Marriott hoses NRA attendees...

[tflhndn]

In the middle of a dinner held by Grassroots NC (a state-wide gun rights group), the general manager of the Marriott posts "no weapons" signs on the doors. (In N.C. carrying concealed past a sign is a crime)

That they would book such a group and wait until after the event started is outrageous.


Marriott exposes NRA conventioneers to criminal prosecution

Comments to corporate can be sent here:
(https://www.marriott.com/suggest/suggest.mi

Here is my email to Marriott:

("I am a REALTOR, and a CRS (which has a partnership program with Marriott) I attend 3-4 conventions a year and have always tried to stay at a Marriott, but after the antics of the General manager at the Charlotte City Center Marriott this past weekend, I will never spend another penny of mine in your hotels unless you rectify his outrageous actions.

Jim Diehl had his staff scotch tape paper no weapons signs Friday (May 14) evening in the midst of a dinner event hosted by Grassroots NC (a gun rights organization of which I am also a member) and held in conjunction with the NRA convention).

The hotel was chosen, in part, because it did not bar lawful gun owners, who had obtained permits to carry concealed, from carrying the means to protect themselves.

The hotel intially even provided instructions on how and where to secure firearms prior to attending events where one could not carry.

That the manager would change this policy after taking law-abiding gun-owners' money is a slap in the face to every hard-working and honest person.

I for one know when I am unwelcome, and I will not darken your corporations doorstep until this has been adressed - firmly and PUBLICLY.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Grant48]

Wow, thats ridiculous.

It's one thing to post beforehand, giving adequate notice to make other accomodations. But to post DURING the dinner, that's totally unacceptable.

[peckman28]

Wow that manager needs a severe reprimand. In the form of a job hunt to replace the one he just lost at that hotel...

[64zebra]

I can't post what I want to say to this guy....
but I'll say this.....he's a piece of garbage, I too will not ever give a penny to Marriott or any of their corporate group, remember these too:
Full Service Lodging
* Marriott Hotels & Resorts
* JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts
* Renaissance Hotels & Resorts
* Ritz-Carlton Hotels & Resorts
* BVLGARI Hotels & Resorts
* Edition Hotels & Resorts
* Autograph Collection Hotels & Resorts
Select Service Lodging
* Courtyard by Marriott
* Fairfield Inn by Marriott
* SpringHill Suites by Marriott
Extended Stay Lodging
* Residence Inn by Marriott
* TownePlace Suites by Marriott
* Marriott ExecuStay
Timeshare
* Marriott Vacation Club International (MVCI)
* Marriott Grand Residence Club
* The Ritz-Carlton Club
* The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club

[Jeff F]

Well congratulations to the bonehead leadership from the NRA for even having the convention in Charlotte to begin with. So here's what you get for turning a blind eye to the rights your supposed to be championing in the first place

[cmdrdredd]

Well congratulations to the bonehead leadership from the NRA for even having the convention in Charlotte to begin with. So here's what you get for turning a blind eye to the rights your supposed to be championing in the first place

I somewhat agree with this, but it doesn't let the manager of the hotel off scott free in my mind. He did wrong, and I'd have loved to see 300+ people walk out and ask for money back on the nights unused.

[Back 40]

Well they will never see another dollar from me. I travel quite a bit for my job and I will never stay there again. I did shoot them an email to explain my stance on this.

I believe that if we really stick togather on these things these bone heads might start to see that it doesn't pay to screw with us. Just look T the response that Kroger recieved from one post.

[Orygun2]

Before the mob gets worked up was this corporate policy or one random manager's policy?

[Hubs]

I was at the NRA convention. Apparently, NC state law has a spiel about NO CC at paid events within the state. So, this gig at the Marriot may have fallen under that umbrella. Can't exactly blame Marriot, if that is the case.

As for NRA selecting Charlotte as a venue, despite this rule, that is a whole different matter. I would suggest contacting the NRA.

[rstickle]

I was at the NRA convention. Apparently, NC state law has a spiel about NO CC at paid events within the state. So, this gig at the Marriot may have fallen under that umbrella. Can't exactly blame Marriot, if that is the case.

As for NRA selecting Charlotte as a venue, despite this rule, that is a whole different matter. I would suggest contacting the NRA.

Thanks for mentioning that. I usually vacation there for a week each year visiting family and after reading the carry laws I've usually decided it's not worth the risk just due to that "admission charge" clause, since I rarely know what we will end up doing some days.

When I saw the first post, I was wondering how the NRA had gotten past the paid entry thing.

[TheFreeman]

Any event in NC that charges admission is an event you cannot carry to.

[Keltyke]

NC has some of the most convoluted gun laws in the USA. They're a real CF when it comes to where, when, and how guns may be carried. Good place to NOT hold an NRA convention.

[HoustonRaven]

This hotel may be franchised and not part of their corporate chain. So it may have been a knee-jerk reaction not under their corporate umbrella.

I travel almost weekly for my job and always use Hilton properties -- never had an issue at any of their chain hotels and if I see a franchisee that places some odd sign on their door, I simply walk inside, cancel my reservation and tell them why I am canceling.

[ccw9mm]

It's exactly this sort of crap that the NRA has brought upon its membership by virtue of its inability to stand tall on this issue. The NRA booked at a facility that denied the ability to be armed. The NRA booked mini-events at facilities that dared to take steps like this mid-stream.

If the NRA cannot even control its own venue for the annual, hallmark event for its membership, then how in the world is it going to correctly and successfully navigate the ugly waters of political lobbying required to force temporarily elected people to do the right thing?

The NRA needs to come down HARD on its "partner" organizations, to tell them how it's going to be if they are EVER going to be involved with any future bookings of any NRA-related event. Particularly at the annual flagship event, we simply cannot afford such a weak-kneed approach as has been seen in the venue selection and the way these groups have been allowed to pull these sorts of things.

Makes one wonder WTH the money is really going, if not going to protect and defend our right to carry at our own national, flagship event.

As I wrote in a previous thread ...

No backbone, and loss of direction on the moral compass.

Of all things, the NRA should never accept the disarming of its own membership at its own flagship, national event, else how is anyone supposed to take seriously its claim to be working for exactly that?

The membership should never accept that. Imagine if zero attendees came. Not likely, given the head-in-sand trend we've got as a people, but it apparently would take exactly that to force the change and get their minds back on task.

How d'you say "Get a clue!" in French ...

[OldVet]

The real answer to this is to complain to the NRA about the selection of NC as the site of the convention with its anti-gun laws. It never made sense to me to begin with. Many other states/cities would have been a more "friendly" choice. Maybe the next convention will go off better.

I grew up in Charlotte, and the city does have an ego that's out of control.

Disregarding other laws that may have applied, I doubt anyone at the dinner would have been prosecuted for having a firearm when the sigh was posted. They could have been asked (unlikely) to leave. It amounts to passing a law to making something illegal (smoking, for instance), then arrested someone who smoked in the past. What was done before it was a crime is not a crime.