Last year, I wrote about the Friends of the NRA, which is the charitable arm of the National Rifle Association.  It helps to fund youth shooting sports and gun safety programs in such organizations as the Boy Scouts, the Girl Scouts, and 4H.  To put it simply, it’s the part of the NRA that works to make sure kids who want to shoot, can shoot.

The Greater Louisville Chapter of the Friends of the NRA will be having its banquet on August 2.  I’ll be posting later about the guns and gear that will be up for grabs in the live auction, silent auction, and prize buckets, but first, let’s talk about the ticket packages that are available.

First, we have the single ticket.  This gets you in the door, feeds you, and gives you access to the auctions and games.  This one will run you $50.00.

Next, we have the Big Shooter Package.  This will run you $100, but it gives you dinner and $60 in bucket tickets.  You save $10 by buying this package.

Next, we have the Couples Package.  It’s got a $125 price tag, and it gets you two dinners and $60 in bucket tickets.  You save $35 by buying this package.

After this we start to talk about table packages.  Table packages also save you a bit of money, and each table comes with a gun.  Basically, you and a bunch of friends buy a table together, you get into the shindig, and you get to figure out who gets to go home with the gun. (Of course, whoever buys the table has to pass a NICS check to get the gun, and all federal and state laws have to be followed.)

For $500, we have the Primer Table.  This gets you four dinners, $160 in bucket tickets, and a Heritage .22 Revolver with the NRA logo on the grip.

For $1000, we have the Powder Table.  This gets you six dinners, $240 in bucket tickets, and the choice of either a Glock 19 or 23 pistol, a Silverboy .22 lever-action rifle, or an SP101 .357 revolver.

For $2000, we have the Brass Table.  This gets you eight dinners, $640 in bucket tickets, and the choice of either a Colt Commander 1911, a DPMS .308 AR, or a Henry Big Boy in .45 Colt.

$5000, we have the Full Metal Jacket Package.  This gets you 8 dinners, $1000 in bucket tickets, and the choice of either a Savage 110BA rifle in .338 Lapua, a Springfield M1A, or a Thompson 1927A1.

Of course, if you want to buy a table, but none of those guns suit you, tell us what you would like, and we will get back to you on what level of table would bring you that gun.

One of the main prizes at any of the FNRA banquets is the “Gun of the Year“.  This year, the FNRA has chosen two guns for this distinction:  A Colt 1911 in .45 ACP and a Colt Mustang PocketLite in .380.  The Louisville chapter has decided to raffle off this package rather than have it as an auction item, and I have tickets.  They are $20 apiece, and the drawing will be held at the end of this year’s banquet.  If you’re interested, hit my email link off the main page and I’ll either meet you to give you your ticket or we can make arrangements to get you one long distance.

Matched Set of Colt Pistols – The FNRA Gun of the Year Package

If you’re not in Louisville, check out the chapters in your area to find out when their banquets are.  They’d be glad to have you, and if you really want to make a difference, get involved and volunteer with them.  It would be great to see all of you all that can make it out on August 2, so if you’d like to purchase tickets or a package, hit my email link or go to our chapter’s webpage.

I’ll be posting later about the games and auction items, so watch for more information as I get it.

Once again, innocent victims have been hurt or killed by someone who should have been stopped before he hurt anyone.  Once again, we mourn the death of people who did not deserve to die.  Once again, we are being blamed for it.

The father of one of the victims of Friday’s shooting in Santa Barbara has placed the blame for the tragedy on the National Rifle Association and others who believe in a citizen’s right to arms and do our part to defend it.  Again, we are hearing calls to further restrict that right.  Again, we are being asked why we need the guns we choose to own, and again we are being called to task for someone else’s actions.

There is a lot of blame to go around in this.  We could blame the police officers, who questioned the murdering scum several weeks ago, but were convinced that he was not a threat to himself or others.  We could blame his counselors and therapists, who did little to remove his  access to firearms after they became concerned about him.  We could blame his parents, who raised their son to be the monster that he turned out to be.

But they, along with the rest of us, should shoulder no blame for all this death and pain.

The only person I blame for the deaths, suffering, and chaos that has erupted is the self-aggrandizing, malevolent, spoiled, evil scum that committed these heinous acts.  No-one put those guns in his hands.  No-one forced his hand when he slid a knife into his roommates.  No-one pushed down on his leg to accelerate his car when he used it as a weapon to hurt the innocent.

No-one, that is, except him.  Reading his screeds and watching his videos, I do not see mental illness.  I see evil.  Calling him a disturbed young person gives him too much credit, and casts a pall on those who truly fit the description.  He was not troubled, or disturbed, or even insane.  He was evil.  He saw himself as better than other human beings, as the decider of life or death for the rest of us, and spewed his hate at those who denied him what he saw as his right:  the bodies and subservience of others.

To his memory, I can only say that the world is a better place without him.  I only regret that he decided to bring harm to the rest of humanity before taking the coward’s way out.

To the parents of those who were hurt or killed on Friday night, you have my sympathy and prayers.  I will not insult you by saying that I understand your grief and anger, because only someone who has had to look upon the corpse of their child can say that, and by the grace of God, I have never had to do that.  I will only ask you to consider that it was not the knife, or the gun, or the BMW that harmed your loved ones.  It was an evil, little man who did it.  His choice of tools to inflict harm are secondary to the manner in which he chose to use them.

To those who were hurt, but have survived, I pray for your healing and for you to find strength in the months and years to come.  You are blameless, and yet you suffer.  I hope that your suffering is short, and that you fully recover from your injuries.

To the parents of the bastard, I say this:  How dare you?  You raised up a spoiled brat who murderously lashed out at the world because he hadn’t gotten laid yet, and you point the finger of blame at me and those like me?  You should be the ones wearing sack cloth and ashes now, not me.  I did not create this monster, you did.  You should be on national television, on your knees, begging the parents and friends of his victims for forgiveness, not directing their ire at anyone but yourself.

To the media and the other vultures that have been drawn to the blood of the innocent in this and other tragedies, I hope that you can find someone to pray for your souls.   It’s obvious that to you no path is too low, too slimy, or too drenched in blood.

To the rest of us, please join me in praying that those who were injured may find healing, that those who mourn may find solace, and that the person who caused all this can find forgiveness in the eyes of the Lord.

First, we have a Czech UK Vz. 59 belt fed, semi-automatic rifle.  I heard the sales pitch and story of how they were remanufactured from parts kits so many times that I am still craving one.

Next, we have two of the guns was was selling raffle tickets for this afternoon.  On top, you have a Winchester XSP 12 gauge, joined by an M&P-15.

Finally, we have some representative prices for ammunition at the KCR gun show.  Sorry about the quality, but as you can see, prices are generally pretty high, with the cost of 5.45×39 climbing rapidly.