In the United States, where the Constitution is — or is supposed to be — the supreme law of the land, two things are true. Police, tasked with upholding the law, have the right to do what is necessary to secure control of a situation in order to protect themselves and others. Equally important, however, is that police officers afford due recognition of and respect for the fundamental, natural right of the citizenry to keep and bear arms at home and outside the home.
Balancing these rights and responsibilities is not always easy, especially in times of unrest and, as now, when increasing gun control is placing additional obstacles in the way.
Ideally, when these two truths come to a head, the situation is resolved peaceably and without altercation, which is how the vast majority of cases are resolved. Unfortunately, when the situation falls short of this ideal, the result can be injury or death to citizens and at times to police officers themselves. Worse still, such tragic outcomes are increasingly common as gun rights in America are put to the test like never before. For the sake of the nation, the lives of our brave men and women in blue, and the future of gun rights in America, it is imperative that the police and Second Amendment citizens must work together to reverse this unsettling trend.
Although Second Amendment conservatives and racial justice activists rarely see eye-to-eye, not least of all because of the outright anti-police rhetoric of Black Lives Matter, recent incidents that have stoked the anger of these groups should also cause conservatives generally to pause and pay attention to what is going on.
Behind the click-bait headlines and incessant anti-gun progressive propaganda, the deaths of black citizens like Breonna Taylor, Corey Jones, and Philando Castile highlight the tragic consequences when the give-and-take of Second Amendment rights versus the duties of police becomes unbalanced.
Taylor died last March during a botched police raid that unfolded under questionable circumstances as police returned fire to a single shot fired by Taylor’s boyfriend from inside the apartment, who thought their apartment was being broken into and robbed.
Jones was a concealed weapons permit holder shot by a plainclothes police officer who approached him from an unmarked vehicle while Jones waited on the side of the road for a tow truck late at night. Castile happened to be driving a vehicle stopped by police and was inexplicably shot by officers after calmly notifying them that he was lawfully carrying a firearm.
While these are extreme examples, and all involved questionable police officer conduct that fell short of the overall high standards demanded of law enforcement, they demonstrate what can happen in the absence of sound training and proper respect for citizens’ rights to keep and bear arms.
To be sure, police officers in general still reflect robust respect for the Second Amendment. However, particularly in more urban areas where far-Left activists have either been elected sheriff or have risen to leadership posts in police departments, results can be very different. This makes sound police training for encounters with armed citizens even more critical; importantly, this training should include focusing on plainly and unambiguously directing citizens how to safely secure their firearms during an encounter.
Also, however, citizens must be respectful of, and toward police officers. To this end, there must be immediate and absolute compliance in following their precise instructions. Even if a citizen believes he or she is in the right, the time for protest comes after the situation is de-escalated, not during.
When police and citizens treat each other with respect and understanding, there is no reason for violent escalation. However, if ambiguity, disrespect, mistake, or criminal action – by either side – disturbs the critical balance, the outcome can be, as we have recently seen, tragic. Although the radical gun control proposed by Democrats have placed a strain on this relationship, police and Second Amendment citizens need never forget they are natural allies in the fight for public safety and for Second Amendment rights.
Bob Barr represented Georgia’s Seventh District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003. He served as the United States Attorney in Atlanta from 1986 to 1990 and was an official with the CIA in the 1970s. He now practices law in Atlanta, Georgia and serves as head of Liberty Guard.
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Bob Barr
Bob Barr represented Georgia's Seventh District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003. He served as the United States Attorney in Atlanta from 1986 to 1990 and was an official with the CIA in the 1970s.
To reverse the trend, I think the democrats must go. To Hell, if God thinks so!
Anyone who endorses gun control and confiscation must first be prohibited from having personal armed security at their disposal! Sauce for the goose and all that!!
That crowd would become one of us gun nuts if they took away their rent a cops
The Bill of Rights enumerates the Right To Keep and Bear Arms, and that the Government at every level cannot deny or infringe upon that Right. There’s No Compromise on this issue. No balancing of Police concerns as there’s no right for the police in the Constitution that superceded the Right of the People. No Knock Warrants need to go. Middle of the night warrant serving needs to go. Trigger Happy Cops need to go.
I had 8 cops at my door yesterday because the crisis line VA lady called me and asked me if I was considering suicide and I told her I consider it every day I just done act on it. I have since blocked her number on my phone so I dont have to hear from them any more.
That is when the cops take on 150,000,000 legal, law abiding gun owners ! The most gunho cop in the world ain’t that damn stupid
What is needed is a form of “Stop & Frisk” that will pass Constitutional muster so we can aggressively get illegal guns out of the hands of gang bangers and other criminals. Stronger and longer sentences for gun violations… Especially for illegal gun dealers… Life sentences.
we either need a lot more police or we need our guns. the police can not get there in time to prevent a problem. we need our guns to hold the bad guys until the police can get there which I’m told averages 23 min.
We need a lot more police, in some areas, AND we need our guns. The police can not prevent crime, guns can.
I refuse to abide by a president like Joe Biden that lies and cheats.. I have not broken any laws so I refuse to give up my Guns rights without a fight
They both need to stay right where their at. Don’t mess with what works. Also Joe doesn’t have enough cash to buy all the guns😁😁😁
Buy your guns with your tax dollars makes sense to me
I don’t have any guns I want to sell.
Guns will win every time, Barr you corrupt satanic Nazi democrat traitor!
Hey Democrats; want a REAL solution to the Gun Violence problem?….FBI statistics indicate that 76% of ALL gun violence is committed by Blacks…….76 %……..you can improve the Gun Violence problem imediately by making it illegal for ANY BLACKS to own a firearm…statistics don’t lie..That’s the problem that you are collectively all to chicken shxt to deal with.
I’ll bet a dollar to a donut hole that at least 90% of the politicians have armed guards 24/7/365. Pelosi, AOC and several other Democrats think they are Satans gift to the American people and they are right. They are scared to death of us yet they keep thinking we are stupid and don’t realize what they are doing. They want to have their security with the fence with razor wire and the National Guard to protect their stupid %&& but they are leaving us with the southern border wide open and take our weapons away from us. Guess what. WE have have the 2d Amendment and we are going to keep it even if you think you can take it from us. Play your games but when you push us hard enough you will feel the might of the American as we throw you out of OUR buildings.
biden, as each day goes by your political agenda gets WORSE!!! You spineless communist, when you were campaigning and harris, you were going to close down President Trump’s “illegal detention facilities” instead you have made it MUCH, MUCH WORSE!!! Hell biden, neither you or harris or aoc have been there, you are hiding from it (out of site, out of mind). You are the WORSE THING TO HAPPEN IN MY AMERICA!!!
Hurry ya’ll LUCIFER is waiting for all you mindless, clueless individuals!!! 👺😈🖕
Let’s just say , don’t make me choose between my gun and law enforcement.
Police used to be their to Protect you . Now they are there to control you and will shoot you . Black or White it does not matter but the Race Hustlers will never admit that .
Vaccine passport joe? Are you kidding me??? ALL OF THESE ILLEGAL’S COMING HERE ARE NOT EVEN TESTED FOR CHINESE VIRUS??? YOU joe, are SICK AND TWISTED
Many police officers do not respect the right of individuals to protect themselves, their families, etc…………. The first thing that should happen is for police to stop referring to themselves as sheep dogs, thereby inferring that Americans are sheep. The SCOTUS has ruled on multiple occasions that the police have no obligation to protect an individual, only society at large and they often fail at that. So who, if not the individual, is ultimately responsible for their safety? I still remember the two NYPD officers injuring a dozen innocent bystanders while apprehending one suspect. Definitely not optimal.
For over 160 years nothing has changed politically. It’s the same ole stuff.
The only difference this time is that the democratic party is on its way out.
and what does a disgruntled employee do before he’s booted to the curbside? He destroys everything thing related to his job.
exercise militia rights & force their idiot policies on the democrats amongst US: take their guns, lock’em down, mask’em up & take away their 1st A rights; I’ve seen their playbook on history channel (the rise of hitler or stalin or mussolini or obozos etc)
The police and law abiding citizens, should work together, as much as possible, but for some reason, everybody, on the radical, left wants to take away our constitutional rights of law abiding citizens, to protect themselves against criminals. More armed citizens, prevents crime, and helps law enforcement, let’s work together, and help each other protect lives.
Here is the “Balance Between Law Enforcement and Lawful Gun Ownership”.Law abiding citizens should be able to Buy and Carry guns for their own protection.
With the police being defunded, SCOTUS afraid to do their job, a Traitorous msm, and Democratic Party flushing our freedoms down the toilet, Americans need to be able to defend themselves now more then ever.
“When Tyranny Becomes Law. Rebellion Becomes Duty”-Thomas Jefferson
Bob Barr is anti U. S. Constitution.
Barr first get faxcts straight. Taylor was shot and that was tragic but if her idiot boyfriend, could he own a gun legally, had not fired first then none of that would have happened, PERIOD. Now lets look at gun control. Again you haven’t a clue. Want to debate. Ypur one of the people that blame a tool, gun, because you can’t use it correctly and let the idiot that used this “tool” wrongly off of his due responsibility. There are to many gun laws now. Bet you have armed guards. I say take guns from them too. Do you carry? Do you own? If so i would love top see you competency with the firearm. No there is no balancing act between police and the 2A. Any good cop will tell you that. I was a cop. Oh and theidiots that shoot cops are criminals and are already banned from gun ownership. blm is a joke too. How long hhas affirmative action, EOC, etc been in effect. Now my family, who wa dirt poor never had slaves. I am not asshamed of being white but I suggest if you buy into the blm and antifa crap you shoukd be doing as they say and be giving them all of ypur possessions. I suggest you get some balls and stand up for truth, the consitution, and the US. But then you part of the problem with this “Dog and Pony Show” you clown politicians, yes all of you, have been putting on for decades. You should all be prosecuted for the crimes you have committed. Let me handle the investigation. But in truth you guys do so many “in you face” illegalities that a 3 year old could find the wrong doings. Kepp taking the easy money and appeasing your bosses.
i am making a good salary from home 1200 to 2500 Dollars per week.which is amazing, under a year back I was jobless in a horrible economy. I thank God every day I was blessed with these instructions and now it’s my duty to pay it forward and share it with Everyone,
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