Knife Rights’ Sharper Future™ Awards were presented on June 11th during BLADE Show in Atlanta. Georgia. We’d like to thank our Sharper Future™ Awards Breakfast sponsors who made it possible to recognize these freedom fighters who have demonstrated their commitment to a Sharper Future™:
A special thank you to Knife Rights supporter Adam Frances of Equip 2 Endure who recorded and edited these videos.
Knife Rights Chairman Doug Ritter closed out the breakfast with remarks on Knife Rights’ federal civil rights lawsuit against New York City and the New York District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr.
Utah State Representative Ryan D. Wilcox is the recipient of Knife Rights’ Freedom’s Edge™ Award. Rep. Wilcox represents District 7 in Utah.
The Freedom’s Edge™ Award honors a local, state or national elected representative who has demonstrated their commitment to a Sharper Future™ by leadership in the fight to protect or enhance our knife rights.
Representative Wilcox is recognized for his leadership in sponsoring Knife Rights’ Knife Law Preemption Bill in Utah. After hearing about the patchwork of knife ordinances throughout Utah, Representative Wilcox introduced Knife Rights’ knife preemption legislation. Rep. Wilcox worked tirelessly with his colleagues, local advocates and our lobbyist to ensure the bill passed with overwhelming majorities in both houses of the Utah legislature. Rep Wilcox successfully prevented hostile amendments which would have gutted the bill and saw it through to final passage. His efforts enacted a strong preemption law which will protect knife owners from senseless local ordinances well into the future.
Rep. Wilcox’s leadership made it possible for Utah to become the second state in the nation to enact Knife Preemption. The Freedom’s Edge™ Award represents a Sharper Future™ for all knife owners.
Preemption prevents the creation of, or eliminates, a patchwork of ordinances and rules which serve to confuse or entrap those traveling within or through the state. A person traveling in a state without preemption laws could be charged with a violation of local law when they have no intention of violating the law. Preemption ensures citizens only have to know and abide by state law.
Cam Hughes and Jim Brown are the recipients of Knife Rights’ Freedom’s Point™ Award. Mr. Hughes and Mr. Brown are principals of Blade HQ, a knife retailer based in Utah.
The Freedom’s Point™ Award honors an individual citizen or citizens who has/have demonstrated their commitment to a Sharper Future™ by leadership in the fight to protect or enhance our knife rights.
Knife Rights Chairman Doug Ritter said, “Cam and Jim are being recognized for stepping up to support Knife Rights’ Knife Law Preemption Bill in Utah, which support made it possible for Utah to become the second state in the nation to enact Knife Preemption. Legislative opportunities sometimes require quick action to take advantage of windows of opportunity and when that happened in Utah, it was an equally quick response by Cam and Jim that helped us to achieve success.”
Rod and Peggy Bremer are the recipients of its inaugural Freedom’s Guardian™ Award. Mr. and Mrs. Bremer are founders and owners of Columbia River Knife & Tool.
The Freedom’s Guardian™ award honors a production knife manufacturer or industry partner that has demonstrated their commitment to a Sharper Future™ by their support of the fight to protect or enhance our knife rights.
Knife Rights Chairman Doug Ritter said, “Rod and Peggy are being recognized for their support of Knife Rights from its inception. Their initial pledge of financial support when we first conceived of Knife Rights helped launch the organization. In the ensuring five years, Rod and Peggy have always been there, often giving more than requested or even more than I might have hoped for in a moment of wishful thinking. They have been a staunch industry supporter and Rod has often provided wise and sound counsel. His point of view, as a manufacturer and as a freedom-loving American, is very much appreciated.”
“Knife Rights is succeeding far out of proportion to its size in part due to the industry support we have received. We sincerely appreciate those in industry who help us get so much done that is critical to knife owners, and the industry as well. This award is a way to publicly acknowledge and honor these guardians of our freedoms,” said Ritter.
Claire Wolfe, a columnist for SWAT Magazine, is the recipient of Knife Rights’ 2011 Freedom’s Voice™ Award.
The annual Freedom’s Voice™ Award honors a journalist or journalistic team in the general or non-knife industry media that has demonstrated a commitment to fair, accurate and insightful coverage on an issue involving knife ownership.
Knife Rights Chairman Doug Ritter said, “Ms. Wolfe is recognized for her Enemy At The Gate column titled ‘Knife Rights Under Attack’ that appeared in the May 2011 issue of SWAT Magazine. Her column provided an insightful summary of the challenges facing knife owners in America and what is being done to counter these challenges. The value of a columnist’s call to action can sometimes be difficult to judge, but not so in this case. New Knife Rights memberships surged as soon as the magazine landed.”
Knife Rights believes its goals to preserve and enhance the rights of knife owners make sense to most citizens, if given a fair airing. “We honor Ms. Wolfe for her journalistic integrity, for providing a factual accounting of the issues, giving fair coverage of all those involved and for the effectiveness of her call to action,” said Ritter.
Ms. Wolfe’s column may be viewed online at: www.KnifeRights.org/SWAT_May2011.pdf