Lauren “Liberty” Snyder is a differently-abled model and political activist from Long Island, New York who now resides in the Phoenix Valley area of Arizona with her husband and two dogs. (LD18).
A libertarian since 2008, Lauren became involved with the Arizona Libertarian Party by volunteering at events during the 2020 presidential campaign season. Lauren was chosen as the Jorgensen/Cohen 2020 Campaign Phonebanking & Outreach Coordinator for Arizona.
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Our guest today is Lauren Snyder. Lauren “Liberty” Snyder is a differently-abled model and political activist from Long Island, New York who now resides in Arizona with her husband and two dogs.
Lauren is the 2nd Vice Chair and Communications Director of the AZ Libertarian Party. Lauren also is a Member of The DC Project: Women who are dedicated to safeguarding our Second Amendment.
On March 3, 2022 Lauren offered testimony at an AZ State Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing. After Lauren’s emotional testimony about having been sexually assaulted and also being a survivor of domestic violence, AZ District 19 Senator Lupe Contreras (D) made a statement saying that if citizens feel the need to be Responsibly Armed outside their homes then, quote…”Why even walk around at that point. Stay at home behind closed doors”.
1) Can you give us brief synopsis how things went on the day you testified?
2) There’s a saying that “when someone tells you who they are you should believe them”. What should Senator Contreras’s constituents know about him.
3) If more people would speak up from their personal experience, as you did, our Government would surely better represent us. But, the word “testimony” sounds very intimidating. Can you help demystify it for our audience?
4) A letter was sent to Senator Contreras by you and the DC Project. Has the Senator responded to you?
5) The Senator blocked you on Twitter. Has he since removed that block?
Link to Video in Episode
Link to DC Project Video
Link to Raw Feed from AZ Legislature Archives 03/03/2022 – Senate Judiciary (Lauren begins speaking at the 1:17 mark)
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TRANSCRIPTION HB2316 MARCH 3 2022
LAUREN SNYDER AND SEN. LUPE CONTRERAS
LAUREN:
“Hello, Lauren Snyder, Second Vice Chair Arizona Libertarian Party. Chairman and committee members, I am speaking in favor in House Bill 2316. I have had my carry conceal permit for the last ten years. The reason that I got my concealed carry is because I have been a victim of sexual assault. I have been a victim of random assault. I have been a victim of and domestic abuse. And I refuse to be a victim again. I don’t carry because I want to harm others; I carry because I don’t want to be harmed. My right to defend myself shouldn’t change simply because of my physical location. The last time that I was assaulted, I was in a public space, not allowed to carry my weapon. I was stalked by somebody, and he attempted to abduct me and tried to direct me to his vehicle. So, because I was respecting the law, I was defenseless. Mind you, I am differently abled. I don’t have the privilege of running away and calling the cops and waiting for them to come. I have to defend myself. (:30 warning) I yield the remainder of my time.”
Sen Lupe Contreras (Dist. LD 19)
“Mr. Chair I would like to explain my vote. Mr. Chair, I have said it many times that I am a gun owner, I am a hunter, and I am a proud Democrat. Umm, I don’t need to carry my gun on me at all times to feel safe. I don’t. I don’t walk around, run around, and drive around worried about somebody’s going to shoot me. or somebody’s going to hurt me, or somebody’s going to do WHATEVER. Why even walk around at that point? Stay at home behind closed doors. I am not going to worry. You can’t be worrying about things all the time. I have enough to worry about being in these chambers. I mean, I, I, I hate to keep hearing about all this stuff. I mean I understand that there’s things that happen out in life. (Lauren walks to sit in the chair in from of Contreras) Ma’am, you can sit there and stare at me all you want. I am not talking about you. I am talking about things in general. And I do have daughters, I do have a wife, and I do have a mother. There’s a lot of things that happen in this world, but you can’t run around scared all the time.
I will say this, people, people talk about how being safe, I don’t, I don’t feel a room full of people, everyone with a gun is going to make you feel safer. It’s not going to make me feel safer because people in this world are pretty, pretty, crazy. They’re pretty crazy out there and you just don’t know which one, which one is losing their mind and which one is not. And some of them do come, do come through these doors in these buildings.
So, I mean I do understand that yah, it is a right we have but some people, some people, just, just don’t have that right and some people just shouldn’t have that right. And with that I vote no.”
