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A note on gun control and police

luckyykid

Regular Member
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Jul 26, 2012
Messages
74
Location
Meriden, CT
I just wanted to put it out there that the media is perpetuating what I believe is a myth regarding the general police position/opinion on gun control.

For those here who don't know, I'm a cop in a high crime city in CT, and I deal with gun violence on a pretty regular basis. I for one do not support any further gun legislation, and while I can't speak for all officers, I can tell you that most cops that I have spoken with on this issue stand against new legislation just as much as the members here do. Meanwhile, Obama addresses gun control against a backdrop of police officers giving the impression that we are all anti-gun, and that could not be further from the truth. While I'm sure that there are some officers who are liberal minded and anti-gun, I'm convinced that is nowhere near the majority opinion.

There are several police chief associations who are speaking out in favor of gun control and passing it off as majority opinion. The thing is, police chiefs are nothing less than politicians themselves and do not represent the "rank and file" opinion. You'll notice that in the media, there are many sheriffs who have come out in opposition to gun control, but they are a different breed than the mayor-appointed chiefs.

The following are a few articles I found from various police publications opposing gun control. I believe this is the majority opinion among police.

http://www.officer.com/blog/10858047/mass-attacks-gun-control

http://www.policemag.com/channel/weapons/articles/2012/12/close-your-eyes.aspx

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/312483/gun-control-and-police-robert-verbruggen

And for those who have asked a cop they just came across whether or not they would follow an order to go door-to-door and confiscate guns, I would not expect that they would give you an honest answer. I know I wouldn't tell a total stranger that I would disobey a direct order from the command staff, even if that's exactly what I would do.

So to summarize, don't beat up on the cops too much, because most of us are on your side on this issue.
 

Grapeshot

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Appreciate your thoughts very much luckyykid. That has been my experience in my neck of the woods too when I get a chance to know an officer well enough to have a private conversation with him. Yes there are some more liberal/anti officers - we hear more about them through their more egregious/high profile interactions with people than we do of the good ones.

You are spot on with the distinction between sheriffs and police chiefs.
 

davidmcbeth

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Gee wiz, send him some flowers grapeshot...its a lovefest

COMMENTS REMOVED BY ADMINISTRATOR: He said no such thing/LEO Bashing.
 
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motoxmann

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Mar 11, 2012
Messages
760
Location
Middletown, CT
the guy just said he is going to be breaking down doors to steal guns

where did you see that? he stated the exact opposite

luckyykid, thank you for posting this, and the articles. government officials will hopefully be reading this as well
 
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davidmcbeth

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where did you see that? he stated the exact opposite

luckyykid, thank you for posting this, and the articles. government officials will hopefully be reading this as well

Sorry, that's not how I interpreted the OP's statement...you are free to disagree
 

Grapeshot

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Gee wiz, send him some flowers grapeshot...its a lovefest

they guy just said he is going to be breaking down doors to steal guns

Read it again w/o "interpertation" - just the plain English version. Show us facts, show us where he said that.

I don't hesitate on saying that you border on being insulting. I in no way support anti positions from other people.
 
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davidmcbeth

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Read it again w/o "interpertation" - just the plain English version. Show us facts, show us where he said that.

I don't hesitate on saying that you border on being insulting. I in no way support anti positions from other people.

Where does he say he would not follow an order to confiscate guns?

He doesn't.

He broached the subject ... and gave a non-answer to his own query.

Once can say he says he wouldn't and one can say that he said he would ..

Now given that he broached the subject ... I would assume that if he would indeed not confiscate, he would affirmatively stated this in clear and plain language -which he did not.

Hence my conclusion ... its logical and based on HIS words, not mine. See the words EVEN-IF .. where the subject matter is gun confiscation. Its not "EVEN WHEN" but "EVEN IF".,,IF the operable term

Think I am too picky? The OP is free to clarify and I may amend my response.

I called it like I saw it.
 

luckyykid

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 26, 2012
Messages
74
Location
Meriden, CT
Good Lord Almighty I don't even know what to say. While being somewhat cryptic, I believe i made it pretty clear where I stand, and where most other cops stand.

I CAN'T flat out state anything, because when you become a cop you LOSE your freedom of speech. So I play it safe.

Everyone else except davidmcbeth seemed to be able to figure it out...
 

Rich B

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Oct 13, 2009
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2,909
Location
North Branford, Connecticut, USA
I have met lucky face to face and I have spoken to him. He is a stand up officer, and I probably should have the least positive view of police officers on this forum.

I don't for a second think that any gun owner will see lucky kicking down their door to confiscate or to hassle them for OC.

He also delivered a very positive pro-gun speech in a room full of antis. That shows his commitment. I cannot blame him for not using his real name or real views here. Not all PDs are 'ok' with liberty oriented views.
 

davidmcbeth

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I CAN'T flat out state anything, because when you become a cop you LOSE your freedom of speech. So I play it safe.

Everyone else except davidmcbeth seemed to be able to figure it out...

You DO NOT lose your freedom of speech .. ??? that's really goofy to say.

You are an EMPLOYEE, a civilian EMPLOYEE. If you refuse to do what your boss says to, you have no more punishment that any other employee...you can get fired. That's it! You don't go to prison, like a guy in the army who refuses a lawful order.

You say you "play it safe" and that's what I have said through-out multiple threads .. cops will "play it safe" and follow the directions given to them from their bosses. Why? Pensions...that's why.

If you cannot flat out say "I will not participate in gun grabs of (now) lawful owners" then you should have never brought up the subject.

Wound up? No, not really...I'll calling you on it. Until the cons are more than the pros, cops will usually do what their bosses tell them to do..even if they know it is wrong. The law protects them...
 

davidmcbeth

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I have met lucky face to face and I have spoken to him. He is a stand up officer,

I am not saying he is not a stand up policeman ... but he likely will be breaking doors down if he is told to to confiscate your guns ..

Most policeman are decent hard working guys ... I have seen some lie on the stand (I had a trooper do this a few days ago in a case I was a party) and some actually tell the truth when knowing it will kill the case .. I come from a family of cops and firemen ... I know what they do day in and day out.
 

davidmcbeth

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I don't for a second think that any gun owner will see lucky kicking down their door to confiscate or to hassle them for OC....He also delivered a very positive pro-gun speech in a room full of antis.

So you think he is willing to lose his job and PENSION? HA! That's what people said before Katrina .. as folks have been talking about this subject matter on and off for years...

Did he file testimony before the task force? No. Why? 'cause he thinks he has lost his freedom of speech ..

Interesting how he is so free to "give up" his constitutional rights .. think how easy it would be for him to give up yours.

There is never any "thinking" with me .. my constitutional rights are not subject to debate
 

WalkingWolf

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Jul 31, 2011
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North Carolina
So you think he is willing to lose his job and PENSION? HA! That's what people said before Katrina .. as folks have been talking about this subject matter on and off for years...

Did he file testimony before the task force? No. Why? 'cause he thinks he has lost his freedom of speech ..

Interesting how he is so free to "give up" his constitutional rights .. think how easy it would be for him to give up yours.

There is never any "thinking" with me .. my constitutional rights are not subject to debate

You do know that some NG refused to confiscate guns? Not sure about the police, but I would imagine that some bucked the system. Hell some of them were looting instead of confiscating guns. Police are like the rest of the population, they are different people with different mindsets. Some are liberal, some are conservative, and I would imagine there are a few libertarians among them.
 

motoxmann

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760
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Middletown, CT
So you think he is willing to lose his job and PENSION? HA! That's what people said before Katrina .. as folks have been talking about this subject matter on and off for years...

Did he file testimony before the task force? No. Why? 'cause he thinks he has lost his freedom of speech ..

Interesting how he is so free to "give up" his constitutional rights .. think how easy it would be for him to give up yours.

There is never any "thinking" with me .. my constitutional rights are not subject to debate

some people actually value the lives of innocent civilians higher than their personal job and/or pension. not everyone in our country is willing to do absolutely anything for a greenback or two..
if someone offered me a mild-pay-rate job and a government pension to potentially kill civilians over illegal attempts at stealing their rightful property, I know exactly what I would do, and none of it would involve accepting the pay/job/pension or risking the lives of otherwise law-abiding civilians.
not to mention anyone carrying out such orders would be highly risking their own life.
I don't think there's a large enough group of cops dumb enough to risk their own lives, their fellow officers' lives, the civilians' lives, their job, and their pension, to carry out such orders. though I may be wrong, maybe there are enough cops dumb enough to do this. But I can guarantee not ALL cops are this dumb/ignorant

I'm proud to have luckyykid employed as a LEO in our state. our country needs more LEO's like him.
 
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davidmcbeth

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How many cops in the big easy area refused to participate in the door break downs? And this is a big pro-2nd amendment state..


I guess we'll find out ...

I'm moving on ...
 
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