Posted on 07/01/2012 8:25:31 PM PDT by DogByte6RER
“Would You Take Away Guns From Law-Abiding Citizens?” Open Poll Causes Stir In American COP Magazine
Will You Do It?
I’ve known anti-gun cops, who seriously said things like, ‘They have no right to own a gun, it’s my job to protect them. If they have guns, it’s just a danger to me!’
I ike to think my “real” job is as the editor of our sister publication, American Handgunner magazine. A publisher wears many hats, but what I really like to do is write, edit and interact with readers. What I’ve never forgotten is we, you and I, are the same — I just happen to have this job. I spent a long time as a cop in San Diego, and an even longer lifetime so far as a shooter and gun owner. I (and parent company FMG) feel strongly about the right of law-abiding Americans to own firearms, for any reason they like; from hunting, plinking, collecting, reloading, you-name-it. But most assuredly, we believe Americans have the right to own firearms for personal protection. This brings me to a sore subject for many Handgunner readers.
I get regular reader mail asking essentially the same question: “Roy, as a former cop, do you think today’s younger cops would actually try to take guns away from law-abiding citizens, if they were told to do so by their leaders?” Keep in mind, real people and regular people just like us — not crazies — seriously worry about this.
Since I’ve sort of “crossed-over” both sides of the fence being both a law enforcer and law-abiding citizen gun owner, I can see what they’re talking about. I’ve known anti-gun cops, who seriously said things like, “They have no right to own a gun, it’s my job to protect them. If they have guns, it’s just a danger to me!” You might know someone like that too. And certainly, there are politicians out there who think the same way; and those very politicians often appoint police chiefs. Since sheriffs are elected, they can serve as a bit of a buffer on this topic. They more readily serve their voting constituent than the politically appointed chief does.
So, I’ll be blunt and ask you: Would you personally, go out and confiscate firearms from law abiding citizens — even if it goes against your personal opinion regarding the constitutional rights of citizens — and do it on the order of an administrative leader of your agency? Would you put your foot down and say, “No, that’s not legal, it’s not right, and I won’t do it” — all the while risking being disciplined or fired? Or would you simply do your duty, as it were? “I was only following orders!” And, if you don’t think it can happen, just look at New Orleans after the hurricane, when the city cops did that very thing. They also lost a lawsuit brought by the NRA in the aftermath. It was found the city of New Orleans did not have the right to confiscate firearms in the “interest of public safety.”
I was asked to write about this a long while ago, back when I was still a cop. I wrote the article and stated: I would not do it and, yes, I’d risk the consequences. I signed my name to the article, and my agency knew it. I also said I didn’t feel the vast majority of my LE peers would participate if they felt they were given an unlawful order to confiscate guns. But today? I honestly don’t know what would happen. What’s your opinion? You tell me.
If he is your next door neighbor then you must live across the street from me. The cop that lives across the street is a nut job who should be in a rubber room but carries a gun and a badge.
Do the police currently enforce RKBA infringements in jurisdictions with anti-gun laws, or do they stand up for our rights and defend the Second Amendment?
Would you expect them to do any diffrently if gun confiscation were ordered?
Hell yes there will be a huge number who will
And they are now paramilitaries, well armed as Literal storm troops - only they are called SWAT.
Why does the Department of Education have SWAT teams?
That’s exactly what I was thinking. Omar won’t need his job where he is going if the government tries to disarm America. Omar is not the sharpest knife in the drawer.
Which side do you expect the Gay Pride Month packers and munchers to be on?
Agree... Stay safe !
Every cop I ever brought the subject up to, said that is the day they call in sick. I’m not going to be target practice.
If they think they can execute their depradations with impunity, they are dillusional.
As was said 45 years ago...”If only us cops had guns us cops wouldn’t get shot!”
I saw what happened in NOLA after Katrina and know that it is a strong possibility.
I always thought that Ruby Ridge and Waco were test cases to see how the American people would react to such police state scenarios.
Rodney King as a convicted felon getting his a$$ kicked garnered more response so I guess they got the answer they wanted.
They have it for a reason and I have no doubt that the FBI is illegally keeping one too.
Perzackley!
After Ruby Ridge and Waco there was Jarbridge and Klamath Falls and a couple of other, smaller face-offs. I don’t know about all of them but I know for a fact that there were several rifles close at hand at Klamath Falls. I would guess the other incidents had similar back-up.
1) Earlier in my life, I was a physicist. Of course after a (successful) thesis defense we are all issued baryon-number inverters.
2) I have been using mine to stockpile roughly a gram of anti-hydrogen every day since 1983 in a magnetic field controlled by a dead-man switch which I have been holding in my hand since that time. That amounts to roughly 11 kilograms of antimatter, which will annihilate to produce 90-100 megatons of very short wave gamma rays.
3) If a cop comes to my home to confiscate my guns, I will have to put down the dead-man switch to pick up my shotgun. 4) I can't be responsible for what happens after that...
The reference to the book “Uninented Consequences” is a great one. I’m not sure if it is still in print, but it was pretty well written and definitely presented some plausible scenarios.
The reference to the book “Uninented Consequences” is a great one. I’m not sure if it is still in print, but it was pretty well written and definitely presented some plausible scenarios.
More than 99% of the badgemonkeys would do as directed.
No ifs ands or butts about it.....because I doubt the
majority of LEO have ever read the Declaration of Independence let alone the Constitution, they neither
know nor care about the content of those documents.
They care about one thing only, doing what they are
told to do so they can keep their job and paycheck, and
for many, continue to recieve the psychological validation
and dick hardening thrill they get from abusing their positions of petty authority.
If an officer has EVER arrested someone for merely being in
possession of a weapon...any weapon than that officer has
demonstated his ignorance and contempt for the Bill of Rights. And I’d venture a guess that close to 99% of
officers have made arrests based strictly on weapons
possession.... a right that the Second Amendment states
is inviolate. They understand what “shall not be infringed”
means...they just don’t give a rats ass.
This person’s rant is why so many on FR are “cop haters”. He proves the point.
Good little Nazi
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