Despite the fact that the law gives their targets an explicit right to open carry, and the state Attorney General has affirmed that right to the prosecutors throughout the state, Milwaukee's Police Chief thinks that he is a law unto himself:
Meanwhile, some law enforcement officials are preparing to face more open-carry situations, and some are clear the memo won't change their approach.
Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn said he'll continue to tell officers they can't assume people are carrying guns legally in a city that has seen nearly 200 homicides in the past two years.
"My message to my troops is if you see anybody carrying a gun on the streets of Milwaukee, we'll put them on the ground, take the gun away and then decide whether you have a right to carry it," Flynn said. "Maybe I'll end up with a protest of cowboys. In the meantime, I've got serious offenders with access to handguns. It's irresponsible to send a message to them that if they just carry it openly no one can bother them."
Well, that violates Wisconsin state law, federal civil rights law, the 2nd amendment and the 5th amendment. This "civil servant" is practically begging state and federal authorities to gang up on his department in an orgy of civil rights litigiation and prosecution. By the time they're done, the EPA will be flying in to fine them for not leaving enough carrion for the vultures.
Let this officer's example serve as yet another reminder of how the police often disregard the law when it is inconvenient for them to follow it. Sometimes the worst threats to public order come from the very police that are supposed to be maintaining it.
Has this clown not considered that citizens exercising their right to open carry are the last peeps he needs to worry about?
Yes, because we all know that wanted criminals or people with rap sheets as long as my arm carry openly in the streets.
This police chief is nothing but a thug with a badge, giving him a veneer of undeserved respectibility.
If someone is exhibiting behavior that is not inherently illegal, by what authority will he be "putting people on the ground?" Certainly not by using the powers vested in him by the people or city government.
I just had this agrument with someone yesterday. But in her mind the cops do a lot of "good things" and will never be convinced otherwise. That this police chief would direct his subordinates to violate the Rights of those they come in contact with will not change anything. And of course they will do it because they are "just doing their jobs."
As EW pointed out, there is an rule of thumb regarding firearms and criminals. If the gun is in a holster, its not a bad guy. Bad guys don't use them because they want to be able to rid themselves of all evidence of a gun at a moments notice and a holster prevents them from doing so. (per Masaad Ayoob who is a gun writer and cop who writes primarily for law enforcement)
I have found a solution that works, and often with shocking results with people who defend them on this basis. I ask them "so, in your mind, nothing short of them being told to round up the blacks and the Jews is sufficient for them to start critically thinking about the legality, constitutionality and morality of their orders?" See, when you put in those terms, one of two things happens: the person goes crazy because you have popped their little bubble by turning PC against them or you piss them off because you use an extreme case to point out that they are, essentially, arguing for amorality on this issue until it becomes so morally repugnant that only a terminator or an evil person could dutifully follow the orders without feeling anything out of the ordinary.
That is probably a good way to go about it. Their argument is emotive, not reasoned, so appealling to emotions is indeed the way to go about it. My problem is that I HATE discussing/debating using emotions. Its pointless as its essentially a contest of whose personal experiences are more valid. But I guess not being able to lower myself is a personal failing! (o=
For a civil servant he doesn't sound to damned civil.
Just another thug, but licensed one...
too, not to.
Dangit.