SOTG 164 - Hard Reminder, Police Officers have No Duty to Protect the Individual

SOTG 164 – Hard Reminder, Police Officers have No Duty to Protect the Individual

We already understand that police have no legal duty to protect the individual, only society as a whole. That legal concept has been affirmed numerous times by the courts.

What Baltimore, and Ferguson before it, has taught us is that not only is there no legal duty, but politicians feel no moral obligation to even protect society as a whole. Witness the direct orders of the Baltimore mayor to her police department to stand back and watch the city burn.


SOURCES:

From www.breitbart.com:

In a pathetic suck-up interview with Democrat Congressman Elijah Cummins, Baldwin never once had the moral courage to ask the failed Baltimore City congressman if the left-wing policies ushered in by a half-century of a Democrat monopoly in Baltimore might have something to do with the city’s ills. Instead, she said of young military veterans who become police officers, “I love our nation’s veterans, but some of them are coming back from war, they don’t know the communities, and they are ready to do battle.”

The context was a discussion about increased training and retraining for the Baltimore police.

There’s no question Baldwin is hoping to launch a narrative with that smear.

This is pure CNN; throwing out anti-science smears towards the best people this country has to offer while it is in reality the rioters who are “doing battle.” It is savages who are looting and burning and causing anarchy, not the police. But it is the Baltimore police who have 15 wounded among their ranks. It is the Baltimore police who calmly did not do much battle during Monday night’s riots.

Baldwin and CNN just can’t help themselves. This is a cable news network that relentlessly launches Hate Campaigns to smear decent people,  like Christians, as a way to deflect from the evils done by the Gaystapo and the thugs who are tearing down predominantly black, working class cities like Ferguson and Baltimore.

Essentially, what Baldwin said to the world was, “Don’t hire veterans! They’re too damaged to be trusted with authority.” We’re back to the Vietnam-era where leftists smear our heroes to cover up the real problems. CNN wants us to believe unstable veterans are the problem in Baltimore, not unstable families.

But she loves veterans.

Wine and live television tend to reveal just how ugly some people really are.

From dailycaller.com:

Congressman Elijah Cummings, the ranking Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, could be facing an ethics investigation if Cleta Mitchell has her way.

Mitchell — a partner at Foley & Lardner and the legal counsel for True the Vote in its case against the IRS for its targeting of conservative groups — is pursuing Cummings over his conduct in the wider investigation.

“[Cummings] announced within 30 days after the IRS scandal that “Whoops, all this investigation is over, and we don’t need to be doing anything more on that,’ and he has done everything he can do to thwart and obstruct this investigation,” Mitchell said. “And has just been adamant that the investigation needs to end, that this is just a witch hunt, that there’s nothing there, that nobody did anything wrong.”

Mitchell believes that Cummings’s actions, including what he described as  “his investigation of True the Vote” is outside of his jurisdiction and that it is a gross abuse of power to investigate private citizens.

From www.rushlimbaugh.com:

BEGIN TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: Elijah Cummings is the ranking Democrat on the House committee that is investigating Benghazi, and he decried the full-scale media campaign unleashed over the last few weeks that is not designed to investigate what happened in a responsible and bipartisan way and rather to launch unfounded accusations to smear public officials. This is how he tried to characterize what’s happening today. He’s the first Democrat member of Congress to speak during the hearing today. He didn’t waste any time before going after the chairman, Darrell Issa, for what he believes was the congressman using the Benghazi attack for his own political gain.

Cummings began by thanking the witnesses, said, “If I had been in your place, hearing Ambassador Stevens’ voice on the phone and wanting to do everything possible to help him, I would have had the same questions you had: where’s the military, where are the special forces, where are the fighter jets to rescue my colleagues? These are legitimate questions.” But from there Elijah Cummings proceeded to challenge a series of theories about how the US could have saved the four men who died in the attack, claiming that official sources have confirmed to him, Elijah Cummings, that under the circumstances, it wouldn’t have been possible for military help to arrive in time. And we heard yesterday that that was gonna be one of the excuses. “Well, couldn’ta got there on time.”

This thing only took place over nine hours. This event did not just happen in five or 10 minutes. We had assets there who were told to stand down. We had assets nearby who were told to stand down, to not offer assistance. There wasn’t proper security for the ambassador in the first place, and then when the attack began there wasn’t any suitable defense nearby, but there were people willing to go in and help, and they did. They defied orders and went in anyway, and they died because they assumed they had help in the sky, and they didn’t.

But Elijah Cummings said: “I have seen nothing to make me question the truthfulness of our nation’s military commanders.” And while he said the oversight committee has a duty to hear testimony from Hicks and the other whistleblowers, “We also have a duty to thoroughly investigate these claims before we make public accusations,” which means we’re gonna examine the seriousness of the charge. And if we don’t think the charge is serious, then nothing else that follows is relevant. And that’s the way they play the game. So what he’s really talking about is this has all been trumped up. This is nothing but an attempt to embarrass our dear president, therefore nothing happening here is real.

BREAK TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: Hi. Elijah Cummings. Get this. “Death is a part of life.” Get over it! He didn’t say, “Get over it,” but that’s what he means. “Get over it! Death is a part of life. People die doing stuff. Get over it.” Elijah Cummings (Democrat-Maryland), former chairman of the Congressional Black Caucasians, ranking member of the House oversight committee (which means ranking Democrat) told the Benghazi witnesses, “And, as I listen to your testimony, I could not help but think of something that I said very recently — two years ago now — in a eulogy for a relative.

“I said that death is a part of life. So often we have to find a way to make life a part of death. And, I guess the reason why I’m saying that, going back to something Mr. Nordstrom said. He wanted… I guess all of you said this. He wanted to make sure we learn from this.” Well, what we learn from this is, “Death is a part of life.” Yeah, like in Chicago. Like Boston. Like the Sandy Hook Elementary School. Like in Kermit Gosnell’s back-alley abortion clinic.

Yeah, yeah, “Death is part of life!”

So for all of you who are concerned about the Boston Marathon bombing? Well, the lesson here is that death is a part of life — and life is a part of death, by the way. We have to learn. “We have to find a way to make life part of death since death is a part of life. I said that in a eulogy,” Elijah Cummings said. Elijah Cummings also said, “Look, I don’t think there was any way anybody was gonna get there in time.” Well, I think two dead people did get there in time.

There were two Americans that tried to help out.

They thought they had support. They didn’t. But they got there in time. The idea they couldn’t get there in time? Is “Death is a part of life” maybe a motto for Obamacare? Maybe that ought to be on the posters at the exchanges when you go in to sign up for Obamacare. “Death is a part of life.” Quote, “Elijah Cummings, ranking Democrat, House Government Oversight Committee,” blah, blah, and put the date there.

Just remember this when you sign up for our wonderful new health care plan: “Death is a part of life.” Isn’t that deep? Remember, “Death is a part of life” at an elementary school when a young, mentally disturbed kid goes nuts with a gun. Or how about the Nanny State in New York that bans what might kill us: Cigarettes, butter, meat, soda, salt, tanning salons, light bulbs, cars, coal. “Hey, death is a part of life!” Make that a required warning label on automobile stickers every time you buy a car.

“Remember, death is a part of life. Drive carefully.”

Folks, we have a new profundity here that has been put forth by Elijah Cummings of the Congressional Black Caucasians to excuse what happened in Benghazi: “Hey, people die! Get over it! Sometimes they die because a guy did a video. Get over it! Representative Trey Gowdy, Republican of South Carolina, read from a State Department e-mail sent the day after the Benghazi terror attack to secretary of state Hillary Clinton’s counsel, i.e., lawyer, and the State Department spokesperson.

It states that the State Department official had informed the Libyan prime minister that terrorists carried out the Benghazi assault. Acting Assistant Secretary for Near-Eastern Affairs, Beth Jones, wrote the e-mail on September 12th, 2012, quote: “I spoke to the Libyan ambassador, and I emphasized the importance of Libyan leaders continuing to make strong statements. I told him that the group that conducted the attack, Ansar al-Sharia, is affiliated with Islamic terrorists.”

(New Castrati impression) “So what, Mr. Limbaugh? What’s the point of that?”

I’ll tell you what, Mr. New Castrati: The day after, the State Department was telling everybody but the American people that it was an act of terrorism. The American people were hearing that it was a random protest brought about by a video. But now some undersecretary for communications in the State Department’s telling the Libyan president, rather, that it was Ansar al-Sharia. It was terrorism.

The day after — the day after — the State Department told Libyan prime minister it was a terrorist attack Benghazi. It wasn’t random. It wasn’t a protest. It wasn’t a video. It was Ansar al-Sharia. Yet three weeks later, two weeks later, there’s Susan Rice on television — five different Sunday morning shows — blaming a video. There’s Hillary and Obama making a telephone commercial to air in Pakistan about the video. And today Elijah Cummings says, “Death is a part of life. So we have to find a way to make life a part of death.”

How do you that, by the way?

Would somebody tell me?

You know, I’m the mayor of Realville, and I need somebody to explain to me how do you make life a part of death. Why isn’t Elijah Cummings in that Reader’s Digest list of most trusted Americans? How did he get missed? Man, with thinking like this. “Death is a part of life” ranks up there with, “What difference does it make?”

BREAK TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: If death is a part of life — which means, “Get over it! People die!” — then why worry about trans fats and why worry about coconut oil and popcorn and movie theaters, and why worry about how big your soft drink is? Why worry about health care? Why worry about anything? If we’re all gonna died, what difference does all this make? Why all this concern about this? People are gonna die! (interruption) He’s not talking about quality of life. He’s saying, “You guys are sitting there worried about four people died in Benghazi. Hey, death is a part of life. Nobody coulda gotten there in time anyway.”

Two people did.

They’re dead.

They got there in time.

BREAK TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: Here it is, folks. Elijah Cummings. The hearings just moments ago, death is a part of life.

CUMMINGS: And I listened to your testimony, I could not help but think about something that I said very recently, two years ago now, in a eulogy for a relative. I said that death is a part of life, but so often we have to find a way to make life a part of death. And I guess the reason why I’m saying that, I want to go back to something Mr. Nordstrom said, he said that he wanted to make sure that — and you — all of you said it, pretty much. He wanted to make sure we learn from this, so that —

RUSH: And that’s it, life, death, part of life. Gonna die anyway, what the hell does it matter?

END TRANSCRIPT

From articles.baltimoresun.com:

A federal judge on Tuesday upheld Maryland’s new ban on assault rifles and magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds, handing at least a temporary victory to state officials who say the measures could ward off mass shootings.

A collection of gun owners, stores and industry groups had sued the state, saying the bans violated their Second Amendment right to bear arms.

Judge Catherine C. Blake disagreed, writing flatly: “I find the law constitutional.”

Blake’s decision adds to a growing list of legal victories for states that have tightened their gun laws in recent years, even after the Supreme Court decided in 2008 that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual right to bear arms.

Gun rights advocates say they are not disheartened, however, and plan to keep fighting.

The Maryland law has strong backing from top state officials, and Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler, whose office handled the case, praised the judge’s ruling.

“The banning of assault weapons and large-capacity magazines is a vital tool in the effort to help protect Marylanders from the most destructive weapons available for use by criminals,” he said in a statement.

“This ruling reflects our view that the law in no way infringes the Second Amendment rights of Marylanders.”

But Patrick Shomo, president of Maryland Shall Issue, a gun group that is a plaintiff in the case, played down the importance of Tuesday’s ruling. He said it was a step in a much longer process and that his side would file for review of the case by the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals.

“This decision allows us to push to the next level,” he said.

The General Assembly passed Maryland’s law in 2013, shortly after Adam Lanza killed 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.

The legislation led to unprecedented gun sales; permit applications doubled. Gun rights advocates filed their challenge a few days before it went into effect Oct. 1.

The case has moved swiftly through the court, with the two sides conducting several depositions of witnesses, filing briefs and arguing before the judge over just a few months.

At the final hearing last month, the two sides debated before a packed courtroom over whether the law would be effective and how the judge should apply the Second Amendment to the case.

The gun owners argued that the landmark 2008 Supreme Court ruling meant Maryland could not outlaw entire classes of weapons or magazines that are commonly owned for lawful purposes.

The state’s lawyers challenged the assertion that the banned rifles are common. In any case, they argued, restricting particularly dangerous weapons is still permissible.

Blake, who was appointed by President Bill Clinton, wrote that she was not convinced that assault rifles such as the AR-15 are used regularly for self-defense. She wrote that they seemed to be “military style weapons designed for offensive use.”

Blake did not rule on whether the weapons or magazines are protected by the Second Amendment. But even if they are, she wrote, the bans are a legitimate way for the state to enhance public safety.

The law “seeks to address a serious risk of harm to law enforcement officers and the public from the greater power to injure and kill presented by assault weapons and large capacity magazines,” she wrote.

Blake’s ruling joins others from Washington, California, Connecticut and New York, where judges have upheld similar bans.

Adam Winkler, a professor of constitutional law at the University of California, Los Angeles, said courts have found that a variety of restrictions on gun ownership pass muster even after the Supreme Court ruling.

“Case after case has upheld bans on assault weapons,” Winkler said. “Gun advocates insist such laws violate the Second Amendment, but courts have disagreed.”

The state’s victory comes on the heels of a ruling from the 4th Circuit last year upholding the state’s restrictions on handing out permits to carry a handgun in public, which are among the toughest in the country. The decision in that case guided Blake’s analysis.

But Shomo said that gun rights advocates across the country will continue to fight. Several rulings upholding assault rifle bans are on appeal. Shomo said he is optimistic of ultimately winning another case before the Supreme Court to bolster what he sees as an important victory in 2008.

“Gun control today is limited to poking at the edges of the Second Amendment,” he said. “Our community is taking the long view.”


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Paul Markel: Host of Student of the Gun Radio

Paul Markel: Host of Student of the Gun Radio

Paul G. Markel has worn many hats during his lifetime. He has been a United States Marine, police officer, professional bodyguard, and small arms and tactics instructor. Markel has been writing professionally for law enforcement and firearms periodicals for nearly 20 years, and has hundreds of articles in print. A regular guest on nationally syndicated radio talk shows, Markel is a subject matter expert in firearms training and use of force.

Markel has been teaching safe and effective firearms handling to students, young and old, for decades and has also worked actively with 4H Shooting Sports programs. Markel holds numerous instructor certifications in multiple disciplines; nonetheless, he is, and will remain a dedicated Student of the Gun.


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Jarrad Markel: Co-Host and Producer of Student of the Gun Radio

Not just another pretty face, Jarrad Markel has experience and training beyond his years.
Jarrad has been training to be a fighter since elementary school when he first learned the art of collegiate wrestling.

Now skilled in Jujitsu, Judo, Muay Thai, Sambo, the Way of the Fighting Pistol and Fighting Rifle, Jarrad is a well-rounded, tactical athlete with several professional MMA fights under his belt.

More than a brute, Jarrad has brains as well. He is the lead editor and videographer for Student of the Gun and works directly for Think On! Productions creating a wide variety of video material. In addition, Markel is a skilled web & blog designer, building material for the Internet side of the house.

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Paul G. Markel has worn many hats during his lifetime. He has been a U.S. Marine, Police Officer, Professional Bodyguard, and Small Arms and Tactics Instructor. Mr. Markel has been writing professionally for law enforcement and firearms periodicals for nearly twenty years with hundreds and hundreds of articles in print. Paul is a regular guest on nationally syndicated radio talk shows and subject matter expert in firearms training and use of force. Mr. Markel has been teaching safe and effective firearms handling to students young and old for decades and has worked actively with the 4-H Shooting Sports program. Paul holds numerous instructor certifications in multiple disciplines and a Bachelor’s degree in conflict resolution; nonetheless, he is and will remain a dedicated Student of the Gun.

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