Why I Carry

There is this piece, over at The Week, where the author opines that police officers in America should not carry guns on a routine basis.  The article sounds like parody in places, but I believe that the guy is serious about his hypothesis.  Or, at lest he believes that he is being serious.

What would happen if American police officers carried whistles instead of guns and dressed in old-fashioned blue uniforms instead of outfits that make them look like they are about to ask us how long we've had these droids? Would the country descend instantly into a chaos of looting, arson, and mass murder? Or would we just go on with our lives, commuting to jobs, raising children, watching sports, whatever — the same routine, albeit with a little bit less of the low-key anxiety that comes with seeing cops with weapons?

He goes on to detail a tragic, police-involved shooting in Dallas,   It was a tragic, bizarre set of circumstances where an officer shot a man who is by all accounts, an innocent bystander.   The officer has been charged, and jailed, and the incident, though regretful and horrific should not be used for any policy discussion.  You can read about it at the link above.  Even from the author's perspective, the facts are strange and likely to not be repeated.  Here's the link, again.

We carry guns because bad guys shoot at is.  The most common officer-involved shooting follows what is basically the rule o 3-3-3.  That is 3 shots, 3 yards, in under 3 seconds.    It's so very fast that sometimes we fail to appreciate that we are in a gunfight until it is over.

One of the best illustrations of this phenomena might be this video, produced by the Los Angeles Police Department as part of an officer Use-Of-Force investigation.    It shows very graphically what a gunfight looks like and the speed at which events unfold.  It also shows the thoroughness with which most agencies conduct their investigations.  Spoiler alert:  this video is graphic and not for the faint-of-heart.



Thus is why the police carry guns.  This is why I carry a gun.  This is also why cases like Heller and McDonald are so vitally important.  The Framers got it right with the 2nd Amendment.  We as Americans have a right to defend ourselves, and this extends to the police.  Gunfights are short, brutal and deadly.  We have the right to protect ourselves, and that's why I carry a gun every day.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going out to the shop to play with a recipe I've been looking at for a while.