More Firearms Equal More Grief, Loss of Life

The Columbus Dispatch ^ | 26 December 2003 | Officer Pat Barr

[buccaneer81]

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Local/State > Editorials More firearms equal more grief, loss of life Friday, December 26, 2003

As the debate over the concealed carry of handguns continues, I am baffled that any law-enforcement officer or agency would come out in favor of the bill. I applaud Gov. Bob Taft; obviously, he is a man of conviction and common sense.

I have yet to hear the pro-carry people explain why putting several thousand more guns out on the street is a good idea and how that would make us all safer.

There have been about 105 homicides in just Columbus this year, many of them involving firearms. Without looking at the statistics, I’ll bet not one of the firearms used was a weapon registered to the suspect, purchased legally or that the suspect completed any firearms training.

Folks, I have a newsflash for you: Most of the firearms used in shooting and homicide incidents are stolen during burglaries or from automobiles. Very rarely are they legitimately owned.

I have been a police officer in Columbus for almost 24 years. Having spent most of that time on the street and in homicide, I have knocked on many doors to tell family members that someone they loved wouldn’t be coming home because someone with a firearm had ended their loved one’s life.

I watched the TV coverage of the "peaceful" pro-carry rally at the Statehouse by those who claim it is their right to carry a firearm. One man was wearing a pearl-handled .44 Magnum in a Western-style holster. He’s just what we need standing in line next to a family while they wait to get into a Blue Jackets game. After years of seeing firsthand the grief, suffering and loss of life, quite frankly the thought makes me sick.

And these same people are fighting public access to records of the people issued permits to carry concealed firearms. Well, it’s my right, should this bill ever pass, God forbid, to know who they are!

OFFICER PAT BARR

Columbus Division of Police

[XRdsRev]

Pat Barr - I'm a cop and I tell you what is best for you. Now shut up and get out your ID.

[Robert_Paulson2]

Excellent FACT there Byron.
Excellent.

[Grut]

One man was wearing a pearl-handled .44 Magnum in a Western-style holster. He’s just what we need standing in line next to a family while they wait to get into a Blue Jackets game.

I agree. Anyone who'd put pearl grips on a .44 Mag shouldn't be allowed around children.

[stevem]

I suppose I should start with a personal assumption. I assume Pat Barr is a Columbus cop. If not, would someone bring me up to date?

Now, don't cops in Columbus carry firearms? Doesn't Pat Barr?

If the answer to either of these questions is yes, could someone please ask Officer Pat Barr why either is so. If citizens in Ohio don't need guns, Pat Barr and other officers surely don't either.

[MarkeyD]

Just like the Prohibition ended all drunk driving!

[ExSoldier]

"This is a guy that wants to be the chief of police.

Well said! CCW is not anti-law enforcement, it's anti police state. Cops like this and most democrats have never been able to make the distinction. This cop is a rare duck that was not influenced by the public education system, so it had to have come from home. Most young cops that have this attitude are products of public education, that's their excuse. This guy probably wouldn't do too well in a southern police force.

[At _War_With_Liberals]

"One of the new breed who's been completely brainwashed by the leftist-socialist agenda."

But the lib parties are much more fun. "Activist cops" are annoying.

[TheRedSoxWinThePennant]

only for criminals and their families.

[VOA]

More Firearms Equal More Grief, Loss of Life

With all due respect to "Office Pat Barr", if I ever met him, I'd tell him I
honored to meet a man who thinks he's smarter than the voters in a majority of
the united states (those that have concealed-carrry).

And express my condolences that he thinks he lives in a state populated by criminals
and idiots who are unfit to lawfull and safely use handguns.

[ExSoldier]

"Anyone who'd put pearl grips on a .44 Mag shouldn't be allowed around children."

What was the famous quote by General Patton about pearl handled grips on handguns?

[Old Professer]

Reads more like a she to me.

[Main Street]

The majority of states in this country honor the Second Amendment, and the RIGHT of law abiding individuals to protect themselves and their families, from liberal empowered criminals.

We fought for many years here in Michigan for that RIGHT of concealed carry. And for many years it seemed that we would never see the light at the end of the tunnel. The anti-gun 'Rape Enablers' were so entrenched in the media; and the liberal media was so overwhelmingly anti-Second Amendment, that it was extremely difficult for our voices to be heard.

The 'Rape Enablers' had almost full control of all forms of mass media here. But for ONE local conservative radio personality, known as Mark Scott, a former Korean War combat Marine, grass root groups were able to form, increase their memberships, and get the good word out. With the advent of the World Wide Web, we finally had a large vehicle to express are views, without being censored by the liberal controlled media.

Our power increased. And we were soon able to rally, and vote out those 'Rape Enablers' that held public office; soon turning the tide in our favor for 'Self-Protection Empowerment'.

Emulating their leader, Bill Clinton, the liberals here were caught with there pants down. When it finally looked like they might lose this fight, the Libs went into what could best be described as a nuclear hissy fit in overdrive. The local newspaper columnists, along with the panicked voices of every desperate liberal radio talk show host, and local TV news broadcaster, changed to a high pitched scream, exhibiting a state of exasperated desperation.

They resorted to every dirty trick in the book, from trying to spread fear that "blood would flow in the streets", to, "people would have to hide in their basements just to keep from being shot, as the bullets whizz by over their heads", to, "it will be like the Wild Wild West all over again", to, "hundreds of innocent children are going to be killed".

They even tried to trick the public with misinformation, and cover organizations, that said one thing, but meant another. They called their petition drive, something like "The Organization to Save Our Children". I was approached by a liberal anti-CCW "Rape Enabler' petition taker, at the post office, who said to me, "Sir, would you like to sign our petition to save the children?"

The liberal Wayne County Prosecutor, went on local TV talk shows, desperately trying to stop it "before it was too late!" He used phony statistics from fraudulent studies paid for by the anti-gun group, 'Hand Guns Inc.', while delivering intense desperate arguments, ending with near epileptic seizures.

The liberal, and nationally syndicated radio talk show host, Mitch Album, who broadcasts from here in Detroit, along with his no talent co-hosts, 'yes-men' and ass kissers, "Kenny and Rachel", went into an almost constant anti-right-to-carry, propaganda blitz. Using the same fanatical fear and panic approach. Mitch even forbade pro-right-to-carry , pro-Second Amendment proponents who called in, from getting on the air, allowing only the opinion's of anti-gun individuals to be heard. Mitch turned out to be a real liberal Fascist S.O.B.

It didn't work. The law was past. Law abiding adults now had the ability to protect themselves and their families, and the liberal "Rape Enablers" were OUTRAGED. Many liberal county prosecutors resigned in protest. One even said he "didn't want blood on his hands".

And what happened?? NOTHING!!! ABSOLUTELY, NOTHING!!! NO blood flowing in the streets! NO hiding in basement to keep from being shot! NO bullets whizzed by overhead! NO Wild Wild West! NO innocent children killed!.

NO PROBLEMS!!! They were ALL wrong on EVERY single argument.

From the liberal 'Rape Enablers' came.....silence. A few liberals expressed surprise "that it's so peaceful".

Now the few die-hards have altered their morbid apocalyptic predictions to, "Sooner or later, SOMEBODY is going to get killed". And when that "one somebody" "sooner or later", DOES "get killed", the desperate anti-gun 'Rape Enablers' will be all over it like white on rice. But they will just be spitting into the wind, because the Michigan voters now know the truth, through experience, that the liberals were nothing but lying frauds all along.

About 15 years ago, we went through much of the same thing when the libs tried desperately to keep law abiding Michigan citizens from having the use of 'mace' and 'pepper spray' as a tool for self-defense. Their argument was that criminals would then use it to commit crimes. We got the Right too, and their lying predictions never happened.

BTW, since the CCW law went into effect here, crime has taken a noticeable drop. And guess who the liberal media here is giving the credit to. To the same Wayne County prosecutor who did everything in his power to stop law abiding citizens the right to protect themselves. CCW's are NEVER mentioned, not even as a contributing factor of the lower crime rate.

[freepatriot32]

There have been about 105 homicides in just Columbus this year, many of them involving firearms

Yeah and geuss what newsflash those 105 people were unarmed at the time of thier murder can you say duuuuuuuh you idiot please if you havent done so alread y resign from the police force the fewer a**holes like yourself are on the force the better and safer your city will be

[VOA]

the Black officer had enough integrity to tell him that no, in a nationwide survey of
street cops by a police supply company, they were about 90% against more gun controls.

Although I didn't see it, this reminds me of an interview that Katie Kouric (sp?)
had with a black lady police officer who had performed with valor and (IIRC) was
recovering from wounds received in a "smack-down" of some thugs.

Katie was pushing the "strong woman of color" angle when the lady officer
mentioned a verbotten subject: the officer was IN FAVOR of law-abiding citizens
owning/carrying weapons.

As I understand, the interview was over about 10 seconds after that utterance.

[Spottys Spurs]

"More Firearms Equal More Grief, Loss of Life:"

Yeah, especially if you are a terrorist in my part of the USA!

[neverdem]

From my experience, this officer is part of a distinct minority of LEOs. His attitude is condescending and patronizing at best. He is part of the problem.

From knowing a fair number of members of the NYPD his views are preponderant. He's a cop in the capitol of Ohio and what I believe is a medium size city. He must be politically correct.

My impression is that this is an urban vs. rural phenomena, with the battle being decided by the "soccer moms" in the suburbs.

[Old Professer]

Reads more like a she to me.

[buccaneer81]

He's a cop in the capitol of Ohio and what I believe is a medium size city. He must be politically correct.

He's as PC as they come in Columbus. I work with many CPD officers. Their opinion is almost uniform. The cops can't be there. Law abiding citizens can prevent tragedies. Pat Barr is very much the exception to the rule.

[TheAngryClam]

I have yet to hear the pro-carry people explain why putting several thousand more guns out on the street is a good idea and how that would make us all safer.

Obviously, he hasn't been listening.

[Grut]

What was the famous quote by General Patton about pearl handled grips on handguns?

"Only a pimp from a cheap New Orleans whorehouse would carry a pearl-handled pistol."