I had the pleasure of attending the San Diego County Gun Owners (SDCGO) annual fundraising dinner at the Hotel Del last weekend. As an SDCGO Board member it shouldn’t be surprising that I attended the dinner but as this was my first one I was pleasantly surprised and very impressed by a number of things that evening.
If you didn’t attend this year you should start planning now for next year, it’s not something you want to miss. This dinner, if it isn’t already, will soon become the premier second amendment event of the year in San Diego County. If you’re a gun owner this is something in which you really need to be involved.
The evening included a keynote presentation by Olympian and competitive shooter Gabby Franco. In addition there were awards and recognition for the many people who went above and beyond to support the cause over the past year.
One of the first things that became apparent was the variety of people present. There were about 465 people in attendance from all walks of life. As I roamed around the room I met professionals, business owners, working people, politicians, students, old people, young people and everything else. All these folks were drawn together by their appreciation and support of the second amendment.
Everyone seemed to be enjoying the evening and having a great time. Being a semi formal event (SDCGO Executive Director Michael Schwartz refers to it as the “Gun Prom”) it was an opportunity to dress up or not and people definitely took advantage of the opportunity.
The support from local gun shops and ranges was also fantastic. Walking around the room I saw many tables sponsored (eight seats per table at $150/seat) by gun shops and ranges. These owners also generously donated guns, ammunition, training packages and other items to be auctioned or used as raffle prizes as part of our fund raising activities.
The evening wouldn’t have been possible without the hard work of the many volunteers that made it happen. There are too many to mention here by name and I’d be sure to miss someone so I won’t try. If you were there you saw them working the raffle tables, manning the door, assisting guests, coordinating the stage activities and doing all the other things that made the night perfect. All that in addition to what they were doing in the months leading up to the event. We have great people supporting our organization!
Finally this post wouldn’t be complete without discussing SDCGO Executive Director Michael Schwartz. I mentioned the variety of people in the room. The one thing they all seemed to have in common aside from their concern for the second amendment was their respect and admiration for Michael Schwartz. The feeling was palpable in the room. Everyone seemed to know him and he seemed to know everyone. I’m an old guy and I’ve never been around someone with that ability. I’ve also never been associated with a group of people with the passion and dedication that I see in those who support SDCGO. Gun owners in San Diego are fortunate to have Michael and the rest of those who support our cause. I’m confident that all of us working together will eventually be able to restore and protect our rights in California.
Along those lines I’d ask you to consider the following:
- What are you doing to support our second amendment rights in California?
- What can you do?
While you’re thinking about those things I’d like to ask you to please consider and share your thoughts on the following:
- Does the public generally get accurate information on gun control issues?
- Do gun control laws generally help reduce crime or increase public safety?
©2017 Joseph T Drammissi
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