An online petition to allow the open carry of firearms at this summer’s Republican National Convention is rapidly gaining signatures and attention, applying pressure to pro-gun rights Republican officials and presidential contenders to walk the walk when it comes to guns.
Launched anonymously a week ago, the petition has collected more than 42,000 signatures as of Monday morning, putting it well on its way to a current goal of 50,000. On Sunday, leading Republican presidential contender Donald Trump was asked about it, though he refused to weigh in until he had a chance to read “the fine print.”
“I have to see what it says,” he told ABC’s Jonathan Karl, who asked him about the petition on the Sunday morning political show “This Week.” “I’m a very, very strong person for 2nd Amendment. I think very few people are stronger. And I have to see the petition. But I’m not going to comment to you when I haven’t seen it.”
That non-answer highlights the difficulties this petition poses for the GOP. The petition calls on each Republican presidential contender, the National Rifle Association, the Republican National Committee and chairman Reince Priebus, convention host site Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, and Ohio Gov. John Kasich to do what they can to allow convention attendees to openly carry firearms. The arena currently bans firearms and other weapons “in accordance with the Ohio’s ‘concealed carry’ law,” it says on its website.
“Without the right to protect themselves, those at the Quicken Loans Arena will be sitting ducks, utterly helpless against evil-doers, criminals or others who wish to threaten the American way of life.” the petition’s author argues. Some have speculated that such dramatic language makes it sound a lot the whole thing is a ruse intended to put Republicans in a tough political spot.
Regardless, it does indeed put GOP officials and presidential candidates in the awkward position of tolerating the types of policies that they often criticize. How can Republicans support conceal-and-carry but not push for it to be allowed at their own convention?
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, R, for example, suggested in December that gun-free zones attract murderers.
“If you’re a lunatic, ain’t nothing better then having a bunch of targets you know that are going to be unarmed,” he said.
A month later, Trump echoed that sentiment, saying he would end “gun-free zones” at schools and on military bases.
“You know what a gun-free zone is to sickos? That’s bait!” he said in early January.
Petition organizers first identified themselves as “Americans for Responsible Open Carry” — a group about which little is known, the Akron Beacon Journal reported last week. Now, the only identifier is the author’s pseudonym: The Hyperationalist.
The petition week-old petition exceeded an earlier goal of 5,000 signatures by Thursday night, according to the Journal. It passed the 25,000-signature mark as of two days ago and surpassed 40,000 signatures late Sunday.
Firearms were similarly banned for attendees of the 2012 Republican convention in Tampa, Florida. Requests for comment from the Republican National Committee and arena officials were not immediately returned.
