Dozens of gun owners gathered at the Capitol on Thursday to honor the Second Amendment and speak out against the Michigan Legislature’s red flag measures.
Despite the weather, people from all over the state assembled in downtown Lansing with full holsters and weapons ready, hoping lawmakers would hear their message loud and clear.
“We just want legislators to know the Second Amendment is still vital,” said Second Amendment March Vice President Brian Jeffs. “We still have people, even on this rainy, crappy day, we’ve got a lot of people here that are upset with how things are going.”
According to Jeffs, the demonstration originally took place in 2010, but this year’s event coincides with state and federal lawmakers approving gun-control legislation. Only a few months before the rally, Michigan lawmakers established a slew of red flag regulations designed to keep guns out of the hands of those who are dangerous to themselves or others.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed the legislation in May, calling it “a proactive way to prevent mass shootings, suicides, and other forms of gun violence.” These regulations will take effect in the spring of 2024. While they have gotten support from both sides of the aisle, Second Amendment supporters such as Adam Besso believe they violate a person’s right to self-defense.
“Shall not be infringed, there’s not a whole lot of different ways you can explain what that means,” Besso said. “It is what it is, and there’s no evidence that having fewer guns has ever made anyone safer.”
State politicians, gun ownership proponents, and law enforcement members all took turns at the platform to urge those in the audience. Some speakers pledged to fight gun reform legislation, which Second Amendment defense attorney Jim Makowski claimed has already begun.
“We’re getting ready to file several suits in federal court to try to block these clearly unconstitutional, unlawful edicts coming out of Lansing,” he said.
Gun reform supporters continue to press for new solutions to keep weapons out of the hands of the wrong people in an effort to save lives. Senate Bills 471 and 472 have recently been filed, which would make it illegal for anyone convicted of domestic abuse to own a firearm.
Although Jeffs, Besso, and Makowski all believe that the United States is facing a mental health crisis fueling violence such as mass shootings and suicides, they disagree that making weapons less available is a viable solution.