Dave Kopp is the co-founder and President of the Arizona Citizens Defense League and the AzCDL Foundation.
Dave is an East Coast transplant, a former computer programmer and a family man. Dave spends his time restoring and protecting the right to keep and bear arms through legislative lobbying. He is a strong voice protecting Arizonans against anti-rights groups and legislation that seek to limit our freedoms.
Dave works closely with the legislature to get strong pro-rights bills written and passed into law, while stopping freedom restricting bills, earning Arizona the reputation for being the friendliest state for gun owners. Significant amongst AzCDL’s many successes was the 2010 “Constitutional Carry” bill, restoring the ability of law-abiding adult citizens to carry openly or concealed without government permission. Dave is passionate about the work he does and is a sought-after speaker and knowledgeable resource in the firearms community.
One of his favorite quotes explains why Dave is a dedicated and driven champion for Arizona firearm owners: “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.”– Edmund Burke
The AzCDL is where grassroots activists take a stand, working at the Arizona legislature, to get strong pro-rights bills written and passed into law, while stopping bad bills.
Ashley Hlebinsky is the owner of The Gun Code, LLC – Firearms History & Industry Consulting. Ashley is an expert witness, a historian and former curator to the Cody Firearms Museum. Ashley testified at the 2021 Senate Judiciary’s Subcommittee on the Constitution, in a hearing titled: Stop Gun Violence: Ghost Guns.
Ashley is one of the nation’s foremost authorities on firearms history. Recently, she served as both Curator of the Cody Firearms Museum (CFM) and Project Director for the museum’s multimillion dollar renovation that reopened in July 2019. Due to her and her team’s efforts, the museum has received positive reviews from both gun and mainstream media and is seen as the premiere gun museum in the world that fosters dialogue for a range of diverse audiences
Additionally, Hlebinsky is a highly sought-after museum consultant, guest speaker, writer, expert witness in the US and Canada, and a television host and producer.
In 2018, she founded the first academic association in the United States for the study of firearms history. As a historian who remains apolitical, Hlebinsky holds a unique niche in the field of firearms, engaging with many communities, including industry, academic, and media. She actively works to increase the level of scholarship in the United States to help create a better understanding of guns for the public. This work directly impacts legislation as well as university curriculum.
In response to her public education, she was awarded the NSSF/POMA Shooting Sports Communicator of the Year award and recently accepted the position of Curator Emerita and Senior Firearms Scholar at the CFM – an honor typically reserved for the end of one’s career – as well as Adjunct Scholar of Firearms History, Technology and Culture for the Firearms Policy Coalition, so that she can continue to expand her advocacy beyond the walls of the museum.
Ashley also has many TV credits to her name, including in 2018, when she joined a panel of celebrity judges for the Discovery Channel competition series, “Master of Arms”.
Gun Freedom Radio EP76 Theme: Sharing The Love By Getting Involved
Hour #1 Guests:
– Noble C Hathaway – President of the Arizona Rifle & Pistol Association here to talk to us about the quasquicentennial 125th Annual Washington’s Day Rifle Shoot!
– Dave Kopp – President AZCDL, the Arizona Citizens Defense League is where grassroots activists take a stand to get strong pro-rights bills into law.
– Tara Mica – Tara is the NRA lobbyist for New Mexico. Tara recently played a key role in helping pass campus carry legislation in the state of TX. This year she is spending a lot of time in the New Mexico Roundhouse fighting a pair of Bloomberg Gun control bills that would criminalize virtually every private firearms transfer in the state.
Hour #2 Guests:
– Cristy Crawford – Chief Operations Officer- Shoot Like A Girl Shoot Like A Girl’s mission is to “grow the number of women in shooting sports by empowering them with the confidence that comes from the experience of shooting.” They accomplish this mission by traveling the country with a 54ft trailer equipped with NRA certified female instructors. Inside of this innovative traveling shooting range ladies have the opportunity to gain the experience of shooting a pistol, rifle and compound bow completely free of charge.
– Chris Cheng – History Channel’s Top Shot Season 4 Champion. A self-taught amateur and tech guy, Chris beat out 17 competitors and won $100,000 cash prize, a pro marksman contract with Bass Pro Shops, and the title of “Top Shot.” He is a media personality in the outdoor industry and is the author of “Shoot to Win”, and Chris also was instrumental in the creation of the NSSF’s new Suicide Prevention Initiative.
– Ashley Hlebinsky – the Robert W. Woodruff Curator of the Cody Firearms Museum at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. Ashley is the first female firearm curator at the most prestigious firearms museum in the United States. And she was just awarded the prestigious NSSF/POMA Grits Gresham Shooting Sports Communicator of the Year Award.
Responsibly Armed Citizen Report
Dan’s Calm-Mentary
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