What happened? The Dallas area wasn't available at the time?

Here in Portland, politically extreme groups like the John Birch Society and an even more radical Idaho militia anti-government group use the gunshows at the Expo Center to distribute radical literature and books. That's a real good combination, paranoid politics and guns. How can anything possibly go wrong there?

It might be in poor taste to host it at an old book warehouse on Nov 22, but no gun shows anywhere on that day? Seriously? (There's one this weekend down here, too.) I can't say I can get worked up over it. But I might get a chuckle out of any Carcanos I find. (There are always a few floating around)

which day of the year (out of the 365 or 366 available) was no one EVER shot on???

While I agree that holding one in a Book Depository on November 22nd would be in bad taste, it would be IMPOSSIBLE to find a date that NO ONE would object to!

Reno, NV is having one this weekend too...

Gun shows are harmless and fun. Criminals don't like gun shows, because law abiding citizens buy guns at these shows and then have a tendency to shoot criminals with them.

I love going to gun shows. The tables full of good, decent literature on shooting sports set right next to wacko conspiracy tables that teach you how best to bring down a UFO with a homemade grenade launching crossbow. The guns everywhere, saying "America!" like no other piece of hardware does. The t-shirts that make you laugh and make you wince. The good people browsing, enjoying, and buying guns that are our right and keep us free.

You should go to this one, Jay. You don't have to buy a gun, though you'll want to. They're so sleek and pretty. Mmmm, guns. Love them.

I might be biased, but I would also recommend that all businesses cease the sale of utensils and all Americans protest their use every September 26 until the end of time. Some of us have been killed by forks.

Ban everything that can be used to kill and we'll all be safer.

Lame post J.T., realllllly lame. You should've posted this one on WizBlue. It would have been a perfect fit for that mentality. (See comment #1)

Gun shows are harmless and fun.

Perhaps most of the time, but not always.

Happy Ammo Day: http://www.ammoday.com/

I just saw this on the Instapundit: some want to make November 22nd Victory in Iraq Day:

http://www.zombietime.com/vi_day/

Really. As long as there are no special offer on Mannlicher-Carcano rifles I don't see that there is any problem whatsoever.
And Paul, that First Amendment's a bitch, isn;t it?

Oh please! Haven't enough altars been built to this phony? Why not just all spend 24 hours kneeling on the 22nd. There are one hell of a lot of actual American heroes of whom no one hears and who receive no recognition. This thug family and the "Camelot" crap have become way too much over the years.

I'll buy into your concern about gun shows and Nov 22nd the day you get concerned about holding sailing competitions on April 15th. (Titanic sank)

Just a little silly here, aren't we? As was pointed out above, someone somewhere has been shot on each and every day of the year. Is there something special about politicians, that their life is worth more than others? I don't think so. But you must, or you wouldn't whine about gun shows on those particular days. BTW, it's National Ammo Day. Hope everyone went out and bought a hundred rounds - before you can't.

This thug family and the "Camelot" crap have become way too much over the years.

Yeah, well, just wait until the Obama worship gets a full head of steam. Not to mention the slobbering main-stream media outlets. You think it's bad now? Hoo boy, we'll soon be pining for the days of Camelot, I think.

Paul, Name one person assassinated by the John Birch Society. How many by those involved with socialism/communism? Remember Lee Harvey Oswald? Not a member of the John Birch Society.

Oh, and Paul, remember, you're not paranoid if they really ARE watching you. ;)

Chad, The John Birch Society has always conducted itself lawfully, however my opinion is that no political organization should be present at any gunshow events which should solely be for gun collectors. Politically extreme politics such as the Idaho militia group which sells books such as THE TURNER DIARIES or on homemade bomb making could spur some individual with paranoid mental illness to eventually act out in a violent way. I have no problem with gunshows as long as the guns are lawfully sold, but I don't like politically extreme groups using such events for recruiting purposes. Simple rules should require that all exhibitors are related to gun collecting as a hobby or for sport, and unrelated exhibits like political radicals should be banned from such events by rules.

At the Expo Center here in Portland there are clear rules on what sort of exhibits are allowed for the annual auto parts swap meet, which I sometimes attend, but not for the gunshows held in the same building, where more and more political groups seem to be showing up, and some selling some very radical titles that involve building illegal explosives or terrorist type tactics. I don't personally see this as very good myself.

My favorite gun show memory happened in the heart of North Carolina a few years back. At one of the $40 booths there was a group of 3-4 KKK dudes selling T-shirts and bumper stickers, and passing out leaflets. I remember one shirt showed a picture of a hooded KKK member, with the caption "The Original Boys in the Hood".

And in the booth next to them were 2 extremely buff black dudes, moderately blinged out. Literally 3 feet away. And they were selling little $89 semi automatic pistols, some in pink, and others in various gang colors. And they had $159 models studded with "diamonds" and gold trim.

It was a three day gun show, and I went Friday and Sunday (looking for some show closing deals). Hard as it might be for some to believe, the guys in both booths got along the entire time, occasionally poking fun at each other, and the show closed with out an incident.

Good times....

Oh, Jay, aren't we prissy today?

We probably shouldn't allow gun shows on Obama's birthday. Or February, which contains Lincoln's birthday. Or any year containing a "November" in it, because that's when Kennedy was assassinated. We probably should allow deer hunting during Thanksgiving week, either.

Gun shows are where all those icky neo-Nazis meet and furtively sell assault weapons to the crazy people.

I usually agree with you on most things, but this time, I reject your entire premise. Gun shows are mainly a bunch of fat old white guys with nothing else to do talking endlessly about old guns. Every single gun show I've ever been to is exactly the same, with the same inventory, and the same cast of characters. I gave up on them 20 years ago, because frankly, they're pretty boring. Have you ever been to one?

But people have the right to own guns, to freely assemble as they see fit, and to freely engage in legal commerce. It isn't up to you to decide to violate at least three constitutional rights because you can think up a reason to find gun shows inappropriate.

It isn't up to you.

Staying away because a Kennedy was killed on that date is self defeating.

I, for one, see your point, Jay. It is somewhat tasteless to choose that particular day. I hope to God nobody elevates any other day by assassinating a President. Enough is enough. It's not a matter of worshipping him or his family. It's a matter of respect.

If respect for Kennedy has anything to do with it, perhaps we should close the stock market, schools and retail stores, prohibit dancing, and forbid the sale of alcohol for the day.

The fact is, we have not treated this day as a national day of mourning in 45 years. Banning gun shows on that day while permitting all other forms of activity - drinking, dancing, shopping, and so on - reveals a value judgment that holding a gun show is somehow less worthy than spending the day in a bar getting drunk and watching football. That's acceptable behavior that reflects the solemnity of the day?

Is it time to tune up the Bill of Rights to better reflect our modern state of enlightenment? Shouldn't it be a Living Document(tm) that reflects the changing mores of the party in power at the moment?

Jay,

I'm usually with ya, but not on this one.

Besides, the Nation's Gun Show is this weekend. In the Greater DC area.

hyperbolist - there's a LARGE difference between a group shoot (that was occurring when the incident in the Msnbc article happened) and a gun show. Mainly, in the first one, guns are shot. In the latter, unloaded guns are sold. I've not yet been to a gun show that was (1) at a firing range or (2) where a gun was fired on purpose (and (3) where one was fired "by accident", just for completeness).
When comparing apples, don't look to kumquats for your baselines.

Jay - you going commie on us? You're falling for standard liberal mindthink.

Seriously - A gun didn't kill Kennedy - A person did (most people think it was some dude named Lee Harvey Oswald just fyi...)

Nov 22 is right at the beginning of the holiday shopping season and right in the middle of hunting season.

This is a perfect time for a gun show.

Should we not have boating shows on the anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic?
How about grounding all planes on 9-11?