CLEVELAND — Outside the secure perimeter of the Republican National Convention, the possibility of violence hangs over head.
The potential danger, coupled with yet another high profile shooting Sunday of law enforcement personnel in the United States, prompted Cleveland Police Patrolmen’s Association President Stephen Loomis to demand that Governor John Kasich temporarily suspend the right to open carry personal firearms.
Loomis told CNN that Kasich “could very easily do some kind of executive order or something — I don’t care if it’s constitutional or not at this point,” adding:
“They can fight about it after the RNC or they can lift it after the RNC, but I want him to absolutely outlaw open-carry in Cuyahoga County until this RNC is over.”
But RNC attendees and local residents had mixed opinions on the possibility of an open carry ban on the streets bordering the Republican National Convention in downtown Cleveland.
Larry O’Connor, a conservative talk radio host and Editor-at-Large of the Hot Air blog, opposed such a ban. He said that turning downtown Cleveland into a “gun-free zone” would only increase the potential for a dangerous shootings because “that’s where shootings occur — in gun-free zones.”
Larry O’Connor — Image Credit: Rob Groulx for Independent Journal Review
O’Connor added that the benefits of an armed group of RNC attendees would serve as a deterrent to nefarious individuals.
“We got bunch of conservative Republicans in this area and if they’re carrying, it means that they’re well trained and responsible with their firearms. To me, if someone was to trying to do something horrible with a gun down here, in the back of their mind they’re gonna know that there’s a whole bunch of people — conservative delegates — all carrying — who would take them out like that.”
Cleveland resident Demetrius Coleman, however, supports a temporary ban on open carry. He said that because of the current violent outbursts against and at the hands of police, carrying personal firearms “most likely wouldn’t be a good idea.”
Demetrius Coleman — Image Credit: Rob Groulx for Independent Journal Review
Coleman added that the vast array of activist groups preparing to stage protests at the RNC could serve as a breeding ground for problems, especially if firearms are involved.
“You have a lot of interest groups and a lot object to each other’s interests. And if you’re bearing arms — brandishing a firearm — it could escalate anger.”
In contrast to both O’Connor and Coleman, Bob Kunst of Florida said, “Everybody should have a gun. It’s maybe the only way to save ourselves from with what’s going on. On the other hand, you have to be an idiot to wear gun here.”
“It seems to me — look I understand that everybody could do it — I’m from Florida, they do it there too,” Kunst said. “But if you’re gonna carry a firearm in the middle of this tense situation, it’s not very smart.”
Bob Kunst — Image Credit: Rob Groulx for Independent Journal Review
The Daily Beast reported that Kasich will not implement such a ban.
“Ohio governors do not have the power to arbitrarily suspend federal and state constitutional rights or state laws as suggested,” a spokesperson for Kasich’s office said.
Larry O’Connor is a contributor to Independent Journal Review.
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