From .
Over the weekend, an estimated 80,000 people descended on the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas for the National Rifle Association鈥檚 annual meeting 鈥� over 900 firearms and gun-related vendors, along with . The event was a window into an organization that, in the wake of shootings such as Parkland and Sutherland Springs, has been under increased scrutiny.
Texas Standard reporter attended the annual meeting over the weekend. He says NRA members and gun enthusiasts left the convention with a sense of support from those in power.
鈥淏efore President Trump and Vice President Pence spoke, there was a little bit of trepidation,鈥� Stephens says. 鈥淭here were a lot of NRA members who felt that the National Rifle Association and gun rights advocates were on a slippery slope. That there鈥檚 maybe too many compromises and they didn鈥檛 know what to expect. After Trump spoke, there was very much an air of confidence within the entire room that politics were on their side.鈥�
Stephens says many NRA members see crime as a constant threat.
鈥淪ure, they鈥檙e worried about their Second Amendment rights. They鈥檙e worried about gun control. But really, most of all they鈥檙e worried about crime,鈥� Stephens says. 鈥淭he way that they see things in the world is that this is an America that is very much under siege by criminal gangs, that is under siege with issues of police not being equipped to respond to violent crimes.鈥�
Stephens says Vice President Mike Pence spoke about instances when armed civilians have stopped crimes, contributing to the narrative that Americans are defending themselves from what they see as a crime-ridden place.
The hundreds of protesters outside the convention center weren鈥檛 as much as a concern for the NRA members, who saw those movements as simply a generational divide. But what did come up as a concern, Stephens says, was the fact that more and more with the NRA.
鈥淐amelbak, which historically had been there, was not on the vendor list. And Nikon pulled out, as well,鈥� Stephens says. 鈥淭his is something that definitely has gotten their attention.鈥�
In his speech after President Trump, NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre criticized companies like Austin-based YETI, which recently ended a discount program for NRA members.
Stephens says the more than 900 vendors at the convention didn鈥檛 have many innovations to display in terms of gun safety technology.
鈥淲e saw a lot of the same,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e saw a lot of AR-15 rifles with only minor differences. It seems that that鈥檚 kind of the glut of the market. And that wasn鈥檛 generating a lot of interest. There wasn鈥檛 a ton of innovation. There were a couple things there but nothing really noteworthy. Quite frankly, it was disappointing to a lot of people who were there on the floor.鈥�
Written by C茅sar E. L贸pez-Linares.
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