BELLEVUE, WA – With dozens of gun shows scheduled around the country this weekend, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms suggests that one way a gun owner can observe Sunday’s “Guns Save Lives Day” is to attend a gun show, and network with other firearms enthusiasts to protect the Second Amendment.

CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb, who serves on the Board of Directors of the Washington Arms Collectors – which is holding a gun show this weekend in Puyallup, Wash. – noted that gun shows are “great places to meet like-minded law-abiding citizens and discuss common concerns.”

Click here to see a list of gun shows. (http://gunssavelivesday.com/about/gun-show-list)

“One reason why gun prohibitionists are so determined to shut down gun shows is because they provide a venue where tens of thousands of honest citizens regularly gather, share information, enjoy camaraderie and talk politics,” Gottlieb said. “After all, gun prohibitionists are shamelessly exploiting the first anniversary of the Newtown tragedy on Saturday to push their anti-gun rights agenda.

“Gun shows also frequently offer firearms safety classes for new and even seasoned firearms owners,” he added. “So, in addition to all the other good reasons, education stands out as a major benefit.”

If not a gun show, then visit a gun range and practice with your defensive firearm, he suggested. Guns are used in self-defense as many as 2.5 million times a year by some estimates, and in the overwhelming majority of those cases, a shot is never fired. Good marksmanship and firearm familiarity are two critical components to any personal protection strategy.

People can also combine this Sunday’s observance with some Christmas shopping. Buy a new holster for the family member who has a defensive firearm, or a new box of ammunition, spare magazines or speed loaders.

“Perhaps the most important consideration,” Gottlieb said,” is that ‘Guns Save Lives Day’ coincides with Bill of Rights Day. Without a strong Second Amendment all other civil rights are in jeopardy. It is important to keep that in perspective.

“As with all other rights,” he observed, “the Second Amendment carries with it some important responsibilities, not the least of which is to protect our rights from being incrementally eroded by misguided or misrepresented legislation fueled by half-truths and outright lies.

“We must never allow a civil right to become a casualty of political correctness,” Gottlieb concluded