WHY DOES DHS WANT TO BUY 7,000 OF THEM FOR ‘PERSONAL DEFENSE’?
Thats easy.. to use to intimidate a public that only has pistols.. or nothing..
Could be a good time for a black market in guns and ammo to organize..
You are not asking the right question, which is, WHO within DHS is going to get these weapons? Secretaries, drivers, intelligence analysts, etc?
Which DHS agents are authorized to carry weapons? Just generic titles, such as Field Agents, Building Security, Protective personnel (i.e. armed escorts), etc.
Does the DHS have personnel who need weapons for protection in their work? Yes or no. If yes, who (by title)? It’s that simple.
Surprisingly, some people who are field agents for, say, Dept. of Agriculture, Interior, Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, IRS, etc. do carry sidearms for protection from wild animals, drug farmers/traffickers, etc.
That is a legitimate reason to arm them.
The last thing I want is for Janet Napolitano to carry a weapon. Let her bodyguards (poor job description if I say so myself) carry them.
If there is a legitimate need for DHS personnel to carry firearms, just state it clearly. No one would object. However, if it is to create a new type of armed DHS presence, then we should know about it now.
[In the alternative, why can’t plain civilians also have a need to legally carry a weapon without being branded nuts and mass murderers in waiting? Walking some of the streets of our Democratic controlled cities is more dangerous than being a cop].
Trust me on this. I know what I’m asking about.