Guns at political conventions

As Congress has so ably demonstrated in the past, even canes can be a weapon.

There is also the well distributed photo of the black man in AZ with the AR slung while attending a rally during one of the previous election cycles. Don't know what the criteria is for them to start restrictions.

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There is a well-founded belief that some people will be showing up at the RNC for the sole purpose of disrupting and creating chaos.

There is a on-going hate and fear campaign by the political leadership and other candidates for President against Trump. As a result there should be no doubt that the emotions of some delegates and protesters will be at a very high level.

I have been a Party Delegate a couple of times, and mostly, the convention experience has been good. But, this would seem to be a case of "You may carry legally, but maybe you shouldn't".
Political get-togethers, particularly in the past few years have become increasingly contentious and emotion-driven, and if a person is naturally contentious, given to emotional acting out, and/or just a little immature, Not the best thing.

If you choose to carry in a situation like that, and you have credible information the Barbarian Hordes may be plotting mischief, DEEPLY carried, little to no chance of being accidentally discovered, on your best behavior, and
very accommodating. If someone, other than a properly- identified law enforcement officer should ask, "Don't ask, don't tell" is a good policy.

I find it funny, as last month, my wife got tickets to a Cleveland Cavaliers game at the Q, the arena where the convention will be held.
I thought I had divested myself of anything weaponlike, but I forgot the tiny Swiss Army knife on my keychain, which I have carried for 20yrs.
Yup, stopped at the gate, and had to go outside and bury it for post game retrieval.
I could have carried the cane in the backseat of my car, no problem, but the tiny non-locking blade and scissors were a no-go...or maybe it was the toothpick and tweezers.

Yes..I had to do that to my larger Swiss Army Knife for a concert. I worried the whole time that somebody might have seen me hide it, and it would be gone when I returned for it.
It was there.

This is the last place I want to be during the convention. Actually as much as it goes against my own grain I agree with the secret service. The entire area will be a mess during the convention including bused in protesters. All sporting events in Cleveland are gun / weapon free so what amd6547 has to say is no surprise. July would be a good time to hit Alaska, anywhere but downtown Cleveland, Ohio.

Ron

Maybe the difference is the R and D National Conventions have security provided by US Secret Service, while the State Conventions have other policies?

Also, at the R and D National Conventions won't all their candidates and their staffs be present, making a target-rich situation that USSS would like total responsibility for and control over?

The statute quoted by the OP allows the Secret Service the authority to control the carry of weapons at any site. It doesn't require them to do so. They probably don't feel the need to do so at all state conventions and smaller venues.

The national convention gets different consuderation.

At a Trump protest a day or two ago in Anaheim people were spraying each other with pepper spray and a lady was flashing a taser. Fist fights broke out at the Chicago rally he had to cancel. Most importantly, the level of hate being displayed by people with political differences is making too many of them act irrationally. It's sad that we're at this point, but I agree with the Secret Service on this.

I was under the impression that the Quicken Loans Arena, being privately owned, can impose whatever restrictions they want, and it was their decision not to permit firearms.

Maybe the USSS had some influence on that decision, maybe not. We'll never know.

At a Trump protest a day or two ago in Anaheim people were spraying each other with pepper spray and a lady was flashing a taser. Fist fights broke out at the Chicago rally he had to cancel. Most importantly, the level of hate being displayed by people with political differences is making too many of them act irrationally. It's sad that we're at this point, but I agree with the Secret Service on this.

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In Anaheim Trump supporters were pepper sprayed by anti-Trump agitators.

A Trumper did flash a taser, but did not taserise anyone.

lechiffre said:

In Anaheim Trump supporters were pepper sprayed by anti-Trump agitators.

A Trumper did flash a taser, but did not taserise anyone.

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I'm not taking sides. My point is that things are getting violent and I understand the Secret Service having concerns allowing guns into the convention.

amd6547 said:

I find it funny, as last month, my wife got tickets to a Cleveland Cavaliers game at the Q, the arena where the convention will be held.
I thought I had divested myself of anything weaponlike, but I forgot the tiny Swiss Army knife on my keychain, which I have carried for 20yrs.
Yup, stopped at the gate, and had to go outside and bury it for post game retrieval.
I could have carried the cane in the backseat of my car, no problem, but the tiny non-locking blade and scissors were a no-go...or maybe it was the toothpick and tweezers.

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Heh!

We went to see a Cincinnati Reds game a couple years back. No knives allowed. My wife didn't tell us this until we're in line to enter the stadium and the metal detectors are in sight. My son and I, of course, have our pocket knives with us.

My son goes through the metal detector first, and of course gets pinged for his pocket knife. Me...I palmed mine and had it with my camera, which got wanded. I took his knife, made eye contact with my son as I passed my camera case over to his hand, with my pocket knife held to the back of it. He never batted an eye.

Then I ran his knife back out to the car and came back. (His knife was quite a bit bigger than mine, palming it wouldn't have worked very well.)

I'm not taking sides. My point is that things are getting violent and I understand the Secret Service having concerns allowing guns into the convention.

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I'm not taking sides either.

Fletchette, Secret Service do not wear stuffy suits and don't necessarily wear an earphone all the time. They also don't wear body armor all the time. I wasn't Secret Service but worked several details with them.

Whether you saw them or not there is SS detail with every candidate running at this time.

Where in the statute does it say they can ban guns?

Also if I was going to that convention I would want a weapon for the walk there and back, you think the protesters have been bad lately, this convention is going to be nasty.

Fear the politician that fears your guns. I forget where I saw that quote but it stuck with me. However the Secret Service are not politicians and it seems to be within their legal rights to decide whether guns are allowed at the RNC, however much I disagree with them being given this sort of power.
That said, the candidates themselves seem a lot more comfortable with guns at political events. I even saw a video of Ted Cruz signing an AR receiver that some guy walked up with. Very impressive in this day and age

Two words; Bobby Kennedy.

Gun rights at high profile political events can be detrimental to gun rights

TCB

The RNC is a private event, not open to the general public (and the guy who started the petition is an internet troll).

But there is more to consider here; There are several places in the United States that firearms are prohibited, and for reasons that have nothing to do with gun-free zones, or anyone's Second Amendment rights.

Places such as courthouses, where the law is being adjudicated, as well as governmental buildings, and yes, political conventions, where We the People participate in democracy, either directly or via representatives, are places where even the perceived threat of violence is removed to allow all who enter to be heard without intimidation. Anything less would corrupt the system, queering the results, putting us on the same plane third world dictatorships and banana republics.

If something stupid were to happen at a convention, the last person I'd want to be is a "man with a gun". Those SS boys don't play.

You have a better chance of seeing Elvis at Burger King than you do of seeing me at any political convention though.....

Where in the statute does it say they can ban guns?

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The answer to that was posted before you asked:

"Title 18 United States Code Sections 3056 and 1752 provides the Secret Service authority to preclude firearms from entering sites visited by our protectees

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