Councilman Kwame Kenyatta said he has had death threats in the past and when in public, Kenyatta usually carries a concealed weapon.
Councilman-elect Gary Brown, a former deputy police chief and officer who was involved in narcotics investigations, said he arms himself when he feels the need to ensure his safety.
Several incoming council members, including Council President-elect Charles Pugh, said they have concealed weapons permits and carry guns for safety in a city known for its hard-nosed crime and tough neighborhoods.
It turns out quite a few members of the new Detroit City Council have acquired or will be getting CPL permits: Kwame Kenyatta, Gary Brown, James Tate, Charles Pugh, Rev. Andre Spivey.
Given that it is Detroit, having a CPL for self-defense only makes sense. This is a positive demonstration of law abiding citizens being able to carry firearms for protection.
It is of course fun to watch the antis get the vapors from the idea of council members being able to carry guns:
But Reggie "Reg" Davis, the former radio deejay elected last week to the City Charter Commission, was critical of public officials who carry weapons, calling it a "disgrace" because it sends the wrong message.
He said he will fight to keep council members from bringing guns to City Hall.
"You need to be like Gandhi, be the change that you wish to see," said Davis, whose younger brother was gunned down in Detroit. "The people elected you to show them a different way to go and you're walking around carrying guns. That is the most ignorant way to do things. If I'm a City Council person, I don't want guns."
or the reaction of Council member Saunteel Jenkins -
Jenkins, whose 14-year-old brother was a victim of gun violence, said carrying guns sends the wrong message.
"When I say I'm anti-violence I mean it," she said the next day. "It's an indication of the failure of leadership in this city when people think that the only way to protect themselves is to strap on a gun. That's exactly where we don't want to be in this city, taking the law into our own hands. It made me kind of sad.
"I wished I had spoken up" at the studio "and said, 'This is no joking matter.' ... We don't want this to be what we become."
My favorite reaction so far is Council member Jo Ann Watson's
Watson, who with member Ken Cockrel Jr., didn't attend the conversation, said later that her "preference of protection is spiritual."Good for vampires maybe, not so good for goblins. You'll note a reverend will be getitng a carry permit, so he's a bit more realistic than Ms. Watson.
Of course, the council members can't carry in the city council building itself mind you – there’s a court in there that makes the whole building off-limits to the standard permit holder, notwithstanding the fact that the City of Detroit ordinance has no force and effect due to state preemption law. However ex-Detroit Police Deputy Chief Brown, as he likely gets a carry permit that exempts him from the no-carry zones being a former police officer can carry in the building and given the thugs that get arraigned there, some of whom he's proabably locked up a time or two before, he probably should. Mind you so should the rest of us who have to go there to court for work - it gets interesting sometimes and we can't carry there or more importantly to or from there from where are vehicles are, leaving us pretty open to parties who want to take court proceedings "outside".
Generally having a CPL is a private matter. The benefits to knowing that these City Council members have them is that one: deterrence of any thug trying to attack them, which is helpful and proper; and two: knowing that they have the permits we can rightly call them hypocrites if they support gun control and the banning of firearm possession or carrying by law-abiding citizens.
After all their safety and protection matters, but so does every other law abiding citizens' safety, especially given these two stories that accompanied these reports on the same day:
7 arrested in robberies, carjackings in Detroit
and an apparent self-defense from attack by a CPL permit holder in Detroit: Man shot after apparent road rage attack in Detroit.
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