Posted on 06/16/2004 10:09:43 PM PDT by kattracks
Edited on 07/12/2004 4:16:42 PM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]
The House Judiciary Committee yesterday passed a bill that allows active-duty and retired law-enforcement officers to carry concealed weapons anywhere in the country.
The Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act heads to the floor of the House for a final vote before going to the Senate, where a similar bill passed as an amendment in March by a 91-8 vote. The bill permits "qualified" law-enforcement officers -- retired, off duty and outside their jurisdiction -- to carry a concealed weapon in any state regardless of the state's law. It passed on a 23-9 vote.
(Excerpt) Read more at washtimes.com ...
If it expands to all CPL holders, I support it.
BTTT
Ping
I agree with Dan. Too many elitist special interest groups get too many rights and priveleges that ordinary citizens dont get. In fact, the ordinary citizens constantly see their rights and priveleges being eroded.
Sorry that I only include Texas in my What if,
What if you make everyone in Texas Law Enforcement, everyone gets Conceal and Carry, Everyone is responsible for the Health Well being and Safety of everyone else in Texas, "To Protect and Serve" to be "Public Servants"
I would venture a guess that after 6 months, the Crime rates for Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Mexico would have an upward spike, There would be a Dramatic DECREASE in all Crime in Texas as well as a Dramatic DECREASE in City, County and State Revenues, Law Enforcement would have to return to fill the coffers and the TRUE PURPOSE of Law Enforcement would be obvious to ALL. Just another friendly observation and Opinion by Yours Truly TT
Sorry that I only include Texas in my What if,
What if you make everyone in Texas Law Enforcement, everyone gets Conceal and Carry, Everyone is responsible for the Health Well being and Safety of everyone else in Texas, "To Protect and Serve" to be "Public Servants"
I would venture a guess that after 6 months, the Crime rates for Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Mexico would have an upward spike, There would be a Dramatic DECREASE in all Crime in Texas as well as a Dramatic DECREASE in City, County and State Revenues, "UNIFORMED" Law Enforcement would have to return to fill the coffers and the TRUE PURPOSE of Law Enforcement would be obvious to ALL. Just another friendly observation and Opinion by Yours Truly TT
Sorry I left out "Uniformed" and probabaly other stuff too, but I think my point is fairly clear.
Frankly, I think that all C C permits should allow law abiding gun owners to be armed Nation wide. I have always felt this way, but I think that in today's times, it's even more important. I do have to say though...I am very pleased with this decision....26 years active LEO and now retired.
I don't care what anybody says, most off duty Cops and many, many retired LEO's pack when they are traveling anyway.......this simply makes it legal. For what it's worth, I have absolutely no intention of working as a cop just because I carry a gun. Just as most of you might, I would only get involved if I found myself in a life threatening situation, for myself or others. Most cops are taught and even required to simply be good witnesses when they are no longer with a department.
I oppose the bill on principle. NO SPECIAL TREATMENT FOR COPS.
Entirely un-Constitutional.
Wait until emnem is head of the fibbies.
Don't hold your breath waiting.
When we vote out one politician, another just takes up the holy grail of disarming the "little people", as Leona Helmsley calls us,
who by the way, I'm willing to bet has a permit.
Congress certainly couldn't take a group of people and make them immune from State prosecution for theft or other crimes, so I'd think the same would apply to gun laws.
I think the States in question are violating the Second Amendment, but until the USSC sees the light or the State legislators feel the heat, their gun laws are still in force.
It is the USSC which has the power to void anti-Second Amendment State laws, not Congress.
That's the next step, Dan. Reverse incrementalism. I prefer a rapid move, but this is better than nothing. We are on a roll here. In the right direction-for a change.
So the next step will be allowing us peasants to carry also, right?
Witness how quickly they expanded the carry laws to cover peasants in New Jersey, Illinois, and Kalifornia once the cops were allowed to carry there.
If cops are "allowed" to carry everywhere, they will be far less willing to cut one of us peons any slack for violating and carry "edict".
As it is now, if cops want to carry out of state (unless they are on official business), they have to get a CCW permit and follow the same rules as the rest of us. Because of that, they get to see how stupid some of the state gun laws are, and will be more willing to cut the rest of us some slack for violating one of the edicts.
As is their Right as an American (not a cop) to do so.
But power corrupts, and this 'one set of rules for the knights, and another for the serfs' will only result in an increase in the arrogance of many cops.
Since, as you said, many now carry "illegally", they are willing to cut their fellow non-cop citizens some slack. Once it's no longer "illegal" for them to carry, many of them will be less willing to do so.
Exempting cops, or anyone else from laws, is more reminiscent of a third-world oligarchy than a Constitutional Republic.
Under the system our Founders envisioned, NO ONE is exempt from the laws.
This bill is just another step towards the creation of a totalitarian system where nothing is illegal for a special class of citizens (the rulers and their enforcers), and everything is illegal for the rest of us.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.