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When Gunmen Strike, You're on Your Own
Mises Institute ^

Posted on 11/08/2017 10:51:37 AM PST by JP1201

Here is an often-used tactic to defend government police organizations from criticism. Whenever critics point out abusive tactics of police officers, defenders counter with: "And yet you won't refuse police help the next time there's a robber in your house!" This, we are told, illustrates that all police critics are "hypocrites."

This has always been a dishonest tactic, of course, since "consumers" of police "services" are forced to pay for the local monopoly police force, and have no other options. Government police forces have monopolized the marketplace and crowded out many private security services. Thus, calling the police to scare off some robbers on one's property is no more hypocritical than a critic of the local power company who nevertheless turns on a lightbulb. It's simply a matter of making do with a high-priced, low-quality monopolist when no competition is allowed.

Just how low these low-quality services are has become more apparent in recent months.

In the wake of yesterday's church shooting in Texas, for example, private citizens were the ones who shot back at the assailant, and then chased him down in a high speed pursuit. The police did nothing but write some reports afterward.

A few months earlier, as violence escalated during the Charlottesville riot in Virginia, the law enforcement agencies stood back and did little except crash a helicopter in the woods.

Worst of all, of course, is the fact that it took police an hour and 12 minutes to respond to the Las Vegas shooter who killed more than fifty people as he opened fire on a crowd near the Las Vegas strip. Although hotel security had reported the location of the gunman — who had shot a security guard — even before the shooting began, local police agencies waited more than hour before entering the shooter's room. It remains unclear why the shooter stopped shooting after only about ten minutes, but we do know that he would have been free to keep shooting for a much, much longer period of time.1

Among advocates for private firearms ownership, the old joke is that "when seconds matter, the police are only minutes away." In Las Vegas at least, the saying could be "when second matter, the police are only an hour (or more) away."

Defenders of the police, of course, will claim that an hour of preparation was necessary in order to protect "officer safety." But this also tells you a lot about how government police function: while a gunman is raining down gunfire upon a crowd of people, it's officer safety that comes first, not citizen safety.

These are just some more recent examples. A multitude of historical examples remain, as well, including the Columbine school shooting in which local police agencies did nothing but seal off the area while the shooters remained untouched inside the school. The students and faculty trapped inside the school were on their own.

One might also point to the Waco Texas massacre in which police agencies, claiming to be rescuing women and children from the cultist David Koresh, decided to burn most of them to death instead.

None of this should surprise us.

It is established policy in the United States that police agencies have no duty to protect citizens, and are not liable for any harm that comes to citizens due to police inaction. In other words, the taxpayers are required to pay for "protection" from police. But the police aren't required to actually provide services. One can only imagine the howls we'd hear if any private industry were allowed to function in a similar way.

So, we shouldn't expect any reform or any other measure that will hold police accountable for doing so little to engage and stop violent criminals in times of extreme crisis.

If anything, we should expect police agencies to call for the taxpayers to pay even more for more police services. This, of course, is what happened in the wake of September 11, 2001. One of the worst security failures in American history — a failure allowed by the most well-funded security and police agencies in the world — did not lead to questions of whether Americans are actually getting their money's worth for the generous budgets that go year after year to federal law enforcement agencies. Instead, we were all told the taxpayers should be prepared to shell out even more money and give up even more of their freedoms.

The same is true of local police agencies. Police departments are ever hungry for more funding, for combat vehicles to use against the local population, and for more firepower.

But even when police are armed and equipped to teeth, arrests for petty drug offenses remain the priority, while car thefts, rapes, and assaults produce few arrests. As the police response to the riots on Ferguson Missouri showed, police are happy to protect government buildings and government property. Everyone else, it seems, is on his own.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: banglist
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1 posted on 11/08/2017 10:51:37 AM PST by JP1201
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To: JP1201

When seconds count, the police are minutes away.


2 posted on 11/08/2017 10:53:03 AM PST by DoughtyOne (On 11/08/16, G. H. W. Bush voted for H. Clinton. G. W. Bush left the top slot open. Any questions)
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To: JP1201
When Muslims strike you're on your own.
3 posted on 11/08/2017 10:53:05 AM PST by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either satire or opinion. Or both.)
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To: JP1201

The armed citizen is the first responder.


4 posted on 11/08/2017 10:53:06 AM PST by ForYourChildren (Christian Education [ RomanRoadsMedia.com - Classical Christian Approach to Homeschool ])
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To: JP1201

The 5 rules of a gun fight:

1) gun beats no gun
2) a hit beats a miss
3) fast beats slow
4) big holes beat small holes
5) multiple holes beat a single hole


5 posted on 11/08/2017 11:02:39 AM PST by taxcontrol (Stupid should hurt)
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To: JP1201
It is established policy in the United States that police agencies have no duty to protect citizens, and are not liable for any harm that comes to citizens due to police inaction. In other words, the taxpayers are required to pay for "protection" from police. But the police aren't required to actually provide services. One can only imagine the howls we'd hear if any private industry were allowed to function in a similar way.

First step in the clean up, when a law enforcement agency loses in court and has to pay, it MUST come from that agencies pension fund.

Change is never going to happen when taxpayers are the ones on the hook for police mistakes or misdeeds.

6 posted on 11/08/2017 11:02:57 AM PST by Sergio (An object at rest cannot be stopped! - The Evil Midnight Bomber What Bombs at Midnight)
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To: JP1201

Again!
Guys and Gals w/Guns are our best/only bet ~ The more POTUS.45 publicly and vigorously shows his support for this the more Guys/Gals/Guns will be out there for the folks!

No response time, No Calls for BackUp, No chain of command, No complex procedures, Etc, Etc.
The ONLY answer and it ain’t Gubmint, Police, or any other ineffective means!


7 posted on 11/08/2017 11:03:46 AM PST by gunnyg ("A Constitution changed from Freedom, can never be restored; Liberty, once lost, is lost forever...)
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To: JP1201

Government police forces have monopolized the marketplace and crowded out many private security services


Well, that’s a new one. But unless the police crowded out ALL the private services, then they are not a monopoly. Maybe it’s time to start up some more private services.


8 posted on 11/08/2017 11:04:31 AM PST by sparklite2 (-)
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To: Sergio

First step in the clean up, when a law enforcement agency loses in court and has to pay, it MUST come from that agencies pension fund.


Okay, but let’s go even further. Initiate loser pays, so that if the LEO wins in court, the loser has to pay court costs and both side’s lawyer fees. In America, you should not be able to compel innocent parties to spend their money.


9 posted on 11/08/2017 11:08:01 AM PST by sparklite2 (-)
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To: JP1201

Not entirely on my own; there’s us three — me, Smith and Wesson.

—Clint Eastwood in Sudden Impact; one of the great lines ever.


10 posted on 11/08/2017 11:08:01 AM PST by Migraine ((A smartass who is right can be downright funny. A smartass who is wrong is just a smartass.))
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To: DoughtyOne

11 posted on 11/08/2017 11:08:27 AM PST by Fiddlstix (Warning! This Is A Subliminal Tagline! Read it at your own risk!(Presented by TagLines R US))
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To: JP1201
(from the article):" .. as violence escalated during the Charlottesville riot in Virginia,
the law enforcement agencies stood back and did little except crash a helicopter in the woods."

The police were ordered to "Stand Down" as last I knew..
and were then pulled back after cutting off all other means of exit.
This forced the "running of the gauntlet" where one side was attacked by an armed opposing side.
This was a planned and ordered governmental incident;
it did not occur by happenstance !

12 posted on 11/08/2017 11:14:02 AM PST by Tilted Irish Kilt
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To: Fiddlstix

Works for me.


13 posted on 11/08/2017 11:15:54 AM PST by DoughtyOne (On 11/08/16, G. H. W. Bush voted for H. Clinton. G. W. Bush left the top slot open. Any questions)
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To: Fiddlstix

911 is is the government’s idea of dial a Prayer.


14 posted on 11/08/2017 11:17:07 AM PST by SandRat (Duty, Honor, Country)
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To: JP1201

Oh, we’re getting our money’s worth from Bobby Mueller, who is going to throw Nevertrumper enemies in jail on the taxpayer’s dime, lots of them.


15 posted on 11/08/2017 11:17:47 AM PST by colorado tanker
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To: sparklite2

Do not be surprised if there are more security companies are started with a focus on protecting churches.


16 posted on 11/08/2017 11:18:07 AM PST by Biggirl ("One Lord, one faith, one baptism" - Ephesians 4:5)
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To: JP1201

The Big Lie is that the government can ensure our safety. The left pushes the myth to defend its big government agenda. The only thing government does well is oppress its citizens.


17 posted on 11/08/2017 11:19:13 AM PST by Spok
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To: Biggirl

And just as a precaution, they should have
metal detectors at the church’s front door,
you know, to make sure everybody is packing. ;)


18 posted on 11/08/2017 11:22:44 AM PST by sparklite2 (-)
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To: taxcontrol

“The 5 rules of a gun fight:.....”

and might I add..... Rule No.6 Be sure to empty the entire clip.


19 posted on 11/08/2017 11:23:34 AM PST by EnglishOnly (Fight all out to win OR get out now. .)
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To: JP1201

I will survive or go out in a blaze of glory.


20 posted on 11/08/2017 11:27:35 AM PST by umgud
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