Paul

I saw the video of the event on yt, and that was music to my ears too

I'm sure feddc or dave_a will be along shortly to cry that they protect us from the 17.5" shotgun barrels, too cheap cigarettes, and people with more than 20 lbs of gunpowder

I'm also laughing at the "freayd toumson" chant

So was this just a big circle jerk handing out awards to each other or did they actually do something important to help get more of our rights back?

I am not a Ron Paul koolaid drinker..

But the fact that a man who is a current congressman and presidential candidate is willing and unafraid to wade into a crowd of armed citizens to answer questions, shake hands and sign autographs speaks volumes about the man and his mindset about our 2A rights.

I doubt any of the other candidates (from either party) would even come in the building.

Way to go R.P !!!!!

Quoted: I'm being facetious, but I am worried about RP's appeasement of iran. He wants to ignore them, Bush wants to do the job half-assed...I want someone who will  annililate the shit out of any country responsible for killing anyone of our service members.

Amen brother.  Should be a standing order.  Kill a us serviceman (or civilian),  and you better duck cause  big bombs are incoming.