I've seen a few posts around where people think I'm overly pessimistic in my assessment of the cops and guns poll.
Sorry, fellas, but your rosier outlook notwithstanding, I actually think the "2/3 wouldn't confiscate guns" belief is, well...naive. If ordered and threatened with termination and loss of benefits and pensions if they didn't obey confiscation orders, I doubt you'd see much adherence to theoretical principles volunteered to a magazine poll. And if we were talking about a martial law situation, where actual punishment would be administered for refusing to obey, I'm betting compliance would be just about complete.
So you're also overly generous to me in your assessment that I'm a "half empty" type. I think it's much worse than that.
It could be that I'm just cynical and negative. Perhaps.
Then again, perhaps not .
As the fundraising slogan goes, "Remember New Orleans."
no, I think you're right on with this.
ReplyDeleteI'd go on and tell stories about cops I know...but I think at least half of them would do it with NO problems or questions. The other half would do it just to save face.
I have direct contact with the "only ones" and 100% of the ones I have queried, flatly stated that they DO NOT believe in citizen concealed carry and are less than agreeable with private firearm ownership. That's a fact! I know there are some exceptions ... maybe even among the ones I know but certainly not among any of the ones I have discussed this with.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's a regional thing. Around here I know quite a few who might say they were doing it but who would just have the worst luck in finding anything.
ReplyDeletePart of that might be because there are so many folks here who the cops know quite well would not take confiscation kindly and there aren't enough cops to hit everyone with overwhelming force all at once.
Now in the inner city parts of KC, sure - not only are there a lot of folks there that cause enough trouble in good times, there are a lot more 'elite' officers in those divisions.
I do believe it is regional to some extent. I work in an urban area where the minds are poisoned and dulled. The thought of owning a firearm is anathema for the majority and if you do own one, you are viewed as mentally defective or "something wrong" with you.
ReplyDeleteAnother consideration is the attitude that develops once you become one of the only ones. It takes great character (that is becoming harder to find) to insulate oneself from the elitist attitude that seems to come with a badge.
Yes, there are good only ones out there but how good they are will be determined when the confiscation orders come down.
Good cops that observe the law in defiance of orders end up dead. It is that simple, unless he is very lucky or very good.
ReplyDeleteI know of quite a few cases of this. I know of two where the set-ups were thwarted, but there is no doubt whatsoever that the cops tried to have them killed, even though it didn't work out.
One for arresting a crooked cop, the other for not charging a man with a murder that was committed while the man the sheriff and DA wanted to "clear" the case on, was in his jail.
The first example above the man was shot by a weapon that was from the police department property room, wielded by a man in jail on a no bond/bail hold who somehow got out that night. My friend shot and killed the assailant after receiving two througn and through to his ankles. He laid on the street for more than 45 minutes after calling in "officer down, shots fired". He was only three blocks from the police station.
I don't want to hear them talk the talk. When they start observing the law and insisting their brother officers do or start arresting them when they don't, then I might believe they would obey the law and not the boss. Till then I still think most of them don't have the courage or integrity to do the right thing.
It has been proven repeatedly that 'officers' will "only follow orders". As David pointed out; New Orleans. Then there's China, Germany, Russia and other countries where it has been done. In many cases repeatedly. The United States is made up from people from ALL of the countries mentioned above. As well as others.
ReplyDeleteHuman nature does not change. And, so long as it remains the same. We The People need to be armed to keep it in 'check'.