From: cdt@sw.stratus.com (C. D. Tavares)
Newsgroups: talk.politics.guns
Subject: Re: Carrying in San Francisco and in general
Date: 12 Jan 1993 23:09:57 GMT
Organization: Stratus Computer, Inc.
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: rocket.sw.stratus.com

In article <1993Jan10.200933.6461@leland.Stanford.EDU>, kato@leland.Stanford.EDU (Daniel William Roth) writes:

> But if so many police officers know how crazy it is on the streets, and
> they themselves go armed when off-duty (maybe because it's a requirement,
> but also for personal protection), why are most police officers against
> the idea of civilians carrying weapons? 

Whoa, bad assumption.  Nobody says they ARE.  Here is an old post that
explains the paradox:

 ------------

If this is true why did the American Federation of Police (the largest
professional police organization in the United States) help fund the 
1990 Gun Rights Policy Conference?  (The Gun Rights Policy Conference 
is devoted to devising and advancing efforts aimed at preserving the 
Right to Keep and Bear Arms.)

Why did the National Association of Chiefs of Police co-sponser the
event?

Why would the American Federation of Police give Alan Gottlieb,
founder of the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) and Chairman of the
Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA), their
Golden Eagle award for  "Gottlieb's outstanding personal sacrifices
and dedication to the highest ideals of professionalism..."
For those of you unfamiliar with Gottlieb, SAF and CCRKBA, their
stands frequently make the NRA look soft on gun control.

Why would Dennis Ray Martin, President of the American Federation
of Police say: "Drugs, greed, hate, envy, people are to blame
- not firearms - for violence and escalating violence in America
today" at a speech given at the conference? (1)

What are the positions of police groups on gun control?

The American Federation of Police:

"There are many Americans who fear for their lives.  They
know that often they will have to protect themselves, their own
families and their own property.  Should these people be disarmed?
There are enough laws.  No, we don't need to disarm our loyal
citizens, our friends and our neighbors.  We just need judges
with the guts to make the use of a gun in a crime a risk that few
will undertake in the future."

The National Police Officers Association of America:

"We feel that an American citizen of voting age and of good
character should have the right to purchase without restriction
a handgun, pistol, revolver, rifle, shotgun, or like item
without interference by a government body."

Chicago Police Wives Association:

"Although the people proposing these anti-handgun bills appear to
be well-meaning, and their bills appear to be well-meaning,
these bills would apply only to honest citizens who register
their handguns.  It would seem that a better solution would
be to enforce the present gun laws." (2)

Brian Leary

(1) SAF Reporter, Fall 1990
(2) Armed and Female, Paxton Quigley, St. Martins, 1989 p 122


               -------------------------------------------


I keep seeing claims saying that the largest 
police organization in the United States, the Fraternal Order of 
Police (FOP), backs the Brady Bill.

We know that Dewey Stokes, national president of the FOP
does, but is that equivalent of "the police back the
Brady Bill" as is frequently claimed?

Harry D. Thomas, a police lieutenant in the Cincinnati, Ohio
Police Department says no.  He says:

"Dewey Stokes, national president of the FOP, constantly tells
the world that FOP members back waiting-period schemes and outright
bans on semi-automatic sporting rifles.  What he does not say
is that he has never polled the FOP members on this issue, and
that he has no mandate from his membership to make such statements.

It has been my personal experience that an overwhelming majority of 
my FOP brothers, both in Cincinnati and elsewhere, are unalterably
opposed to further gun-control legislation."

My conversations with police officers, the published statements
of many police officers and the polls that show 70 to 90+ 
percent of police officers opposed to additional gun control 
measures support Lieutenant Thomas's viewpoints.

Brian Leary
-- 

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Newsgroups: talk.politics.guns