A spokesman for the group explains why it should be safety first for rideshare drivers.
With several states seeing a massive crime increase, a councilman believes enough is enough when it comes to rideshare drivers being unsafe.
Following a shooting incident that cost of the life of his daughter (a Lyft driver) back in November, Peachtree Corners City Councilman Joe Sawyer is looking to draft a proposal that will allow rideshare drivers to carry firearms for the sake of protection.
“They’re out there driving. They don’t have no protection at all, so we need to do something,” Sawyer explained. “They got to protect themselves. If my daughter had a gun that night, she could have protected herself.”
That said, there are critics who may feel unsafe with an armed rideshare driver taking them to their destination. “To get into a vehicle and to be taken to the airport and see an AR-15 sitting on your driver’s front seat, it seems to be a little unsettling,” said well-known author Cedric Norris Jr. when asked about the proposal.
At the moment, neither Uber nor Lyft permit weapons in vehicles. But are they really a necessity on the job? Here now to speak further on the matter is a representative for the Second Amendment Foundation, a group that believes that all citizens should have the right to bear arms. Their expertise will be useful in this matter.
Q&A:
- Let’s just get this question out there right now – should rideshare drivers have the right to have a firearm to avoid incidents like the one that took the life of Councilman Sawyer’s daughter?
- Shouldn’t Uber and Lyft have considered the possibility of arming drivers with the rising criminal rates in cities lately anyway? New York, Seattle and Portland alone have seen an unsettling rise in shooting and assaults.
- What would you say to people who might feel unsafe riding in a rideshare vehicle with a driver that may be armed? Do you think the author suggesting that someone carrying an AR-15 may be a little far-fetched when a handgun will certainly suffice?
- There’s word that if there is a law passed, Uber and Lyft wouldn’t have much say on the matter. Could they try to change something in their policies in regards to hiring armed drivers?
- In the meantime, what would you recommend to rideshare drivers in an effort to keep themselves safe?
- Where can we learn more about the Second Amendment Foundation and its members?
Those interested can visit http://www.saf.org/.
Second Amendment Foundation spokespersons available to be your guest:
ABOUT CHRIS CHENG (In Pacific Time)
Chris Cheng serves on the advisory council to the Second Amendment Foundation’s Board of Trustees. He is the History Channel’s Top Shot Season 4 Champion and author of the book “Shoot to Win.” Cheng is an Asian D&I advocate in the gun community; a former Google employee who went from self-taught amateur to pro shooter.
ABOUT CAM EDWARDS (In Eastern Time)
Cam Edwards is the editor at Bearing Arms-dot-com and hosts the popular podcast Cam & Company that focuses on Second Amendment news and information. Cam is originally from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and has worked in radio, television, and online media for over two decades. He currently lives on a small farm with his family near Farmville, Virginia, and is a member of the board of Citizens Committee to Keep and Bear Arms.
ABOUT MARK WALTERS (in Eastern Time):
Mark Walters is a member of the board of directors for the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. As a nationally syndicated host of two talk radio programs, Armed American Radio and Armed American Radio’s Daily Defense, Mark is heard on hundreds of stations weekly across the country. Mark is the co-founder of Armed American News and the recipient of the 2015 “Gun Rights Defender of the Year award.” In addition, Mark Walters is co-author of three books, including Lessons from Armed America, Lessons from Unarmed America, and Grilling While Armed.
ABOUT LEE WILLIAMS (In Eastern Time)
Lee Williams is also known as The Gun Writer and has been writing about the Second Amendment, firearms, the firearms industry, and the gun culture for more than ten years. He is the Chief Editor of the Second Amendment Foundation’s Investigative Reporting Project and is a frequent contributor to Ammoland News and Armed American Radio. In addition, Lee serves as a board member of Florida Carry, Inc. He was also an editor for a daily newspaper in Florida. Before becoming a newspaper editor, Lee was an investigative reporter in three states and a U.S. Territory. Before becoming a journalist, he worked as a police officer. Before becoming a cop, Lee served in the Army. Lee has earned more than a dozen national journalism awards as a reporter and three medals of valor as a police officer.
ABOUT DAVE WORKMAN (In Pacific Time):
Dave Workman is an award-winning career journalist and senior editor of TheGunMag.com. He writes for Liberty Park Press, Conservative Firing Line, and is communications director for the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. He has authored Op-Ed pieces in several major newspapers, including the Chicago Tribune, Seattle Times, and Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and co-authored seven books with Second Amendment Foundation Alan Gottlieb. Workman’s beat is firearms, from politics to the outdoors. He is widely considered an authority on firearms, concealed carry, and gun politics.
The Second Amendment Foundation (www.saf.org) is the nation’s oldest and largest tax-exempt education, research, publishing, and legal action group focusing on the Constitutional right and heritage to privately own and possess firearms. Founded in 1974, The Foundation has grown to more than 700,000 members and supporters and conducts many programs designed to better inform the public about the consequences of gun control.
CONTACT: To schedule an interview, contact Jerry McGlothlin of Special Guests PR Agency at 919-437-0001 or geraldmcg@outlook.com.
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