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Mayor Heartwell Speaks Out on Gun Control

Posted at 12:28 PM, Dec 18, 2012
and last updated 2012-12-18 12:44:45-05

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.-

During Tuesday’s regular Grand Rapids city Commission meeting, Mayor George Heartwell took a few minutes to speak off agenda about the recent school massacre in Connecticut and the debate about guns.

Heartwell, a democrat, is urging state and federal leaders to change policy when it comes to gun control.

“Today  I call on Governor Snyder to veto the bill sent to him in lame duck session,  which would among other things would allow guns to be carried into schools, today I  call on President Obama to introduce meaningful gun reform,” said Heartwell during the meeting.

“He (President Obama) can start by reinstating  the ban on assault weapons that was lifted by his predecessor.”

Heartwell, who is a member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition, said no rational human being in light of the  elementary school massacre, where 20 innocent children were killed and six adults, should raise a voice on such a ban.

The debate on gun control has ignited across the country in light of the shooting. Many republicans, including Texas Governor Rick Perry and other lawmakers have sent a strong message to Washington to fight for the right to bear arms.”We have to do everything we can to make sure those types of evils are restricted the best it can be,” said Governor Perry, an outspoken support of gun rights.”One of the things I hope we don’t want to see from our federal government is this knee- jerk reaction from D.C. when there is an event that occurs that they come in with the answer,” said Perry