By Dave Workman
Editor-in-Chief
The Detroit City Council decided on Tuesday to delay action on a proposal to set aside certain parts of the Motor City as so-called “gun-free zones.”
Second Amendment advocates have made it clear they oppose the scheme, which would violate Michigan’s version of state preemption, known as the Firearm and Ammunition Act 319 of 1990. The areas being considered are, according to the Detroit Free Press, “the Detroit riverfront, Greektown, Hart Plaza, Spirit of Detroit Plaza and Campus Martius.”
WJBK news, the local Fox affiliate, is reporting that Councilmember Mary Waters favors the “gun-free zone” idea, apparently presuming nobody would bring guns into the areas. It never seems to work that way, say critics, who contend such designations merely create risk-free environments for criminals who ignore the gun control laws. An earlier report in the Free Press said Waters recommended the zones.
The council is considering a resolution to the Michigan Legislature to repeal the preemption statute, but the idea is getting considerable push back, the newspaper said.
The report identified Scotty Boman, founder of Detroit Residents Advancing Civilian Oversight, as one of the chief critics.
“I don’t believe the correct response to the violence that we have had in our city is to deny basic liberties to the residents, and specifically the idea of making Greektown into a gun-free zone is not going to help make anyone safer and it is an infringement of people’s basic rights,” Boman state, according to the Free Press.
Another opponent is Rick Ector, a veteran gun rights activist in the city, who was recently elected to the National Rifle Association Board of Directors. He reportedly told reporters, “The whole idea of carving out a section of the city of Detroit, particularly the downtown area, the areas where the casinos are, just to implement their own brand of gun laws, and then have everyone else in the city of Detroit follow another set of gun laws, it’s inherently unfair. If you follow the history of gun control, it is racist. Gun laws tend to be most stringent in communities of color,” Ector stated.
Ector warned the city that gun-free zones have an inherent downside. Legally armed citizens wanting to visit one of the designated areas, such as Greektown, would have to leave their guns locked in their cars, where they might be stolen. In addition, the area between Greektown and parking areas would not be a “gun-free” zone, and people walking back and forth could be attacked by criminals.
