The Gun Grabbers Never Rest

The gun grabbers never rest. They may go quiet from time to time. But, they are always out there waiting for any opportunity to infringe on Second Amendment rights and demonize gun owners. Their latest encroachment is relatively minor and localized: The Capitol Commission in Michigan, a heretofore relatively unknown body in charge of things such as making redecorating decisions regarding Michigan’s Capitol building, has voted to ban the open carry of firearms inside the structure. This comes only days after the disturbing violence at the US Capitol. The only connection between one and the other is the fact that the gun grabbers took advantage of the environment of fear and outrage to push through more pointless “gun control.” Even though the only firearms involved at the US Capitol were in the hands of law enforcement and there has never been any discharge of a firearm in the Michigan Capitol in its entire history, a decision was made to change the rules. Even though open carry of firearms inside the Michigan Capitol has not resulted in violence in the past, and the Capitol Commission stands on questionable legal ground regarding the extent of its power, the members felt the need to bow to anti-gun sentiment.

The rule itself is muddled and will certainly result in litigation of some kind in the future. There are already questions being raised regarding potential violations of the Open Meetings Act, not to mention Michigan statutes, and Article 1, Section 6 of the Michigan Constitution which states: “Every person has a right to keep and bear arms for the defense of himself and the state.” The Michigan formulation of the right is more clearly worded than the Second Amendment, although both certainly protect the right to be armed for self-defense.  Justice Scalia’s majority opinion in the Heller case includes a statement that: “The Court’s opinion should not be taken to cast doubt on…laws forbidding the carrying of firearms in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings…” So, a Second Amendment challenge would present difficulties.

Within hours of the Capitol Commission vote, Michigan’s Attorney General issued a statement of dissatisfaction and called for more stringent controls. History and recent events make it clear that gun grabbers are never satisfied.

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Steven Dulan

Steve Dulan is a former U.S. Army Infantry Sergeant who practices and teaches law in Michigan where he lives with his family, which includes two exhausting children and a woman who luckily hasn't yet figured out that she's out of his league. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Michigan Coalition for Responsible Gun Owners (www.mcrgo.org). He's made many appearances on national television and radio, and most Friday mornings can be heard on the syndicated Steve Gruber Show.