Posted on 12/19/2004 7:30:58 AM PST by God defeats Darwin
The Mayor of Birmingham is an idiot.
The desire almost reached fever pitch in June when officers Harley Chisolm, Rob Bennett and Carlos Owen - all armed with handguns - were shot to death with a semi-automatic SKS rifle.
Those dang SKS rifles, up and shooting cops all by themselves, again.
And so should citizens.
--aside from the rifle "issue" , a mayor with a brain would be in order---
And so should citizens.
In Texas we do. :)
I think it was either Boxer or Feinstein who said these types of weapons have only one purpose- to kill a lot of people.
So by saying the police need these readily available, are they saying the police need to be able to kill lots of people at a moments notice?
They don't need a rifle they actually need a Bradley Fighting Vehicle. Anyone who has ever been to most parts of Birmingham would only feel safe with a .50 caliber machine gun. And yes the mayor is an idiot.
"Each officer who chooses to carry a rifle would first have to complete the necessary training and qualification program."
Uh are you insinuating that it's the 'citizens' of Birmingham that are dangerous? If you are, how dare you, those are VOTERS you're talking about. /sarcasm
Ok seriously, doesn't BPD have 12ga Remingtons in their squad cars? If not, that IS ridiculous.
But,.....but.......
Aren't those among the dangerous and deadly assault rifles we need to get off the streets?
(Where's the term "assault rifles" in this article, by the way?)
I also agree with you that if a firearm of this type is considered a "tool" for cops, it should also be considered as such for all law-abiding citizens. THAT also needs to be kept in mind by politicians that will no doubt whine and bleat the next time a criminal or crazy goes on a shooting rampage with one of these type of weapons.
If they aren't going to try and take these "tools" away from police that are "outgunned", even after such an unfortunate and horrible incident, then they need to forget trying to take them away from us.
Wishful thinking, I know. Whatever happens, I'm willing to give my guns up ONLY if they are willing to accept them LEAD FIRST.
Here in Penna we do, too. I carry an Armalite (.308cal) AR-10 w/ 10 20-round mags and Leupold glass, in the rear of my Jeep Grand Cherokee. And a Kimber 'Eclipse Target II' 1911A1 .45cal ACP, on my hip.
If it took 24 hits (presumably with a 9mm) to stop this guy, I seriously doubt the .223 Remington is the "magic bullet" they seem to be looking for. Personally, I think they'd be better off with the M1 .30 Carbine over the AR-15/.223.
Benjamin Griggs, 58, a mentally ill Vietnam War veteran who held police at bay for two hours...three colleagues were killed with rifle bullets that pierced their armored vests
Arming officers with a .223 won't change the fact that Kevlar soft body armor will not stop a centerfire rifle round.
Screw the AR-15.
Get a REAL rifle, an M-14. That'll take out any bad guy with an SKS.
It's that physics thingy, F=ma
In English, .308 beats .223 OR the SKS 7.62x39 (however personally I'd rather have the 7.62x39 than a wimpy .223)
Please no Flaming, I just don't like 'little' bullets or the concept behind the M-16 as a main battle rifle, i.e.; wound one enemy and then you take three people out of the fight. That concept only works when your enemy isn't a member of a death cult.
And please don't mention the Kevlar/rifle bullet matter. Ted Kennedy will read it and go on another BAN ALL RIFLE ammo cr@p again. (joking)
I've got a Kimber Tactical Custom II .45 and think it is a great pistol. I'm also considering buying an Armalite .308. I don't like Bushmaster's use of FAL mags, and I don't like the bolt release they use. How do you like the Armalite?
Too bad they gave you a crappy Jeep Grand Cherokee with the bulging, below the bumper, exploding gas tank. Then again, hasn't the Ford Crown Vic been noted as having an exploding gas tank of its own?
Those are a couple of good reasons to drive a Chevy truck like I've got.
By the way officer, thanks for your service. I went to high school in Pittsburgh, and my sister still lives there. I'm a former Marine, who like many Marines, has either become, or thought about becoming a police officer. I'm in the second category, but I do appreciate what you guys do every day.
Merry Christmas.
The police in Bagdad had the same complaint, but I hesitate to compare the two.
the AR-15's are in stock. . they just cannot issue them until the same number of black balaclavas are available . . .
/sarcasm
I agree that the 7.62 is a much better round, but most types of .308 AR-type weapons will outshoot a comparably sized (short-barreled) M1-A/M-14 anyday, AND, since many cops are former military and already trained with an M-16, it just makes sense to equip them with what they already know. The AR weapons are easier to handle (ergonomically speaking) also. The modular nature of the AR family also allows much more customization, and/or fitting-out for different missions. The AR is also much easier for individuals, other than an armorer, to repair. The M1-A/M-14 weapons are good weapons, but an AR in the same caliber is much better, in my opinion.
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