To my friends in the Media … this is the year that we will see real change … but the liberals are still wanting to ban our American rights and values.

Dems Hope to Ban Gun Shows ...

is the headline on page A2 of the Daily Gazette based in Schenectady, NY; it is about our NEACA Saratoga Springs Arms Fairs we have held at the City Center for the past 32 years!!

Why? Because, as usual, after the democrats literally sat their asses on the floor of the US Congress last Wednesday, again got all of their facts wrong on the gun control debate.

So, I guess, local Congressman Paul Tonko had to bring that message home to Saratoga County and the Saratoga Springs Democrat Committee passed a resolution Saturday asking the democrat controlled City Council to try to block guns shows at the City Center. No matter that New EastCoast Arms Collectors Associates have been promoting those shows at the City Center, now numbering over 100, for the past three decades without incident. Evidently, Mary Carr, a member of that committee, has this as her pet project and it has been for the past few years. And as usual she and the libs won’t let the real facts of any issue get in their way when she reportedly said that individuals who purchase firearms at gun shows are not required to undergo a background check. Wrong!

Since our esteemed democrat and republican leaders in Albany passed the NYS Safe Act in the dead of night ALL buyers of guns within the state need to go thru a background check. Or did Mary miss that note? At least those leaders are now in jail, where they belong, instead of messing with American guarantees of our Constitution. And Federally, all Federal Firearms Dealers in their shops or at gun shows nationwide, need to have their customers also pass a Federal Background Check known as NICS … that since many years ago. The liberal dems missed that note too. Is it any wonder Congress is so dysfunctional?

The “Loophole” they don’t like is the one called the Second Amendment to our US Constitution which says that we, as Americans, have an individual right to keep and bear arms … just like NEACA does when buying and selling at our Arms Fairs in Saratoga Springs in the City Center. That pesky 2nd Amendment is what the liberal democrats want to get rid of. And they surely will keep trying with Hillary and a new Supreme Court she will have the ominous chance to change! Remember that, all of you so-called “real conservative republicans”, when it comes down to pulling the lever for her or to elect Donald Trump this November. Your Hillary vote, or stay home vote or 3rd party vote is really a vote for the libs to finally close that “gun loophole” and protection of all the other Constitutional Guarantees they may not like. Vote Hillary … vote your guns away! Take that to the bank, George Will, Mitt Romney, Glenn Beck and others of the “conservative republicans” who think “Never Trump”. You people need your minds examined!

Dems believe that if they say it loud enough and often enough and tough enough that “it must be true”! Or at least that we sheep will “finally believe it”. I think that is something along the lines of Socialist Saul Alinsky’s 8 rules for radicals. Another is to disarm the citizenry. Ever since I began this business of gun show promotion in 1982 it has been a struggle. But over the years, regardless of how many “reasonable” little sacrifices us in the pro-gun community has given in to it never seems to be enough; the dems ultimate goal is to have us and that frog in the slow boiling water finally succumb. Well …, we just won’t do it!

Those of you who believe in the Second Amendment need to speak up and shout out to those who will take away our rights … your right to own a gun! Yes, we now have reasonable gun laws in place, and I worked with the NYS Attorney General’s Office on those pertaining to our Gun Shows, but we still had to give up some portion of our rights; especially here in New York State. And Republicans in Congress see that there is still a problem with terrorism and with those who wish to practice it on us Americans. With thoughtful conversations we can figure it out. But not with ALL of the democrats in Congress sitting on their asses and shouting out lies!

Nor with Saratoga Springs Democrats trying to ban my right to earn a living and banning my right … and yours … to buy and sell guns. Gun Ban ... not on my watch!

Our next show at the City Center is August 20 and 21; will this be our last? Will the businesses which benefit from our thousands of attendees speak out? When one’s right is lost all of our rights may be lost!

Special note and thanks to our NEACA Members, FFL Dealers, Show Exhibitors and gun show attendees;

This action is simply the latest attempt by the newcomers to Saratoga to ban our guns and gun shows. I have been here in this area all of my life; I remember Congress Street as a brothel and Saratoga as a crime ridden city. I also believe my shows have contributed to the emergence of Saratoga Springs into one of the most beautiful cities in the USA. However, these liberals today may be likened to the Tories in 1777 who backed General Burgoyne and his British Regulars as they invaded the Bemis Heights trying to split our fledging Nation and rid the Crown Colonies of Rebels and their dastardly firearms. This Battle of Saratoga became the turning point in our American Revolution against an oppressive monarch, King George of England, and which eventually brought help to us from France into our real First World War. We succeeded then against the finest army in the world because we had the spirit to fight, God on our side and the modern assault weapon of the period … which all in turn defeated the oppression of the time.

Are we experiencing that same type of oppression today? To be honest, I don’t think we are quite there yet but give time a chance and the liberals in this country a win at the ballot box this November and we certainly may be on our way to losing some real liberties and pursuits of happiness. Like King George, they certainly are trying to rid the country and its’ law abiding people of the assault weapons of our time; M-16’s and Machine Guns, which few of us can legally own now, and their civilian look-a-likes, though in semi-automatic mode, the AR-15’s and anything that has its’ appearance. These so called “assault weapons” in the eyes of the liberal democrats need to be outlawed from the peoples’ countryside with the result being that only outlaws will have the guns …. and of course, the government. We Americans have fought World Wars to defeat that same reasoning. Why would we today want to relinquish that hard won victory over oppression and liberty? Victory does not come easily; Freedom is not Free!

NEACA is the acronym for New EastCoast Arms Collectors Associates, formerly North East Arms Collectors Associates, and we have been a forceful voice of gun ownership since our beginning in 1982. We began as a loose aligned small group of collectors who wanted to run gun shows in our area and promote the field of gun collecting. In many groups there become a few who work and many who don’t; Cathy and I became the only ones that did and we became NEACA, Inc. We are now a profitable NYS Corporation and continue to promote Gun Shows, at one time over 30 a year within the northeast, and Arms Fairs, to “soften” our name in the Saratoga Springs City Center. Even our name and stated purpose was essentially our “reasonable” decision to keep the gun grabbers at bay.

We would like to continue that purpose, to promote the collecting of guns and militaria, into the future. Especially after devoting 32 years of toil, compromise, time, energy and wealth to our over 100 shows at the City Center. And we have had other shows there also, like the first Antique Show which opened the City Center as its’ first trade show in August of 1984. Know what came as their second trade show? You guessed it; in September of 1984 we had our very first Gun & Militaria Show. Very few are left but some of those dealers will still be there for our 103rd Arms Fair this August 20 & 21. Plus we ran Toy Shows, Craft Shows and Computer Shows in between. I have no doubt that NEACA has been the longest running and most productive promoter at the City Center. But after this next show … the Board of Directors can’t seem to find any dates for us in the rest of 2016 or even 2017 and beyond; even if only a single day, at my request. And this with never a problem or insurance claim.

What should we do? Should we curl up in the fetal form and cry? Should we scream from the top of our lungs as the dems do? Or should WE ALL simply express our displeasure with this outcome? I would like to see what may be our last event at this City Center, the same center that folks couldn’t find for years without my constant directions but which now we can’t find a parking place for our Gun Show attendees, … to be the largest event ever in this City. And of letters to the businesses who will cease to get our business. And to the democrats on these boards who we hope will no longer be there in the future. And letters or calls to the City Center Board of Directors asking for the complete schedules of 2016 and 2017 and 2018 and see what and who is destined to replace our Gun Shows and ask why?

Also, why new events may have precedence over our tried and true shows which have a great following. Perhaps they think our followers aren’t so great after all. After Sandy Hook about 7000 of you showed up because we refused to give in and cancel. Can you be there again? NEACA needs your support this time around as never before but at a time when Saratoga is in the middle of their beloved racing season and not a motel or hotel room can be found and nary a parking space to be had. They should know that we have had show attendees from every State in the Union and a lot of folks plan their Saratoga Vacations around our shows. We have been the most consistent draw to the City Center over these past decades but it appears our plight matters not. Nor do you, our supporters. Nor does our money matter which we spend among the cities businesses.

So, we will begin to look elsewhere, away from Saratoga. We now have shows in Newburgh, Saugerties, Albany, Old Forge and Norwich, NY; plus our newest venue and our third show in Manchester Center, Vermont on July 16 and 17. Plus we are working on others; we will not be out of business but we may be out of Saratoga. Voice your opinions.

Thank you for your attention and your attendance at our past events and especially thank you for making this a satisfying 32 year run.

Cathy and Dave Petronis