CCW Convention

[Guest nraforlife]

Just a thought. Why not have a CCW Convention in Nashville while the legislature is in session? There are 190,000 permit holders in TN alone, if my memory serves me right, with significant others that is 380,000 NOT including permit holders from surrounding States that would come. Get some good 2nd amendment speakers, charge low or free admission and make it a one - two day event. Activities could include things like a mass visit to the capital and visiting/observing the elected officials at work - think of it as a peep show without costing you quarters, dinner in restaurants that serve alcohol - this could be fun especially if not carrying as nobody will know one way or the other. Following the path of Gandhi and Dr. King, peaceful non-confrontational protests. DO you think that restaurants would turn aways thousands of dollars because they are not sure if someone in the crowd is carrying or not? Naifeh's worse nightmare, thousands - hopefully tens of thousands - of law abiding citizens in town, enjoying themselves, not causing anyone any grief and telling him to stick his bias.

[TripleDigitRide]

Sounds like a great idea.

[Guest jackdog]

Now that Idea has a lot of merit.

[waynesan]

Sounds like fun to me.

[Guest Boomhower]

Sounds good, but we can't even rally people to call, write, or visit their reps. when bills are in session. What makes any of us think that the other roughly 188,500 that are not members of this site, would care enough to come out to a (we're in Tennessee) "HCP" convention?

[Mike.357]

count me out, who would want to hang out with a bunch of gun nuts.

[Smith]

I think they call it a Gun Show and we have them all the time!

[Guest nraforlife]

Sounds good, but we can't even rally people to call, write, or visit their reps. when bills are in session. What makes any of us think that the other roughly 188,500 that are not members of this site, would care enough to come out to a (we're in Tennessee) "HCP" convention?

Afraid you may be right. Most folks like to bitch and moan and sit on their ass and wait for someone else to carry the load.

However, I still think it is an idea that should/could be discussed and see what, if any, interest could be generated.

[GLOCKMEISTER]

this is a dangerous idea... if we have tons of support and lots of people show up then great, but if it flops and we have no turn out we will be killing any political power we may claim to have.

Face it guys, the truth is we cant even get all the permit holders to contact their Reps much less show up at one place in the state for a gathering.

[Guest GLOCKGUY]

this is a dangerous idea... if we have tons of support and lots of people show up then great, but if it flops and we have no turn out we will be killing any political power we may claim to have.

Face it guys, the truth is we cant even get all the permit holders to contact their Reps much less show up at one place in the state for a gathering.

this is so true

[Guest flesheatingvirus]

Sounds good, though I would hope that nobody would be carrying into the restaurants that serve alcohol. Then we would lose our 'law abiding' status.

[Guest nraforlife]

Ok, another thought. Since the restaurant association owns Naifeh lets hit them where it hurts financially. No, not a boycott but something totally different. Lets pick out a chain, or find the restaurants that the Restaurant Association bigwigs own, and pick out dates and do a mass eat in. However, fill the place up and order the cheapest stuff on the menu and stay there for hrs - you cannot be asked to leave if you are there legally and still eating. Peak times would be best don't you think, lunch times and weekend dinners. Waitress and busboys we would tip big time as not to hurt them but hit the owners where it hurts.

[Guest GUTTERbOY]

Ok, another thought. Since the restaurant association owns Naifeh lets hit them where it hurts financially. No, not a boycott but something totally different. Lets pick out a chain, or find the restaurants that the Restaurant Association bigwigs own, and pick out dates and do a mass eat in. However, fill the place up and order the cheapest stuff on the menu and stay there for hrs - you cannot be asked to leave if you are there legally and still eating. Peak times would be best don't you think, lunch times and weekend dinners. Waitress and busboys we would tip big time as not to hurt them but hit the owners where it hurts.

Uhhh... I'm pretty sure they can ask you to leave for any reason they want to, so long as it doesn't involved something protected like race or disability. And I think that if they knew beforehand what we were planning, they'd likely give us the boot. On the other hand, if they don't know why we're doing it, we'll just get filed away with the tons of other jackasses who come in, camp, and leave the server $5.

I'm all for finding out who the important people in the RA are and finding a way to express our displeasure, but I'm not certain this is the best way to go about it. That said, what you outline would certainly make a noticable impact on sales if we got together a big enough group and camped for several hours on a weekend night. Turning tables is the name of the game once you get the restaurant full, and we could put a nice hitch in that.

Edited April 15, 2008 by GUTTERbOY

[Bigiron]

Simple way is to hire Naifeh's wife as a lobbyist. Let the games begin.

[Guest TNDixieGirl]

I dont see how being a group of jackasses at one restaurant would get any point across. What am I missing? You want them to listen, not write us off as a bunch of goofballs that wasted their time.

[strickj]

Going to one restaurant in Nashville and inviting the press would ensure both our wants being heard,and us not getting booted out.If we were booted out on the news that would look bad

[ZenDog]

Being in business for myself, I know that money talks. I hate to lose money due to my own errors, ignorance, or to government stupidity. If the other side (whoever they are) sees $$$ going somewhere else, that might mean something to someone who will change things.

If all 190,000 TN permit holders were to eat a $10 meal, that would be $1,900,000. That sounds like a lot to me. Almost 2 million dollars.

How does this sound if you are a restaurant owner? "Today almost 2 million dollars was spent in TN restaurants by handgun carry permit holders. Your establishment was illegal for us to eat in, so your restaurant didn't get any of that 2 million dollars. It is time for Tennessee's antiquated handgun carry laws to change".

Maybe we could do it on Bill of Rights day, December 15th. Spend 2 million in TN restaurants that don't sell alcohol. And then make sure it gets told.

[Guest TNDixieGirl]

Spend 2 million in TN restaurants that don't sell alcohol. And then make sure it gets told.

Now THAT idea sounds like it'd get some ears perking up.

[Mike.357]

I am normally not into this type of activism but ZenDog makes a real good point.

I think it would also be safe to say that the $1.9 million could realistically be double including spouses in the total. Triple if one child was included in you dinner bill.

Of couse it would take a lot of pre game work to have people lined up to do this. Press releases and involving all print, radio and tv media would be key. Without a lot of publicity it would never work.

I might even go as far as to suggest open carry while at dinner. OC would make it plain and obvious to restaurant owners where the money was coming from.

And of course Darth Naifeh would need to be on the invite list to have dinner with us.

[strickj]

He could bring his concealed carry license

[Guest GLOCKGUY]

He could bring his concealed carry license :rolleyes:

and you know he will be wearing his concealed carry badge:D

Edited April 16, 2008 by GLOCKGUY

[Guest nraforlife]

$10 meal nothing, a simple salad and a coke, cheap cheap cheap. Stay until TOLD to leave. $10 table versus a $75+ table you do the math. And not one restaurant but restaurants State wide. Hooters, Ruths Chris, Outback, the big boys who really generate LOTs of cash during lunch or weekends.

And NOT a bunch of jackasses at one restaurant, but good citizens not causing a bother but enjoying a cheap meal with friends and family just really cheap and realllly long at a lot of restaurants.

We have got to get the message out that we will not be ignored, we will not allow our rights to be trampled and we will no longer be silent.

ZenDog ideal also has a lot of merit as the idea is to get the attention that is needed by those that influence Naifeh. To bitch and moan to your elected officials hasn't done anything as they dance to Naifehs beat.

It's time to think out of the box and fine creative ways to get the attention needed to get our rights advanced.

[Guest GLOCKGUY]

$10 meal nothing, a simple salad and a coke, cheap cheap cheap. Stay until TOLD to leave. $10 table versus a $75+ table you do the math. And not one restaurant but restaurants State wide. hooters, Ruths Chris, Outback, the big boys who really generate LOTs of cash during lunch or weekends.

if i go. i cant go to hooter. every time i go there them dang girls working there some how make me spend way more then $10.00 and when i get home my wife kicks my butt

[Guest slothful1]

$10 meal nothing, a simple salad and a coke, cheap cheap cheap. Stay until TOLD to leave.

I think the idea re: the $10 was to catch more flies with honey than vinegar -- show the alcohol-serving places the revenue they're missing.

[Guest TNDixieGirl]

Good citizens not causing a bother??? You're kidding right? Your prescribed method is to be a complete bother. You think one day of being a slow, cheap eater would even have an impact. So what? You messed up one meal service. You didn't even cause a dent in their bottom line.

BUt ADDING to the bottom line of those places we are allowed to carry would send a far greater message, in my opinion only.