Open Carry Activists speak out against proposed legislative violation of property rights that would favor gun carriers.

I’d like to thank Jason Gillman Jr. of RightMI who co-authored this piece with me.  He and I are of one mind on this topic as we share the Non-Aggression Principle (NAP) as a core value of our lives.

About the authors…

So, I’m a huge gun guy.  As a former President of Michigan Open Carry, Inc. (MOC) and the person who has held that office for the longest period of time, my creds on guns speak for themselves.  But what brought me to advance gun freedom in the first place?  My passion for human freedom and liberty.  I must respect this drive foremost.  That is why I am opposed to HB 5574.  I believe that in order to have our (gun owner’s) rights respected, we must also respect the rights of others, even if we don’t agree with how they are being exercised.

Likewise, Jason’s credentials on guns are beyond reproach as well.  Aside from Tom Lambert and myself, I’d be hard pressed to put my finger on someone who has done more in the last 5 years to advance open carry in Michigan other than Jason.  Jason is presently (and has been for about 2 years): A member of MOC’s Board of Directors, Assistant Legislative Director of MOC, Deputy Treasury of MOC, and MOC’s IT Director.  The man has sacrificed and continues to sacrifice a lot of time and energy for the cause.

About the topic…

HB 5574 of 2016 is a legislative proposal that is supported by many gun owners.  HB 5574 would prohibit employers (private sector and public sector) from banning employees from keeping firearms locked in the employee’s vehicle in the employer’s parking lot.  Employers who fire employees for keeping a gun in the employee’s car parked on the employer’s parking lot would be forced to rehire the fired employees.

Our rights end where someone else’s begin…

It’s an old cliche, but it hold true here.  Your right to move your arm freely stops where my nose starts.

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By Derya Taskin – President of the Turkish Institute for Progress

Tomorrow, the Michigan State Senate Education Committee will take up HB 4493. HB 4493 would turn Michigan’s social studies and world history textbooks into a political playground. The disputed history of an international tragedy that took place over a hundred years ago should not be settled in Michigan schools.

While the Michigan Legislature is working to rewrite history, it is important to look back at history on the issue. Not one international court has recognized the 1915 tragedy was a “genocide.” In fact, 173 countries, the United Nations, and the European Court on Human Rights High Commission agree with that the 1915 tragedy was not a “genocide.”

What did Armenia’s first Prime Minister state about the 1915 tragedy in his 1923 manifesto?  He said that “when the skirmishes had started the Turks proposed that we meet and confer.  We did not do so and defied them.”

I am the President of the Turkish Institute for Progress, an organization formed to provide a forum for dialogue in pursuit of peace and cooperation between Turkey and the international community. It is crucial to reference facts in historical context so we can work together to look forward toward the next 100 years, inspired by the promise of renewed Turkish-Armenian relations under the true spirit of cooperation.

Unfortunately, the Armenian lobby is refusing to consider the historical facts in promoting legislation like HB 4493, only trying to score political points and embarrass the Turkish people. What the Armenian lobby doesn’t point out is that the Armenian community of the time took up arms against their own government, lured by Russia’s promise of an independent nation. During the conflict, 2.5 million Turks, Kurds and Arabs also lost their lives.

Today, the Russians are the puppetmaster once again as Armenia is one of Russia’s closest allies as Armenia hosts two Russian bases. Putin continues to utilize Armenia as a proxy to grow influence in the region and as former Deputy Chief of Staff to the NATO Secretary General James Foley stated in a recent Time article, Turkey “faces a burgeoning Russian military buildup across its border in neighboring Armenia, while simultaneously being squeezed by Russia’s military intervention across its border with an imploding Syria.”

With the future of the Middle East evolving on a daily basis, Turkish-U.S. relations are critical to regional security and the management of regional crises. The conflicts in Syria and Iraq have become salient issues of international security; the rising tensions in Iran and Saudi Arabia have added additional complexity to the situation as more regional instability presents itself.

Beyond international security, Turkey has also become an indispensable U.S. trade partner, constituting a large and growing market for United States exports. In 2015, Turkey was identified as Europe’s third-fastest growing economy, and Turkey does over $700 million in business with Michigan.

If the Michigan State Senate wants to weigh in on the 1915 tragedy, they should join the Turkish Institute of Progress in asking the Armenians to engage in a dialogue with the Turkish people about what happened and let the facts speak for themselves.

By voting to support HB 4493, the Michigan State Senate Education Committee will only impede pursuit of peace and cooperation between Turkey and Armenia and at the same time, it will be embarrassing an important ally in the fight against terror and an indispensable U.S. trade partner.”