Mayor Calls for Gun Owners to Feel Shame

David Ragland, the Democratic Mayor of Grand Rapids, Michigan, suggested at a community forum on Monday that gun owners should experience “shame.” His comments came during the Mayors Monday forum following the recent presidential election, as reported by Fox 17.

During this meeting, Ragland expressed his disapproval of not just gun ownership but also the methods police use, such as tracking suspects and employing dogs. He remarked, “No one goes gardening with a gun, right? No one changes a tire with a gun. It’s really difficult because their goal is to kill people. I think as a community we have to start being ashamed of gun ownership.” He reinforced this sentiment by stating that if someone owns a gun, there should be some level of shame attached to it.

He acknowledged that his comments might provoke backlash, especially from the NRA, but he maintained his stance. “I understand that the Second Amendment exists,” he continued, “but if you smoke, you should be ashamed of yourself. It’s not illegal, but… If you own a gun, I think you should do some serious self-reflection. There’s a lot of harm, and more harm than good.”

Additionally, Ragland questioned the use of dogs in law enforcement, asking, “What is a dog really good for? If you need a dog to search for someone in the woods, that’s like using a hunting dog. If you need to chase someone in a neighborhood, why not use a drone? Honestly, if my dog behaved like what I saw in that video, I would have to put him down.”