Ken Herman: Hey, NRA, what are we arming up for?
DALLAS — I don’t hunt. But, done safely and legally, I have nothing against hunting. I don’t target shoot. But, done safely and legally, I have nothing against target shooting.
I feel no need to carry a gun to defend myself. And I have nothing against collecting firearms out of nothing more than an appreciation of them.
The part I don’t get about gun culture is the part that says I should have one to defend myself against my government. I feel no such need.
Prior to giving you a glimpse of what I’m seeing at the National Rifle Association’s annual meeting in Dallas — complete with 15 acres of displays of guns and gun-related stuff — please know that I’m very wary of abridging the rights of the law-abiding many because of the wrongs of the law-breaking few.
Join me now as we walk around in the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center which is ground zero this weekend in our nation’s largely so-far-nonproductive and largely non-discussion about guns in America.
The NRA Store in the convention center is a shooter shopper’s delight. I’m not trying to denigrate anyone’s hobby here. But I’m always fascinated by merchandise of which I’m ignorant. I also enjoy RV shows.
And though Texans with handgun licenses no longer have to conceal their weapons, concealed carry gear still seems to be a thing. There’s lots of it in the store.
“Your choice for concealed carry,” boasted a display of “24-7 Series Original Tactical Pants.” So tactical are these pants that their pockets have pockets: “Cargo pockets that have two inner pockets that are great for magazines and other accessories.”
For $25, there’s an “NRA cup holder holster.” It’s just what you think it is: “Keep your gun safe and accessible while driving.”
The AR-15-shaped bottle opener cost $12. Four “NRA Bullet Tire Valve Caps” will set you back $10.
And there’s a predictable collection of T-shirts and bumper stickers: “What part of SEMI don’t you understand?” “NRA. Because you can’t fist fight tyranny.” “A free people must coexist” with “coexist” spelled out in letters made from likenesses of guns and ammo.
Strategically placed throughout the convention center are big (really, really big) banners featuring the meeting’s slogan — “A Show of Strength” — and a challenging, menacing, come-and-take-it oversized visage of NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre.
His welcome message in the program reminds NRA members, “Forces from the extreme left in the political class to anti-Second Amendment extremists in the academic community to the ever more aggressive, deceitful national media have joined together in a massive conspiracy to seize control of the U.S. House and Senate in the next election.”
The goal of that cabal, he says, is nothing less than “to pervert our great nation into their European-style socialist utopia.”
In the massive exhibit hall, I saw enough weaponry to outfit the combined military forces of a medium-sized nation. A nice lady at one booth tried to sell me a product called “The Coffin,” which is coffin-like — as you and I know it — in size only. The device is used to test-fire guns.
Other sightings: “Gun Craft Beer. Salute the Red, White and Brew.” Two guys wearing shirts that said “Ammosexual.” A banner that read “No More Dirty Magazines.”
And Bullet Splat Jewelry: “Each handmade piece begins with a mold of a spent bullet and is then re-created in solid silver.”
In the convention center, participants can participate in a smorgasbord of seminars. At “Armed Citizen: How to Interact with Law Enforcement,” attendees are learning how to “Plan ahead for what to expect if a law enforcement officer approaches you on a traffic stop, a street approach or if you have to defend yourself.”
The “Survival Mindset: Are You Prepared?” seminar featured retired Delta Force Sgt. Maj. Kyle Lamb teaching about “personal danger that can lurk around any given corner. ... As an armed citizen, you must be prepared for what the world throws at you.”
Lt. Col. Dave Grossman’s seminar is called “Sheepdogs! The Bulletproof Mind for the Armed Citizen.”
“Grossman will speak about your role as an Armed American Citizen in the future challenges to our nation. Hear about the potential threats, internal or external, and the response to those threats as intended by our Founding Fathers,” says the blurb.
The “internal” reference circles us back to my bewilderment about people who feel they must arm up to potentially face down their own government.
Is this a legitimate concern sparked by something that happened in their own lives?
Or is it an unfortunate, unintended, unsubstantiated byproduct of the attempt to discuss whether there is something — something far short of government confiscation of all guns — that we can do to make us all safer without unduly restricting the rights of all because of the wrongs of a few?