God, Guns & The GOP: Inside The BamaCarry 2022 State Convention

JASPER, AL — Greg Hopkins is an attorney and, purely by coincidence, also the author of a book entitled "A Time To Kill."

Not to be confused with the 1989 legal thriller by John Grisham, the subtitle for this specific 330-page work of self-published nonfiction is "The Bible and Self Defense."

In what he claims to be an exhaustive academic work and airtight in its interpretation of scripture, Hopkins told me on Saturday that the 2019 book is the culmination of 20 years of research and six years of writing. He even went so far as to say he had translated the ancient religious teachings across three different languages, in an effort to better pinpoint aberrations in translation.

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"[The Bible] tells us Jesus never taught pacifism," he said in an interview with Patch. "It said that God commands us to defend the innocent and blesses us for it. It's in Genesis right through Revelation ... and I think I proved that."

Hopkins was one of several self-published authors in attendance early Saturday morning at the statewide convention for BamaCarry, Inc. — a grassroots gun ownership and Second Amendment advocacy group originally founded in Tuscaloosa that has grown into the single-largest and most influential gun lobby based exclusively in Alabama.

Held in the Jasper Civic Center in Walker County Saturday, hundreds were in attendance for the event and made their way from booth to booth engaging with the different outside groups, lawmakers and political surrogates. The overwhelming majority of attendees openly-carried handguns on their hips as they spoke with conservative elected officials and candidates running for office. This was in addition to a surprisingly-wide range of viewpoints, albeit wholesale conservative, all connected by a shared passion for the Second Amendment.

Saturday morning's meeting was the first for the group in two years, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and featured a full day of speakers. The event was also held less than a week before a measure will be voted on in the Alabama House of Representatives that would repeal the state's requirement for pistol permits if signed into law.

It's been no secret, as I've reported in the past few months, that the "Constitutional Carry" bill — as it is referred to by supporters — has gathered more momentum this legislative session than any other time over the last decade. But the future is still very much uncertain when it comes to how it will be received by both chambers of the Republican-controlled legislature.

So, with a crucial vote rapidly approaching, Patch attended much of the BamaCarry statewide convention Saturday morning, speaking with attendees and politicians alike, to get a better understanding of the push to repeal gun laws, not just in Alabama, but across the entire country.

What I found was a story of intense faith, a colorful spectrum of fears and the security felt by those who consider themselves among the vast majority of "law-abiding gun-owners."

'It's All About Taking Control'

Greg Hopkins is a shorter, silver-haired man with an academic's build. Clean-shaven and bespectacled, he sported a blue fanny pack and took time with each walk-up to explain his book.

Next to his booth stood a framed poster of his book cover, which features a white Christian Cross casting a red silhouette in the shape of a sword. The contrasting symbols are also displayed as the hands of a clock, presumably representing the countdown to the Christian apocalypse also referred to as Judgement Day, the End Times, etc.

"It's all about taking control of the situation and being able to witness," Hopkins explained, before going on to explain the Bible allows for violence and killing if the intentions of the person responsible are noble. Although, he did say it was more important to infirm an aggressor as opposed to killing them — so the antagonist can then have a chance at redemption through faith.

Hopkins gives the reader a lot to take in, but represented just one in an ideologically-diverse cast of nuanced viewpoints on display at the statewide convention. These included old-school marksmanship, Revolutionary War history, women's self-defense and the promotion of domestic violence awareness.

Erich Pratt was another author and speaker for the event and, much like Hopkins, said his Christian faith ultimately led him to make a full-time career out of advocacy for the Second Amendment — a cause his father before him took on and something he, at one time, believed he would have never considered.

"I became a Christian and said 'hey, what do you want me to do with my life?'" Pratt told me of his conversion, not just to organized religion, but public gun advocacy. "I went from hating politics and was already pro-gun and I just wanted nothing to do with that business. But after that [prayer], my interest changed within the week and I found the passion. But I did ask a very dangerous question, so I'm not sure what I was supposed to have expected."

Pratt, who serves as senior vice president for the nationwide advocacy group Gun Owners of America (GOA), is also the author of "Firing Back: How To Counter Anti-Gun Propaganda And Become A Better 2A Activist."

The 144-page book serves as a kind of field manual for grassroots organizers and campus activists, leaning heavily on the "God-given" right to own firearms. Indeed, the book's first chapter is entitled "God-Given Rights: The Best Argument That 2A Defenders Can Use."

And if there ever was an up-and-coming disciple to preach this guru's gospel, it is Pratt's protégé Jordan Stein, who founded a campus chapter of GOA at the unapologetically-conservative Liberty University, before going on to secure an internship that saw him elevated to the group's southeast regional director.

As part of his role, Stein oversees the GOA's efforts in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. He also expressed plans to form student-led chapters on college campuses across the country.

Sporting a short beard and a camouflage ball cap, Stein exuded measured enthusiasm for his cause as he manned the GOA booth Saturday. Proudly wearing a holstered pistol on his hip, he handed out free stickers and shoulder patches, while also selling copies of Pratt's book.

He then echoed his mentor in the group's overarching mantra.

"We believe the right to defend yourself comes from God," he told Patch in between answering the questions of the many attendees circulating past the table. "It's what our founders believed and it's written in our Declaration of Independence that rights come from God and we're not ashamed to talk about that. If your rights came from the government, then what the government gives, it will take it away. If God gives you something, he doesn't take it back. It's God-given, institutionally protected."

Campaigns & Policy

While the agenda of speakers ranged in their specific areas of focus and advocacy, perhaps the most talked-about subject around the rented tables of the venue was the upcoming vote on a central piece of legislation BamaCarry has fought for over the last decade.

House Bill 272, sponsored by state Rep. Shane Stringer, a Republican from Citronelle, would repeal the state's pistol permit requirement for concealed carry, which also applies to unregistered, concealed handguns in motor vehicles.

State Sen. Gerald Allen, a Tuscaloosa Republican, has been the longstanding champion of the Senate version of the bill and was one of the few west Alabama lawmakers in attendance at the meeting in Jasper Saturday morning.

Allen told Patch in an interview Saturday he continues to believe this legislative session will finally see the "Constitutional Carry" measure make it to the governor's desk, reiterating his view that law-abiding citizens have a right to protect themselves and their property without having to give any more money to the government in the form of permit fees.

"In my opinion, [support for the bill] is most-likely predicated on the various facts of what is happening in our country and an opportunity to be aware of the right that was given to us by the founding fathers," he said. "It's easy to get complacent and not be concerned about what's developing around us and not giving much thought of losing it."

Controversial Congressman and Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mo Brooks was also in attendance Saturday, sharing many of the same viewpoints as Allen and staying true to his involvement with BamaCarry.

Patch has reported extensively from the campaign trail about Brooks, from getting booed at a Donald Trump rally in Cullman last August to being called a "coward" during a BamaCarry meeting in Tuscaloosa.

Brooks has achieved nationwide publicity through his antics, primarily those relating to his close alignment with Trump — a relationship that also includes his fiery speech at the Washington, D.C. rally that was followed by a violent and deadly insurrection on Capitol Hill in an attempt to stop the certification of the 2020 presidential election.

As many will recall, it was Brooks who stood at the podium during the rally at The Ellipse on Jan. 6, 2021 and declared, "It's time to start taking down names and kicking ass!"

In an interview with Patch, Brooks referred to BamaCarry as his "kind of folks," stressing his backing of the Second Amendment and touting his various grades from nationwide gun groups, before expressing his support for "Constitutional Carry" legislation at the state level.

"I don't have a vote on it, but I do not believe there should be infringements on the Second Amendment right to bear arms, unless you have engaged in significant criminal activity or unless you have been found by a court of law to be mentally-incapable of making sound decisions," Brooks told me. "Those are about the two exceptions. Other than that, no limitations."

It's important to point out that while supporters of "Constitutional Carry" argue that increased gun violence would not be a side effect of making gun ownership more accessible, Patch has previously reported on ample research that sets out to disprove claims of more guns on the street not posing an overall threat to public safety.

For instance, when it becomes easier to access and legally own firearms, as many opponents argue, it will inevitably be accompanied by an uptick in gun thefts.

According to historical data from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Alabama ranks eighth among states for the number of guns stolen over the most recent five-year period. What's more, the state already ranks annually among the top 10 for its percentage of gun owners.

And it's worth noting that Alabama is joined in that top 10 for gun thefts by some of the other 21 states who have been lauded as examples of permitless carry states, such as Missouri, Tennessee and Texas. While the overall crime rate might not rise, the number of illegally-obtained guns will, due to nothing more than a higher number of guns in circulation.

When asked about dangers posed not just to public safety, but to the everyday work of law enforcement officers, Stein took the same line as many supporters, arguing that law-abiding gun owners will not represent any kind of threat to police.

"Most gun owners are carrying for self-defense, so that's the last person you have to be worried about as a law enforcement officer," he said. "Many [police] I've talked to, they assume every vehicle is armed anyways. And, if I was in law enforcement, that's how I would probably handle those, as well."

Stein then underscored the drastic uptick in gun ownership reported in recent years, citing the 2020 presidential election and the accompanying tumult as likely catalysts.

"They realized that law enforcement can't always be there to protect them," he said. "So, we have to be our own first responders. It's what 'Constitutional Carry' is about, what gun ownership is about, what, really, the Second Amendment is about. It's about self-defense, not only against criminals and thugs, but it also guarantees their liberties."

From a policy standpoint, Allen agreed with Stein when asked about threats to public safety from an increase in gun thefts if the bill is passed, while also lamenting the different examples of peaceful protests turning destructive during the summer of 2020 following the murder of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis Police officer.

"We're surrounded by people who do not respect the rule of law," he said. "We witnessed with our own eyes what took place in our country with the metro cities burning to the ground and not being able to protect themselves and business people not being able to protect their businesses because of thugs on the street."

But, with respect to a gun thefts, Allen said it was incumbent upon gun owners to be thoughtful practitioners of their constitutional rights, while also exercising common sense.

"To be a responsible firearm owner, you must be, at the same time, responsible in how you stow your firearm," he said. "Be responsible and don't leave it in a vehicle when the vehicle is unlocked or put it away and secured. But, at the same time, you've got individuals who see this as an issue and we need to be very conscious of that and that's why it's important to do your part."

State Rep. Chris England — an attorney and Tuscaloosa Democrat who also chairs the Alabama Democratic Party — has been vocal in his opposition to rolling back pistol permit regulations, citing risks to public safety and the opposition by law enforcement who claim it would make their jobs more dangerous.

"Everyone that has come to voice opposition to this legislation has been accommodated," he explained. "The business community wanted changes? They made them. Education community wanted amendments to the bill? They got them. But when law enforcement comes to the table saying that this legislation places them at risk, they have have been ignored. Law enforcement has become collateral damage to score cheap political points."

England, who comes from a family of longtime advocates for criminal justice reform, also said traffic stops will become even more dangerous now that everyone with a pistol will be presumed to be legally-possessing the firearm. He the took pointed aim at the argument that pistol permits serve as nothing more than a means of generating revenue for county sheriffs.

"If anyone deserves our best efforts to make their job as safe as possible, it is law enforcement," England said. "Otherwise, all of this Blue Lives Matter talk is just empty rhetoric. Also, the money law enforcement gets from pistol permits is used to purchase things like bulletproof vests and other things to make law enforcement safer. If they are going to put their lives on the line for us, we should, at the very least, listen to them when they tell us that this puts them in danger."

Debate aside, though, Tuscaloosa County resident and BamaCarry founder Eddie Fulmer was pleased with the strong turnout for the statewide convention's return and said he was glad to see Republican politicians in attendance who were supportive of the cause.

He then turned his focus to the vote in the House in the coming week, which he hopes will validate the last year of dogged lobbying in the statehouse.

"We're tired of talk," Fulmer told me. "We want to see action and we're looking forward to the vote next week on 'Constitutional Carry' in the House and we implore those legislators to do what they said when they took the oath of office and support the Constitution. We're tired of Republicans dressed up as Republicans, but really they are Democrats ... we've got no use for them. Alabama is supposed to be a red state, but doesn't look like we are as red as we think we are."

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This article originally appeared on the Tuscaloosa Patch