TFALAC’s 2023 Annual Event on September 9, 2023, was the largest and most successful celebration in the organization’s history. This completely sold out event was massively larger than the 2022 Annual Event.
Early event sales were strong perhaps in negative response to Governor Bill Lee’s attempts to enact Red Flag Laws and other gun control in Tennessee in 2023. The “Red Flag Down” campaign, which John Rich helped coordinate with the Tennessee Firearms Association, was a driving force in raising concern and awareness of the risk of gun control that was coming from Tennessee’s Republican Governor and a number of Tennessee’s Republican legislators.
Then, shortly after the July 4th holiday, the TFALAC announced that Donald Trump Jr., would be the keynote speaker. At that point, the event quickly sold out perhaps because Donald Trump Jr. is so well known as a speaker on conservative topics including the Second Amendment.
The event’s high profile speakers included Keynote Speaker Donald Trump Jr., conservative superstar John Rich, Congressman Mark Green and Gun Owners of America’s Senior Vice President Erich Pratt. Collectively, these speakers, each from their own unique perspectives, rallied those in attendance to both celebrate the success of the Red Flag Down campaign as well as the defeat of Governor Bill Lee’s gun control agenda in his failed special legislative session.
Tennessee’s Second Amendment supporters turned out for this event in record numbers to support the objective of making sure that any efforts by federal, state or local government entities operating in Tennessee are constrained at every point where they seek to violate the prohibitions on government authority that are expressly prohibited by the United States Constitution and the Supreme Court’s holdings. The Court’s recent holdings – which the Governor and many Legislators appear to plainly ignore – make clear that the Second Amendment’s “shall not be infringed” mandate is not simply an archaic aspirational statement but that it is a stone wall block attempted government abuses like those proposed in Tennessee this year.
People traveled from across Tennessee and other states to attend the event. The celebration started with a fantastic and well received hour long performance by the Dugger Band.
Following the Dugger Band, those in attendance were surprised when the John Rich first speaker, who graced the event with a special appearance, entered the football field sized and packed venue. Mr. Rich gave a strong message of the critical importance that individuals now and throughout our nation’s history have and must stand up for and defend the principles on which this country was established. He also performed several songs including “The Good Lord and the Man.”
Following his presentation, John Rich introduced his friend Donald Trump, Jr. Mr. Trump addressed a spectrum of topics focused on the necessity of true conservatives to work harder than ever to change the direction of this country so that not only do we make Tennessee great again but that we make America great again. Mr. Trump discussed the necessity of stopping Joe Biden and his supporters before their kind can do any more harm to the nation and the principles on which this nation was formed. Mr. Trump also spent about an hour in a special, sold out, private meet-and-great session with a smaller group of guests.
The third speaker and one of the prime sponsors of the event was Congressman Mark Green. Congressman Green has been a strong supporter and friend of the Tennessee Firearms Association since before he was a state Senator and he has continued that steadfast commitment as one of Tennessee’s leading members in Congress.
Rounding out the select speakers at this event was Erich Pratt, the Senior Vice President of Gun Owners of America, who was also the event’s keynote speaker in 2022. Gun Owners of America was a major sponsor of the 2023 event and, as a returning speaker Mr. Pratt shared as part of his discussion how Gun Owners of America and the Tennessee Firearms Association, along with others are impacting Second Amendment rights nationally as we increasingly take the battle to the courts to stop Joe Biden and the ATF.
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