Official Recap of the LAID Open Carry Dinner in Detroit, Michigan

On Monday - April 18th, 2011 - Rick Ector held an Open Carry Dinner in the city of Detroit at the BluePointe Restaurant. In the aftermath, the event was described as both an epic and history-making undertaking.

Ector is a National Rifle Association (NRA) credentialed Firearms Instructor, based in Detroit, who teaches state of Michigan compliant Concealed Pistol License Classes (CPL). The express purpose of conducting this event was to increase awareness that Open Carry is legal in the state of Michigan and the city of Detroit.

Open carry (OC) is the act of displaying a handgun in a completely visible holster. OC is legal in 44 states in the US, including Michigan. Michigan is currently one of the fastest growing states in terms of OC popularity. As such, the practice will continue to grow both state-wide and in the city of Detroit.

Despite many inaccurate statements made in the media, OC is not legal in Michigan because a new law authorized it. OC is legal in Michigan because it has never been made illegal.

A person, who has his firearms ownership rights intact, can OC if he is at least 18 years of age, has the firearm registered in his name, is on foot, and does not enter a pistol-free zone without permission.

Over 75 participants attended the dinner, which is widely believed to have been the very first ever dinner within the city of Detroit limits in which the attendees were openly carrying a firearm. Attendees enjoyed an excellent meal, were entertained by a live blues band, and conversed among themselves about the practice of Open Carry.

Accordingly, the dinner garnered a lot of attention in the media. The event was covered by, but not limited to, the following news reporting organizations: The Associated Press (AP), Fox News, Fox News Detroit Channel 2, WDIV TV Detroit Channel 4, WXYZ TV Detroit Channel 7, and WWJ Radio Detroit.



At one point, the event was in jeopardy of not being conducted due to the amount of publicity. A few days before the event the co-owners of the original venue - Elias Brothers on Jefferson Avenue in Detroit - backed out of hosting the event.

Contrary to what was reported in the media, the Elias Brothers corporate organization did not call off the event. In fact, a corporate marketing VP tried to get the local franchise to honor the agreement. Negotiations failed.

Consequently, the event was moved to the BluePointe Restaurant which warmly welcomed the opportunity of hosting a full house of law-abiding diners on its premises. In this case, Elias Brothers pulling out of the deal was a blessing as it was responsible for the event being moved to the BluePointe Restaurant. The amenities, great staff, and an awesome owner were responsible for the dinner being a huge success.

Rick Ector is a National Rifle Association credentialed Firearms Trainer, who provides Michigan CCW Classes training in Detroit for students at his firearms school - Rick's Firearm Academy of Detroit.

Ector is a recognized expert in firearm safety and has been featured extensively in the national and local media: Associated Press, UPI, NRAnews, Gun Digest, The Politics Daily, Fox News Detroit, WDIV News, WXYZ News, WWJ Radio, WJR Radio, The Detroit News, WJLB, WGPR, and the UrbanShooterPodcast.

If you are interested in learning more about Open Carry or Concealed Pistol License training, visit "Legally Armed In Detroit" on the Internet.