Sound Off: Councilman's Controversial AK-47 Comment

A local councilman is back in the news after he posted a controversial comment on a friend’s Facebook page about guns and President Barack Obama.

Dean Grose, former Los Alamitos mayor who won a seat on the City Council in November, wrote, “Uniting America against Obama’s regieme (sic) one AK47 at a time!” in response to a friend’s Facebook statement about long lines at a local gun show in late January, the News Enterprise and the Orange County Register report.

Grose has since removed the comment, but sent the News Enterprise an e-mail confirming that he made the statement, that the post was not intended as a remark against President Obama but a statement of support for the second amendment and that Grose removed it because he didn’t want it to be taken out of context. 

Grose is no stranger to controversy.

In 2009, he resigned after forwarding an e-mail depicting a watermelon patch on the front lawn of the White House. He has since said he regretted sending it, that he apologized to the council and the community for the e-mail and that “it’s time to move on.”

Grose’s Facebook comment has drawn responses from a number of local sources:

Frank Mickadeit, OC Register Columnist:

I don't think Grose was that far out of line this time.

I heard about what he posted soon after he posted it and I thought he simply meant that every time someone buys a high-capacity firearm, he is further diminishing the impact of whatever gun-control package Obama eventually signs. Typical of Obama-hating gun lovers. (Grose himself has said he was merely advocating for Second Amendment rights.)

Lon Wahlberg, of the News-Enterprise:

The mere suggestion by a so-called “leader” to unite America against our current administration by arming people with AK47s is a direct threat to the sovereignty of the United States. An opinion of that caliber has the potential of inciting domestic terrorism

Chris Prevatt, of the Liberal OC:

I have no problem with people having guns for protection in their homes or hunting. I do have a problem with the wild west mentality that everyone should carry a gun for protection. I definitely see no reason, other than armed insurrection that Grose seems to be calling for, for people to have assault weapons and high capacity magazines for those weapons.

JM Ivler, local political activist commenting on the Let’s Fix Los Al Blog:

Whoa, let’s not pull out the tar and feathers and look for the rail. Mr. Grose is clearly, and has been since it started, a very strong supporter of the right-wing side of the GOP that has branded themselves the “tea party.” He has attended events as far away as Pasadena (maybe even further, I only know about that distant one) in support of those far right wing principles (and the group). As a citizen he has every right to participate in any way with said groups, and I can’t knock his desire to be politically active for while I may not agree with him politically, I believe that being politically active is important.

Editor’s note: Comments have been edited for length. To read the full comments or stories, click the link before each comment.

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