4.9 SQ FT PER PERSON: First looks at Nashville’s NRA Convention

Nine acres.

That’s 392,040 square feet, or approximately 4.9 square feet for every man, woman and child expected at attend this year’s NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits in the wonderful Nashville, Tennessee.

The bulk of the event is being held at the Music City Center in downtown Nashville.

I have been told by several sources this is the first event, ever, where carry has been allowed at the Music City Center.

Want to guess how many people were killed in the ensuing gun battles over waiting in lines, parking places and snarled traffic problems?

(Crickets).

It’s amazing the power of logic, reasoning along with the power of persuasion the NRA has in getting policy changed for the Center for this event.  Money also talks.  Especially 80,000 people spending $1,000 or more apiece to attend.

Hopefully it will mark the end of prohibition on lawful carry at all future events, given the utter lack of issues in the policy change.

Lots of folks were carrying.  Some were a little better concealed than others, but in Tennessee, it doesn’t matter.  Open carry with a license is just peachy.  A few – maybe 1% – were open carrying.  Saw one fella with an Appleseed shirt open carrying a 1911, but what was notable was that he only had a single spare mag in his mag pouch (also open carried).

I was also told that this year’s NRA event was slated to be the largest convention in not only Nashville’s history, but for the entire State of Tennessee’s history as well.  Impressive.

Traffic was a mess coming into town.  My advice, park at the LP Field, home of the Tennessee Titans.  It’s $10 and they have a shuttle service that takes you to the Music City Center.  It’s important to note that they bring you back to your wheels in a timely manner as well.

The line was a little long, but the buses took us over in a steady stream.  Expect to wait 15-20 minutes or so to head over and not even ten for the ride back.

The drivers were super nice and friendly, pretty much like everyone we encountered.

It was a good time and it was nice to see families coming for the event.

This young man was one of many young people at the event having the time of his life with his mom and dad.

He heard me snapping away.

It’s amazing who you run into at the NRA Convention.

We were right behind Alan Jackson’s gear.

Inspiring messages were everywhere.

Today’s attendance was a taste of tomorrow.  If past years have been any indication, tomorrow’s going to be butt-to-gut inside the convention hall as 80,000+ NRA members show up for the event.

All of them took time out of life to attend, traveling at their own expense.

Contrast that with Michael Bloomberg paying all expenses, including spending money, to 120 supposed anti-gun faithful, crime victims and others to “protest” last year’s NRA convention in Indianapolis.  Even with all that, barely a fourth actually showed up at the designated time and place.

Don’t believe me?

Here’s their group shot.

How sad and pathetic is that?

No, weren’t not counting the two or three armed security guys Shannon hired to keep her butt safe from imagined threats.

It’s no wonder America’s gun owners are winning this cultural war for our freedom and liberty!

Back to this year’s NRA event?

Who else did I run into today?  A host of notables, including Donald Rumsfeld, Alan Gura, R. Lee Ermey.

I also ran into thousands of really nice, everyday Americans.   They are famous only for their decency, courtesy and patriotism.  You don’t get better than these people.

More on them later.

And then there was Rick Perry, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio and a who’s who of pro-gun political leaders and VIPs.

Yeah, it would have been enough to cause Nancy Pelosi to need a fresh box of Depends.

And Rosa DeLauro, the communist posing as a Democrat in Congress?  Don’t even ask what she might prolapse.