A petition recently was passed around and signed by at least 44,000 individuals in an effort to rectify the gun-free policy at the location of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio.
Ohio is normally an open-carry state but on the premises of the stadium, guns are strictly prohibited. What the petition is specifically requesting is for the three remaining GOP candidates to call on the convention to lift this ban and protect the attendees’ Second Amendment rights.
This request puts these final three candidates in a pretty tough situation. It really pushes the remaining candidates to stick their neck out and show their full commitment in supporting citizens’ right to bear arms.
Regardless of what these candidates have to say about the situation, the Secret Service has already given a stern answer to the petition that only law enforcement will have the authority to carry weapons inside the convention alongside the Secret Service themselves.
When asked for an opinion on this large petition, both John Kasich and Ted Cruz made comments about the authority taking precedence in these situations in which safety is a concern. These candidates’ standpoints would be pretty logical considering there is a section of the U.S. Code [3056 and 1752] that give the Secret Service the exact authority to make the final decision in this situation.
Of course, Donald Trump had a different reaction and refused to comment until he “read the fine print,” reiterating what a strong Second Amendment supporter he was claiming, “few people are stronger.” Whatever you have to say to fish for those votes there, Trump. The record shows he supported an assault weapons ban and extended wait periods for gun purchases back in 2000. But if you say you support the amendment now, I guess that somehow makes you the strongest.
Let’s take a look at why this is so important to these petitioners in the first place. They believe that the convention will not be safe from terrorist threats if they are not allowed to bring their guns inside the stadium. But, if you were not able to bring guns inside the stadium, then why would terrorists be capable of bringing them into the stadium?
Some might rebuttal that with the argument that terrorists and criminals are going to find a way to break that rule and be able to get into the venue with them regardless of the rule and then we won’t be able to defend ourselves. But isn’t that the Secret Service’s job? They are there to do the protecting. Don’t make the situation more dangerous by letting everyone have their guns just so attendees can be solely responsible for their own protection.
We can take a look at some past political confrontations during this primary race and see a whole lot of violence as it is. Riots are breaking out, and people are getting sucker punched and pepper sprayed even at simple rallies.
The Republican National Convention is going to be the culminating event for this race. Tempers are going to be high in the case of that attendee’s choice candidate not being the one to get nominated. Why would we want to escalate the danger of people hurting each other in the heat of the moment to a point where we openly allow them to carry weapons capable of taking another’s life in mere seconds?
I am an avid supporter of the Second Amendment of the Constitution and believe that the great majority of Americans who possess firearms are responsible owners. There is a time and a place for carrying that level of protection, but a political convention is not one of them, it never has been.
