http://dustinstockton.com/2012/10/detroit-police-finally-admit-what-gun-owners-have-always-known-the-police-cant-protect-you/In a move that is disheartening, the Detroit Police Department has officially given up maintaining the façade that police are able to adequately protect citizens. As fans came to Comerica Park to watch the Tigers beat the A’s on Saturday, they were greeted by 400 police officers, handing out fliers that cautioned people from entering Detroit. The headline of the flier read: “Attention: Enter Detroit at your Own Risk.”
Finally, the police are admitting what gun owners have known for years- police cannot protect the people from violence. Such a responsibility rests with each of us.
Don’t get me wrong, I never wanted it this way. In a perfect world, people would leave one another alone, and we would all live happily together. However, I’ll settle for the police being able to adequately protect its citizens- but even that is a fairy tale fantasy. Despite the best efforts of brave police officers, the fact is that though there is the rare coincidence where a police officer is in the right place at the right time to stop violent crime, the bulk of police officers’ duties as related to violent crime are catching the perpetrator, not pre-empting the violence. My solution has long been for the citizenry to arm themselves.
The flier serves as an alert to the public concerning the working conditions of the Detroit Police Department and explains that though Detroit is dangerous, it is particularly dangerous with the strained police resources.
“Detroit is America’s most violent city, its homicide rate is the highest in the country, and yet, the Detroit Police Department is grossly understaffed,” Detroit Police Department Association attorney Donato Lorio stated. “The DPOA believes that there is a war in Detroit, but there should be a war on crime, not a war on its officers.”
Chiefly among the complaints from the department are the 12-hour shifts and the pay decreases they have suffered from a city that is dying in every way.
I will never claim that a police officer’s job is easy. And in the crime-riddled wasteland of Detroit in the wake of the auto industry downturn, it can only be a hellish experience. However, such complaints are incredibly common in the public sector when an area experiences a significant downturn. With decreased revenue and industry, Detroit is struggling. I can certainly empathize with the officers’ tough situation, but across the country, public sector employees are shouting their outrage at suffering budget cuts. What they neglect to realize, however, is that everyone is going through hard times- especially the private sector. It’s tough to side with the officers’ union when half of Detroit is boarded up shop windows and foreclosed homes.
I do, however, appreciate the officers’ candor with regards to safety. I am a realist, and I cannot honestly expect that a police officer will always be around when needed. They can catch the criminal after I’m dead, but that would be of little consolation to me. That is precisely why I carry a firearm and I encourage all responsible people to do similarly.
The sooner America reconciles itself with the fact that police protection is a well-intentioned illusion, the quicker we can address our independent protection needs in a meaningful fashion. That is exactly why concealed weapon laws are so important.
I urge all citizens who value personal liberty and self-protection to support Senate Bill 2188, the “National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2012.” This act proposes a reciprocity and recognition of all states licenses that offer concealed weapons licenses to its citizens. Much like how a driver’s license from Tennessee allows someone to drive in Colorado, a person would be able to carry in their home state as well as travel through another. We need uniformity in the law, and we need to urge our senators to stand with us and allow us to protect ourselves.
To contact your senator and urge them to support this bill, please click here.