http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index.ssf/2010/08/l_brooks_patterson_slams_gun-t.htmlL. Brooks Patterson slams gun 'zealots,' but Granholm says change in state law unlikely
Published: Wednesday, August 18, 2010, 6:49 AM Updated: Wednesday, August 18, 2010, 11:41 AM
Jonathan Oosting | MLive.com
Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson on Tuesday joined a heated -- but seemingly settled -- debate over whether holstered firearms should be allowed at the Arts, Beats and Eats festival scheduled for Labor Day weekend in Royal Oak.
The City Commission on Monday night voted to remove a ban on firearms from the contract between Royal Oak and festival organizers in the wake of pressure from open-carry advocates.
"These guys want to make a point and don't give a damn about the charities the festival supports," the Republican leader and festival founder told The Oakland Press. "I have a problem with these gun-toting zealots."
Patterson told the newspaper he's received dozens of calls from people who say they won't come to the festival for fear of safety and, in typical firebrand fashion, offered a bold suggestion: "If they want to carry guns, why don't they join the army and get their asses over to Afghanistan?"
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