Michigan Grandfathers quest to foster his own grandchild
Do you remember the saga of William Johnson of Ontonagon Michigan and his quest to foster his own grandchild?
Mr. Johnson is a 54-year-old retired and disabled Marine with a Michigan Concealed Pistol License. He and his wife were asked by the state of Michigan to foster their grandson.
According to the Washington Free Beacon Mr. Johnson:
said he was searched for a firearm and, although he was not carrying a gun, officials demanded to see his concealed carry license. He was then told he would need to give MDHHS the serial numbers of all of his firearms, including rifles and shotguns, and register them with the agency. After questioning why he would have to register his firearms in order to foster his grandson, Johnson said he was told by one caseworker, "if you want to care for your grandson you will have to give up some of your constitutional rights." When he objected, he was told there would not be a "power struggle" and MDHHS "would just take his grandson and place him in a foster home" if he didn't comply with their requests.
Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette wrote in a brief concerning this case:
As a practical matter, when a firearm is kept in a home for self-defense, it is always ‘in use…Criminals never take a day off, and they never call ahead. To serve its self-defense purpose, a gun must be readily accessible whenever its owner believes he might possibly need it.
U.S. District judge Paul Maloney ruled that the Johnsons' case could move forward against the request of the state agency. Judge Maloney wrote in his order:
Storing firearms in an inoperable condition makes them useless for the defense of hearth and home, which implicates the Second Amendment… The need for self-defense rarely comes with advance notice; it occurs spontaneously, often at times specifically chosen for the expected vulnerability of the intended victim.
This judge seems very reasonable and he and AG Schuette are correct, when you need to protect yourself you do not have a lot of time to unlock a safe, load your gun and engage.
It appears these days we need to be hypervigilant about our government wanting to take so many of our rights away in the name of safety. How exactly do they believe we will be able to keep ourselves and families safe without the tools to do so?
They seem to forget that the police are a reactionary force, 99.9% of the time they will not be able to be there to keep yourself or family safe.