Record Attendance at Florida Gun Show Despite Political Attacks on NRA, Gun Owners

Record Attendance at Florida Gun Show Despite Political Attacks on NRA, Gun Owners

On Valentine’s Day, a 19-year-old murdered 17 kids at Majorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL. Since then, the media has flaunted survivors and their families who vocalize an anti-NRA and anti-gun message.

Despite these efforts, a gun show in Tampa, FL, had record attendance this past weekend with as many as 7,000 people on Saturday.

It seems the more the left pushes gun control, the more people go out and purchase guns.

The Left says we need to shut down the NRA. Result: Increased membership.

The Left says we need fewer guns. Result: Increased sales.

I’m guessing if they tried to repeal 2A, we’d end up with a second Second Amendment.

— Eric Spencer (@JustEric) February 25, 2018

Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) has called to end the supposed “gun show loophole” and ban weapons like the AR-15, which Cruz used in his massacre.

Florida Gun Show manager George Fernandez disagrees with Nelson. In fact, 95% of the sellers have to run background checks at the gun show since they’re licensed dealers. The other 5% are private sellers, BUT they have to run a background check as well since Hillsborough County, the home of Tampa, requires those private sellers to conduct a background check.

Fernandez told WTSP that quite of the people who attended the show had concerns “that future legislation will impact their gun ownership rights.”

Reporters even said that at the gun show, many signed up for firearms safety classes.

Hundreds have signed up for firearms safety training classes at the Florida Gun Show & organizers say it’s a big spike from years past @BN9 pic.twitter.com/sDA7mcsEXG

— Angie Angers (@angie_angers) February 25, 2018

Eric Gibbs, one of those Federal Firearms Licensed dealers, wants to see stricter gun laws when it comes to selling. He told WFLA:

“Yes, I do. We need more FFL dealers,” he said. “We’ve got to stop this private selling, these guns are getting into the wrong hands this way.”

Gibbs is referring to something that is often called the “gun show loophole,” but it can really happen almost anywhere.

The line outside the Florida Gun Show is growing by the minute. Yesterday, an estimated 7K people attended, which organizers say was a huge turnout for Tampa @BN9 pic.twitter.com/WTW75lWZmJ

— Angie Angers (@angie_angers) February 25, 2018

FLORIDA GUN SHOW I Organizers say they saw record numbers yesterday with close to 7k people showing up and they expect more today! They also tell me they do not support a ban on assault rifles but more laws for mental health. @10NewsWTSP pic.twitter.com/95YGMKGl3E

— Shannon Valladolid (@ShannonMarieTV) February 25, 2018

Most people at the show “are good people in favor of smart regulation but that an outright ban would never work, as there were already millions of guns in public hands.” The Florida legislature voted to not ban rifles like the AR-15, which has a bad reputation since the Sandy Hook massacre a few years ago. From Bloomberg:

Robert Geisler, a 34-year-old from Orlando, was working behind the busy, large booth for gun retailer Shoot Straight Florida. Business sometimes picks up after a mass shooting, he said, though this show is always busy. “We’re on pace to do the exact same amount of sales as we did about a month ago when we were here,” he said. The conversation soon turned to the AR-15 and all the misconceptions that Geisler said surround the weapon. “There’s a lot of guns that are like that, that have been out for a long time that shoot just as far and shoot just as fast. It’s gotten a bad name since that Sandy Hook thing,” Geisler said, referring to the 2012 killing of 20 elementary school students and six staff members. “The gun has been around since the Vietnam era, it’s just in the last 25 or 30 years where these kids have been using them in the school shootings.”

“We are a free society,” Robert’s uncle, Scott Geisler, 56, said as he walked over and talked at length about all the reasons why someone might want to purchase an AR-15 for self-defense instead of a simple handgun. “People want some choices,” he said. “They like that look. They grew up with it. They see it, they see it on TV, and they like to own it. It’s a sexy rifle.”

I’m still contemplating writing my story on why I own an AR, but I’m conflicted because honestly I don’t have to justify it to anyone. But it does seem that people need to receive an education on these guns because they are ideal for home protection, especially for us females. They are huge in size, but incredibly light weight, which allows us better precision. There is also hardly any kick either, which allows us better control.

But you know what would work? Having a police and sheriff department that does their job. Remember, authorities received over 30 calls regarding Cruz and if they did their job, Cruz would have a record and he wouldn’t have been able to purchase those guns:

Cruz lawfully bought the semiautomatic rifle last February, according to Peter Forcelli, special agent in charge of the Miami office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The gun, a Smith & Wesson M&P 15 .223, was purchased at Sunrise Tactical Supply, according to the Associated Press.

Federal law allows people 18 and older to legally purchase long guns, including this kind of assault weapon. With no criminal record, Cruz cleared an instant background check via the FBI criminal database.

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