Mixed reaction to new firearm legislation - KMSP-TV

BY AMY LANGE
FOX 2 NEWS

DETROIT, Mich (WJBK) -- "I don't feel comfortable with people being able to come into the school where my kids are at with guns and in churches ... please, says Christal Bonner.

Christal Bonner, a teacher and parent, adamantly opposed to new firearm legislation just approved in Lansing.  Legislation that would allow gun owners to carry their concealed weapons inside schools, churches. hospitals, stadiums, and daycare centers.

"It's very dangerous.  We have rules and requirements here at the school.  We have kids here that can sometimes become volatile. What do we need some guns coming in here for.  Because we might have some citizens who are not responsible," says Bonner.

The legislation coming just hours before the unimaginable carnage at the elementary school in Connecticut.  Advocates of the proposed law say it's past time.

"Where there's a large number of people we are certainly prone to attack by disturbed individuals.  We need some means to protect ourselves other than hiding behind a display rack," says Bill Kucyc who owns Action Impact.

"It's long overdue where we have citizens who are ready to do something in situations like that," says  Gerald Crawford who owns a gun.
In addition to the training you already need... the new legislation also requires that you need hours of training.  Places like Action Impact say they'll start that immediately.

But Pastors Charles Williams and Maurice Rudd don't want guns in their church pews and say instead of making laws expanding gun rights, what is really needed is gun control.

"We need to revive the ban on assault weapons. We need some type of tighter restrictions on who can get access to weapons," says Rev. Charles Williams.

"We don't need guns now we need instruments of peace. Not instruments of violence," says Rev. Maurice Rudd.

For some it just feels like a bad idea.

"There's really no need to have weapons in the work place or in the school.  Particularly in the schools," says Marilyn Covington.

"It's definitely not a good idea.  Not the church... not the schools... nowhere, says Lenette Covington.

The legislation now moves on to the governor - who says he's not yet decided whether or not he will sign it.

If signed into law, private property owners and public universities could ban guns on their premises but public schools would have to allow concealed weapons... they are currently gun free zones unless a person is openly carrying a weapon.