CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb
The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms has thrown down a gauntlet, literally daring the Democratic National Committee to give up the benefit of armed security, including all police, Secret Service or even private security, during the party’s national convention July 25-28 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pa.
This is no joke, according to CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb. He literally challenged the party to “put up or shut up” when it comes to conducting their business without the luxury or protection of armed guards. The organization has launched a petition on its website to let people support the effort.
“After all,” he said, “Democrats have become known as the party of gun control. If a political party believes that guns do not make us safer they should set an example by rejecting any and all forms of armed security at their national convention.”
Gottlieb said in a prepared statement that Democrats have traditionally “opposed expanded concealed carry rights for average citizens while they continue to enjoy the protection of armed security.”
He recalled that Democrat front runner Hillary Clinton has stated that the Supreme Court was “wrong” in its 2008 Heller ruling about the Second Amendment. However, while she has been campaigning on the issue of gun control, she has been protected by Secret Service protection as the former First Lady, as Secretary of State and now as a presidential candidate.
The group has launched a petition on its website, which may be seen here. Among other things, the petition demands that the DNC adopt three policies for its convention at the Wells Fargo Center, which is a so-called “gun free zone.”
- There shall be no armed security allowed at the Wells Fargo Center, for the duration of the Democratic National Convention. No police or sheriff’s deputies, state troopers, federal law enforcement in or out of uniform will be allowed.
- In the event of protests within the immediate vicinity of the Wells Fargo Center, police should not be asked or expected to respond.
Gottlieb accused Democrats of “overwhelming hypocrisy” for pushing gun control and traditionally opposing expanded concealed carry when the party elite have armed security.
“Virtually all recent gun control proposals at the federal and state levels have been launched and championed by Democrats,” the CCRKBA petition states. “It’s time for the party to ‘put up or shut up’ about guns. The best way to do that is to forsake armed security during the convention.”
“A party that does not believe in the right of individual citizens to keep and bear arms should not benefit from the safety provided by others who bear arms,” Gottlieb said. “No group, organization or political party that makes erosion of a constitutionally delineated fundamental civil right part of its agenda should benefit in any way from the existence of that right.”
