Second Amendment

Growing number of police chiefs, sheriffs join call to arms

By Cody Derespina
Published January 15, 2016

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/01/15/growing-number-police-chiefs-sheriffs-join-call-to-arms.html/ *Video03:33*

Gun rights advocates speak out after confronting Obama

It's Florida Sheriff Grady Judd's duty to protect the citizens of Polk County -- but he figures it's their job, too.

One of a growing number of rural and big-city law enforcement officials who openly encourages responsible gun ownership, Judd believes guns allow citizens to defend themselves when police cannot.

“If you are foolish enough to break into someone’s home, you can expect to be shot in Polk County,” Judd said in a statement after a homeowner shot a would-be home invader earlier this month. “It’s more important to have a gun in your hand than a cop on the phone."

Such full-throated embrace of the Second Amendment as a crime-fighting tool isn't confined to red states like Florida.

“I want as many law-abiding citizens to arm themselves in this county as we can get."

- Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke

One California police chief is backing teachers in his district packing heat. Detroit Police Chief James Craig has been a leader in urging his community to arm itself. A Maryland sheriff is working with the state’s general assembly to try to make it easier for citizens to obtain handgun permits.

In the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence’s most recent ranking of states with the strongest gun laws, California (1), Maryland (4) and Michigan (15) ranked near the top of the pack.

Some gun rights advocates say terror attacks at home and abroad have contributed to a change in attitudes about gun ownership among community members and authorities, even in locales historically hostile towards the Second Amendment.

“That has helped play into it, and there’s no doubt the active shooter scenario has, too,” said Alan Gottlieb, founder of the Second Amendment Foundation. “You’re seeing people say, ‘How do you respond?’”
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Garvin County Sheriff Larry Rhodes announced his office would waive all sheriff’s fees ties to getting a gun license. (Oklahoma Sheriffs’ Association)

The answer varies based on where you live, and how your law enforcement leaders are selected.

Police chiefs are typically appointed by mayors, and their politics tend to line up with whoever chose them. Sheriffs, in contrast, are voted into office and in some cases espouse values of a constituency that is growing ever-more pro-gun.

“Historically, sheriffs have been very pro-gun rights,” Gottlieb told FoxNews.com. “But they’ve stepped out of the box and they’re now publicly making it known that firearms are good for self-defense.”

In Oklahoma, Garvin County Sheriff Larry Rhodes and Creek County Sheriff John Davis have each recently reduced costs associated with getting a gun license. Davis is also keeping administrative offices open longer on weekends to allow more people to apply.

“As a result of the ever-increasing violence being committed upon the American citizen and the current state of our country, I encourage each citizen of Creek County who is legally able to fully utilize their Second Amendment right ‘to keep and bear arms,’ as legally prescribed by the Oklahoma Defense Act,” Davis said in a statement.

Rhodes said his plan made simple fiscal sense.
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Marion County Sheriff Chris Blair, who has said, “If you are certified to carry a gun, I would like to encourage you to do so.” (Marion County Sheriff’s Office)

“The benefits of people getting their license, carrying lawfully, certainly outweigh the money I would lose,” he told KFOR.

In Florida, several sheriffs are playing the role of pitchman for an armed populace.

Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey has told citizens they must be “that first line of defense,” according to Florida Today. Marion County Sheriff Chris Blair told the Tampa Tribune, “If you are certified to carry a gun, I would like to encourage you to do so.”

In Wisconsin, Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke is one of the more visible pro-gun faces.

“I want as many law-abiding citizens to arm themselves in this county as we can get so that I have the partner that I need to beat back this sort of violence,” Clarke said during an interview on “Hannity” last week.

The attitude of sheriffs like Clarke and Judd is, at least in-part, a response to the attitudes of the people they serve.

“There’s no doubt at this point it’s consumer-driven to a large extent,” Gottlieb said. “Because they’re elected, they have to make their constituents happy. We’ve seen a record number of firearms sold. And people come in to get permits to carry, and you want to be customer-service friendly, and you want to make it easier – or you might not get re-elected.”

The number of concealed handgun permits soared from 4.6 million in 2007 to 12.8 million in 2015, according to the Crime Prevention Research Center. Those numbers match an evolution in the general public’s attitude toward guns. Just 35 percent of respondents in an August 2000 Gallup poll said they felt safer with a gun in the house. That rose to 42 percent in 2004, 47 percent in 2006 and 63 percent in 2014.

“There is momentum in the country for expanding the right to carry,” New York University Law Professor James Jacobs told FoxNews.com. “But the people who are leading the charge on gun control, they say momentum is changing in their direction. There seems to be a real disconnect here in terms of peoples’ perceptions of what the trends are.”

That uncertainty of the public’s attitude could be the reason for the mixed messages emanating from some police chiefs in big cities.

Washington D.C. Chief of Police Cathy Lanier made a seemingly pro-Second Amendment statement when she was interviewed by “60 Minutes” in November on the topic of what citizens can do during mass shootings.

“If you’re in a position to try and take the gunman down, to take the gunman out, it’s the best option for saving lives before police can get there,” she said.

Still, at the time of the interview Lanier had approved just 48 concealed carry licenses during a year’s span and had rejected about 80 percent of all applicants.

But Fordham law professor Nicholas Johnson views Lanier’s changing rhetoric as potentially significant.

“This is a policy question that has lots of other players involved,” Johnson told FoxNews.com. “You would suspect that what police chiefs say has to some degree been vetted by their political superiors.

"I don’t think this is a signal of an immediate sea change among big city politicos," Johnson added, "but I think it’s promising in terms of the recognition of the realities people are now coming to terms with.”

Something i really wish would be more commonly recognized, is that there is no incompatibility between responsible gun ownership and a self-protected citizenry, and the passage of laws designed to try to ensure that gun ownership IS limited to responsible and law abiding citizens.

There is nothing magically good or bad about it all.

Sure there is....You dont think the gun grabbers are just gonna come out and say "We want all your guns now", do you? Its the slow whittling away that is their plan.
Of course, I wont change your mind about that and you wont change mine.

But if there is,in fact, no imcompatibilty between resonsible gun ownership and a self protected citizens, why would laws restricting magazine capacity, types of firearms, silencers, flash supressors, etc....be needed?
I mean, we're talking responsible gun owners, right? Why limit a responsible owners choice between a 10rd mag or a 15rd mag for his handgun? Responsible, law abiding gun owners should be able to choose what fits their needs instead of having a govt choose for them, no?

There IS a method to the gun grabbers madness....and their ultimate goal is a "gun free" America....as much "gun free" as they can get.

As to the OP....People (the police chiefs and sheriffs) advocating that indiduals choose to make themselves be the first ones to protect themselves? No $hit... beats the hell out of expecting someone else to do it. Obama himself, in his lame azz town hall meeting, told a story of driving through Iowa and his wife commenting about how she would want a gun to protect her family if she lived in some of the rural areas she was seeing. Any responsible gun owner in that situation we want an AR15 instead of taking Ol Shotgun Joes advice about firing grand pappys double barreled 12 guage in the air.

you might want to read that Amendment again,and ponder on the Purpose of the Constitution!
Then it might dawn on you,that the Constitution doesn't grant Rights,but merely enumerates them,and is supposed to protect them!

The right of a citizen to bear arms, in lawful defense of
himself or the State, is absolute. He does not derive it
from the State government. It is one of the "high powers"
delegated directly to the citizen, and 'is excepted out of
the general powers of government.' A law cannot be passed to
infringe upon or impair it, because it is above the law, and
independent of the lawmaking power.

Texas Court Decision
Cockrum v. State, 24 Tex. 394, at 401-402 (1859)]

A gun in the hands of a free man frightens and angers the autocrat, not because he fears the power of the gun, but, rather, the spirit of the man who holds it.

ANONYMOUS

Hillery, today espoused the "obvious" need to make gun manufacturers libel for gun related deaths. What is not so obvious is the passage of such a law would put the gun makers out of business and go a long way towards the disarming of US Citizens.

It is these back-door methods which are the most insidious and vile.

Self-righteousness never illuminates anything but the lack of thought of the person espousing it.

By what you advocate with all that, is that known criminals, terrorists, insane people and others, should all be allowed to arm themselves with ANY weaponry they like. Not even Texas actually believes that.

So, your espousing that you should not have any weapon?

Growing number of police chiefs, sheriffs join call to arms

By Cody Derespina
Published January 15, 2016
_____________________________________________________________________________

eh! Oh, your police are like most British "Bobbies".
* I thought your police had a gun like in Canada.
** It was so funny when the CDN Border Services asked for a gun. haha! It was laughed at so much. No they did not get one.
* Does the U.S. have house insurance? Banks are insured, so is my car.

A gun is for ,,, I do not know??? (Yes I'm trained)

what are you on about,all those Laws are already on the Books!
Or do you perhaps want a Gunless Society,where only the Goons,Police and Military have Weapons?

Plenty examples of what happens to such a Society are around!
How do you think Europe got into the Crapper it is in now?

Well,I suppose you don't have time to apply the existing Firearms-Laws,so you need new ones?
Selfrighteousness?
Holy Crap,good one coming from you!

that's what they are after!

Soviet Style Gun Bill Surfaces In Oregon

Published on Jan 18, 2016

If someone ends up on the no-buy list, and they want to get their 2nd Amendment rights back, they would have to pay out of their own pocket to see a health care provider or petition the courts in order to be declared “not a threat”, then they have to take that documentation to the state police firearms unit. The bill would limit the hold to 30 days, but there’s nothing that prevents the secret accuser from filing another accusation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wp9bQ-qNXNY&feature=youtu.be

As the "sworn" protector of our rights under the Constitution would say.....

Gun and ammunition manufacturers must love Obama.....every time he so much as opens his mouth about gun restrictions sales soar. You would think a smart person with "common sense" would learn to keep his mouth shut if he wanted to reduce the number of guns in America.....especially since gun related deaths and crimes have DECREASED with the INCREASED purchase of guns which is contrary to the propaganda he espouses. The silent majority who have been speaking with their actions are now becoming more vocal regarding illogical gun restrictions which only affect LAW ABIDING citizens.

But ACTUAL facts and REAL common sense are not components of the
REGRESSIVE liberal ideology.

Obama in a discussion with John Lott!

You aren't much for reading what people actually say, are you? Find where I said I don't own any weapons, and never have and never will.

not exactly,, gun ownership in America has been on a decline in the US for decades

gun DEATHS however have gone up and down depending on the era with an increase from late eighties to the nineties, a decrease from the nineties to the 21st century and an increase again since 2000