Fans Praise Gun Shows
Monday, July 29, 2002
http://www.sltrib.com/07292002/utah/757403.htm
Dale Rose, left, checks the guns of Will Milner of Salt Lake City at the entrance to the Crossroads of the West gun show Sunday at the South Towne Expo Center in Sandy. (Leah Hogsten/The Salt Lake Tribune)
BY KARYN HSIAO
THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE

The Sept. 11 attacks and a string of child abductions have left Utahns feeling vulnerable not only to terrorists, but also to burglars, kidnappers and even handymen-for-hire.
To counter that lost sense of personal security, Utah’s gun enthusiasts say there is one right and patriotic thing to do: Support Second Amendment gun rights.
“There is an emerging recognition that the government cannot protect us in all circumstances,” said Bob Templeton, president of the Kaysville-based Crossroads of the West Gun Shows.
About 200 vendors and nearly 7,000 people — including congressional candidates Rob Bishop, John Swallow and Chris Cannon — gathered during the weekend for Crossroads of the West’s first summertime gun show, held at the South Towne Expo Center in Sandy.
“These shows are family-oriented and make sure that people have what they need to protect themselves,” said Tracy Olcott of Crossroads of the West, a company that draws about 50,000 Utahns each year with five shows.
Olcott says gun sales have increased since Sept. 11, adding quickly that Crossroads of the West requires full state and federal background checks before finalizing a gun sale.
Curt Oda, co-founder of the Concealed Weapon Permit Holders Association, says Utahns who bought firearms in the past year because they no longer felt safe should get proper training to prevent misuse and accidents.
“It’s a proven fact that criminals go to areas where they think they are least likely to be shot,” said Oda. “But before you go out and buy a gun, you should go to the range and learn about shooting, so you can buy a weapon that matches your hand size, strength and abilities.”
Edward Smith is a gun dealer and collector, and he has certified more than 3,000 concealed weapon holders in Utah. Smith says anti-gun factions are using the war on terrorism to infringe on Second Amendment rights and on gun shows.
“They want people to think shows are where hoodlums get their weapons,” said Smith. “But I can’t think of anything more patriotic than coming here and collecting vintage American guns.”
Richard Mack, a former Arizona sheriff who fought against the Brady Bill, agreed the show was an unlikely lair for criminals with its exhibits of leather holsters, camouflage clothes and backpacks, and bumper stickers reading “Proud Member of the Taliban Hunting Club,” “Assassinate Terrorists,” and “Charlton Heston Is My President.”
“The notion that terrorists are getting firearms at gun shows is just a farce,” Mack said. “The term used to be criminals — and now it’s terrorists. That’s exploiting Sept. 11.”
Mack pauses to straighten a T-shirt that reads “The Second Amendment IS Homeland Security.”
“We’ve already seen what happens when we tell people that we have no guns on our airplanes,” Mack said, referring to the Sept. 11 hijackings. “So we can either be an easy target, or defend ourselves. And I want every terrorist and kidnapper out there to believe we’re all armed.”