Monday, March 7, 2016

Does Missouri Sheriff Jim Arnott's support for "right to bear arms" mean he's fine with events that led to shooting death of Officer Ashley Guindon in Virginia?


Jim Arnott, sheriff of Greene County, Missouri
The Missouri sheriff who oversaw the brutalization of my wife, Carol--which resulted in her left arm being shattered--apparently would be OK with the February 27 shooting that killed a Virginia police officer during her first day on the job.

Greene County Sheriff Jim Arnott, who was responsible for the unlawful eviction last September 9 that led to Carol's broken arm, has shown that he and his minions are dishonest, dim-witted, and dangerous. But Arnott's denseness apparently is not limited to a few unfortunate encounters per year. He seems to wear it proudly all the time.

We recently learned that Arnott is a hypocrite of epic proportions, especially when it comes to his support of the Second Amendment "right to bear arms." He apparently is unaware that the "right to bear arms" can have profoundly negative consequences for law-enforcement officers--such as Ashley Guindon, 28, who was shot and killed while responding to a domestic-dispute call in Prince William County, Virginia, near Washington, D.C.

Funeral for Guindon will be today in her childhood home of Springfield, Massachusetts. Did loose gun laws, and the politicians (like Arnott) who support them, contribute to her death? Here are the facts:

When Guindon and two other officers arrived at the residence, Ronald Hamilton opened fire--killing Guindon and injuring both male officers with her. From a New York Times report on the incident:

A police officer who was fatally shot on her first day on the job was remembered Tuesday as someone who helped in soup kitchens, at suicide prevention programs and at mortuary services for Marines killed overseas.

Thousands of people came to the Hylton Memorial Chapel here to honor the officer, Ashley Guindon, 28. Officer Guindon died Saturday when she and two other Prince William County police officers were investigating a domestic disturbance at a home in Woodbridge, about 20 miles south of Washington.

As the officers approached the front door of the house, a gunman opened fire, hitting all three, the police said. Officer Guindon later died at a hospital; the other two officers were treated for their wounds. The suspect, Ronald W. Hamilton, 32, who the police said also fatally shot his wife before they arrived, was arrested on murder charges.

Jim Arnott, from the safety of his office in Springfield, Missouri, apparently would be glad that Ronald Hamilton had easy access to a gun--even if he wound up using it on law-enforcement officers.

Arnott stated in a recent article that he supports a citizen's right to carry a concealed weapon--even on a college campus, almost everywhere. But how do Arnott and his deputies react when they think a citizen might have a gun, inside his own home? They act like hyper-caffeinated storm troopers, bursting into private property, with at least one assault rifle and roughly a half dozen handguns drawn--for an eviction that could not lawfully be conducted.

Ashley Guindon
(From smh.com)
The citizen, in this case, was me. So why did Arnott and Co. think I had a gun? They claimed I had called 911 here in Springfield, Missouri, and threatened to shoot anyone who tried to evict Carol and me. Never mind that I've never called 911 in my life--about any matter, anywhere. Never mind that I've never owned a gun, never fired anything beyond a B-B gun, and never shown any history of using firearms. Never mind that law enforcement could not have had any legitimate evidence that I planned to shoot anyone.

So where does hypocrisy enter the picture? If Arnott truly wants every citizen to be armed--inside and outside the home, even on college campuses--he and his deputies should treat every encounter accordingly. It should be no surprise to them if someone is "packing heat"; they should be expecting it. So why the SWAT-team antics with us?

How did Arnott's avid support for concealed weapons--and his raging hypocrisy--come to light. A Missouri legislator, Rep. Jered Taylor (R-Nixa), has proposed a bill that would allow Missourians to buy guns tax free on the Saturday after the Fourth of July. A reporter decided to get Arnott's views on the matter and discovered the sheriff thinks Taylor's bill is a swell idea. From the article:

Greene County Sheriff Jim Arnott said he would like to see civilians be allowed to carry concealed weapons on campuses and elsewhere.

"The more people that have a weapon, that have taken the time to learn how to use it and learn what their rights are and where their liability lands when they do use, the better off we are as a society," Arnott said.

Asked if the training required to carry a concealed weapon was enough to allow a person to respond in an active shooter situation, Arnott said no but that gun owners should seek out continued training.

"Firearms training should be ongoing, but I'm for people carrying concealed weapons. I think it's a deterrent, and I'm for people being able to protect themselves and their family," he said.

Let's ponder what Arnott is saying here. He admits that state-required training is not nearly enough to allow a citizen to respond safely and effectively in an active shooter situation. But Arnott wants poorly trained citizens, who essentially have no clue how to properly handle a firearm, to carry guns everywhere

Imagine this scenario: About 70,000 pack people pack Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium in Columbia for a big University of Missouri football game in the Southeastern Conference. Let's say the opponent is the defending national champion Alabama Crimson Tide. (With Nick Saban as head coach, plus the buying pow . . . I mean influence of Paul Bryant Jr., you are always safe assuming Alabama is defending a national title.) Perhaps 60,000 Missourians in the crowd are carrying concealed weapons--and maybe a few have had a little something to drink.

Nick Saban
With the game surprisingly close in the fourth quarter, the officials blow a call that winds up costing Missouri the game. Fans start shooting at the officials. They even shoot at Nick Saban, who thanks to his God-like status, is equipped with a protective shield that causes bullets to bounce off and hit his players.

Injured and dead officials, players, fans, and assistant coaches litter the playing surface. But somewhere, Jim Arnott and Rep. Jered Taylor must be smiling. Concealed weapons on college campuses--just what we need for a safer America.

Just to show that not everyone in Missouri is a right-wing lunatic, consider the words of Rep. Stacey Newman (D-St. Louis). She has consistently pushed for stronger gun regulations:

Newman said the notion that allowing students to carry concealed weapons on campuses would make them safer in the event of a mass shooting is a "false argument." She said the eight hours of firearms training required for concealed carry permits is nowhere near enough training to prepare someone to respond to an active shooter situation.
"It's laughable. It's completely laughable," Newman said.

Yes, it is laughable--that someone like Jim Arnott is in any position of authority and influence.

It's also ironic, that Arnott and his gang stormed our apartment with at least a half dozen weapons drawn, while we had not a single weapon on the premises--and there was no reason to believe we did have a weapon or had a history of using weapons. When Officer Guindon and her two colleagues approached the residence in the D.C. area, they encountered a man who was armed and more than willing to use firepower. It probably is a miracle that all three officers weren't killed.

Most importantly, it's profoundly sad that a promising young officer such as Ashley Guindon lost her life--largely because public officials like Jim Arnott know that support for the "right to bear arms" will help them win votes.

17 comments:

  1. This young officer's death is tragic. One of the saddest stories I've seen in a while.

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  2. Roger! Please correct me if I am wrong. I have read all your posts. I faintly remember you mentioning a gun or maybe getting a gun in a post years ago. On second thought, I think it was Bill Britt.

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  3. Roger! July 24 2015. I was wrong . You were only stating your opinion of the second admendment.

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  4. Any luck in finding the name of the deputy that broke your wife's arm?

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  5. My understanding is that law-enforcement officers generally are for tighter gun laws. And it's because most of them are smart enough to want these kinds of situations avoided. Arnott must be an exception to that.

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  6. I don't understand, @11:46. What is the significance of July 24, 2015?

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  7. No, we don't have the deputy's name, @11:59. But we are getting close. He's going to remember our names, that's for sure.

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  8. I've never owned a gun, @11:18, or said that I wanted to have a gun. I might have said we were giving some thought to it, given the threats we had received, etc. I still don't WANT to have a gun, but circumstances might force us to get one, soon.

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  9. July 24,2014 was the post where you gave your opinion of the second amendment.THe reason it caught my attention was, I remember thinking "Nuther one of those liberals done seen the light." I have been a life member of the NRA since 1972. I disagree with them on a lot of issues, but I admire their stance of never taking a step backwards. When you are talking about Constitutional Rights,If you take a step back, they will take a step forward, and you have lost ground forever. You negotiate similar to a crab's movement. You move lateral until you find common ground. I admire Your stance on the first amendment.You just do not quit.In the 1960's when I was in the Marines,we would have called you a pretty corpse.That is someone who will never surrender.A bullet from the front leaves a small hole but a bullet in the back of your head blows your face away.

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  10. Roger! You are proof that the phrase "The pen is mightier than the sword" was misquoted in translation.It said "The pen is mightier with the sword." You can not have amemdment 1 without amendment 2,but also you can not have 2 without 1.The Yancey family has unsheathed their swords.Your pen shall be mightier henceforth.

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  11. I'm not sure where certain readers have gotten the notion that I oppose the Second Amendment. I support the Second Amendment as it's written. I'm not sure I support the Second Amendment as it was interpreted by Antonin Scalia & Co. in District of Columbia v. Heller:

    http://www.thetrace.org/2016/02/antonin-scalia-legacy-gun-rights/

    At the same time, the July 24, 2015, post referenced by a commenter above supports Scalia's interpretation--especially in light of gross corruption and incompetence in our courts and law-enforcement.

    I guess you could say I'm squishy on the Second Amendment, but I definitely think it's a bad thing that our society is awash in guns. That's why the young officer and her colleagues walked into an ambush in Virginia.

    The main point of this post is that I despise mindless bozos like Arnott, who support gun rights to get elected, even if it means placing his employees in danger.

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  12. How can you say that you support the Second Amendment and then say it's a bad thing we are "awash in guns"? "...the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." It's basically written that there should be no legislation restricting guns. The mass shootings I have seen all center around places that most people do not carry guns. The shooters don't want opposition, that's why they choose schools, malls and churches. If more people had concealed guns and these mass shooters were quickly killed before the body count gets high, you would have less mass shootings. Look at the crime rates in Australia. They ban guns and violent crimes with knives soars. They ban knifes in pockets and violent crimes still soars. I recently got to speak with an Australian who had been assaulted in his camper by 2 assailants who were robbing him, but he couldn't respond with anything but running. They couldn't believe that we can just by a pocket knife at a convention and use the knife we keep in our pockets to open the new knife. I carry a concealed pistol everywhere I go. Most people will never even know it was in the room with them. Sure, it's a little uncomfortable sometimes, but it doesn't bother me. It is better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.

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  13. I have heard some people say that the Second Amendment talks about the militia and only people who are in the "militia" should be armed or that every citizen is "in the militia". Restating the Second Amendment in modern language can help people realize the true intention of this important amendment. Military and police forces are necessary for the security of our country, therefore the citizens should have firearms to protect themselves from those forces running over them. Without the guns to protect you, the government can do anything they want with you regardless of the Constitution.

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  14. A Blogger Claimed I Had an Affair with My Boss—and I Sued Him for $3.5 Million

    Republican campaign manager Jessica Garrison found herself in the crosshairs of a liberal blogger with an agenda. This is her story of fighting back.

    by JESSICA GARRISON, AS TOLD TO LIZ WELCH

    When the trial came, Shuler didn't show up. (After five months, he'd gotten out of jail—his wife unpublished the posts about Riley.) Both Luther and I were called to the stand. Seeing Luther responding to questions about the rumors was mortifying. My job had been to help him present a strong front—the exact opposite of making him vulnerable to such scandalous lies. I knew it wasn't my fault, but I couldn't help feeling like I failed him somehow.

    One day a month later, I was running late for a meeting with a close colleague when my lawyer called with the news: Not only had I won my case, but the judge had awarded me $3.5 million in damages. I ran into my meeting literally shouting, "I won! I won!" I was elated—not about the money, but about the fact that I'd seen justice done.

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  15. Who called the police, then? Did you call a non emergency number? Did some bad friend intervene? Were you SWATed?

    I think if you understand more about the shooter that killed the young policewoman and his wife, you'll understand the real problem was probably mental illness, with the issues mainly being covered up, underplayed,mand dealt with within the military. The husband was a military officer who worked at the pentagon (in IT), who was well- connected (his own father had been a pentagon employee and was a former police officer.) He was about to be transferred to Italy, probably to ease the domestic strain that was being dealt within the down-low).



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  16. Wow, Roger! Can you draw any connection to your problems with the law here?

    Over fact all son tell this any his?

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