Posted on 07/18/2015 6:49:37 AM PDT by DCBryan1
ARKANSAS (KFSM) – Following the shooting death of four Marines in Chattanooga, Gov. Asa Hutchinson has authorized Arkansas National Guard Adjutant General Mark Berry to arm full-time military personnel.
The governor also ordered the Arkansas flag to be flown at half-staff on Monday (July 20), according to a news release.
“Our hearts break at the news of another senseless act of violence and terror, this time out of Chattanooga,” Governor Hutchinson said. “Our prayers go out to all the families of the victims, especially the family of Staff Sgt. David Wyatt of Russellville, one of Arkansas’s own.”
He continued, “I want to join in those who are calling for greater security at our recruiting stations and military installations. We’ve had numerous instances of attacks. Clearly they are a target, and for us to have unarmed military personnel makes no sense, which is why I am directing Major General Mark Berry to arm full-time personnel as he deems necessary at military installations.”
(Excerpt) Read more at 5newsonline.com ...
Disclaimer: I’m tremendously sympathetic to the “arm our troops” idea.
But the Fed has a problem: namely the Posse Comitatus laws, which prohibit DoD use of troops to enforce laws among US citizens.
How acceptable would it be to Consevatives if armed recruiters,eg, apprehended a fleeing bank robber?
Would the carrying of arms by Marines or soldiers be limited to only self-defense?
What about the defense of others?
What of citizen’s arrest for just cause?
TC
If it’s legal for armed citizens to do it, then it should be legal for armed SMs to do it. That’s not law enforcement, that’s standard protection of life and property, i.e. being a good citizen.
But as I'm sure you'll agree, a service member should have the same rights (and limitations) as any other citizen. The right to carry a weapon for self-defense, yes, absolutely. But I would not want to see any armed DoD personnel - or any armed citizen, for that matter - involved in anything that could be classified as a police action.
So I suppose strict guidelines would have to be issued here.
He’s not perfect but I have always liked Asa Hutchinson.
“Gov. Asa Hutchinson has authorized Arkansas National Guard Adjutant General Mark Berry to arm full-time military personnel.”
I have to ask, if it has come to this, then doesn’t this show that something is horribly wrong in our own country, on our own land?
About time. We can trust our troops moving 50 million dollar aircraft on less than an acre heaving ship, drive billion dollar subs, keep our secrets and die before being old enough to drink but we can’t trust them to keep the firearms we trained them on?
Nonsense. Arm the troops.
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.