Mickelle Bisbee – Staff Writer
Since the United States of America has a militia that is necessary for the security of keeping this nation free, the people have the right to keep and bear arms, and according to the second amendment of the constitution, that right shall not be infringed.
This amendment has become a heated conversation between political parties, asking whether laws concerning guns shall be stricter or not. To come and talk about this issue is Lucas Botkin, CEO of T-REX ARMS.
“[Turning Point USA] likes Lucas because he is bold and passionate, two things which certainly make him stand out,” said Lily Guthrie, president of the Recognized Student Organization, Turning Point USA. “This event is one everyone can enjoy and find informational because the topic of guns and the 2nd amendment is not an everyday event here on campus.”
Today from 6 to 8 p.m. in the College of Agriculture Auditorium, Botkin will be breaking down the firearm culture and how that culture affects people’s views on guns, according to his Instagram post on the event.
“Students should be interested in this event because issues such as guns and the 2nd amendment impact their daily lives, no matter what views they hold on the subject they owe it to themselves to hear all sides of the argument and be as informed as possible,” Guthrie said.
Guthrie said that they chose Botkin to come to the university and talk to students because of his passion and expertise on firearms and the 2nd amendment.
The 26-year-old took a leap into starting his company in 2013. With little money, he began playing around with Kydex, a type of thermoplastic, and was making holsters with the material for himself and a few others.
After a while, he decided that it would be a good idea for him to build a company to make “high-end products that don’t exist in the market right now,” according to an interview he had with ARBuildJunkie.
“When it began, all I had was a very small toaster oven that cost about five dollars at Goodwill. In total, I started the company for about 1,000 dollars,” Botkin said in the ARBuildJunkie interview. “At first, the products were not that great. But as time went on, I started experimenting with new designs…the first of which was the Sidecar [a T-REX ARMS holster].”
As someone who is an expert in his field, Guthrie said she is excited to see students get exposure on the different views of firearms and to learn something from Botkin.
People interested in Botkin can follow him on his social media platforms for updates and videos on his products, as well as education insights on the 2nd amendment: Facebook at T.REX ARMS and Instagram at lucastrexarms.
