he incoming president of the National Rifle Association (NRA) has told attendees of its conference they are freedom fighters in a "culture war".
James Porter, who takes over the top job on Monday, issued the rallying cry at the NRA's annual meeting in Texas.
Tens of thousands of people are expected at the gun rights group's event, which comes weeks after the NRA helped stop a firearms control bill.
Gun control groups plan counter-demonstrations in Houston.
"This is not a battle about gun rights,'' Mr Porter told attendees on Friday, saying it was "a culture war".
"[You] here in this room are the fighters for freedom," the Alabama lawyer added. "We are the protectors."
'Anti-gun elitists'
About 70,000 people were expected to attend the conference in Houston, to browse new products from weapons manufacturers and hunting outfitters, and sign up for hunting excursions around the world.
On the stage at the George Brown Convention Center, the NRA's chief executive, Wayne LaPierre, told the crowd that politicians and the media had repeatedly lied about the organisation.
"NRA members have stared those anti-gun elitists straight in the eye, and we've stared them down," Mr LaPierre told the cheering crowd.
Texas Governor Rick Perry also took to the podium, thanking Texas Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz for "fighting back against the anti-gun lobby in their latest attempt to undercut the [US Constitution's] second amendment", a reference to the failed firearms control bill.
Last month the background checks proposal fell six votes short of the 60 needed to advance in the Senate. It had support from almost all the chamber's Democrats and President Barack Obama, but faced near unanimous Republican opposition.
High-profile gun rights activists including former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal were also due to speak at the convention.
'Business cloaked as politics'
And the conference will host a demonstration called Stand and Fight, organised by conservative commentator Glenn Beck.
Military veterans who disagree with the NRA are planning a counter-demonstration called Occupy the NRA, and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense were due to rally.
Texas state lawmaker Garnet Coleman, a Democrat whose district is hosting the conference, said he did not plan to attend.
"Clearly, the sales and promotion of firearms is big business," he said. "This is business with politics as the cloak."
Opinion polls have repeatedly shown more than 80% of Americans support a wider system of background checks to keep people with criminal histories from purchasing guns.
The long-dormant US gun debate was revived by a December school shooting that left 26 people dead.
Twenty children were among the dead at a primary school in Newtown, Connecticut.
In the wake of the Newtown shootings, some states including New York, Colorado and Connecticut have passed gun control legislation, while laws have been loosened in South Dakota, Wyoming and Arkansas.
Following the Newtown shootings, the NRA called for armed guards in US schools.
A survey of Republicans found nearly half agreed that “an armed revolution in order to protect liberties might be necessary in the next few years.”
It found 44 percent of registered Republicans believed an armed rebellion could come in the next few years.
Republican lawmakers are pushing legislation aimed at combating a threat to gun rights that even the National Rifle Association has described as pure fiction.
A bill introduced late last week by Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) and Rep. Frank Lucas (R-OK) would ban federal agencies, excluding the Pentagon, from buying more ammunition during a six-month period if it currently possesses more than its monthly averages during the Bush administration.
The conspiracy theory that incubated the bill is that the Obama administration is trying to buy up bullets so ordinary Americans have less access to them in the marketplace.
“President Obama has been adamant about curbing law-abiding Americans’ access and opportunities to exercise their Second Amendment rights,” Inhofe said in a statement. “One way the Obama Administration is able to do this is by limiting what’s available in the market with federal agencies purchasing unnecessary stockpiles of ammunition.”
"Where we see tragedy, Barack Obama and Michael Bloomberg, they see opportunity," said Chris Cox, the executive director for the NRA's Institute for Legislative Action.
"While we pray for God to comfort those suffering unimaginable pain, they rush to microphones and cameras, gather in war rooms on Capitol Hill and scheme about how to use that suffering to push their political agenda," he continued. "That's who they are and what they believe, but not us."
The funny thing is the people who are most opposed to gun control are kinda anarchists, I think they'd dislike the idea that they're fighting on behalf of some culture/Washington DC-based lobbying group.
Quote...the 60 votes needed to advance in the Senate.
For the Love of God, Just Call It a Filibuster! (http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/04/for-the-love-of-god-just-call-it-a-filibuster/275087/)
The journalists who won't fucking call that shit for what it is should be deported to Afghanistan.
Any European thoughts on this?
QuoteAny European thoughts on this?
I want all the Muslim/mexican/non-white members of the NRA to march through Texas and other GoP bases with armed assault weapons as a show of support - just to see the comedy response
At this point - it should be made absolutely clear that complete oxygen thieves like Glenn Beck who are fanning the flames lit under the crazies will be held as co conspirators in the event of any discharging of weapons.
Weaponizing roofies is like making love to a beautiful woman: You need Belgian chocolates and fine wine.I pretty much updated my important and individual thoughts on this matter, which is why I've quoted the update........
And soft lovemaking music.
Probably a blazing log fire too. Basically in my personal exp points, if a girl is willing to come into your bed naked, she's basically handing you a licence to doggystyle.
I basically need COG, TB and that Jewish guy.
A survey of Republicans found nearly half agreed that “an armed revolution in order to protect liberties might be necessary in the next few years.”
It found 44 percent of registered Republicans believed an armed rebellion could come in the next few years.
QuoteA survey of Republicans found nearly half agreed that “an armed revolution in order to protect liberties might be necessary in the next few years.”
It found 44 percent of registered Republicans believed an armed rebellion could come in the next few years.
Lol - an armed rebellion! I am constantly amused that these treason fantasies seem to ignore WHO and what they'd be up against.
At least if it all does kick off then the US can get an almost overnight rise in average IQ
On March 10th, Middlefield, Ohio police made what appeared to be a routine traffic stop of a man who had run a stop sign. But then James Gilkerson emerged from his stopped car firing 37 rounds from an AK-47 rifle. Amazingly the two officers in the cruiser sustained only relatively minor injuries and fired off 54 rounds of their own, eventually killing Gilkerson.
Here’s the page on the Tactical Response website about the particular course Gilkerson appears to have taken. (Obviously, we only have this manual in his position at the time of his death. Conceivably he could have gotten it through some other means.) The course is next taught on May 18th and 19th. Sign up now. Here’s the course description from the site:
You know how to shoot your rifle or subgun now let us teach you how to FIGHT with it! This course is far more advanced than any other rifle course you can attend (with the exception of our advanced course) and covers trajectory, battlesight zero, gear set-up, sling configurations, transitions to pistol, use of cover and concealment, practical ready and firing positions, close- and medium-range snap shooting, weapons handling, urban applications, team drills, firing while moving, multiple targets, plus the tactics required to employ this potent tool in combat. Every student leaves this class with empty mags, a red hot rifle, and a smile from ear to ear! This is one of our most popular courses.
This class is great for nearly any magazine fed rifle or subgun and any traditional military style rifle. We will show you how to run your MP5, AR, AK, RPK, FAL, M1A, G3, VZ-58 or whatever weapon you have!
And how did it take 54 rounds from two police officers to bring down one shooter? Noobs all around.
I'm not going to arm chair this to death, but that was a poor performance, at least from a military perspective. Firing through the windshield? Where's Boogie? Is that doctrine?
I'm not going to arm chair this to death, but that was a poor performance, at least from a military perspective. Firing through the windshield? Where's Boogie? Is that doctrine?
I forgot Boogie is the internet public affairs officer for all police forces in North America. You're really going to give these guys a pat on the back for taking a guy out at point blank range by firing 54 rounds on a public road--some of those from inside a car and behind a windshield? smh
For one, I can't tell whether or how many rounds were fired behind the windshield, Rumbler says he was firing from behind the windshield and I don't see where he gets that from. In any case, it is immaterial.
Stanko said one of his officers, Erin Thomas, got out of the patrol car after Gilkerson was pulled over, walked around the car, and got to about the driver's side door of the cruiser when Gilkerson bolted from his car and began shooting.
Stanko said Thomas fired back, as did her partner Brandon Savage. Stanko said Savage returned fire through the windshield of the cruiser.
For one, I can't tell whether or how many rounds were fired behind the windshield, Rumbler says he was firing from behind the windshield and I don't see where he gets that from. In any case, it is immaterial.
It's in the article on the Cleveland Plain Dealer website:Quote from: http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2013/05/middlefield_police_release_vid.htmlStanko said one of his officers, Erin Thomas, got out of the patrol car after Gilkerson was pulled over, walked around the car, and got to about the driver's side door of the cruiser when Gilkerson bolted from his car and began shooting.
Stanko said Thomas fired back, as did her partner Brandon Savage. Stanko said Savage returned fire through the windshield of the cruiser.
I wonder what Drew thinks about all of this!
US gun lobby warns of Obama 'plot'http://www.aljazeera.com/video/americas/2013/05/201354234949877607.html
NRA leadership accuses Obama administration of trying to 'destroy us and every ounce of our freedoms'.
The incoming leader of the National Rifle Association, the largest gun lobby in the US, has told supporters they are at the front line of a 'culture war', fighting for the right to bear arms.
Speaking association's annual convention, in the southern state of Texas, Jim Porter accused Barack Obama, US president of "meeting and plotting with a who’s who of the gun ban movement, scheming to create gun control by bureaucracy.”
Al Jazeera's Rob Reynolds reports from Houston, where gun control advocates aren't giving up.
Al Jazeera's Rob Reynolds
So the guy has an AK, combat training, AND gets to fire first, and he still loses, only inflicting minor injuries on the opponents, who are firing handguns? What a fucking idiot. That training course must be complete shit, btw.
Isn't James Yeager the fucktard that got his carry license pulled after threatening Obummer?
Isn't James Yeager the fucktard that got his carry license pulled after threatening Obummer?
the perp didn't have any combat training. and even if he did he definitely wasn't trying to utilize it, it was an obvious suicide by cop.
seems just as likely he was on his way to go shoot up the public