Guns and church

A file photo of a gun and the sign in front of First Congregational Church of Kalamazoo. ( MLive file, Courtesy Nathan Dannison)

(File/ Courtesy Nathan Dannison)

KALAMAZOO, MI -- Two sold-out minor-league Friday night baseball games in neighboring communities-- what could be more American than that?

A promotion at one game, a community remembrance at another reflect another slice of Americana -- opposite sides of a national gun debate in a week when the Congressional flap over the question has included a sit-in by Democratic members.

Kalamazoo Strong Night at the Growlers 33 Gallery: Kalamazoo Strong Night at the Growlers

When the Kalamazoo Growlers face off against the Green Bay Bullfrogs at 7:05 Friday night, a pre-game ceremony will honor the victims of a mass shooting Feb. 20 that left six people dead, two seriously injured, and devastated Kalamazoo.

Laurie Smith, the mother of shooting victim Tyler Smith and the wife of shooting victim Richard Smith, will be in attendance at the game. So will Tiana Carruthers, a survivor of the shooting.

Meanwhile, 26 miles east, also at 7 p.m., handgun owners have been invited to bring their sidearms - openly carried and holstered with a concealed weapons permit - to the Battle Creek Bombers game at C.O. Brown Stadium in Battle Creek.

The team, with sponsor Freedom Firearms, is hosting "2nd Amendment Education Night" at the 7 p.m., June 24, game.

The timing of the events, slated months ago, is coincidental, organizers said.

Nathan Dannison, pastor of the First Congregational Church in Kalamazoo, said the Battle Creek event is salt in the wound of grieving Kalamazoo.

He is encouraging the community and gun safety advocates throughout the Midwest to boycott all Northwoods League events "until they cancel tonight's event and apologize for celebrating handguns in a community still wrestling with the grief from a mass shooting."

Dannison, whose church hosted an interfaith vigil after the Kalamazoo shootings, has started an online petition to tell the owners of the Battle Creek Bombers they oppose the open carry game.

"It's insane," Dannison said in e-mail to the Kalamazoo Gazette. "I am a gun owner and basic firearms safety says you don't mix handguns, alcohol and children."

The Bombers game is also billed as Boy Scout night, though leaders and families were unaware until recently that Scout Night coincided with the sponsored promotion, a scouting spokeswoman said today.

As of 5:30 p.m. Friday two of Northwoods partners, Edvest Wisconsin College Savings and Minnesota College Savings Plan, have ended their association with the league because of the 2nd Amendment event, Dannison said.

Sponsor Joel Fulton, co-owner of Freedom Firearms, defended the baseball game event and called the bearing of firearms "as American as baseball and apple pie."

Rosemary Parker is a reporter for MLive. Contact her at rparker3@Mlive.com.