Special Guests

An Ohio Representative’s Attempt To Demonize Guns May Come Back To Haunt Him At the Pools

A representative for the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms explains how voters can see right through a State Rep’s attempt to gain stature.

Politicians sure do like riding particular trends in an effort to get them votes. But the ones that go after causes for the wrong reasons – to get attention – can usually be seen from a mile away.

That’s the case with State Rep. Willis E. Blackshear Jr., who attempted to win over Ohio voters in the forthcoming 6th District State Senate race with a new term that completely – and wrongfully – demonizes guns.

Labeling these assault weapons as “mass casualty weapons,” Blackshear immediately points them out as weapons of crime. However, his bill is, in particular, drawing attention from a 2019 shooting that took place in Dayton’s Oregon district – and not in a good way.

“This is just another attempt by a politician running for higher office to make a campaign headline, while using new terminology to alarm or even terrify the public,” said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb in a statement. “It has been nearly five years since killer Connor Betts was fatally shot by police, bringing an end to his senseless rampage, but instead of pointing to his deranged fantasies about mass shootings, his far left political leanings and his sympathies for Antifa, Blackshear focuses on the firearm the madman used. 

He continued, “All of a sudden, Rep. Blackshear has come up with something new to incite the same old anxieties anti-gunners have always had over the fact that Americans like firearms and dislike the efforts to ban them.

“Why did it take Blackshear all this time to introduce his bill,” he wondered. “Could it have anything to do with the fact that he’s in a three-way race for the state Senate position against two other Democrats who also favor restrictive gun laws, and he wants a headline? 

Gottlieb concluded, “Blackshear wants to ban a certain class of firearms which are enormously popular and commonly-owned, not just in Ohio but across the country. He can call them whatever provocative name he wants, but it still comes down to a gun ban effort. Perhaps instead of guns, Blackshear should focus on getting rid of criminals. That would be an effort Buckeye State gun owners could get behind.” 

A representative for the CCRKBA joins us now to discuss the matter further.

Q&A:

  1. Guns have certainly been an easy target for politicians these days, but is Blackshear taking the situation too far this time around?
  2. What do you think is the worst part of him labeling guns as “mass casualty weapons,” when they can be used for greater purposes? Like with police officers and open-carry citizens?
  3. It sounds like Ohio voters aren’t necessarily buying Blackshear’s attempt at attention. Do they simply see how bad the association is, or is it something else?
  4. Will this mistake likely cost Blackshear his ticket into the Senate? Or will he think up some kind of new tactic in an effort to get voters on his side?
  5. Do you believe gun violence will play a major part in this year’s Presidential election?
  6. Where can people call in to pledge their support to the CCRKBA?
    1. The number to support the group is (800) 699-0992.
  7. Where can we learn more about the CCRKBA and its members?
    1. Those interested can visit our home page at https://www.ccrkba.org.

CCRKBA (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.

Hundreds of other guests/topics: Special Guests

Visit Us On TwitterVisit Us On Facebook