Will the Republicans have the courage of their gun convictions?

Written By: - Date published: 10:20 am, March 29th, 2016 - 20 comments
Categories: us politics - Tags: , ,

The Republican National Convention is in Ohio this July. Ohio has an “open carry” law, guns can be carried in public. The particular venue, the Quicken Loans Arena, does not allow guns. Change.org has the following petition…

RECOGNIZE OUR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO OPEN CARRY FIREARMS AT THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION AT THE QUICKEN LOANS ARENA IN JULY 2016

SUMMARY: In July of 2016, the GOP will host its convention at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. Though Ohio is an open carry state, which allows for the open carry of guns, the hosting venue—the Quicken Loans Arena—strictly forbids the carry of firearms on their premises.

This is a direct affront to the Second Amendment and puts all attendees at risk. As the National Rifle Association has made clear, “gun-free zones” such as the Quicken Loans Arena are “the worst and most dangerous of all lies.” The NRA, our leading defender of gun rights, has also correctly pointed out that “gun free zones… tell every insane killer in America… (the) safest place to inflict maximum mayhem with minimum risk.” (March 4, 2016 and Dec. 21, 2012)

All three remaining Republican candidates have spoken out on the issue and are unified in their opposition to Barack HUSSEIN Obama’s “gun-free zones.”Donald Trump said “I will get rid of gun-free zones on schools—you have—and on military bases on my first day. It gets signed my first day…you know what a gun-free zone is to a sicko? That’s bait.” (Jan. 8. 2016)

Ted Cruz has accurately pointed out “shooting after shooting after shooting happens in so called gun-free zones.” He continued, “look, if you’re a lunatic ain’t nothing better then having a bunch of targets you know that are going to be unarmed.” (Dec. 4, 2015)

And Ohio Governor John Kasich has been a leader in this movement to eliminate deadly “gun-free zones” starting with his brave decision to fight the Democrats and end “gun-free zones” at National Guard facilities in Ohio. (Dec. 18, 2015)

We must take a stand. We cannot allow the national nominating convention of the party of Lincoln and Reagan to be hijacked by weakness and political correctness. The policies of the Quicken Loans Arena do not supersede the rights given to us by our Creator in the U.S. Constitution.

Will the Republicans have the courage of their convictions and arrange for open carry at the Convention? If not, why not?

Armed, angry, violent Trump vs. Cruz supporters – what could possibly go wrong?

It shouldn’t need saying but – these are rhetorical questions, hopefully sanity will prevail and the guns will stay at home. The problem of how to explain this to their base is left as an exercise for the Republicans.

– Expat

20 comments on “Will the Republicans have the courage of their gun convictions? ”

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  1. Andre 1
    29 March 2016 at 10:50 am

    The tyrannical evil overlord government has once again stripped the beaten-down populace of their God-given Second Amendment right to personally carry around an arsenal suitable for the defence of a small island nation wherever they choose.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/republican-convention-guns-petition_us_56f70018e4b014d3fe234d28

  2. Macro 2
    29 March 2016 at 11:19 am

    Can they bring their tanks, flamethrowers, grenades, cannon, and machine guns as well?
    This is a God given right.
    The shouting of “Yee! Haw!” and the random discharging of all weapons on the successful nomination of Trump will be a sight to be seen – from a long way off!
    The presentation of the Darwin Award of the year will follow immediately after the Convention.

  3. red-blooded 3
    29 March 2016 at 11:23 am

    According to a commentator on RNZ, this petition started as a joke, mocking the extreme pro-gun hysteria in the Republican Party, but then candidates and supporters signed up in all seriousness and started protesting their constitutional right to wave deathly weapons around just because they want to. They couldn’t see the satire. Are we surprised..?

  4. Lanthanide 4
    29 March 2016 at 11:37 am

    Hahahahahahahahahahahaha.

  5. Nick 5
    29 March 2016 at 12:21 pm

    A friend who works in the US thinks Trump will be shot by some lunatic…..I thought its possible, but never thought it might be by accident at the Repub convention…..

    • Stuart Munro 5.1
      29 March 2016 at 4:49 pm

      I think Trump is in more danger of being shot by someone relatively sane – Trump has the lunatic vote sewn up.

  6. Visubversa 6
    29 March 2016 at 12:45 pm

    Yes, by all means – arm the Republican delegates to the teeth. Then when some Bubba drops his gun and it goes off, they can all shoot each other in panic. The last man standing (with his gun in his hand) can then be shot by the cops when they arrive. You could raise the average IQ of the Republican Party by several points that way.

    • Anne 6.1
      29 March 2016 at 4:09 pm

      That scenario would make a good John Oliver sketch. The only trouble is: Poe’s law might intervene and 1/3 of the nation will think it’s for real.

  7. One Anonymous Bloke 7
    29 March 2016 at 12:52 pm

    The policies of the Quicken Loans Arena do not supersede the rights given to us by our Creator in the U.S. Constitution.

    Hyperationalist is taking the piss. I expect quite a few of the petition’s signatories don’t exactly harbour goodwill towards Republicans either.

    • Macro 7.1
      29 March 2016 at 1:25 pm

      Of course he/she is taking the piss – and at the same time pointing out the absurdity of the present fetish in the US by the maniacal right for the wearing of guns, and their desire for “open carry” into all public places.
      The second amendment has long lost its meaning and value. There is no longer a threat of invasion by Britain on a then relatively small nation struggling to establish itself without a large standing army and the need for its citizens to have weapons to defend themselves against an invading army. The US should have scrapped the bloody thing once it had passed its use by date. More fool them.

      • Richard McGrath 7.1.1
        29 March 2016 at 8:03 pm

        Good lord, there are still some people that believe the second amendment was intended to allow the populace to arm themselves against foreign invaders.

        It was included as a means of allowing the population to protect themselves against the government, should it become tyrannical.

        • joe90 7.1.1.1
          29 March 2016 at 8:31 pm

          should it become tyrannical.

          Perhaps…

          What does the hidden history mean with respect to how the Second Amendment should be interpreted? I do not in this Article take any position with respect to “original intent.” Nevertheless, two items of significance ought to be mentioned. First, the Second Amendment was written to assure the South that the militia — the very same militia described in the main body of the Constitution — could be armed even if Congress elected not to arm them or otherwise attempted to “disarm” them. From our perspective today, this may seem like a small matter since Congress retained exclusive authority to determine the composition of the militia, and, thus, who could enjoy the right to bear arms. However, in the context of the concern and circumstances of the time, it was significant. The Amendment deals with keeping and bearing arms in the militia, subject to federal and state regulation. Therefore, to the extent original intent matters, the hidden history of the Second Amendment strongly supports the collective rights position.

          Second, the Second Amendment lives two lives: one in the law and the other in politics, public policy, and popular culture. The hidden history has ramifications in the second realm as well. The Second Amendment takes on an entirely different complexion when instead of being symbolized by a musket in the hands of the minuteman, it is associated with a musket in the hands of the slave holder.

          https://web.archive.org/web/20000816064706/http://www.saf.org/LawReviews/Bogus2.htm

        • Macro 7.1.1.2
          29 March 2016 at 9:09 pm

          What ever! The fact is it has long outlived its original purpose and should have been sent to the dustbin years ago.

          • Richard McGrath 7.1.1.2.1
            30 March 2016 at 9:16 pm

            Problem is, dictators have a history of confiscating firearms once they seize power, in order to prevent uprisings.

            • Macro 7.1.1.2.1.1
              31 March 2016 at 1:55 pm

              🙄
              I know the USA is a society that lives in fear. But really!
              Talk about conspiracy theories.
              Dictators would not live long in the states – even moderates have trouble surviving.
              incidentally your interpretation has been disputed
              the 2nd amendment as it was finally written and endorsed reads
              “A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.”
              Which would seem to indicate that the intention was what I mooted first. Yes the amendment is to enshrine a right from British law which went back further with despotic monarchs – and we can see how well that went for them in the end. But the actual requirements for the amendment have long since past, and it now needs to be undone and private weapons limited to sporting and collectors use only

  8. Andre 8
    29 March 2016 at 2:44 pm

    Kind of a shame this was done on Change.org instead of We The People. If they get to 100 000 on We The People, the White House has to respond. Surely Obama could have some fun with it.

  9. UncookedSelachimorpha 9
    29 March 2016 at 9:31 pm

    Just signed it myself, enough support might put the GOP in an awkward position! The comments on the site are hilarious – about 50% of signatories are taking the piss – people from all over the world, trying to get maximum guns at the GOP convention.

    A few of the comments:

    “Let’s make the 2016 RNC Convention the safest convention in history!” (South Carolina)

    “I’m signing because Republican-backed legislation allowing open-carry and restriction-free concealed is supposed to protect my freedom and make me safer, isn’t it?” (Las Vegas)

    “If there is an attack on the arena, the more bullets flying, the safer the attendees will be.” (California)

    “What could go wrong?” (Canada)

    “GREAT IDEA!” (Italy)

    “If the RNC & NRA want guns in schools & hospitals, why not at the convention? I’m all for it, unless you’re a bunch of lying hypocrites.” (Chicago)

    “I live a long way from the Convention” (Australia)

    “The only way to keep our Republican heroes safe is to surround then with gun-totin’ good guys, just like Jesus told us in the Constitution” (Canada)

    ….It’s worth a chuckle!!

  10. millsy 10
    29 March 2016 at 11:28 pm

    Ironically, in the GOP’s favourite era, the Wild West, there were strict restrictions on guns.

  11. Wainwright 11
    29 March 2016 at 11:47 pm

    It’s not the GOP’s decision, it’s the Secret Service.

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