SITREP: April 2000

By Dan Shea

A very interesting occurrence is on the table this month- for the first time in 32 years, the Great Western show will not be held in Pomona, California at the Fairgrounds. This is due to the pressure from the Anti Second Amendment zealots who tried to make an end run around the law, by banning the sale of firearms on LA County property. This effectively ruins any gun shows that would be happening at the Fairgrounds, although one brave promoter is still making it happen.

The promoters of the Great Western did a good job of fighting this in court, and got an injunction so that the last few shows were held in a normal manner, but a lot of people were holding their breath. While they can still hold the show there, the promoters voted with their feet, and moved the show to the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. This effectively took about $10 million dollars out of the local community in Pomona, as well as $600,000+ out of the coffers of the LA County Fairgrounds. Good Show! Your faithful correspondent here would very much like to see more of this type of thing. Since the day the NRA kept the Convention in Philadelphia, and we had to run the gauntlet of Democratic controlled union workers who harassed the exhibitors- no, of course they weren’t instructed to because the Democratic mayor of Philly had just filed suit against the firearms manufacturers, that could NEVER happen…. And the day that we went to the SHOT show in Atlanta to be greeted by unfriendly actions by another mayor who was participating in this frivolous yet debilitating politically motivated suits… I have wanted to see this happen.

Let’s start smacking these ideologues in the pocketbook, and do it publicly as much as possible. Get the word out that playing politics here is going to be costly. The April Dates are the 28th, 29th, and 30th, which are the normal Spring dates. The Fall dates have been changed to the weekend of September 15th, 16th, and 17th. You can contact them at: Great Western, P.O. Box 51510, Irvine, CA 92619 or call at (949)261-5700.

While there is always some question about “What will attendance be like” or “Will the exhibitors show up”, a far more beneficial scenario is likely to occur. Nevada is Class 3 friendly, and doesn’t dance to the same politically correct tune that the Californians do. Many of the Class 3’s that I have spoken with have indicated they are booking tables, and SAR will be there as well. It’s a good chance to get together at a huge show, and do business with like minded people, and to hang in Vegas a little instead of under the cloud of despotism that is engulfing California. See you there!

-Dan