Email from MCRGO   MICHIGAN COALITION FOR RESPONSIBLE GUN OWNERS "Promoting safe use and ownership of firearms through education, litigation, and legislation." MONDAY E'NEWS   Passing of David Dellinger Michigan Open Carry's President David Dellinger of Rochester Hills passed away unexpectedly last Monday at his home. He was 60 years old. He was a hard fighting warrior for our self defense rights. We have lost a close ally in Michigan. Born on June 5,1964, in Detroit, David grew up in Rochester, Michigan, where he graduated from Rochester High School in 1982. He went on to attend Wayne State University, building a career in account management and clerical work. David was a proud and passionate advocate for Second Amendment rights, serving as the President of the Michigan Open Carry Inc. His love for firearms was matched only by his enthusiasm for Detroit Lions football, golf, and hockey. In his younger years, David was an accomplished roller skater and enjoyed competing in rink races and roller hockey. On January 8, 2014, David married the love of his life, Brenda. Together, they built a life filled with love and companionship, truly soulmates to the end. Memorial Contributions in Dave's honor may be made to Michigan Open Carry Legal Fund David Dellinger (center) with Joel Fulton of Freedom Firearms and Tom Lambert of Michigan Open Carry Honoring Martin Luther King Most people think that MLK, a pacifist, would be the last person embrace gun ownership for self-defense. The reality is quite different. MLK kept firearms for self-defense. He even applied for a concealed pistol license. King had armed volunteers guarding him, his home and his family out of fear he was being target for assassination, a fear that was well grounded. William Worthy, a journalist who covered the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, reported that once, during a visit to King's parsonage, he went to sit down on an armchair in the living room and, to his surprise, almost sat on a loaded gun. Glenn Smiley, an adviser to King, described King's home as "an arsenal." In 1956, after King's house was bombed, King applied for a concealed carry permit in Alabama. The local police had discretion to determine who was a suitable person to carry firearms. King, a clergyman whose life was threatened daily, surely met the requirements of the law, but he was rejected nevertheless. At the time, the police used any wiggle room in the law to discriminate against African Americans. The American civil rights movement often embraced firearms as a means for self-defense. The Black Panthers took this approach to the extreme, openly carrying guns as they patrolled for police abuses on the streets of Oakland. They even made guns part of their official uniform, along with the black beret and leather jacket. California passed a law to disarm the Panthers and then Congress, after King was assassinated by James Early Ray, passed the Gun Control Act of 1968 -- the first major federal gun control since the 1930s. These laws fueled the rise of the modern gun rights movement, which self-consciously borrowed tactics from the civil rights movement. One lesson gun advocates took was from the early King and his more aggressive followers: If the police can't (or won't) protect you, a gun may be your last line of defense. Note: Published a week early due to the United States Presidential Inauguration next Monday. Introducing Dome IQ Dome IQ is a revolutionary new policy platform for engaged citizens like you! With Dome IQ, you can: Stay up to date by tracking bills and legislators Improve public policy by instantly sharing your opinions Get a quick understanding with AI-generated bill summaries Legislators need to hear from you! Claim your free account at DomeIQ.com. UPCOMING EVENTS Women for Gun Rights Day of Legislative Advocacy Tuesday, January 28, 2025, 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM Michigan Capitol Building; 100 North Capitol; Lansing, MI 48910 Sign up & purchase shirt at the QR code above. This is not a MCRGO event. Outdoorama Thursday-Sunday, February 20-23, 2025, Hours Vary by Day Suburban Collection Showplace; 46100 Grand River Ave.; Novi, MI 48374 MCRGO's Booth Number is 5415. Ultimate Sports Show Thursday-Sunday, March 13-16, 2025, Hours Vary by Day DeVos Place; 303 Monroe Ave. NW; Grand Rapids, MI 49503 MCRGO's Booth Number is 2153. MCRGO | PO Box 2294 | Grand Rapids, MI 49501 US Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice