Mayor LaGrand’s Epic Fail: Defensive Gun Use Data Destroys the Narrative

February 27, 2026
9:45 am

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Grand Rapids Mayor David LaGrand stepped in it big time, demanding we shame gun owners after a police shooting—because nothing says smart policy like demonizing law-abiding citizens while ignoring the real-world heroics of armed self-defense. Picture this: a mayor virtue-signaling from his podium, painting firearms as societal poison, only for cold, hard data to slap him down like a bad sequel. Studies from the CDC, National Crime Victimization Survey, and researchers like Kleck and Gertz tally defensive gun uses (DGUs) at anywhere from 500,000 to over 3 million per year in the U.S. That's not fringe theory; it's peer-reviewed reality showing guns stop crimes far more often than they spark them. LaGrand's call to shame? It's not just tone-deaf—it's a deliberate blind spot to the millions of lives saved annually by the very tools he wants to stigmatize. Dig deeper, and this isn't isolated idiocy; it's the playbook of anti-2A politicians who cherry-pick tragedies while burying the stats that shatter their gun-grab narrative. Context matters: Grand Rapids isn't some Wild West outpost—it's a mid-sized Midwest city where crime doesn't vanish by wishing guns away. Kleck's landmark work, validated across decades, reveals most DGUs are quiet affairs—no shots fired, just a bad guy fleeing at the sight of a resolved defender. Implications for the 2A community? This is red meat for mobilization. Every such epic fail from mayors like LaGrand hands us ammo (pun intended) to flood comment sections, school boards, and statehouses with DGU facts. It exposes the hypocrisy: elites with armed security preach disarmament to the plebs they claim to protect. Push back hard—share these studies, testify at hearings, and remind voters that shaming saves zero lives, but a good guy with a gun does. The ripple effect? LaGrand's flop reinforces why the Second Amendment endures as a firewall against feel-good tyranny. When data demolishes the narrative, it doesn't just defend rights; it saves them. 2A warriors, clip this story, meme it up, and keep the pressure on—the next mayor might think twice before teeing up such an easy dunk.

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Dig deeper, and this isn’t isolated idiocy; it’s the playbook of anti-2A politicians who cherry-pick tragedies while burying the stats that shatter their gun-grab narrative. Context matters: Grand Rapids isn’t some Wild West outpost—it’s a mid-sized Midwest city where crime doesn’t vanish by wishing guns away. Kleck’s landmark work, validated across decades, reveals most DGUs are quiet affairs—no shots fired, just a bad guy fleeing at the sight of a resolved defender. Implications for the 2A community? This is red meat for mobilization. Every such epic fail from mayors like LaGrand hands us ammo (pun intended) to flood comment sections, school boards, and statehouses with DGU facts. It exposes the hypocrisy: elites with armed security preach disarmament to the plebs they claim to protect. Push back hard—share these studies, testify at hearings, and remind voters that shaming saves zero lives, but a good guy with a gun does.

The ripple effect? LaGrand’s flop reinforces why the Second Amendment endures as a firewall against feel-good tyranny. When data demolishes the narrative, it doesn’t just defend rights; it saves them. 2A warriors, clip this story, meme it up, and keep the pressure on—the next mayor might think twice before teeing up such an easy dunk.

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