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The mayor of Grand Rapids, David LaGrand, simply mentioned the quiet half out loud.
“I feel for those who’ve obtained a gun, you have to be ashamed of your self. I actually do,” LaGrand mentioned throughout a public dialogue, evaluating gun possession to smoking and arguing communities ought to begin “having some shaming round gun possession.”
He doubled down, acknowledging the Second Modification exists.
“I get that we obtained a Second Modification” — however insisting gun house owners ought to nonetheless really feel disgrace as a result of, in his view, weapons are “for killing human beings,” not on a regular basis duties like gardening or altering a tire.
That didn’t sit effectively with Colion Noir.
In a fiery response, Noir referred to as the mayor’s feedback “infantile” and disconnected from actuality.
“You don’t personal a gun to alter a tire,” Noir mentioned. “You personal a gun for the worst day of your life.”
Noir argued that shaming gained’t contact criminals, solely law-abiding residents. “You understand who disgrace works on? Legislation-abiding folks. That’s it,” he mentioned. “So that you’re not speaking to criminals. You’re speaking to fathers. Moms. Individuals who simply wish to defend themselves.”
LaGrand in contrast gun possession to cigarette use, saying he sees “a lot extra hurt carried out than profit.” Noir dismissed that analogy outright.
“Smoking supplies actually no profit. None,” Noir mentioned. “Self-defense does. Defending your children does. Defending your spouse does.”
He additionally identified what he views as a contradiction: elected officers talking towards non-public gun possession whereas being protected by armed safety and police.
“It’s okay for weapons after they defend you, however shameful after they defend me?” Noir requested.
The broader argument facilities on preparedness versus pacifism. Noir framed gun possession as a response to real-world violence, asking whether or not shaming folks for making ready for self-defense makes communities safer or simply extra weak.
LaGrand’s feedback elevate a bigger query for gun house owners in Michigan and past: Is ethical condemnation a critical public security technique, or is it merely politics?
And extra pointedly, if proudly owning a firearm for lawful self-defense is one thing to be ashamed of, who precisely advantages from that disgrace?
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