GunFreedomRadio EP314 Correcting The Language with Ashley Hlebinsky

Our guest today is Ashley Hlebinsky. 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, and expert witness in the US and Canada. And, in her “spare time” she is a television host and producer. 1) In our intro we mentioned that you are an expert witness. You recently offered testimony as a subject matter expert to Senate Judiciary’s Subcommittee on the Constitution, in a hearing titled: Stop Gun Violence: Ghost Guns. But, you don’t use that term and told the Senate as much. Can you expound on that? - “Firstly, I will not be using the term ghost gun and that’s because as a historian I try to be as precise as possible and the term is used more as a rhetorical tool, a marketing tool and because of that, it can create a false sense of authority on the subject,” Hlebinsky told the senators. It’s too easy to conflate with something that is invisible, undetectable or untraceable. None of which is true. privately made firearms have been around for centuries, basically since the first system was developed over 500 years ago.” 2) The people who consider themselves Pro-Rights too often adopt the language of the Prohibitionists. We have “assault rifle”, “ghost gun”, and even “sanctuary cities”. In some ways there is strength in appropriating language. But, then we find ourselves on our back foot trying to un-attach the connotations that the Prohibitionists use to scare the public. As a historian, how do you see this language issue playing out in the long run? 3) You occupy a unique space in a heated and polarizing conversation. You are decidedly and agnostic in your political leanings in public and in your work. The 2A is not a political issue, but it has become political football over the years. How do you manage to be both neutral in our current political climate? 4) What other projects are you currently working on?