Libertarian Alex Appleby is jump-starting his campaign to be Stockton, California’s next congressman with a raffle for a 9mm handgun.
Although he has drawn some criticism for the move, he stresses the benefits law-abiding citizens derive from being armed and comfortable with the gun they carry for self-defense.
According to Fox 40, Stockton has “a homicide rate that has periodically soared,” and the city has been included “on the list of America’s most dangerous cities.” This has led to a crackdown on guns in Stockton, including a buyback program funded by private funds in 2013.
But Appleby, a U.S. Army combat veteran, believes the solution lies in going another way. He said, “I think that doing it is the responsible thing–by bringing awareness, and encouraging people to have training. You don’t have to have a gun, but have training so if somebody comes at you with a gun, you can be safe.”
The winner of Appleby’s 9mm will get a gift certificate for the gun, which he or she will redeem at a retail store after undergoing a background check.
AWR Hawkins is the Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.