HOUSTON – Chuck Maricle is a Republican running for state representative in District 129. He's hosting an event on Saturday in Seabrook, called "Celebration of the Second Amendment."
Maricle told Local 2 the point of the event is to spend some time discussing gun rights issues and gun laws with voters. He knows it's one issue that resonates with both sides.
"It's really not a Democrat or Republican thing, it's really a community thing. Especially in Texas."
Maricle has plans to raffle off a rifle at the event, which is what has some people up in arms.
On his Facebook page, one person said, "You make our country and everyone around you so much more unsafe."
In an email to KPRC, a viewer wrote, "Does anyone else see something wrong with this?? I am a Republican but this gun thing is getting out of hand."
"It's our right to own firearms in this country, whether it's an AR-15, AK-47 or whatever is of interest, it's just another rifle," Maricle said. "If it gets people to come to an event and talk about gun issues and talk about good, logical, common sense legislation then that's all the better."
Maricle is a veteran and a National Rifle Association handgun instructor.
"One thing I do as an instructor, we stress safeguarding your firearms, putting things away, keeping things away from people who shouldn't have them," Maricle said.
Maricle says the person who wins the raffle and takes home the rifle will have to go through a background check.
"We're certainly not going to give a gun away to someone who can't pass a background check, that's obvious," he said