Posted on 04/18/2002 11:19:04 PM PDT by JohnHuang2
A number of gun rights organizations are opposed to federal legislation that would allow police officers the right to carry concealed weapons from state to state because they believe such a right should extend to everyone.
Angel Shamaya, founder and executive director of KeepAndBearArms.com, a gun rights website, says he respects police officers and understands the dangerous nature of their work often follows them outside their own jurisdictions.
But danger also lurks for civilians no matter where they go, he argues. And furthermore, the legislation is giving preferential treatment to officers over the safety concerns of other constituents.
Specifically, Shamaya and other groups oppose H.R. 218, known as the "Community Protection Act of 2001," which would "exempt qualified current and former law enforcement officers from state laws prohibiting the carrying of concealed handguns."
The bill is heavily supported by the National Rifle Association and the Law Enforcement Alliance of America, the latter of which helped craft the legislation and has set up a special website to promote its passage, called CopConcealedCarry.com.
"Considering the many hours of training that sworn law enforcement officers receive and the experience they accumulate on the streets, it's inconceivable that Congress didn't pass H.R. 218 years ago when it was first introduced," said Jim Fotis, LEAA's executive director. "What plausible argument can anyone give for not allowing these law enforcers the right to carry their firearms outside their jurisdictions when off-duty?
"Just imagine the deterrent to crime if more than 1 million trained and equipped law enforcement professionals – active and retired – were allowed to be armed so they could utilize their skills," he said.
But Shamaya sees a dangerous precedent and double standard in approving the law.
"Once law enforcement officers are exempted from unconstitutional concealed carry laws, there will be little reason for the vast majority of them to support national concealed carry decriminalization for the people they were hired to serve," he said, adding that such a law would add to the growing public perception that police officers "are better than citizens."
He also believes resentment of police officers among civilians – especially those whose states disallow concealed carry – would also rise if the LEAA-sponsored bill passes.
If the bill becomes law, "police officers from 2,000 miles away can come and eat at the same restaurant where you've been eating for years, and they can pack heat," he said. "Not only that, but they might even bust you if the gun on your hip underneath your jacket – for defense against neighborhood thugs who concern you more than your local, unconstitutional laws do – catches their attention."
Shamaya, who has conducted an extensive study of the issue, said the bill gives police officers exemptions for laws they have to enforce on others.
The debate may be a moot point. A spokesman for the Judiciary Committee's subcommittee on crime, terrorism and homeland – where H.R. 218 currently is languishing – told WND no action was planned for the measure, mostly because the subcommittee was working on "more important issues" stemming from the Sept. 11 attacks.
Still, even many traditional supporters of laws that strengthen gun rights are not behind H.R. 218.
"H.R. 218 is discriminatory and creates a separate class of citizen," said Geoff Metcalf, host of WND's talk radio program and a weekly columnist. "If cops are permitted to carry concealed anywhere, any CCW [concealed carry of weapons license] holder should be permitted to carry anywhere."
"We'll support [this bill for police] when they support me being able to do the same thing," Larry Pratt, executive director of Gun Owners of America, said, noting that many national and local-level police organizations oppose concealed carry efforts.
"We think it's a very bad idea to say that some Americans are entitled to special privileges," he said. "Our forefathers fled countries that did things like that. Those people were called the 'nobility.'"
Or they'll say that because all those off-duty cops are carrying, "we" don't have a need to. Remember, they're looking for an excuse to thwart us.
If off-duty cops should carry because they're cops, then they should be on-call 24/7 because they're armed.
No special privileges.
If I thought that the cops would turn around and help us once they "got theirs," then I might support this.
Really? Ever heard of "divide and conquer"? Do you REALLY think all the retired cops in this country who are now for ALL of us being able to do this will still work to see that the rest of us are given our RIGHTS,once THEY have this right? If you do,Shamaya ain't the idiot.
Was he ever heard of "nose of the camel"? When off duty cops are able to start stopping crimes cause they are armed, it will move us closer to nationwide right to carry for all of us.
No,it won't. It will weaken our case.
Don't support bad legislation just because it seems to be better than what you have now. If this is passed it will NOT be a stepping stone to national reciprocity, it will be a stone wall to it.
While I am a member of the NRA and appreciate their efforts to get people involved in the fight, I am less than impressed with the legislation and some of the candidates that they have backed.
I wonder where GOA and JPFO stand on the matter?
Stay Safe !
I tend to believe that the NRA is more and more like the Feds. They do not want to solve the problem and have it go away, they just want to manage the problem and keep it as an issue that keeps us sending them money.
We don't need any more 'laws', to begin with. The Second Ammendment clearly states, "...shall not be infringed."
Off duty police officers should carry their personal concealed weapon just like any other citizen. Crossing state lines should not be a problem, either according to the Constitution.
BTW, IMO, these legislators like to write laws simply to see their own names in print, legacy builders.
Also, every policeman I have known (not too many), carried a concealed weapon off duty, bogus laws go hang.
PLMerite is right, and you are wrong. Any citizen who has a state concealed-carry license should be allowed to carry concealed in any other state--just as any holder of a driver's license can drive in any other state.
Perhaps stated this way the average citizen can understand national right-to-carry with a state CCW license. Thanks for the example.
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