Salt Lake City Police Chief Burbank carries gun to intimidate fearful public(UT)

examiner.com ^ | 26 February, 2012 | David Codrea

[marktwain]

“Right from the start, let me say that I honor the U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment, although the editor in me wants to clarify its language to make it easier to understand,” columnist Peg McEntee for The Salt Lake City Tribune claims in a Friday opinion piece.

Evidently from McEntee’s “clarification,” the way she would “honor” it is to remove “and bear” from the text, as her column quickly degenerates into a hit piece against lawful open carry—that is, the prevalent practice and custom at the time the Constitution was ratified.

“Simply seeing someone carrying a handgun, rifle or shotgun can cause fear among the unarmed,” McEntee asserts as an unqualified universal truism. “If I were to see someone with a .45 strapped to his hip, I’d have no idea who that person is and what his intentions are and would get out of there quick.”

So the conduct of the person would not factor into things?

Salt Lake City Police Chief Chris Burbank weighs in, telling McEntee “a bad guy with a loaded weapon can do ‘a lot of damage very fast,” while admitting that “in his 20 years as a policeman, ‘we’ve had very few problems and concealed-weapons holders. It’s not a big issue.’”

Yet “bad guys” predominantly carry concealed. So why would he assume an openly carrying citizen, conducting himself peaceably, would be “a big issue”? Especially since the record in other open carry states shows that—as with initial “Dodge City/blood-in-the-streets-over fender-benders” hysteria raised over concealed carry—such fears have proven to be unfounded?

Perhaps the chief’s mindset explains. Perhaps this is simply projection:

But open-carry is different, he adds. For example, a law enforcement officer openly carries a weapon for its “intimidation factor. In law enforcement, that’s the message you send.”

Really, chief?

[marktwain]

I do not see the anti-freedom types saying that they are intimidated by the guns that the police wear.

[Hodar]

“Simply seeing someone carrying a handgun, rifle or shotgun can cause fear among the unarmed,” McEntee asserts as an unqualified universal truism. “If I were to see someone with a .45 strapped to his hip, I’d have no idea who that person is and what his intentions are and would get out of there quick.”

So, if the 'appearance' is enough to justify an action to elminate a weapon; then 'appearance' should be enough to justify other actions as well.

For example, when I see a man dressed like a woman or an openly Gay man, it 'appears' to me that this is morally degenerate, AIDS spreading catamite, and should be removed from the proximity of any man/woman/child for fear of this malignancy spreading. Can we do this?

I mean, if an unsubstanciated 'fear' of guns can be used; why can't this work for other 'social ills'?

[mosaicwolf]

Unfortunately, as we speak, the police perceive anyone with a firearm as a threat. In a way, I can understand this conditioned response. The more law abiding citizens that carry, especially openly, will soon be seen as allies rather than threats. This will take a while for sure but it will happen. I think after this new form of conditioning takes place, police will feel more comfortable knowing other citizens have their back.

[GladesGuru]

““Simply seeing someone carrying a handgun, rifle or shotgun can cause fear among the unarmed,” “

Corrected version:
““Simply seeing someone carrying a handgun, rifle or shotgun can cause fear among the hoplophobic,””

Mental problems of one person are not an excuse to restrict another persons Constitution guaranteed rights.