Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Top WI Cops On Gun Control, After Newtown, In Their Own Words

The Wisconsin Attorney General and the Sheriffs of the two most-populous counties in the state have made statements about gun control in the wake of the Newtown, Connecticut shootings. It's an interesting and illuminating range of opinion. Here for your review, without editorial comment, are brief excerpts, with a link to the full statement, story or audio:

Wisconsin Attorney General J. B. Van Hollen:

Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen says lawmakers should think carefully about how they react to the recent tragedies. In an interview with WRN [Wisconsin Radio Network] on Tuesday, the attorney general said “it’s a bad idea to have quick knee jerk reactions” and lawmakers should not pass bills “just for the sake of feeling good about ourselves.” AUDIO: Attorney General Van Hollen (2:05)
Dane County Sheriff David Mahoney:
As sheriff, I also stand ready to work with state and national leaders to reduce firearms violence. Ninety-eight percent of Wisconsinites agreed in a 2003 poll that "No one should be allowed to buy a handgun without a background check to ensure they have no criminal record." Mandatory checks should be required for all firearm sales.
Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke:
All the left is interested in is having the government control every aspect of our lives. Calling for gun control is just another aspect of furthering their socialist agenda. All of these suggestions about the need for gun control are the mindset of sheep.


7 comments:

Anonymous said...

What appears to be clear is that it is the mentally ill who are dangerous, not the guns. violent autistic people need to be detained in secure facilities in a place that they can not harm others.

Jim Bouman said...

A telling comparison: Dave Mahoney focuses on the goal--stop the violent, murderous abuse of guns through a reasonable system, worked out by law enforcement and government.

Van Hollen(R) and Clarke(R) use the issue to insult those who think differently, name-calling them "knee jerk" reactionaries or "socialists" and "sheep".

Are they sore losers or just plain losers.

Anonymous said...

The Milwaukee County Sheriff's comments are sad and scary. Very representative of people who own guns because they are in some sort of fight with the government. Delusional? Yes. Unfortunately they are impacting me and my family. I do not want to live in a society where being 'unarmed' i.e. in a school or church is considered dangerous.

gnarlytrombone said...

"violent autistic people"

There is no correlation between autism and violence. That's like claiming there's a link between conservatism and murder.

There is a high correlation between firearms and homicide.

Anonymous said...

James, What a horribly fascinating post. Too bad our State AG and Mke County Sheriff focused immediately on the politics of the issue and not on what might be done to prevent another tragedy--or even acknowledging the horror of this one. I can't believe we taxpayers actually pay these knee-jerks to do their jobs on behalf of the citizens of the state, or those of Milwaukee County. They seem to think their job is 1) protecting themselves and their re-election and 2) shilling for the Republican party--not necessarily in that order.
Speaking of doing your job, wouldn't it be the job of a County Sheriff or say, the Attorney General (Top Cop) of Wis to not only protect the life and safety of those citizens but also of the officers under their commands? Concealed carry or open carry--doesn't matter. Once the shooting begins, responding officers can't tell who is offense and who is defense, making a volatile situation more unpredictable, dangerous and lethal.

gnarlytrombone said...

Should've guess that the fact-free "violent autistic" talking point came from Fox News.

Peter McKeever said...

"We the people of the United Staes, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, secure domestic tranquility, provide for rhe common defence, promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liverty to oursleves and our posterity....."

"....insure domestic tranquility..." It's time to change the paradigm. Instead of talking about the right to bear arms, let's talk about the right to be safe and secure in our homes, schools, shops, government buildings, churches, and parks. That right trumps the inadequately regulated 2nd amendment.