That's easy for you to say. Less easy to accept for someone who was actually here since the very beginning, on this forum and open carrying, when that 98% dismissed us as crazy and bound to get arrested.
Michigander, first let me personally thank you for being in the forefront of OC in Michigan, and I am not saying that simply because of the above. I have only been open carrying for about 16 months, but I have publicly thanked those of you that have gone before me, paving the way, twice here in OCDO-Michigan in those 16 months. If this site's search feature was any good I would link them for you. Suffice it to say that I really do appreciate what you and others have gone through in Michigan for all of us. I have watched all the youtube videos and listened to the audio recordings of LEO encounters. I have read the posted descriptions of LEO confrontations and downloaded court transcripts. I have more recently been witness to events unfold in court cases such as CADL, Birmingham, and Warren. I have seen people denied the right to vote while lawfully open carrying. But I have also seen newspapers and public figures declare that OC is legal, even in such places as K-12 schools, and that police are abusing the rights of open carriers.
This is huge.
And this is entirely due to people like you who knew the law and exercised your rights when others would not. Thank you.
In light of your history I understand your zeal and steadfastness, but I would ask you to temper it with reason and pragmatism. This is not easy, and I can speak from experience.
A number of years ago I divorced my starter wife. I wanted to be fair. I even bent over backward where it was quite unfair for me. One day in the court building (but not in court) I reached the tipping point. I had given and given and I would not give any more. I immediately adopted a "scorched earth" policy, fifty feet from a judge who would now decide my fate within the hour. I won a Pyrrhic victory that day. Afterward, on the street near the capitol, I asked my attorney why he didn't stop me. I was too emotionally involved, and I paid him to be my legal adviser. I fired him on the spot on that street corner.**
I see that happening here. Some people are so personally invested in the trench warfare history of open carry in Michigan (and I mean that in a good way) that they see any compromise as a retreat and a betrayal, and I can't blame you, not one little bit. I found it hard to see the bigger picture when I was personally attacked over and over again, and I don't blame you if you do as well.
And because of my anger what I closed my eyes to were the real realities, neither of which were the reality that I wanted, the reality that was at least somewhat fair and right. I never clearly saw my "real" two choices, both of which sucked. I should have chosen the one that sucked less. I would have come out better myself, but I let my anger rule me and I personally lost more. Of course, so did my ex. I made her pay, but it cost me dearly as well.
That's what we have here. We are not going to get a clean PFZ-elimination bill. We have two choices: either support the bill in its current form, which overall--even though flawed with unnecessary training and costs and the restriction of OC in PFZs--is a large win for the Michigan firearms community as a whole and is supported by them, or oppose the bill, endure the enmity of the Michigan firearms community and lose their goodwill that we will need in the future, and still not get what we want. Do we want to go scorched earth on this? We will make them pay, but we will lose as well. We're going to lose PFZ OC either way. The question is, do you want to alienate the rest of the firearms community or do you want to support them in extending the rights (or at least privileges) of all CPL owners?
Either way we do not get what we want.
I humbly ask you to consider this. Thank you.
Dan
** My divorce wasn't final, but I finished it myself. I got the judge to release my attorney. I wrote my own pleadings and went back to court to finalize my divorce. I negotiated the terms of my children's custody. And I wrote my own QDROs (Qualified Domestic Relations Orders). Two of them.
I've already taken the course once. Granted it was several years ago, and I didn't get a certificate or any thing, but it was a charity event, and the money went to support families of Jackson County National Guardsmen who were on duty overseas. 
