Guns. Where and when.

Don’t look now, but the state is on the cusp of a dandy brouhaha over guns and where you can take them and when you can’t.

The story you’re about to read unfolds on two fronts: namely, the state Capitol building and every polling place around the state.

Fasten your safety belts.

Ever since a bunch of open-carry citizens legally rallied inside the state Capitol last April 30 with their assault rifles, hand guns, and a variety of long guns, some Democrats have been pushing hard to ban all weapons inside the building. Self-preservation is the motivating factor.

You see, they objected to trying to do the people’s business on the floor of the House and Senate under the watchful eye of gun-toters in the gallery looking down on them. State Rep. Rebekah Warren, D-Ann Arbor, summed it up: “So, you have someone at a high ground position above you with semi-automatic weapons. I don’t think anybody wants that in the work place.”

Lt Gov. Garlin Gilchrist, who presides over the state Senate, where some Democrats wore bulletproof vests during the demonstration, has asked the Republican Senate majority leader to ban all guns: “There is no place for semiautomatic weapons in the Capitol or in the lawmaking process. The only reason you have it is to intimidate lawmakers.”

On top of the April rally, we discover five months later that, at that time, an alleged plot was unfolding to kidnap the governor and other officials and, now, 13 alleged conspirators are sitting in the slammer, awaiting trail on those charges. Oh, yeah. Part of the federal and state charges include a plot to attack the state Capitol building.

You can see why the temperature of some Democrats is off the charts.

Now comes the Republican Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey and Republican House Speaker Lee Chatfield , both confirmed pro-gun guys, with talks to do something about it. The “something” has not been decided, but there is speculation they will ban the open carry of any weapon into the building, but would allow concealed weapons. If they do, the pro-gun lobby will not be pleased.

The speaker won’t confirm any of that, but does say, “There has to be some common-sense policy that we can adopt to ensure people are kept safe and people’s rights are protected. We are diligently searching right now to find that policy. The good news is we are still at the table.”

Note that the duo could have said, “We are doing nothing about guns in the building,” but they have not, and the anti-gun folks are encouraged by the “ongoing conversations” going on behind closed doors.

Fast forward to Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, who is being accused of unilaterally ordering a policy to ban open carry near polling places on Election Day. The ink on the edict sent to all local clerks was not even dry when the pro-gunners were all over her for an order she allegedly doesn’t have the power to order. They will likely haul her into to court to undo what she just did.

Ms. Benson, Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel, and Col. Joe Gasper, who runs the Michigan State Police, think she can do that, as they worry about all the “what-if’s” if poll watchers show up with guns in hand to watch citizens vote.

The trio collectively shouts, “Can you say voter intimidation?”

Recall that President Donald Trump has asked his backers to be at the polls. He said nothing about bringing guns, but the anti-gunners would say, “Did he really have to?”

So here we sit, days before the most historic presidential election in modern times, with some lawmakers fearing for their lives and perhaps some voters feeling the same way and a four letter word is the reason why:

G-U-N-S.