CLICK HERE TO HEAR THAT RADIO INTERVIEW: Milwaukee Sheriff David Clarke: “Criminals Will Not Lay Themselves Off”
Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr. caught a lot of heat when he told citizens that they needed to arm themselves because law enforcement can't always be there to protect them.
It's the truth.
Clarke made his case during a radio spot last week. He urged residents to learn how to use a firearm so they can defend themselves in case of an emergency.
I know this is scary stuff. It's scary to think that law enforcement may not be there to respond to your emergencies. And when officers do respond, they may not get there in time to save you.
From experience, I know law enforcement is not automatic. Milwaukee is a big city, and on a Friday or Saturday night, there are a lot of things going on. When police are responding to a number of calls, your call may get kicked to the bottom of the list.
Most people already know this; that's why they usually report that "someone has a gun" or "shots were fired" when they know a weapon is not involved in the incident they are reporting. They do this because they need police to respond right away.
In the 1990s, the politically minded rap group Public Enemy had a song titled "911 is a joke." The song talked about the lack of response to emergency calls in black neighborhoods, specifically the poor response by paramedic crews and not the police.
I'm a gun owner. I keep a gun for protection, and I have taken gun safety courses. I keep my gun locked up, but I also keep it loaded and ready for use.
In an interview with Soledad O'Brien on her "Starting Point" show Monday, Clarke said we all should be scared of the criminal element. "Once the intruder is inside your home, once you're on the street and someone sticks a gun in your face to take your car or your wallet, you don't have the option of calling 911," Clarke said.
We don't have enough officers to protect all of us. It's impossible. Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn has acknowledged that fact. So knowing this, it's only smart for us to be able to protect ourselves.
Not everyone should own a gun. My mother, for example, hates guns, but she keeps a Louisville slugger by her bed. She calls the bat her "Just in case."
I prefer something with more power to keep me and my family protected, and I don't see anything wrong with that.
- James E. Causey, Journal Sentinel columnist and Editorial Board member
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