At the 2018 Gun Rights Policy Conference in Chicago

The 2018 Gun Rights Policy Conference was held at the Chicago O’Hare airport Hyatt Regency this year. I arrived after driving up from Dallas. As usual, the last 30 miles consisted of slow moving traffic. I used a GPS to make the proper turns. There wasn’t any real choice of another hotel.

The conference rate at the Hyatt wasn’t too terrible. $119 with parking included. I expect some state and local taxes will be added to the final bill.

The hotel had something new this year. A small “no guns” sign in red on the entrance doors. We were told the hotel coffee for the conference cost SAF $145 per gallon, once the taxes were added on.

One speaker said he had interacted with a doctor’s conference attendee that was also being held at the Hyatt. The doctor’s conference had warned the doctors that the GRPC conference would be there, and apologized for putting them, unknowingly, in the same hotel with gun people.

Chicago Guns Matter had a table outside the conference room, along with several others, including Knife Rights, The Illinois Rifle and Pistol Association, and several others.

On speaker from Detroit, I think it was Marcus Allen Weldon, author of “The Santa Shooter”, suggested the GRPC be held in Detroit one year.

I thought it a fair request. I have always wanted to see Detroit. Detroit is a more gun friendly venue than Chicago.

We had a box lunch at the conference in the conference room, so that we did not waste time trying to find a place to eat. It is a nice touch at the GRPC. The food was acceptable, but I was told SAF was charged $40 a box.

Next year the GRPC will be in Phoenix.

There were several hundred attendees at the GRPC. Attendance seemed a little down from the last time we were in Chicago. There was some buzz about the Cody Wilson case, and surprise the U.S. government had been able to have him arrested in Taiwan, so quickly.  Taiwan is said not to have an extradition treaty with the United States.

Cody Wilson made many powerful enemies with his support for the right to be armed, Defense Distributed, and the 3D printing of guns and gun parts.

The arrest came within a month, as I recall, of Defense Distributed’s lawsuit against numerous state attorney generals for deprivation of Constitutional rights under color of law.

Matthew Goldstein gave an informative presentation on the state of the ITAR regulation and settlement in the Defense Distributed case.

If you have time, I recommend attending a GRPC. SAF does an excellent job putting them on. They are informative, the speakers are approachable, and you will be able to rub elbows with well known names in the gun culture.

©2018 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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