Imagine looking forward to an event all year long, only to discover it’s been cancelled just one hour before it’s set to begin. This is exactly what happened to vendors and attendees at last year’s biannual Montrose Gun Show. In March of 2020, just one hour before the doors were scheduled to be opened to the public, Governor Jared Polis mandated that all public events across Colorado be cancelled immediately, due to COVID-19. Gun show manager Wendy Brittell had the unsavory task of notifying all of the show’s vendors and attendees of the unfortunate news.
“There's a lot of work that goes into setting up for a show, but it was particularly frustrating for those who had travelled considerable distance to get there; some from out of state,” said Convention of States Regional Captain Joe Fockler.
This year, the Montrose Gun Show resumed on September 24-26, 2021, with high enthusiasm and attendance. Joe in particular was excited to get back into a crowd to talk to folks about the Convention of States opportunity for change. As the Regional Captain for Colorado’s Western Slope, the gun show was the first opportunity in a year that Joe had to work a COS table at a sizeable in-person event.
But the show’s excellent turnout wasn’t solely attributed to the 2020 show cancellation; Joe found additional evidence of support in his candid conversations with attendees at this year’s show. People talked with Joe about their concerns regarding a wide range of government overreach, including vaccine mandates, political unrest, and the debacle in Afghanistan.
"The current political climate has provided fertile ground for political action," Joe reports, "and Convention of States is finding a ready audience…or should I say 'an army of citizens' that is chomping at the bit to engage the enemies of our Republic." Participants in this gun show realize the fight is on and the COS Petition is the bullet that American patriots are using to “lock and load.”
Joe Fockler was joined by a dedicated team of volunteers that helped spread the word and enlist support over the course of the weekend gun show. Special thanks go to Laura Neimeister, Colorado COS State Director, and FUT members Scott Carlisle and Dale Earixson of Ridgway. The team gathered 150 signatures to add to the list of nearly 45,000 Coloradans that have already petitioned Colorado's State Legislators to pass a resolution for a Convention of the States.
Gun shows are superb venues to meet like-minded folks who are interested in preserving our Constitutional Republic. Currently, an abundance of Colorado opportunities are coming up, including fall gun shows in Colorado Springs, Thornton, Pueblo, Denver, Greely, and Loveland. Reach out to your District Captain today to join a team at one of these amazing events.
COS Team Gains 150 Signatures at Montrose Gun Show After 18-Month Delay
Published in Blog on October 01, 2021 by Amy Grant
