Michigan man brings gun to commission meetings to protest city's open-carry ban

A Michigan man has been bringing a gun to City Commission meetings to protest the town’s open-carry ban.

Mayor George Heartwell said he’s not happy about Tom Lambert bringing his firearm into meetings of the Grand Rapids City Commission, most recently at Stocking Elementary School.

“I can’t throw him out,” Heartwell said. “(It) is just beyond my conception, but unless he’ll leave voluntarily, I can’t put him out of your school.”

Lambert addresses the commission when he attends the meetings to ask the commission to repeal a 1967 ban on the open carry of firearms, which apparently conflicts with a state law.

The city ordinance isn’t enforced, but the city attorney said she had no intention of repealing the measure.

Lambert said he doesn’t understand why the city won’t take the unused ordinance off the books.

“If you really don’t want me here, and really I don’t want to be here, the answer is quite simple,” Lambert said. “When you say there’s nothing you can do about it, that’s not true. Amend your ordinance you don’t use and I won’t be here anymore.”

Lambert said he’d be happy to write a measure striking the ban from the books.

[Bearded man with a gun on white background via Shutterstock]