By LC Judas
Those who wish to disarm the civilian populace and remove their rights to resist authority or defend themselves on equal ground with any opponent do not fully consider the role of cops in this utopian society of unarmed civilians. Police are not infallible engines of justice. We are people too and we are just as flawed as the civilian inside . . .
No populace that removes the ability of the civilian to arm themselves as they see fit retains a non corrupt agency to enforce its laws. Cops are not voted in or out of office. Bad cops take years to flush out. Internal Affairs does a woefully inadequate job of protecting the populace from bad guys with badges.
Cops do bad things and make mistakes. Without the prospect of being deposed by the civilians they protect, they prey on them just like the criminals they supposedly protect them from. All powerful police in other countries are rife with corruption and there’s no reason to take away the rights of out citizens “for our own good.”
There are over 80 million gun owners and infringing their rights will not stop criminals unless you are acting upon the assumption that the American gun owner is a criminal. Those things aside, I’m going to be honest and mention a few things you only hear in the field from fellow officers.
Some of us wish suspects would get out of line. What’s further is police brutality covers excesses on use of force but knocking your head on the car door isn’t counted if its an accident.
Some of us aren’t good shots.
Some of us take up the profession because its empowering.
Some of us aren’t morally the best and can be tempted.
Most of us care about who we protect but would rather go home than take a bullet for anyone.
It sounds like common sense and you may not be a stranger to it, but add that to a disarmed populace and you create the victim-rich environment that the human predator loves. Most crimes are of opportunity and by taking away weapons from civilians you create opportunity for those who are just as fallible as the criminals they put away. Humanity is imperfect and empowering one class of people is inequality at its finest.
Separate is not equal. Do not create a double standard for citizens of this country. It only makes the ideal harder to achieve and defeats the goal you are working towards. Police and law enforcement as an institution are a great concept but nothing without true checks and balances is perfect.
LC Judas is an active duty police officer.