Not having selected the North White Schools for a convention site, the state’s Republican convention will be held at venues that prohibit firearms on the premises. Niki Kelly, writing for the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, reports that the Fort Wayne venues at issue are the Grand Wayne Center, Parkview Field, and Embassy Theater.
So far there isn’t much hue and cry over the issue. State Republicans have generally been content to let private property owners make their own decisions about whether to allow firearms on the premises. The legislation requiring employers to allow employees to have firearms in the parking lot is a notable exception. And, of course, it has been deemed unacceptable to allow units of local government to make their own decisions about firearms on government-owned property. Firearms aren’t generally permitted in the State House.
With respect to the Fort Wayne venues:
Allen County Republican Party Chairman Steve Shine said all three venues have policies against firearms and he doesn’t expect them to change for the convention.
“That’s the normal policy,” he said, noting he hasn’t heard much about the topic.
Update (h/t Freedom): “Guns a go for Indiana GOP convention”
Not that they couldn’t. I believe the Indy Convention Center and related venues (Lucas Oil, Conseco, etc…) all have a no weapons policy but they lifted that for NRA attendees at their recent conference.
Your point? Do you raise this out of hoplophobia, or do you see this location choice as an indication that the Republican Party is becoming anti-gun?
My sense is that the gun love is more of a cultural affectation than a pragmatic concern that everyone have ready access to a useful tool. Since they are among friends — members of the same cultural tribe, flying their colors (or in this case bearing arms) is a matter of indifference. Hence the oversight here.
“My sense is that the gun love is more of a cultural affectation than a pragmatic concern that everyone have ready access to a useful tool.”
Does any scholarship undergird this?
None that I’ve seen or am willing to look up. If you feel like doing the homework, knock yourself out.
How could I possibly research your sense?
You can’t. You could possibly, if you cared to, research whether advocates of more liberal gun laws are pursuing measures designed to advance an affinity for guns that’s more cultural in nature or measures designed to address a pragmatic need to have a firearm close to hand as a readily available tool.
Precisely how would anyone be able to tease out a “cultural affinity”?
P.S. Tool for what? The Republicans and libertarians differ greatly on the object.
Dammit Jim, I’m a lawyer, not a very good researcher.
Perhaps there should be a line on the 4473?
Question 72. Is this firearm being purchased due to a cultural affinity with one or more Gun Purchasing Cultures?
If the answer to Question 72 is ‘Yes,’ enter the corresponding Culture Code ___.
It’s amusing that you can’t see that you’ve identified that guns pose no threat to your worldview. You hate guns because you’re all about a heavy social order, and guns permit people to toss out the social order and establish a new one. You really hate that idea. You like lots of people being subordinate to a social order controlled by a few. You like long-lived governments with much institutional permanence. With a little effort, you get to be in charge of that small group of people that controls a really large group of people. Personal independence really scares you, as people could make decisions that ruin what you’re trying to accomplish for the larger population.
Almost all gun owners like that idea, too. Those “cultures” you recognize in your “cultural affinity” are the most obedient, least independent, most authority-loving people on the planet. They’ll never use their guns to toss out the small group. Their “cultures” beat all the independence right out of them. “Rebellion” is shooting up a road sign out in the boonies or slapping a bumper sticker insulting Obama on their pickups.
Most gun owners just want to watch television. They vote. They buy into the system, If you’re after control, you’ll be wise to let them be. They believe in structure. They’re harmless. On the Left, however, are some folks who religiously avoid television as poison. You can’t serve these folks some NFL and be safe in their complacency.
Sure, over on the Right-ish are the Lew Rockwell/Alex Jones folks who realize the whole thing is rotten. It takes some work to get to that perspective. People are dull and binary. They like two parties. If one is bad, time to try the other. It’s a heck of a step to admit the whole thing needs to go. Your Alex Jonesers have guns, and are pretty good with them, and don’t like any bit of the government. They also read and know why they don’t like the system. Platitudes and slogans won’t satisfy them. They’re your biggest threat, but their numbers are limited.
On the Left, you actually have a lot to worry about. There’s far more of a fight in the OWS ranks than your typical gun show patrons. The Greens, the OWS’ers, the social justice folks, and others on the left are far more eager to upset the apple cart than law-loving, flag-saluting, military-serving gun owners. If groups on the Left ever get interested in guns, then you can worry.
If Nader, Chomsky and Jones go in thirdsies on a beachfront condo, worry a lot.
“My sense is that the gun love.”
N.B. Pejorative terms belie an unserious interest in the subject.
Hoplophilia would have been better?
Yeah, Doug, they don’t love guns, they fetishize them. Use “gun fetishist” rather than love, cuz if you loved something, you could set it free and gun nuts, errr fetishists can’t let their guns go….I mean, until they are stolen and sold on the street.
Doug: A lot (most?) gun owners are worthless authoritarians who are merely a shade off of outright fascist. If you’re going to oppose gun owners, there’s certainly a lot of ground on which to do so, but when I see a gun owner (http://ingunowners.com/forums/general-political-discussion/), I see a person who is quite close to you in most matters of consequence. You’ll quibble about small stuff, but you’ll ultimately agree on governmental size and reach. There’s even a Lafayette attorney on there whom I had to research thoroughly to ensure it wasn’t you posting under a nom de plume, so close are the two of you in ideology.
The gun owning portion of the Republican Party is ripe for picking by the authoritarian Left if the GOP ever takes a libertarian turn.
I’m guessing that’s Kirk who works across the hall from me. If all gun owners were like him, the gun regulation issue wouldn’t be a concern for me.
OMG! He works across the hall from you?!?!?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I totally nailed that.
FTW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I won’t comment on his positions absent his ability to defend himself. Suffice to say that I had to verify that he wasn’t you.
Freedom, you need Paxil.
Have you had good success with it?
Paxil does not treat Psychosis or the Anti-social Personality Disorder most libertarians suffer from. A solid Thorazine might help Freedom, although my clients tell me it causes drowsiness and dry mouth
Good to know. Thanks!
I’m always impressed with the hypocrisy. We (being these republicans) want guns for everyone everwhere – except for where we will be meeting. We want guns for everyone everywhere – except for where we work. Guns are OK where you work, just not where we work.
It’s not hypocrisy, Reuben, it’s always been about motivating voters and getting campaign money. Suburban and exurban Republicans are no more interested in guns than any normal person is, but the scared rural white guy luvs him some guns and republicans a) need those white guys to vote for them and b) need the money from the firearms companies and the NRA.
It’s just one more example of conservatism as a racket with the con man’s contempt for the mark (in this case the GOP base). Of course, the modern GOP has been letting the marks take control of the process, which scares the con men something fierce.
We’re on the same page…I just shortened it to hypocrisy.
Oh, yeah, shortening stuff. I heard about that one time, but I’ve largely ignored it :)
Doug: You must issue a retraction.
“Guns a go for Indiana GOP convention”
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20140522/LOCAL/305229971