Another thread has got me thinking alot on something I dont enjoy thinking about and in order to avoid hijacking that thread I thought I would start another one.
Let me preface this by saying I think there is a real need for law enforcement. I also have alot of respect for the cops that track down evil people like molesters, rapists, killers, and drug dealers. They do a hard job. Let me also acknowledge that I may be wrong in some of my thinking here but it is what I really think.
I believe there are people who are willing to do anything to stay away from the consequences of their illegal acts, even kill a cop. I also believe that the majority of people in this country have no incliniation whatsoever to hurt a cop. I believe that there is a need for cops to be aware of the situations they put themselves into. I DO NOT believe that every "encounter" calls for disarming of a licensed american citizen. When did officer safety become such a paranoia? If an officer pulls someone over and approaches the car to find the driver with his license and CFP in one hand and his other hand on the steering wheel and hears " I have my CFP and I am armed. What would you like me to do?" (like we were all taught to say) than what reason does he have to disarm that citizen? there is no shortage of news stories about cops who have killed a citizen because they "thought" they had a gun. Does a cop's right to safety exceed that of an ordinary american citizen? :dunno:
I would have thought that any cop would be glad to see a licensed carrying american out in the world because we are both on the same side. That person is clearly intending to ensure the protection of himself and his loved ones and not waiting around at Office Max for a cop to come around so he can kill him. We all know that it has been set out that it is not the cop's duty to protect a citizen, so what is the big problem with the citizens protecting themselves? Why is this so frightening to cops?
Perhaps my view of what America should be is naive and outdated, but I believe that government entities should report to the people not the other way around. There should never be a story on the news about an unarmed man with a bad back being killed in his own front yard by cops who were there staking someone else out.
Maybe there is something I am missing here but I cannot see the necessity of disarming american citizens to ensure "officer safety". It makes me sic to my stomach to think about. It is paranoid and unwarranted. I believe it to be entirely unconstitutional and irrational. Citizens should not have to be scared of the cops hasseling them and looking for things to pin on them like disorderly contact for protecting themselves while buying a printer. It is instances like this and others that have caused the breech in respect for the cops. We all like to see the cops catch a killer or take down a drug dealer, but when they start hasseling law-abiding citizens it going to far.
I know that things will not change and it is not my intention to start a cop-bashing thread. I posted this here to "chit-chat" about something that vexes me, thats all.
So gimme your thoughts on the matter, I'm sure I'll get some flames but thats to be expected.
Let me preface this by saying I think there is a real need for law enforcement. I also have alot of respect for the cops that track down evil people like molesters, rapists, killers, and drug dealers. They do a hard job. Let me also acknowledge that I may be wrong in some of my thinking here but it is what I really think.
I believe there are people who are willing to do anything to stay away from the consequences of their illegal acts, even kill a cop. I also believe that the majority of people in this country have no incliniation whatsoever to hurt a cop. I believe that there is a need for cops to be aware of the situations they put themselves into. I DO NOT believe that every "encounter" calls for disarming of a licensed american citizen. When did officer safety become such a paranoia? If an officer pulls someone over and approaches the car to find the driver with his license and CFP in one hand and his other hand on the steering wheel and hears " I have my CFP and I am armed. What would you like me to do?" (like we were all taught to say) than what reason does he have to disarm that citizen? there is no shortage of news stories about cops who have killed a citizen because they "thought" they had a gun. Does a cop's right to safety exceed that of an ordinary american citizen? :dunno:
I would have thought that any cop would be glad to see a licensed carrying american out in the world because we are both on the same side. That person is clearly intending to ensure the protection of himself and his loved ones and not waiting around at Office Max for a cop to come around so he can kill him. We all know that it has been set out that it is not the cop's duty to protect a citizen, so what is the big problem with the citizens protecting themselves? Why is this so frightening to cops?
Perhaps my view of what America should be is naive and outdated, but I believe that government entities should report to the people not the other way around. There should never be a story on the news about an unarmed man with a bad back being killed in his own front yard by cops who were there staking someone else out.
Maybe there is something I am missing here but I cannot see the necessity of disarming american citizens to ensure "officer safety". It makes me sic to my stomach to think about. It is paranoid and unwarranted. I believe it to be entirely unconstitutional and irrational. Citizens should not have to be scared of the cops hasseling them and looking for things to pin on them like disorderly contact for protecting themselves while buying a printer. It is instances like this and others that have caused the breech in respect for the cops. We all like to see the cops catch a killer or take down a drug dealer, but when they start hasseling law-abiding citizens it going to far.
I know that things will not change and it is not my intention to start a cop-bashing thread. I posted this here to "chit-chat" about something that vexes me, thats all.
So gimme your thoughts on the matter, I'm sure I'll get some flames but thats to be expected.