FREEDOM WATCH: Wisconsin sheriff urges residents to arm themselves

FREEDOM WATCH: Wisconsin sheriff urges residents to arm themselves [color:039d=#888]by END TIME HEADLINES

A sheriff who released a radio ad urging Milwaukee-area residents to
learn to handle firearms so they can defend themselves while waiting for
police said Friday that law enforcement cutbacks have changed the way
police can respond to crime.

In
the 30-second commercial, Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke Jr.
says personal safety is no longer a spectator sport. "I need you in the
game," he says. "With officers laid off and furloughed, simply calling
911 and waiting is no longer your best option," he adds. "You can beg
for mercy from a violent criminal, hide under the bed, or you can fight
back. ... Consider taking a certified safety course in handling a
firearm so you can defend yourself until we get there."

The
ad has generated sharp criticism from other area officials and
anti-violence advocates. The president of the Milwaukee Deputy Sheriffs'
Association, Roy Felber, said it sounds like a call to vigilantism.

"That
doesn't sound too smart," Felber said. "People have the right to defend
themselves, but they don't have the right to take the law into their
own hands."

Under
Wisconsin's "castle doctrine," someone who uses deadly force against an
unlawful intruder to their home, business or vehicle is presumed to
have acted reasonably. A spokeswoman for the state Department of Justice
said that as of this week, there are about 155,000 concealed carry
permits in Wisconsin.

In
an interview with The Associated Press, Clarke said he just wants
people to know what their options are. While self-defense isn't for
everyone, some people see personal safety as their own responsibility,
he said, and they should be trained properly.

"I'm
not telling you to `Hey, pick up a gun and blast away.' ... People need
to know what they are doing if they chose that method -- to defend
themselves," he said.

But
he also said he wanted to call on residents to be law enforcement
"partners." He said he could either whine about budget cuts that forced
him to lay off 48 deputies last year or he could get creative.

"People
are responsible to play a role in their own safety, with the help of
law enforcement," Clarke said. "I'm here to do my part, but we have
fewer and fewer resources. We're not omnipresent, and we have to stop
giving people that impression."

"After
sitting down and thinking about this, I'm thinking `Hey, I've got an
untapped reserve over here, and it's the public,"' Clarke said.

Milwaukee
Mayor Tom Barrett's office released a statement criticizing the ad:
"Apparently Sheriff David Clarke is auditioning for the next Dirty Harry
movie."

Barrett
was beaten up several years ago by someone with a tire iron, and Clarke
said he thought that would make the mayor "a lot more sensitive to
people being able to defend themselves in such instances. A firearm and a
plan of defense would have come in handy for him that day."

Jeri
Bonavia, executive director of Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort, said
Clarke took a dangerous position with his ad. She pointed to the case of
George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer in Florida who fatally
shot an unarmed 17-year-old following an altercation. Zimmerman has
pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder, claiming self-defense under
Florida's "stand your ground" law.

"I
feel like this is such an irresponsible thing for our chief public
safety officer of a county to do," Bonavia said. "I think he owes this
community an apology. And if he really believes that he's not capable of
providing for our public safety he should get a different job." FOX NEWS




[color:039d=#999]
END TIME HEADLINES | February 4, 2013 at 9:57 pm | Tags: " he adds. "You can beg for mercy from a violent criminal, " he says. "With officers laid off and furloughed, A
sheriff who released a radio ad urging Milwaukee-area residents to
learn to handle firearms so they can defend themselves while waiting for
police said Friday that law enforcement cutbacks have chan, hide under the bed, Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke Jr. says personal safety is no longer a spectator sport. "I need you in the game, or
you can fight back. ... Consider taking a certified safety course in
handling a firearm so you can defend yourself until we get there.", simply calling 911 and waiting is no longer your best option
| Categories: FREEDOM WATCH, SECOND AMENDMENT
| URL: http://wp.me/p1ZrjI-2Et

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