Great Satan, Inc.

Photo courtesy City of Phoenix Convention Center website

There is still plenty of time to attend the 2009 Convention/NRA Meetings and Exhibits in Phoenix this weekend (May 16th and 17th). Here’s some information to help you enjoy the event:

• Admission is $10 for non-NRA members, and the price includes a one year NRA associate membership.

• Admission is free for NRA members and their families, military and law enforcement personnel,  and organized youth groups.

• To enter and register for the event, go to the Phoenix Convention Center North building, hop on the escalator, and take it down to the exhibit hall level.

• The easiest way to find the escalator is to enter the Convention Center through the main doors, which are on the West side of the building. Hang a left when you hit the area that splits into four directions, and the escalators will be almost immediately on your left. If you hit the food court, you’ve gone too far.

• There are several public parking garages downtown, and most are running a flat $12.00 per day. There are a few metered spaces here and there, but you are not likely to find an available meter this weekend.

• The Metro light rail runs a short block from the Convention Center, and at $2.50 for an all-day pass, it could be your best bet for getting down there on the cheap. There are several park and ride facilities on the rail line, if you want to get most of the way there and use the rail as a shuttle in to the downtown area

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The first event of the 2009 NRA Annual Meeting and Exhibits, held in Phoenix, Arizona, was the Grassroots Workshop put on by the NRA Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) at the Sheraton. The grassroots activists were seated by state, so that they could begin networking with other politically active members.

The workshop started with a rousing speech by Dick Heller of the Heller vs. D.C. Supreme Court case. Mr. Heller made history recently when he won his case and the Supreme Court, for the first time ever, affirmed that the 2nd Amendment protects an individual’s right to keep and bear arms. Mr. Heller continues to fight for gun rights and encouraged attendees to fight for their rights by recruiting new NRA members and actively supporting political candidates who support gun rights.

The Powerful Gun Lobby (Voters)

The grassroots attendees are what the media and anti-gun activists refer to as “the powerful gun lobby.” Looking around the room, it was obvious that the media’s bogeyman was a room filled with 375 average, politically conscious, neighborhood housewives, fathers, sons and daughters – all ordinary Americans.

Various NRA staff gave moving speeches and highlighted current legislative initiatives that either help protect the rights of gun owners, or threaten those rights. President Obama was praised several times for his stimulus of the gun industry and bolstering the NRA’s membership roster.

I'm a bitter gun owner and I vote.

Attendees at the workshop were encouraged to write, or call, their congressmen in opposition or support of gun related legislation. The get-out-the-vote message was also very clear. The message – encourage other gun owners to register to vote, vote in all available elections, and to join the NRA.  Attendees were encouraged to exercise their rights to speak out, to peacefully assemble, to petition our government, to vote, and to keep and bear arms.  American exceptionalism at its finest!  We live in the only country in the world where these rights are enshrined.  The NRA wants people to exercise all of their rights in order to protect their freedoms and insure liberty for all.

For additional information on legislative issues, or how you can become involved, please go to the NRA-ILA webpage.

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Update:  Click here to find admission information for the 2009 NRA Convention in Phoenix May 14th-17th, 2009

NRA has an amazing and generous offer right now – you can get a trial for one year through the following link:
http://www.nrahq.org/nrabonus/

They also have an option where you can join for multiple years at substantial discounts – 2 years for $25, 3 years for $50, 5 years for $100, or a life membership for $500 (that’s half off!).

So, what do you get with an NRA membership?

24/7 Defense of your Firearm Freedoms.
Your choice of NRA Magazines (three to choose from). Update – Looks like they no longer offer the magazine with the free membership.
$1,000 in Insurance for Your Guns.
$5,000 in Accident Insurance for You.
An NRA Membership Card and Decal.
Up to 60% off on Starkey® Hearing Products.
Member only Savings on Hotels, Rental Cars and More.
Invitations to “Friends of NRA” Dinners and Celebration of American Values Special Events.
FREE Admission to NRA’s National Firearms Museum.
FREE Admission to NRA’s Guns, Gear and Outfitter Show.
FREE Admission to NRA’s Celebration of American Values Leadership Forum on May 15-17, 2009 in Phoenix, Arizona.

I would like to personally thank the NRA for making this offer available!

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