Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke is taking praise and guff for this PSA.
In the PSA, Sheriff David Clarke says, “With officers laid off and furloughed, simply calling 911 and waiting is no longer your best option. You could beg for mercy from a violent criminal, hide under the bed, or you can fight back. But are you prepared?”
“You have a duty to protect yourself and your family. We’re partners now. Can I count on you?”
The line about officers being laid off and furloughed is worth a quibble, as it suggests that citizens wouldn’t have the duty to protect ourselves from criminals if not for budget cuts. The fact is, no sheriff’s department anywhere is capable of protect all of its citizens all of the time. The duty of self-defense is not predicated on the number of officers any police department is capable of fielding.
But other than that, the PSA is spot on.
So the usual statist gun control suspects are suggesting that Sheriff Clarke should resign.
“If he does not feel he is capable of doing this, and he’s not qualified to take on this role of public safety, he should resign and he should do it today,” said Jeri Bonavia of the non-profit Wisconsin Anti-violence Effort.
Bonavia says Clarke is asking citizens to become vigilantes.
No, Clarke is asking citizens to be citizens. Many in this country seem to have forgotten what that word means.
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