Fargo City Commissioner John Strand: "We have too many guns in our culture"

(Fargo, ND) -- Fargo City Commissioner John Strand is talking about the number of guns owned by citizens. 

"We have too many guns in our culture, and everywhere you go, every crowd you go in, there's people with guns, and I didn't, you know that's changed over time. It's gotten more dangerous, more dangerous, real frankly you know why, because people don't know how not to use them. They don't know how to stop an argument with their brain, and they go the route of pulling out there weapons," said Strand.

Strand was engaged a debate with a call-in listener on "Tuesday's with Tony" on WDAY 970 AM. The topic was guns and gun control. The caller asserted that "over-regulation" of guns was contributing to safety concerns. Strand mentioned how his position on gun-control prompted the publication Ammo Land News to mention him in their coverage. 

The commissioner also expressed frustration with state lawmakers who approve laws that override local control.

"I just wish they'd leave us alone sometimes with these preemptions, these notions that the legislature and these people from all these rural little towns across the state can tell Fargo what they can or cannot do," said Strand.   

Strand points to state lawmakers passing a law in 2016 that prevents local governments from enacting bans on plastic shopping bags. Currently, a state representative is promoting a bill which would ban ranked choice and approval voting in the state. The City of Fargo uses approval voting. 
 

Original Air Date: 
Thursday, January 26, 2023