Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
The mayor of Grand Rapids, David LaGrand, just said the quiet part out loud.
“I think if you’ve got a gun, you should be ashamed of yourself. I really do,” LaGrand said during a public discussion, comparing gun ownership to smoking and arguing communities should start “having some shaming around gun possession.”
He doubled down, acknowledging the Second Amendment exists.
“I get that we got a Second Amendment” — but insisting gun owners should still feel shame because, in his view, guns are “for killing human beings,” not everyday tasks like gardening or changing a tire.
That didn’t sit well with Colion Noir.
In a fiery response, Noir called the mayor’s comments “childish” and disconnected from reality.
“You don’t own a gun to change a tire,” Noir said. “You own a gun for the worst day of your life.”
Noir argued that shaming won’t touch criminals, only law-abiding citizens. “You know who shame works on? Law-abiding people. That’s it,” he said. “So you’re not talking to criminals. You’re talking to fathers. Mothers. People who just want to protect themselves.”
LaGrand compared gun ownership to cigarette use, saying he sees “so much more harm done than benefit.” Noir dismissed that analogy outright.
“Smoking provides literally no benefit. None,” Noir said. “Self-defense does. Protecting your kids does. Protecting your wife does.”
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He also pointed out what he views as a contradiction: elected officials speaking against private gun ownership while being protected by armed security and police.
“It’s okay for guns when they protect you, but shameful when they protect me?” Noir asked.
The broader argument centers on preparedness versus pacifism. Noir framed gun ownership as a response to real-world violence, asking whether shaming people for preparing for self-defense makes communities safer or just more vulnerable.
LaGrand’s comments raise a larger question for gun owners in Michigan and beyond: Is moral condemnation a serious public safety strategy, or is it simply politics?
And more pointedly, if owning a firearm for lawful self-defense is something to be ashamed of, who exactly benefits from that shame?
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is a seasoned outdoorsman, lifelong hunter, and the kind of guy who’d rather track whitetails than scroll social media. As an editor for GunsAmerica, he’s got a sharp eye for spotting both solid gear and bad gun laws. Whether he’s deep in the woods or deep in editorial deadlines, Larry brings a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is approach to firearms, hunting, and the great American tradition of self-reliance. If there’s a hot debate on gun rights or the latest in hunting tech, you can bet Larry’s got an opinion—and it’s probably backed up with both facts and field experience.
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If i lived there, I’d move after reading this.
The people of Grand Rapids should feel ashamed that they voted for a total idiot like this. Doesn’t speak much for their own intelligence, does it?
The guy is stupid. The shame should be on him coming up with this crap.
If you politicians get rid of your armed body quards ( that we pay for ), we as law abiding gun owner’s will get rid of our guns. Now nothing will happen with that thought, but think of the controversy!!!
Mr Mayor, you, should be ashamed of yourself for talking stupid. You don’t even know me and you state that because I own guns, I’m a murderer.You should also be ashamed for being a liberal Democrat. Have a nice day,
pete
Yeah… Grand Rapids Michigan where you stand a one in 114 chance of being the victim of a violent crime. So for Grand Rapids that’s around 1,745 people a year every year that have a violent crime committed against them. So Mr. clueless mayor LaGrand, go have a chat with those 1745 people and get back to us. Until then, shut your pie hole!
I wonder if his idiotic line of thinking comes from the shooting of Da’Quain Johnson.
I’m curious Mr. Mayor… was Da’Quain Johnson exercising his second amendment rights by having a gun, running from police and then not giving up the gun when ordered to do so?
How many people are in your security detail Mr. Mayor? Because the vast majority of Americans do not have the opportunity to have someone else pay for their security so we take that burden on ourselves.
There’s just so much stupidity in the liberal ranks that I honestly can’t understand why more of them can’t see the problems. Mental illness is definitely an issue in this country these days…
People who =don’t= prepare to defend their families, and others, are the ones who should feel shame.
The days when the left loudly could shame a core value of the political right are dead as George Floyd.
Yep, and where the left should be ashamed, they twist the norms and mores and without shame call it “pride.”
Amen, Brother….
why should I be ashamed, may the ones attacking should be ashamed, I have the right to be free from harm, so a burglar comes INTO my house and attacks me and I do have the right to defend myself, so what I’m suppose to let them steal, rape, beat me and if I’m lucky I survive,
something is wrong with the person for saying something like that for he don’t care about the innocent people, for he should be ashamed for saying something so dumb as that
I AM ASHAMED. Ashamed we live in a world with humans like him.
Shaming? Really??? Shaming only works if you give a damn about the opinion(s) of the people trying to shame you. Which 99% of us don’t.
The cornerstone of all left-wing politics is to manufacture a false sense of guilt and shame to establish a mechanism for (macro) social control and (micro) individual manipulation.
yes guns can be used to incapacitate or kill but when it is used to level the playing field thats called self defense and every law abiding american has the right to stay alive!
Now you’re talking! Best comment ever…..thank you. Bout time so stay on track. I finnaly agree with you.
i don’t really give a rats about what you think.
LOL…..another good comment. Proud of you! I would’nt expext anything different……Jethro