Grassroots advocacy by Talis Gage and Racial Justice NOW! helps inspire Dayton’s new Novelty Gun Lighter Prohibition Act, protecting children and promoting public safety.
DAYTON, OHIO — October 2026
What began as one concerned resident’s objection to gun-shaped cigarette lighters being sold in a neighborhood convenience store has become another example of the power of grassroots organizing, community advocacy, and citizen participation in local government.
On September 23, 2026, the Dayton City Commission passed the Novelty Gun Lighter Prohibition Act, legislation prohibiting the retail sale and public display of novelty lighters designed to resemble actual firearms. The ordinance, scheduled to take effect January 1, 2027, represents a significant victory for community members who raised concerns about the potential dangers these products pose, particularly to children and young people. At the center of the controversy were Dayton community advocate Talis Gage and Racial Justice NOW! co-founder and co-executive director Zakiya Sankara-Jabar, whose public confrontation with a local store owner helped bring widespread attention to the issue.
A Community Already on Edge
The controversy unfolded against the backdrop of heightened concerns about youth violence and public safety in downtown Dayton.
In September 2025, a young man was killed in a shooting at the Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority (RTA) downtown transit hub. The incident made headlines and intensified public debate about young people gathering at the transportation center. Following the shooting, Ohio State Representative Phil Plummer and then-Dayton Mayor Jeffrey J. Mims Jr. publicly called for restrictions on Dayton Public Schools students using or gathering at the downtown RTA hub.
The shooting, subsequent press conference, and proposed restrictions sparked community outrage and raised important questions about public safety, youth rights, and the responsibility of elected officials to address violence without unfairly targeting young people.
It was within this atmosphere that Talis Gage encountered something he considered especially troubling.
One Resident Refuses to Remain Silent
While visiting a convenience store just blocks from the downtown transit hub, Gage noticed novelty cigarette lighters designed to look remarkably similar to real firearms.
For Gage, the sight was alarming.
With the community still grappling with the consequences of gun violence, he questioned why products resembling actual weapons were being sold in a neighborhood store, potentially within reach of children and teenagers. Gage approached the store owner and requested that the gun-shaped lighters be removed from sale.
According to Gage’s account, rather than considering his concerns, the store owner ordered him to leave and called the police. But Gage was not deterred. He shared what happened with Racial Justice NOW!, an organization with a longstanding record of grassroots organizing, education advocacy, and public-policy campaigns. As it happened, co-founder and co-executive director Zakiya Sankara-Jabar was nearby in downtown Dayton. What followed would transform a disagreement inside a convenience store into a citywide conversation about public safety.
Righteous Indignation Goes Viral
After learning what happened to Gage, Sankara-Jabar entered the convenience store to confront the owner about the gun-shaped lighters.
She challenged the decision to sell products that could easily be mistaken for real weapons and questioned the owner’s response to Gage’s concerns.
The exchange was broadcast on Facebook Live.
Sankara-Jabar did not mince words. Her passionate defense of community safety, combined with her insistence that the store owner address the issue, became a striking example of what might best be described as righteous indignation.
She even challenged the store owner to call the police on her, just as he reportedly had done to Gage.
The video quickly circulated throughout Dayton, generating more than 15,000 views in a short period.
Residents from across the city, including East and West Dayton, weighed in. Some praised the advocates for confronting what they considered an obvious safety hazard. Others questioned whether novelty lighters represented a legitimate public-safety concern.
Regardless of where residents stood, the incident had accomplished something important: It forced a public conversation about a problem that had previously received little attention.
The store owner eventually removed the lighters.
Gage, however, did not stop there.
He continued visiting gas stations and convenience stores where similar products were being sold, encouraging business owners to voluntarily remove them from their shelves.
The issue continued gaining attention through social media, community conversations, and public advocacy.
From Community Outrage to City Hall
Within weeks, the controversy had reached Dayton’s elected leadership.
Mayor Shenise Turner-Sloss emerged as a champion of legislation addressing the sale and display of novelty lighters resembling firearms.
On September 23, 2026, the Dayton City Commission approved the Novelty Gun Lighter Prohibition Act.
The ordinance prohibits the retail sale and public display of gun-shaped novelty lighters within Dayton city limits.
Key provisions of the legislation include:
- Effective date: January 1, 2027.
- Prohibited activity: Retail sale and public display of novelty gun-shaped lighters.
- Covered products: Novelty lighters manufactured or decorated to resemble pistols, rifles, shotguns, or other firearms.
- Civil penalties: Violations may result in penalties of up to $1,000 per violation.
- Legislative precedent: The ordinance was modeled after Cuyahoga County’s Tamir Rice Act, adopted in July 2026.
The legislation addresses a serious concern: when an imitation firearm looks real, an encounter involving that object can quickly become dangerous, particularly when law enforcement or bystanders cannot immediately distinguish a toy or novelty product from an actual weapon.
Remembering Tamir Rice and John Crawford III
The ordinance also reflects the painful history of fatal police shootings involving objects mistaken for firearms.
In November 2014, 12-year-old Tamir Rice was fatally shot by Cleveland police while holding a pellet gun.
Just months earlier, John Crawford III was fatally shot by police inside a Walmart in Beavercreek, Ohio, while holding an air rifle sold in the store.
Both deaths raised national concerns about police responses to perceived threats, the dangers of mistaking imitation weapons for firearms, and the need for greater accountability.
In announcing the passage of Dayton’s ordinance, Mayor Turner-Sloss directly referenced both tragedies.
“When an object looks like a gun, a split second of confusion can cost a life.”
The mayor emphasized that the legislation began with concerns raised by residents.
“This legislation started with you. Residents came to us with a real concern: lighters made to look like real firearms were being sold and displayed in stores across our city, often within easy reach of children.”
Turner-Sloss also thanked the advocates, families, residents, and fellow commissioners who helped move the legislation forward.
“This is what people-centered governance looks like. Together, we are building a safer Dayton.”
Her remarks underscored an important principle: effective public policy often begins not inside government offices, but with ordinary citizens willing to challenge practices they believe threaten their communities.
Another Victory for Grassroots Organizing
For Racial Justice NOW!, the passage of the Novelty Gun Lighter Prohibition Act adds another chapter to its history of community organizing and policy advocacy.
Founded in Dayton in 2011, Racial Justice NOW! has worked to challenge discriminatory educational policies, advance human rights, organize impacted families, and promote government accountability.
The organization has participated in successful campaigns resulting in changes to Ohio law, school district policies, and local government practices.
Its work has extended beyond Dayton to countywide, statewide, and national advocacy efforts.
The novelty lighter controversy demonstrates a familiar pattern in successful grassroots organizing: an individual identifies a problem, concerned residents mobilize, public attention grows, and elected officials are pressed to respond.
In this instance, Talis Gage identified the problem and took direct action. Zakiya Sankara-Jabar amplified the issue through public confrontation and social media. Community members debated the concern and helped keep it visible. Mayor Turner-Sloss championed the legislative response, and the Dayton City Commission ultimately enacted the ordinance.
Each played a different role in moving the issue from a neighborhood convenience store to municipal law.
The outcome also demonstrates why grassroots organizations remain essential to the democratic process.
Without concerned residents willing to speak up, challenge established practices, and demand accountability, many issues affecting everyday community life might never reach the desks of policymakers.
The Power of Righteous Indignation
The phrase righteous indignation describes anger rooted in a sense of moral responsibility, particularly when someone witnesses conduct they believe is unjust, harmful, or dangerous.
But indignation alone does not produce change.
It must be transformed into action, public engagement, organization, and ultimately, meaningful results.
That is the larger lesson of Dayton’s Novelty Gun Lighter Prohibition Act.
What began with one resident refusing to accept the sale of realistic gun-shaped lighters evolved into a public campaign that helped inspire new municipal legislation.
For Talis Gage, Zakiya Sankara-Jabar, and the advocates who raised their voices, the passage of the ordinance represents more than a prohibition on novelty merchandise.
It represents the ability of ordinary people to influence public policy.
In Dayton, righteous indignation became organized action, and organized action helped produce a legislative victory.
Support the Work of Racial Justice NOW!
The passage of the Novelty Gun Lighter Prohibition Act is another example of why independent grassroots organizing and community advocacy matter.
For more than 14 years, Racial Justice NOW! has worked to organize communities, challenge injustice, develop leadership, and advocate for policies that protect families and advance human rights.
But this important work requires financial support.
If you believe in the power of grassroots organizing and community-driven policy change, consider making a love offering, an investment, or financial contribution to Racial Justice NOW!
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Sources and Further Reading
1. Dayton considered ban on retail sales, display of novelty gun lighters
Sydney Dawes, Dayton Daily News, September 21, 2026.
https://www.daytondailynews.com/local/dayton-considered-ban-on-retail-sales-display-of-novelty-gun-lighters/article_3452cada-7364-5f6d-b9b1-08b9daa0be1b.html
2. Dayton bans novelty gun lighters, saying they can be mistaken for real weapons
WYSO, September 30, 2026.
https://www.wyso.org/news/2026-09-30/dayton-bans-novelty-gun-lighters
3. Mayor Shenise Turner-Sloss — Public Statement
Facebook, September 2026. Statement regarding the passage of the Novelty Gun Lighter Prohibition Act and its January 1, 2027 effective date.
4. Racial Justice NOW!
Organizational information, campaigns, and community advocacy.
https://racialjusticenow.org
5. Dayton, Ohio Community Leaders Hold Press Conference Demanding Accountability in Police Killing of Reginald Thomas
https://racialjusticenow.org/community-leaders-held-a-press-conference-demanding-accountability-in-police-killing-of-reginald-thomas/
6. Dayton Community Forum an Overwhelming Success! Calls to “Fire the Dayton City Manager” grow louder
https://racialjusticenow.org/dayton-community-forum-an-overwhelming-success/
7. Racial Justice NOW! May Be the Most Winning Grassroots Organization of the 21st Century
https://racialjusticenow.org/racial-justice-now-may-be-the-most-winning-grassroots-organization-of-the-21st-century/
