Police commissioner joins call for assault-weapons ban

Philly.com / Philadelphia Inquirer Online ^ | 4/2/2004

[dirtboy]

Hoisting a rubber imitation of an assault rifle yesterday in the lobby of Police Headquarters, Police Commissioner Sylvester M. Johnson made a point: "There's no reason to have this type of weapon other than to kill a human being."

Johnson joined several state representatives, a half-dozen mothers of murder victims, and others at a news conference calling for the reauthorization of the federal assault-weapons ban set to expire Sept. 13 unless Congress acts to renew it. Should the federal ban "sunset," some state lawmakers hope to pass a bill introduced in Harrisburg last month that would restrict assault weapons.

"I support this legislation 1,000 percent. They're not only shooting citizens. They're shooting police officers. Anything I can do, anything law enforcement can do, we're totally and completely for it," Johnson said.

Rep. T.J. Rooney (D., Northampton), one of those behind the bill introduced March 17, said at the news conference: "The prospect of the federal assault-weapons ban sunsetting is something that I think should concern, and does concern, the vast majority of Pennsylvanians throughout the commonwealth."

[epow]

but when the order to confiscate comes along would they fail to obey it?

Of course I can't answer for all cops, and I'm pretty sure that many, maybe most, would follow orders if it meant losing their jobs, insurance, retirement benefits, etc. But I am as sure as anyone can be of another person that a cousin who is retired from a sheriff's dept would have quit his job and gone over to the other side if he had been ordered to confiscate guns from lawful owners. He was shot at several times and hit once in the line of duty, but he has never changed his full and enthusiastic support for private gun ownership.

[archy]

Of course they application may indeed involve killing people, but then so would throwing Molotov cocktails at the approaching hoards.

Too short-ranged, and inviting retaliation in kind from that approaching horde or its recon element.

The field expedient flame fougasse, as used for perimeter defense around Vietnam special forces base camps is a much better idea, providing command detonation not requiring the user to light up a Molotov first, making himself or herself a target, and thereby very much favoring the defenders. That also allows a supply of Molotov Cocktails to be used for followup on targets now pre-ignited.

The flame fougasse is thereby the civilian equivalent of the Claymore mine, and a modern adaptation of the stone fougasse or petard of antiquity.

[Ajnin]

Now I see This thread Comments?

What is your point? I didn't write that all cops were pro second amnedment.

[archy]

They pulled my post for that?......geesh

No donations to FR this period.

[archy]

Police Commissioner Sylvester M. Johnson made a point: "There's no reason to have this type of weapon other than to kill a human being."

Then why do cops all love them so much? Are they just itching to kill human beings?

That explains why the police feel they *need* M79 grenade launchers, silenced sniper rifles, and belt-dfed machineguns.

They're plotting murder and genocide, and the revolutionary suppression of the US constitution.

[coloradan]

But I am as sure as anyone can be of another person that a cousin who is retired from a sheriff's dept would have quit his job and gone over to the other side if he had been ordered to confiscate guns from lawful owners.

And therein lies the rub. Those in possession of guns in violation of law are not lawful owners. Today, people who have committed no other crime than to own unregistered machine guns and sawed-off rifles and shotguns are violent felons under the law, and there is no shortage of BATFE JBTs ready to arrest or kill them. The same applies to owners of semiautomatics in CA, CT, and a few other states.

In a few years, it might be owners of anything other than double-barrel shotguns, .22 rifles, and revolvers. Anyone owning anything else are "not lawful owners." And the same goes if the prohibition extends from misdemeanor domestic violence offenders (today) to all midemeanants, to anyone with any traffic ticket. Such a law would also make essentially everyone into prohibited people, and therefore "not lawful owners."

[archy]

And the Philadelphia police deppartment has helicopters only so that they can drop bombs on residential neighborhoods and burn them to the ground. After all, it was a mostly minority area, and the taxpayers paid for it.

[Travis McGee]

They can try. We can try to resist.

[ought-six]

Police Chiefs and Police Commissioners are against citizens having guns for one reason only: Money. It's a fact that where citizens have CCW violent crime is reduced. Reduced violent crime means less need for increases in police-related programs, and thus less need for public money to go to the police bureaucrats.

[stevio]

This guy Rooney is from my area, he is a bastard.

[from occupied ga]

that a cousin who is retired from a sheriff's dept would have quit his job

Obviously not from NY or MA

[from occupied ga]

What is your point? I didn't write that all cops were pro second amnedment.

I'm trying to get an idea of what percentage would stand solidly by the Bill of Right and what percentage would stand in the "I vas chust following orders" camp. My guess is the former are outnumbered by the latter.

[JOE43270]

They only reason these police commisioners say these things is because if we had more semi automatic AK-47's there would be less crime and his yearly budget would go down. We are the only ones who care about his policemen. Law-abiding citizens are the only ones he would prevent from having anything. The bad guys will have all the assualt weapons they want because they don't obey the law!

[Ajnin]

I believe that you are right. I think there are very few LEO's that keep the Constitution in mind when performing their duties. I know the people I work with for the most part only care about getting a paycheck. My agency, the Border Patrol and Law Enforcement in general, seem to be turning into just another welfare program.

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

Which one of those three men were you talking about?

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

Just to clarify, if I become a Police Officer I'll still consider myself a citizen.

[epow]

And therein lies the rub. Those in possession of guns in violation of law are not lawful owners

I understand your point and I agree, but that isn't what I meant by the phrase "lawful gun owners". I was referring to criminals who possess and use guns to commit crimes. I don't think any of us object to confiscating guns from people such as the two men who were just convicted of committing multiple murders in VA and MD with a Bushmaster AR, or the head case they recently caught shooting at cars in OH.

[coloradan]

I agree with you, however, many or most police officers do not make the distinction between murderers who own guns, and otherwise non-criminal citizens who own guns banned by law; both are criminal.

A police officer "who supports lawful gun ownership" might be the knowing tool of a tyrant or might be a die-hard firearms rights advocate. Based on the promise alone, there simply isn't enough information to tell.

[El Gato]

The field expedient flame fougasse, as used for perimeter defense around Vietnam special forces base camps is a much better idea, providing command detonation not requiring the user to light up a Molotov first, making himself or herself a target, and thereby very much favoring the defenders.

Works for me. But I'd rather have Ma Deuce, or maybe a M-61A2 Vulcan 20mm Gatling type cannon. The funny thing is that a hand cranked Gatling in .50 BMG would be perfectly legal, and no NFA tax required.