I had the opportunity to attend the Second Amendment Foundation‘s Gun Rights Policy Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, with the FASTER Saves Lives team. I must admit, that is not really my world. I don’t keep up with the political aspects, such as court cases, lobbying, etc. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was excited to learn more about this aspect of the firearms world.
Before the GRPC, a second amendment media workshop, AMM-Con, took place. Hosted by Charlie Cook of Riding Shotgun with Charlie, this all-day workshop featured seven media representatives presenting to the group. The attendees included everyone from editors and freelance writers to podcasters, photographers, digital media managers and more.
The presenters shared information on reporting on Second Amendment cases by Mark Smith, a constitutional lawyer and host of Four Boxes Diner, an AI debate, podcasting, creating a pitch sheet, rebranding, working with your customers and my topic, working with your editor. Yes, it was my first time attending, and I had the opportunity to speak at the event.
AMM-Con on day one was like drinking from the firehose. And I still had two more to go.
Two of my key takeaways from AMM-Con included the recognition that there are both positive and negative aspects to using AI. Monitoring it and not depending on it as an informational source are very important. Also, I find Mark Smith to be absolutely brilliant and full of so much knowledge that I fear his head may explode. (Yes, I let him know that.) I took so many notes and listed so many items I need to research further, that I fear I may spend a week just researching his information.
Now, onto the GRPC. I wasn’t sure the packed agenda was doable, but the SAF team pulled it off. In the grand ballroom of the hotel, each speaker had an opportunity at the microphone for 15 to 30 minutes, with a few breaks in between. SAF’s website has a list of presenters and the event’s agenda, allowing you to see just how full the days were. Emcees Mark Walters, syndicated host of Armed American Radio and CCRKBA Director, along with Charlie Cook, both managed to keep everything on track.
Every speaker had something worthwhile to offer, a little tidbit or more for me to add to my notebook. Here are some of the highlights:
- Author Sara Weaver, a survivor of the Siege at Ruby Ridge, shared her story as a fireside chat. Being just out of college at the time, I recall watching it on the news, but I didn’t fully understand what had happened. Now, after hearing her speak, I plan to research the event, as this is an incident where history must not repeat itself.
- Hearing John Lott, president of the Crime Prevention Research Center, speak reinforced the mission of the FASTER Saves Lives program. John discussed how killers are picking gun-free zones. He stressed the importance of having non-uniformed people carrying concealed in schools to save students.
- The presenter who most caught my attention was Christian Craighead. I entered the room late and missed his introduction, but after listening to the first part of his talk, I realized I’d heard some of it before. I recognized some of his story from the book, “Terrorist Attack Girl” by Meyli Chapin. In her book, Meyli shared how she survived the deadly Al-Shabaab terrorist attack at the DusitD2 in Nairobi. I was now listening to the other side of the event, the person who saved her. His story is captivating!
If you’re interested in hearing all the presentations from the GRPC, SAF has posted both Saturday and Sunday’s presentations on its YouTube Channel.
Again, I can’t express how much I learned over the weekend. Not only from the presenters, but also by talking to people in the hallways and at the evening events. I plan to review my notes and seek out more information in the upcoming weeks. And that is what I believe many attendees take away from the event. It sparks patriotism, fosters a desire to acquire more knowledge, provides an opportunity to be in the company of like-minded individuals, and offers the chance to speak with experts in the field.
I highly recommend that if you have the chance, you attend next year’s conference. Did I mention the GRPC is free? You just have to make sure to register.