Petition to Allow Firearm Carry at GOP Convention Gaining Traction

Petition for Republican Convention: Let Them Carry Guns

Chris Hannas
VOA News
March 27, 2016

GunLinkCCWThe three remaining Republican U.S. presidential candidates have each advocated allowing people to openly carry firearms, and an online petition is challenging them to stand behind those policies and call for firearms to be allowed at the party’s nominating convention in July.

Cleveland’s Quicken Loans Arena is hosting the convention, but has a policy banning any weapons from the facility. It is allowed to do so under law in the state of Ohio, where people can otherwise openly carry guns.

Both Texas Senator Ted Cruz and businessman Donald Trump have criticized so-called gun-free zones, especially schools, saying those policies make the sites less safe.

Trump said in December he would abolish gun-free zones on his first day in office, while Cruz told supporters in December the zones only create places where an attacker knows people will be unarmed. Ohio Governor and presidential candidate John Kasich last year eliminated gun-free zones at the state’s National Guard facilities.

[Nearly 45,000] people have signed the Change.org petition that says the candidates should call on the Cleveland arena to suspend its no-gun policy, for the National Rifle Association to condemn it, and for Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Preibus to be ready to relocate the entire convention if guns are not allowed.  

QuickenGOPpetition“By forcing attendees to leave their firearms at home, the RNC and Quicken Loans Arena are putting tens of thousands of people at risk both inside and outside the convention site,” it says.

The petition cites the threat of an Islamic State attack, saying that without guns, those inside the arena will be “utterly helpless against evil-doers.”

No matter how many signatures it gets, or whatever real support the call for open carry at the convention may get from legitimate gun rights supporters, there is little chance of seeing holsters as the go-to accessory at the convention.

Cleveland television station WEWS asked the U.S. Secret Service, which is in charge of security at both party’s convention sites, and the answer was the same as in 2012 when guns were banned at the Republican convention. The station said the Secret Service cited U.S. law allowing it to “preclude firearms from entering sites visited by our protectees.”

One Response to Petition to Allow Firearm Carry at GOP Convention Gaining Traction

  • GunLinkBlog says:

    This will, of course, go nowhere – just as with every other Change.org petition (unless it is some fluff-piece feel-good petition championed by SJWs with hurt feelings; that sort of noise from the current administrations base would likely get their ear).

    Ohio law allows for such venues to prohibit concealed or open carry of firearms, with clearly-marked signage carrying the weight of the law and accompanying penalties. Not to mention, as the article points out, the SS would not allow firearms near their protectees – the Presidential candidates. Several weeks ago when we went to watch candidates speak in a small venue (not in Ohio), the process to get in was similar to going through airport security. In fact, it appeared to be run by the TSA using DHS/TSA equipment – to include WTMDs and wands – under the supervision of the Secret Service.

    There is no shortage of talk and rumors circulating that the petition – and much of the support – is from leftists who are hoping for (or planning) some kind of disruption such as has been seen at campaign rallies from violent anti-GOP “protesters”.

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