So why do these guys carry ARs? Well, one possible explanation is that they grew up with seeing those types of guns, instead of lever actions 30-30s.
Another possible explanation would be that the criminals carry assault guns. I wouldn't want the bad guy to be outgunned if I was the cop, either. I think the LEOs are trying to match what is being thrown at them.
Something else I would like to point out: What are cops to do? Relax, don't be so uptight about things? Don't arrest people for speeding, drug offenses, etc? Don't go try to stop drug dealers, pot growers, etc?
I have seen societies that choose to handle their crime by legalizing criminal actions and being "relaxed". I grew up in Germany.
It is customary with some LEOs there to carry unloaded guns, sometimes no guns at all. Long guns? Nope. Shotguns? Nope. They are very cordial most of the time. Criminals will not get the crap beat out of them. Juveniles don't go to jail. Innocent bystanders do not get shot, not run over by a speeder chase.
What's the trade off?
Drug trafficking is rampant, and so are drug related crimes. The answer: Legalize pot and decriminalize minor drug offenses. Is that really an answer? Me thinks not. I believe it will further aid in the rapid decline of moral values, which in turn will fuel more crime.
Police in Germany do not have near the powers they have here. What's the trade off? Criminals run free. Juveniles committing felonies are set free and NOT (!!!) convicted of anything. If you are under eighteen, you cannot be convicted of crimes. So, there is kids out there that steal cars everyday. Every day they get picked up by the cops. They are taken to the station, their parents are notified, and then they are let go. Hardly a solution to a growing problem.
But hey, at least you don't have newspapers whining about cops harrassing juveniles, right?
Cops overthere do not expect armed conflicts and gunfights. (I admit, this is in large part due to far fewer guns in society. Gun control, anyone? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />) But what happens when they do encounter armed criminals? Typically, they are shot dead. But hey, at least they aren't harrassing me, right?
Criminals get away with a lot there, folks. Major felonies are punished by a couple of years in jail. What kind of deterrent is that? I am here to tell you, we are headed that way. What we have here is a decline in moral values. I believe that to be the cause of our problems.
And if you now think Germany is bad (I do), Holland is much worse. To all the folks that are screaming "Legalize Pot"! I have this to say: Legalizing pot and other minor drugs and making them publically commercially available solved absolutely nothing for the Dutch. Go take a walk in Amsterdam. At every street corner, some kid is trying to sell you Coke and worse things. I have never seen a worse drug problem than there. And this includes drug-related crimes and major major drug trafficking. Holland is THE hub for any kind of drug in the western Hemisphere. (I know, it has a little bit to do with Holland's international shipping ports.)
Also, the dependence of individuals on Government-funded social programs and social money is enormous in European countries.
I much prefer the US of A.
Let's work on making it better.
Relaxing on crime is NOT the thing to do. Get tougher, that's what. You gotta be smarter about it, too, though.
