Palin headlines speakers at annual event

By Ryan Hanchett
Published in Sports on April 3, 2010 11:05 PM

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The National Rifle Association will hold its annual meeting and exhibition May 14-16.

The venue for this year's show will be the Charlotte Convention Center.

With a laundry list of stars from the political and pop culture realm, the 2010 gathering is sure to be an exciting affair. The highlight of the weekend is certain to be the American Values Leadership Forum with former Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin.

A champion for gun owner's rights, Palin has spent her political career battling for Second Amendment protection. Palin developed a love of hunting in her home state of Alaska and is a lifetime NRA member. She was recognized by the NRA for her accomplishments with a special "Alaskan themed" assault rifle.

"Sarah Palin doesn't just talk about supporting the Second Amendment," said NRA representative Chris Cox. "It's part of her life and she has done her part to vindicate the Second Amendment for all Americans."

Palin's address on Friday, May 14 will essentially kick off a wild weekend of activities.

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, radio personality Sean Hannity and NRA President Wayne LaPierre will also address the attendees during Saturday's forum titled "The Celebration of American Values and Leadership Experience."

Several seminars such as "Refuse to be a Victim" and "annual firearms law review" will offer opportunities for sportsmen to ask questions about their rights. The always-popular Pyramid Air-Rifle range is back this year along with the annual prayer breakfast and sportsman's brunch/auction.

Among the celebrities in attendance will be platinum recording artist and television personality Ted Nugent. Known as "The Motor City Madman" for his on-stage antics, Nugent has become a leader in the gun rights forum and is a prominent NRA supporter. He will lead a seminar on responsible hunting which is scheduled for Sunday, May 16.

Aside from all of the pre-scheduled activities, the convention center will also host hundreds of vendors and corporate sponsors such as Browning, Remington and Springfield.

The exhibition is open to the public, but several of the scheduled events require a ticket. For more information, or to purchase tickets log onto www.nraam.org.