Michigan First 2A Empowerment Initiative

The Michigan First Second Amendment Empowerment Initiative is a comprehensive approach to upholding and strengthening the Constitutional rights of the citizens of Michigan. The Initiative, part of the larger Michigan First Movement, is rooted in the core belief that the right of self-defense is God-given and not to be infringed by the government. At a time when states and municipalities across the country are debating gun rights and safety measures, the Michigan First plan provides a nuanced and comprehensive plan that not only supports robust Second Amendment rights, but also provides for safety and security. The Initiative's balanced approach is firmly based in the values of Faith, Family, The Constitution, Local Control, and Standing Against Tyranny and Corruption.

Gun control is one of the most debated issues related to public safety today. The Initiative's approach is dramatically different from traditional methods of gun control. Instead of placing limits and restrictions on law-abiding citizens to obtain and use firearms, the Initiative is based on the presumption that an armed citizenry deters crime, and that the more people that can and will defend themselves, their families and their communities, the less victimization will occur in the state of Michigan. The Initiative's approach reforms red-flag laws without entirely doing away with them. The red-flag laws that are on the books are reformed to put in place more robust due process and to require clear and convincing evidence before a person can have their rights infringed on. There will still be a mechanism to protect the public from clear and present danger, but it will not be used as a tool for tyrants and corrupt government officials to take away citizens’ rights. This approach also preempts local firearm restrictions, thereby creating a consistent set of firearm laws across the state. This will reduce the burden on citizens by making sure there are not any local patchworks of laws that a person may not be aware of and that do not necessarily apply in another city, township or county within the state of Michigan.

The Initiative has a key provision that expands Michigan’s current stand-your-ground and castle doctrine laws. The Initiative does away with the duty to retreat, before using defensive force, while in a place they have a right to be in the state of Michigan. This extends to their home, vehicle and place of business, as well. This will allow for greater legal protections for a citizen to defend themselves and their families against violent crime. This is the law in many other states, and it is time for Michigan to expand this protection for its citizens. It will also provide much needed clarity in self-defense cases, where citizens that are minding their own business and the safety of their families are attacked by criminals or other persons and forced to act in defense. This provision would provide less gray area in court battles after a citizen has been attacked and need to defend themselves. A citizen should not have to weigh complicated legal rules before defending themselves, their families and their property from harm. Potential criminals should know that the citizens of Michigan have the legal protections and ability to act when necessary to defend themselves and their loved ones. This should deter criminal activity and be a very real safety measure for the law-abiding citizens of Michigan.

Constitutional carry is an important part of the Initiative’s package of rights. Constitutional carry allows a citizen to carry a firearm without having to have the government give them a permit or license to do so. The Initiative makes it clear that the Second Amendment is the permit to carry a firearm in the state of Michigan. The government should not be able to infringe on the right of a law-abiding citizen to defend themselves, their family and their property with a firearm. The removal of licensing requirements for carrying a firearm, whether open or concealed, for law-abiding adults in the state of Michigan will also streamline the process. Criminals are not going to follow a permitting law, so any citizen restricted by such a scheme is at a disadvantage. The safety argument is brought up by critics, but there is data from other Constitutional carry states to show there was no uptick in gun violence after its implementation. Constitutional carry will allow for vulnerable populations to defend themselves without having to wait for the government to issue them a permit.

Suppressors, short-barreled rifles (SBR), and short-barreled shotguns (SBS) are some of the most maligned accessories by those who are anti-firearm or those that have a cultural aversion to guns. The Initiative has eased some of the restrictions on these accessories while still working within the federal guidelines. There is a lot of misinformation on suppressors in particular, but they are used by hunters and sports shooters for protection of their hearing. A suppressor does not make a gun “silence” as some action movies would lead you to believe. The Initiative also accounts for the use of short-barreled shotguns and rifles for home defense and sporting purposes. It also eases some of the background checks and mental health record searches that impede some of the freedoms of gun owners.

The Initiative has taken into account that veterans, and active military have a special place in the heart of the state of Michigan. As those that have taken an oath to defend the Constitution should have special protection under the Constitution. Veterans will not be targeted to lose their rights based solely on the fact that they sought out mental health services. While this may be a needed mental health protection, it should not serve as an automatic firearm right take-away for veterans. The Initiative has made provisions that will help streamline active and retired military personnel to get the rights that they need after moving to Michigan. The initiative also plans on working with veteran’s organizations that offer firearm safety training and firearms education for veterans.

Support for a civilian militia is an important part of the Initiative, as it harkens back to the American tradition. It is not an oversight that the Second Amendment does not start out saying “the right of the people to keep and bear arms” instead, it references a “well-regulated militia”. The initiative provides that there will be support for community groups that work to train and educate citizens on firearm safety and preparedness, within the bounds of the law. This is an important distinction in the public eye, many people fear a well-trained citizen militia that could overthrow the government. The Initiative recognizes the potential value of such groups in the community and support them within the bounds of the law. The support for these groups will be in the form of land for training, safety standard operating procedures and working with local law enforcement to ensure the community knows what type of group they are supporting. The Initiative’s support for a civilian militia also extends to the education of the founding principles of the United States, ethics in the use of force and civic service in addition to tactical and firearms training. This would also help to provide a community service benefit from such groups, assisting local law enforcement and other emergency response groups in natural disasters, search and rescue and other emergencies. This positions the Initiative to be a model for other states that are also wanting to push back against government overreach.