Michael Cargill

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Michael Cargill is an American gun rights activist. [1] [2] [3] He is the host of the gun rights radio show, Come And Talk It. [2] [4] He is also the owner of Central Texas Gun Works. [5]

Biography

Cargill was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. [6] He spent his early life in Florida. [7] Later, he joined the U.S. Army and served for twelve years, earning Army Achievement Medals, Commendation Medals, and Good Conduct Medals. [6] [7] He also qualified as a marksman and as a parachutist. After an honorable discharge as Sergeant, he moved to Texas, where he initially worked in telecommunications and later started a freight company. [6]

Cargill became interested in firearms education following an assault on his grandmother, which led him to focus on teaching self-defense. [7] [8] In 2011, he founded Central Texas Gun Works in Austin. [6] [9]

In 2014, Cargill ran for the Texas House of Representatives to represent the 50th district in a special election held in January, but he was unsuccessful. [10] In the same year, his store was named America's first Bitcoin gun store. [11]

In 2015, Cargill initiated a lawsuit against the City of Austin for its decision to declare City Hall a gun-free zone following the statewide legalization of open carry in most public places. [12] The legal dispute concluded in 2019, with Judge Lora Livingston of the 261st Civil District Court ruling in Cargill's favor and fining the city $9,000 for denying entry to licensed gun holders on multiple occasions. [13]

In 2017, a member of the Austin City Council nominated Cargill to a board addressing traffic issues in Austin, but he was rejected by other council members due to his views on the Second Amendment. [14]

In June 2022, Cargill served as the chairman of the Log Cabin Republicans (LCR) of Texas, a group of gay Texas GOP members. [15] [16] [17] He continues to serve as the president of LCR's Austin chapter. [15]

In June 2024, Cargill successfully challenged a federal ban on bump stocks, culminating in a 6-3 U.S. Supreme Court decision. [18] The court determined that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) could not classify bump stocks as machine guns under existing legislation. [18] This ruling came after Cargill, who had surrendered two bump stocks to the ATF, filed a lawsuit arguing that the agency had exceeded its authority. [18] [19] The challenge was supported by the New Civil Liberties Alliance. [18] [19] The ATF's inclusion of bump stocks under the "machinegun" category followed the 2017 Las Vegas shooting. [18] [19]

Cargill also provides firearm training for disabled individuals across Texas. [20] [21] [22]

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References

  1. ↑ VanSickle, Abbie (February 28, 2024). "In Fight Over Bump Stock Ban, Lawyers Take Aim at Administrative State". The New York Times. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  2. 1 2 "How the Gun-Toting Half Lives". www.austinchronicle.com.
  3. ↑ Hall, Katie. "Activist sues ATF over bump stock ban". Austin American-Statesman.
  4. ↑ "Free Country, by Rachel Monroe".
  5. ↑ Cross, Bettie (June 20, 2016). "Gun sales up in Austin's LGBT community". KEYE.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Dorman, Keeley (April 16, 2019). "Michael Cargill: Texas' Fiercest Defender of Gun Rights". Texas Scorecard.
  7. 1 2 3 Ortega, Hannah. "Truly Texan: What is 'a $20,000 bullet'? Gun rights advocate Michael Cargill explains". Austin American-Statesman.
  8. ↑ "For Black Gun Owners, Is There a Difference in Carrying While Black?". July 8, 2016.
  9. ↑ Austin, C. B. S. (August 22, 2019). "Man who had rifle in Austin park shouldn't have passed background check to buy it, but did". KEYE.
  10. ↑ "Black gay Republican running for TX House on pro-life, gun-rights platform". August 12, 2013.
  11. ↑ "America's First Bitcoin Gun Store". Forbes.
  12. ↑ "Michael Cargill Wins Right to Pack Heat at City Hall". www.austinchronicle.com.
  13. ↑ "Judge Fines Austin $9,000 For Banning Guns At City Hall". KUT Radio, Austin's NPR Station. January 17, 2019.
  14. ↑ "Gun advocate Michael Cargill rejected by Austin City Council for board position | FOX 7 Austin". www.fox7austin.com.
  15. 1 2 Murney, Michael (June 23, 2022). "Texas gay Republican group chair resigns over GOP's new platform". Chron. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  16. ↑ Grant, Matt (June 23, 2022). "Gay Republican group chair resigns after blasting 'crazy people' GOP convention". KXAN Austin. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  17. ↑ Riley, John (June 23, 2022). "Gay Republican Leader Calls Texas GOP "Crazy People"". Metro Weekly.
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 Motley, Dante (June 14, 2024). "Supreme Court overturns federal bump stock ban, siding with Austin gun dealer". The Texas Tribune.
  19. 1 2 3 https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/28/us/politics/supreme-court-hearing-gun.html
  20. ↑ "Austin man earns gun license despite having no arms | FOX 7 Austin". www.fox7austin.com.
  21. ↑ "Texan young adults can now get licensed to carry handguns at college campuses, businesses". Dallas News. February 27, 2023.
  22. ↑ Schneid, Rebecca (August 10, 2023). "Texans do not need a license to carry, but some gun owners still want one". The Texas Tribune.
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