It never ceases to amaze how quickly police and their supporters insist they would never do anything that violated the Constitution or our rights. If push came to shove they would stand with the people, defy authoritarian rule, block any attempt to implement illegal orders, and be the force for good and justice we would all hope they would be. They would never summarily confiscate our guns, that’s for sure!
Are there any examples of this? Or is this just lip service that sounds good and all the examples are the exact opposite? Does every case have “extenuating circumstances” that justify illegal entry, confiscating property, disarming the innocent, and gun confiscation at the slightest provocation? You can tell those questions are rhetorical. The answers are bad bad bad.
The Katrina storm is the classic example. Civil order breaks down, police don’t protect the area—they high tail it out of there—leaving people to defend themselves. To help, police “announce” with no due process and no legitimate authority, “No one will be able to be armed,” and, “Guns will be taken. Only law enforcement will be allowed to have guns.” (New Orleans Superintendent P. Edwin Compass)
Anyone found with a gun had it confiscated, at gunpoint, and the stolen property was kept, much of it damaged, returned grudgingly years later. Just doin’ our job, ma’am.
Just when you need it most, when the only one around to protect you is you, your protectors decide you must be persecuted. Not a single officer stands up against this outrageous friendly power grab.
Fast forward to the Boston bomber. The presence of two misguided youngsters on the loose, having perpetrated a horrific act of muslim jihad, justifies warrantless military-style searches of residential homes. Terrified residents are ousted, barely dressed, as storm-troop-clad “police” rush in, without specific probable cause, to find nothing. With such dangerous heathens on the loose it is justified, and the “news” confirms this, repeatedly, non-stop. The one perp still alive is found, not from police work, thanks to a resident’s tip.
OK, those examples are stark and don’t count. Along with all the other similar stark examples. We have to stay safe, right? Police must act that way in violation of the 2nd Amendment, the 4th Amendment, the 5th Amendment and every sort of decency you expect during civilized times. As soon as trouble strikes, all bets are off.
Declaring Contraband
But what about when legal property you own is suddenly declared illegal? Does this really justify police raids to confiscate it? Can Congress, or your state legislature, or anyone really, legitimately declare your legal stuff illegal?
If they do, is this a grant of power to Officer Friendly to invade your home and take your stuff? And will the officer? Isn’t this the bright red line where Officer Friendly stands firm, saying, “I swore an oath and I’m not going to take stuff from my neighbor, that he was free to own yesterday. I’m standing up for America and our rights, just like I said I would in the opening paragraph!”
Sorry folks, it don’t work that way. Despite the bluster, when New York State decides you can only have a seven-round magazine, every other magazine you own becomes contraband, and there isn’t an officer on the force who, independently, decides, “I’m going to compromise my job, violate my superior’s orders, sacrifice the pension I’ve slaved for and go to prison, by disobeying a direct order, and refuse to enforce ‘the law.’ It’s the law now. I will follow orders. These things are contraband.” California the same.
That’s how your guns get confiscated. They do it legally. By the book. And you cooperate—or use the front end of your guns for their intended purpose, resist tyranny, and give up your guns from your cold dead fingers, news at five.
Politicians—ones you actually elect—pass a law to outlaw your stuff, and their loyal police obey and take your stuff. If they miss something, you are left in possession of contraband, subject to felony arrest and imprisonment for having it. You can’t take it to the range, have it fixed by a gunsmith, sell it, show it to friends, nothing. Wait—I hear a knock at the door now.
Get All The Busted Myths – Click On The Link To Read Alan Korwin’s Previous Articles:
KORWIN: The Guns-Are-Dangerous Myth
KORWIN: The Loophole, Australia Model and Junk-Guns Myths
KORWIN: Moderate Judges, Armed Teachers And Guns Are Germs – Three Myths We Just Busted
KORWIN: The Big Bad Gun Lobby & Gun Buy Back Myths
KORWIN: The Undetectable Gun Myth & If Self Defense Was Common News Would Report It To You Myth
KORWIN: No Fly List = No Buy List = Gun Confiscation List
KORWIN: Gun Myth Debunked – Armed Citizens Will Cause ‘Blood In The Streets’
KORWIN: The Manchin-Toomey Gun Myth
KORWIN: Obama’s Gun Control Starts With Myth
KORWIN: America’s Real Gun Problem – The Gun Myths
KORWIN: Talking Points For The 30-Round-Magazine Debate
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Alan Korwin’s website features plain-English books on state and federal gun laws for the public, and more common sense like you just read. He invites you to write to him or see his work, at GunLaws.com, where you can get his 14 books, like After You Shoot, and DVDs that help keep you safe. Email, alan@gunlaws.com. Click here for the Gun Laws catalog.