Everybody gets guns but us

The Chicago Sun-Times ^ | December 16, 2005 | Al Barski and Thaddeus J. Kochanny

[Max in Utah]

Retired cops should have no higher right to carry a concealed weapon than anyone else.

Yeah, it's a well-known fact that cops suddenly forget everything they know about weapons handling, law, crime-fighting, etc. after they turn in their shields. Obviously they have no special qualifications to carry guns.

[Navy Patriot]

Retired cops should have no higher right to carry a concealed weapon than anyone else.

Excellent point, and in fact the Constitution does not recognize a higher right for any citizen retired or not. Cops or anybody else have exactly the same rights under the Constitution.

[Toadman]

"The point is, a civilian doesn't spend every day confronting the evil side of human nature, a cop does. Those people a cop has sentup sometimes coming looking for that cop, and they don't care if that cop has retired or not.

You beat me to the punch. You articulated it much better than I could have.

To add another point... in this case a retired Chicago Police Officer has LESS rights than an normal citizen.

It's a traveshamockery!

[Condor51]

***I think he is pointing out that civilians can carry concealed(if they manage to actually get a permit) but he can't. I would say that is discrimination, wouldn't you?***

No. That's not what the ex-cop is moaning about.

In IL we do not have Concealed Carry, never have (almost did but that's a long story). And in Chicago handguns are illegal to possess - period.

What he wants is a Special Privilege - SCREW HIM. When I can legally carry HE can, until then he can STFU!

[Condor51]

***To add another point... in this case a retired Chicago Police Officer has LESS rights than an normal citizen.***

Wrong. He has the exact same rights. There is NO Concealed Carry in IL and in Chicago handguns are BANNED - for all 'citizens'.

When I can carry, he can.

Oh and since he lives in the city, he better have sold his handgun stat upon retiring (Chicago cops buy their own), otherwise he is guilty of a felony.

[RogueIsland]

Yeah, it's a well-known fact that cops suddenly forget everything they know about weapons handling, law, crime-fighting, etc. after they turn in their shields. Obviously they have no special qualifications to carry guns.

I would bet that a fairly large percentage of cops have less formal handgun training that I have had.

[absolootezer0]

Retired cops should have no higher right to carry a concealed weapon than anyone else.

hrm.. i agree with that only on the basis that EVERYONE should have the right to conceal. retired cops however are slightly more at risk than civilians tho, as they most likely have arrested people that carry grudges.

[calex59]

Well, if that is the case then tough sh** to him and other retired cops. If they support the disarming of citizens then they have brought this on themselves. Thanks for clearing that up for me.

[King Prout]

well, looks like the former cat's paw doesn't like being a mouse.

get your former brothers in blue to strike until the civilian population of Chicago may freely own and carry firearms if it bothers you so much, Former-cop/present-civilian Barski.

[Old Student]

"I believe we should go back to the days where everyone carried, "

I think you should have made that comma a period, and left it there. Everyone should carry, openly. (With concealed backups, too.) Call me a radical.

[jjm2111]

--Yep. Wonder how many times he personally enforced Chicago's gun laws against said peasants.

--Also gotta wonder whether, how often, and how loudly his police union lobbied against concealed-carry for the "rest of us."

Second on the both of them. Many cops say to Joe Peasant, 'why do you need to carry???', but never would go anywhere w/out their guns.

[jjm2111]

"Yeah, it's a well-known fact that cops suddenly forget everything they know about weapons handling, law, crime-fighting, etc. after they turn in their shields. Obviously they have no special qualifications to carry guns. "

Some cops know very little about weapons. Some cops shoot less often than some civilians. I can easily believe that the cop who only goes to the range 2-3 times a year to qual is much better than the guy who practices IDPA for fun.

[Richard-SIA]

I agree!

Now we'll both be flamed to death by L.E. sycophants.

[porkchops 4 mahound]

If public safety is the goal, all ex-cops should be required to carry concealed, if they are able to.

This looks to me like Mayor El Jefe Daly, is afraid of certain retired cops. Remember when they collected weapons and ammo from the troops when Billy Bob "the stainmeister" Klintoon spoke to the troops somewhere in some hot zone? He aggregated troops, and then disarmed them, for no logical stated reason. I figure Billy Bob was afraid of our own troops.

De Ja Vu all over again?

[paul51]

Yeah, it's a well-known fact that cops suddenly forget everything they know about weapons handling, law, crime-fighting, etc. after they turn in their shields

When it comes to weapons handling, I don't think most cops have anything over most civilian firearm owners.(and that's being generous)

[Max in Utah]

I can easily believe that the cop who only goes to the range 2-3 times a year to qual is much better than the guy who practices IDPA for fun.

Your wife is assaulted on the street by a knife-wielding gangbanger. An armed citizen is nearby; he is either:

1) a retired cop with plenty of experience and street smarts
-or-
2) a better-than-average target shooter who never confronted a bad guy

Which would you choose?

Ideally every reponsible citizen should be able to carry at all times, if they so decide. Until then, I'd want at least a few more good guys out there (retired Chicago cops) with the means to stop the bad guys.

[paul51]

I'd prefer to to have someone with tactical training and practice that more civilians than cops do. When it comes to experience and street smarts, private citizens are not all the neophytes you seem to suggest.

[Max in Utah]

I'd prefer to have a Delta Force operator, but I'll take what I can get.

[Leatherneck_MT]

" Retired cops should have no higher right to carry a concealed weapon than anyone else."

No higher right than a Retired Marine

Retired Shoe Salesman

Retired Nanny

Where cops get the idea that just because they are cops they get some kind of special consideration is beyond me.

[Leatherneck_MT]

"I think you should have made that comma a period, and left it there. Everyone should carry, openly. (With concealed backups, too.) Call me a radical."

Radical!!

In the same cloth as

Patrick Henry
Thomas Jefferson
Samual Adams

My kind of Radical.

Semper Fi