Two scenes played out in downtown Houston Friday evening as Second Amendment supporters from across the country filed into the George R. Brown Auditorium for the first day of the NRA's 2022 Annual Meeting.
The first has been covered by the mainstream media extensively and that is the protests that raged on across from the convention center — as the likes of Beto O'Rourke and David Hogg are once again trying to use a tragedy to push their radical gun control agenda. (RELATED: Beto O'Rourke Interrupts School Shooting Presser to Score Political Points)
The second hasn't received nearly as much coverage, and that is the events that are actually taking place inside the convention center this weekend.
In an attempt to cut through the media's narrative on NRA members, NRA President Wayne LaPierre took time out of the speech he made kicking off the forum to highlight the diversity of the pro-gun community gathered in the convention hall.
He asked individuals to stand when their profession was mentioned, highlighting a number of them including veterans, police and firefighters, teachers and healthcare professionals as well as stay-at-home mothers.
The Second Amendment community is one of the most potent blocs of voters for conservative political figures to court, so it's no surprise that three potential Republican 2024 presidential hopefuls took the stage at the NRA Institute of Legislative Action's leadership forum to tout their pro-gun records.
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem focused her remarks on her background of growing up in a household where guns were cultural and not political. She even mentioned that one of her first experiences as a young sportswoman was going squirrel hunting with her grandmother. Then, she shifted her speech to say that although her first experiences with guns were for sport, she realizes that's not what the Second Amendment is for. As a mother and grandmother, she has a unique perspective on the rights guaranteed by the Second Amendment.
Noem highlighted that the first bill she signed as governor was the one that made South Dakota a constitutional carry state, even signing it in the rotunda of the state capitol to signify its importance. She also spoke about legislation she signed earlier this year to allow South Dakotans to obtain concealed carry permits without fees. (RELATED: South Dakota and Indiana Governors Sign Pro-2A Legislation)
Texas Senator Ted Cruz was the one of state's two senators who actually made the event. John Cornyn was slated to speak but pulled out earlier this week due to a personal matter.
After again remembering the victims of Uvalde, Cruz then dedicated the bulk of his time on stage to talk about a measure that he sponsored in the Senate in the Obama era, the Grassley-Cruz amendment of 2013.
He remarked how it was one of the most bipartisan elements of gun legislation to ever come on the floor of the Senate, even garnering the support of nine Democrats.
Other elements of the legislation highlighted by Cruz included an emphasis on prosecuting those who try to illegally obtain firearms, as well as extra measures to secure schools. (RELATED: Ted Cruz Wins Big at Supreme Court)
Former President Donald Trump was the last speaker of the night, and like all the other speakers before him, he started off by taking a moment to remember the victims of the Uvalde school shooting. Setting himself apart from the other speakers of the night, Trump read out the names of every victim and asked the audience to hold a moment of silence to remember those lives lost.
He also spoke about the once-in-a-generation results he achieved in appointing conservative judges throughout the federal court system. (RELATED: Elon Musk Reveals His Thoughts on Trump's Twitter Ban)
Texas Governor Greg Abbott addressed the auditorium via a pre-recorded message, as he was personally in Uvalde at the time of the event.
North Carolina's Lieutenant Governor Mark Kieth Robinson was also granted a mainstage speaking spot at the ILA forum. Robinson, the first African American to hold his post is an ardent advocate for gun rights. He used his time on stage to call out Washington liberals such as Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer who have no qualms using taxpayer dollars to protect themselves but are hesitant to spend it on the safety of children around the country.
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The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.
