Republican National Convention opens with 'Make America Safe Again' theme

The Republican National Convention kicks off in Cleveland on Monday with the initial theme of "Make America Safe Again," a phrase that is especially charged in the open carry state following the recent shootings of police officers in Baton Rouge and Dallas.

Even some strong advocates of the Second Amendment have wondered if the open carry law should be temporarily suspended, with the head of Cleveland Police Patrolmen's Association Steven Loomis appealing to Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who responded by releasing a statement Sunday saying that he does not have the power to "arbitrarily suspend federal and state constitutional rights or state laws."

Still, as Trump supporter and Second Amendment advocate Bill Morris told Reuters, "You don't go walking around Washington, D.C., with a rifle, and I don't see why you should do it here."

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Authorities have established a 1.7-square-mile event zone around the Republican convention where items like tennis balls and wooden posts are forbidden, but firearms, according to state law, are allowed. A "secure zone" directly around the convention hall is temporarily under federal jurisdiction, and has banned guns.

Addressing "Make America Safe Again" on Monday are headliners Melania Trump, retired Lieutenant General Michael Flynn, Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), advisor for Concerned Veterans of America Jason Beardsley, and Rep. Ryan Zinke (Mont.).