Langlade County, Antigo is home to just over 8,000 people and serves as an important hub of activity in North East Wisconsin.
It is the largest city in the area and draws in people from many surrounding towns for shopping, recreation, and special events.
People came from many miles away for the Antigo Gun Show on the weekend of April 5. This spring gun show proved to be an excellent opportunity to raise awareness and educate people about the Convention of States.
The show runs from Friday afternoon through Sunday afternoon, so it took a valiant team of volunteers to setup the booth and staff it for the entire event.
John Antross (Co-Regional Captain for Northern Wisconsin) reported that the booth consisted of the COS banner, an American flag, and an enlarged version of the first page of the six step “Process of an Article V Convention of States” document.
“Very few people walked away not interested," said Antross. "Over 60 petitions were signed, representing a good deal of measurable success.”
The vast majority of people who engaged in conversation would get excited about the possibilities and signed petitions. At one point during the show, a table tent was added to the booth that asked the provocative question, “Are you happy with your government?” That question seemed to get more people engaged and according to Antross, “We had to go get more petitions.”
One couple came to the gun show just to sign the petition. She said she has been seeing it on the computer and made a trip just to sign up. Then she made her husband sign.
This is the second gun show for Antross.
"Generally people who attend gun shows tend to be constitutionalists,” he said, which is important to the Convention of States initiative. There are many hunters and gun owners on both sides of the aisle politically.
Getting representation from both sides is important strategically, so that COS truly does represent the will of the people rather than the whims of a single political party.
If you haven’t signed the petition to limit the federal government’s control, here is your chance:
