Gun Rights Policy Conference Takes Place in San Diego Over Weekend

The 2024 Gun Rights Policy Conference (GRPC) was held in San Diego, California. The location was not a universally popular choice. California has a deserved reputation as one of the few states that have enacted extremely restrictive legislation against firearms ownership and use. The restrictions make it difficult for law-abiding people to exercise their Second Amendment rights.

California is at the epicenter of the battle to restore Second Amendment rights through the courts. Millions of California gun owners are impacted by the unconstitutional laws. Tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of activists are fighting every day to restore their rights. Many of them were in attendance at the 2024 GRPC.

The 2024 GRPC was the 39th Gun Rights Policy Conference. This correspondent has attended about a third of them. 38 GRPC events were managed and primarily conducted by Julianne Hoy Versnel. Julianne is married to Alan Gottlieb, who founded the Second Amendment Foundation. This was the first GRPC organized and directed by other people.

2024 is the 50th anniversary of the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF), which created the GRPC. Alan and Julianne have been a power couple whose teamwork has been tremendously important in creating the powerhouse SAF has become. Both have worked to ensure the organizations survive beyond their mortal term. Alan Gottlieb has handed over most of the management of SAF to Adam Kraut, who has become the executive director of SAF.

This year, the GRPC had a different look. There were no panels of experts who each gave short presentations on a subject. There was the usual 15-minute presentation of subject matter experts to explain what was happening in a particular court case or a particular state activist group. There were, as usual, awards handed out to exceptional individuals for their accomplishments. Instead of panels of experts, there were “fireside chats” where a host asked questions of a couple of noteworthy personages. The luminaries gave detailed responses about subjects of interest. It was a format which worked well. Dave Workman was a fixture at the GRPC events in the past. Last year he retired. This year a new face was in front of everyone taking pictures and recording the event with professional skill.

All GRPC events attended by this correspondent over the years have been useful. One of the most important parts of the conferences is the ability to meet prominent personalities and to network with other activists.

All of the presentations are valuable. Highly recommended: Massad Ayoob, starting at 4:05 on Saturday. The title of his presentation is “How to Appeal to Emotions in the Argument for the Second Amendment. ” Massad’s presentation is a classic example of how to give an effective public presentation. It is educational, inspirational, and a call to action. It is 15 minutes long, precisely the time allotted.

If you can attend a GRPC in person, do so. If you cannot, the presentations are online for your viewing convenience and pleasure.

About Dean Weingarten:

Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a military officer, was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1973. He taught the Arizona concealed carry course for fifteen years until the goal of Constitutional Carry was attained. He has degrees in meteorology and mining engineering, and retired from the Department of Defense after a 30 year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.