Myth14: People Don’t Need Guns for Self-protection Because They can Rely on the Police
This myth makes us recall an old song by the rap group Public Enemy titled, “911 is a Joke.” Unfortunately there is no laughing matter about this myth.
Richard Stevens, a lawyer in Washington, D.C., and author of Dial 911 and Die (Mazel Freedom Press, 1999), offered another thought on this matter:
Underlying all “gun control” ideology is this one belief.” “Private citizens don’t need firearms because the police will protect them from crime.” That belief is both false and dangerous for two reasons.
First, the police cannot and do not protect everyone from crime. Second, the government and the police in most localities owe no legal duty to protect individuals from criminal attack. When it comes to deterring crime and defending against criminals, individuals are ultimately responsible for themselves and their loved ones. Depending solely on police emergency response means relying on the telephone as the only defensive tool. Too often, citizens in trouble dial 911 . . . and die.
Stevens adds:
Yet does dialing 911 actually protect crime victims? Researchers found that less than 5 percent of all calls dispatched to police are made quickly enough for officers to stop a crime or arrest a suspect.
It’s not just that the police cannot protect you. They don’t even have to come when you call. In most states the government and police owe no legal duty to protect individual citizens from criminal attack.
And then let’s throw in all those cases we’ve covered in Who Guards the Guards. Do you really want to trust the police to save your life?
WMBF Reports on Weekend Gun Buyback
Over the weekend WMBF reported on a gun buyback program and it was filled with the usual misleading, feel good nonsense. It noted:
One-hundred and thirty-four guns were collected during the three-hour Gun Buy Back Initiative Saturday.
It was the first time Conway held a program like this. Police say they are hopeful the program will bring crime rates down by taking unneeded and unwanted guns off the street.
Yet again the story takes the police at their word, but doesn’t note that it likely really didn’t take guns off the street. But maybe people want to believe they’re doing good.
Dave Workman: Marysville tragedy will do gun control lobby no good
This week our friend Dave Workman examined the Marysville tragedy, and noted it will not do the gun control lobby much good. He writes:
The death of any child is a tragedy, and over the weekend a 7-year-old girl was killed accidentally when she was apparently shot by her brother after they found a loaded handgun in the glove box of the van they were in while their parents were in a nearby business.
Stories about the mishap appear on the Seattle Times, on-line Seattle P-I.com and KOMO websites, and all make one thing clear up front: the father is a Marysville police officer. Read more
Unclaimed Guns Go Up in Smoke Regardless of Rarity
It is depressing how firearms are often treated when compared to other old items. But for the media this is probably a small delight in getting to write about how guns are destroyed. This week The Augusta Chronicle noted, “Unclaimed guns from Augusta’s Operation Smoke Screen have a long journey to destruction.” It offered this sensation passage:
It’s an action movie junkie’s dream: explosions, cars being crushed, melting metal and giant wheels of destruction. For the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, it’s called getting rid of illegal weapons.
In large undercover operations like Operation Smoke Screen, in which a significant number of guns is involved, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office often teams up with ATF.
After the operation is concluded, ATF is responsible for the guns. Depending on the number of weapons that cannot be traced back to a legitimate owner, the guns are either crushed, melted or chopped, said Richard Coes, the public information officer for ATF Atlanta.
Whether it is an action movie junkie’s dream or not, it is a nightmare for those who care about history. Yes, many of these might be common firearms. But how much history is lost, how many potentially valuable firearms are destroyed simply because they are “evidence” that is no longer required.
Imagine if this were jewelry or old cars. There would likely be outrage.
Who Guards the Guards: Child Shot With Family Gun
There is little we can add to this sad story, reported by The Seattle Times:
A Marysville police officer’s 7-year-old daughter, who was wounded Saturday afternoon when her sibling fired a gun that was inside their parents’ van, died at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle early Sunday, the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office said.
Our only comment would be to those who say, “only the police should have guns,” as we would ask, are you sure?
Who Guards the Guards: Former Richmond Officers Bought Guns For Minors
We first reported last April that two Richmond Police Department officers recruited teams for a private security firm and illegally armed them. There has been an update on the case as reported by the San Jose Mercury News:
Two former Richmond police officers accused of illegally buying guns for underage security guards accepted plea agreements this week to end federal prosecution of their case.
Danny Harris, 34, and Raymond Thomas, 31, hired members of the department’s Police Explorers Scouting program to work in a side business they had started to provide security at urban housing complexes in the East Bay.
Harris admitted in his plea Friday that he lied to a gun dealer to obtain a handgun for someone else, and that he conspired to impede what he knew would likely become a criminal investigation of the purchase. Thomas accepted a plea deal to the conspiracy charge Tuesday.
We said this was very disturbing and what makes it even more so now is that a plea deal of sorts. The paper reported:
Both men will be sentenced in June and could face prison time. Terms of their plea agreements were not stipulated through negotiation. Federal prosecutors did drop all other charges in the case and will recommend that Harris receive 18 months in prison. They will recommend that Thomas receive four months.
Imagine that, arming teens and getting just months in prison.
Horry County Looks to Buy Back
This weekend MyrtleBeach Online reported “Conway, Horry County authorities plan gun buyback.” This is one of those events that is business as usual, and something we feel never really gives owners a fair amount. But this one is notable as the story offered this passage:
Police are offering a $50 gift card for turning in long guns or shotguns, a $100 gift card for handguns and a $200 gift card for assault rifles, according to officials. All weapons must be operational and no antiques will be accepted.
First, we’re not sure how the “operational” part can be fully determined, but we’re actually glad to see that “antique” firearms (we assume it is antique firearms) won’t be accepted. Perhaps in this case the owners can actually get a fair value for their guns.
Who Guards the Guards: Pa. Police Officer Sold Stolen Department Firearms
This week the Associated Press via the Beaver County Times Online showed once again why the world would not be safer if only the police were armed. The reason of course is that it would only take a bad cop to arm to the bad guys. The story noted:
The Delaware County District Attorney’s office says 23-year-old Officer Jonathan Fiscaro swiped two rifles from the Darby Township police department and sold them for a combined $1,100. Authorities put the value of the guns at $2,000 each.
This is a sad tale that happens all too often. But it is one that anti-gun types ignore as if it never happens.
Who Guards the Guards: Ex-Cop and Son Sell Illegal Guns in Philadelphia
To those who believe only the police and military should have the right to own guns, we would like to point to Pasquale Fattore, a retired Philadelphia police officer, and his son Patrick. The pair was allegedly arrested for illegally selling two handguns reports the Philadelphia Inquirer.
In Pennsylvania handgun sales are required to go through a licensed dealer or at a sheriff’s office, where a background check is conducted. This did not occur.
Ex-Cop Goes to Jail for Gun Show Sales
We’ve followed the story of Roy Alloway for a while, and it seems the former police officer from Washington will go to jail for illegally selling guns. This continues to be a story that is disturbing not because Alloway is a former police officer, but because he sold guns at gun shows.
Alloway previously admitted to selling hundreds of guns at Washington gun shows without a license to do so. Through his attorney, he had asked that he be sentenced to one year on home detention and probation.
While he’s admitted to unlawful gun dealing and a tax offense, Alloway through his attorney contends his offense amounted to little more than a paperwork error. He thought, the contention goes, he could buy and sell guns without a Federal Firearms License as a hobbyist.
This is upsetting because it remains vague as to what constitutes “too many guns” that a hobbyist can sell at gun shows. While it is clear Alloway broke other laws we can understand why every other hobbyist might have cause for concern.
