fox files

The largest gun show in America was recently “postponed” after the National Rifle Association and hundreds of other exhibitors pulled out in protest over a decision by Reed Exhibitions to ban AR-15S and similar modern semi-automatic rifles (guns the national media often erroneously label as “assault rifles”) from the Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show in Harrisburg, Pa. Reed’s official statement said the show, which was scheduled to run from Feb. 2-10, was postponed until “the time is right to focus on the theme it celebrates.”

Before the start of this brouhaha, the nra tried to clue Reed Exhibitions into the fact that modern semi-auto rifles are commonly used by Americas hunters along with millions of other citizens.  Many of these firearms, such as the Remington R-15, are chambered in calibers used by deer hunters. Predator hunters have long used modern sporting rifles as well.

How would the presence of these firearms at the show “distract from the theme of hunting and fishing”?  Saying that is like banning sports cars from a car show while saying sporty, fast and cool autos shouldn’t be allowed because they’d be a distraction.

Reed Exhibitions went ahead with the ban regardless. In fact, Reed Exhibitions’ prohibition even extended to images of modern semi-auto rifles.  They wanted to whitewash a firearm category from the show because they deem its appearance too militaristic for civilian use.

They mandated this ban at America’s largest outdoor show, a show that regularly attracts 200,000 outdoor enthusiasts and pumps an estimated $44 million into the region’s economy. In response, the NRA boycotted the show. The NRA’s statement said, in part: the “NRA  strongly disagreed with Reed Exhibitions’ decision to ban popular semi-automatic rifles from the Eastern Sports Show in Harrisburg, Pa. … Due to Reed Exhibitions’ refusal to reconsider their decision, the NRA  decided to withdraw from the show entirely:

The response from other companies and organizations scheduled to attend was also fast and united Cabelas, a major sponsor of the show (Cabelas has a store in Hamburg, Pa), pulled out, as did the National Wild Turkey Federation, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and companies like Ruger, Smith & Wesson, Crimson Trace, Trijicon and hundreds more.  In fact, many of the exhibitors that announced they wouldn’t be attending were small knife makers, outfitters and others that rely on the business they get from this popular show to stay afloat.

Each year at the Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show, families would come together and friends would show up in groups to walk the crowded aisles and fantasize about buying the latest firearms or booking a hunt in Colorado, Alaska or Africa. Some saved all year, even planned years in advance, before showing up to book a hunting or fishing trip. This is an event where Americans come together to enjoy outdoor pastimes, share stories and see what’s new. At press time, it remains unclear what will be the show’s future.

The silver lining is that when hunters and gun owners, organizations and companies pulled together and refused to allow Reed Exhibitions to force them to go along with a nonsensical, anti-gun ideology, they presented a united front politicians should heed. This steadfast refusal to be divided and conquered by a politically correct minority is exactly what’s needed to keep anti-gun politicians from stripping away Americans’ freedoms.