If you received today's fish wrapper, there's a commentary by some guy named Fred Grimm in the "Metro & State" section titled "What's a few dead cops to the gun lobby?"

I thought I would share some of his wonderful thoughts with you:

-"I thought how easy it would be for some kid, some 110-pound wild-dog street punk, to hef an AR-6250 and wield it to hellish effect."

-"Police know that since the expiration of the federal assault weapon ban, young criminals have ginned up the arms race."

-"Gun peddlers visit gun stores and shows where they make legal purchases of semiautomatic military assault guns powerful enough to penetrate walls, doors, cars -- powerful enough to render a police officer's bulletproof vest obsolute."

-"They flip them. Sell them out of car trunks at twice the price to gangbangers, drug dealers and armed robbers who want to upgrade to cop killers. Sell them to felons. Sell them to kids. Sell them to certifiable crazy people as long as crazy people can ante up a cold three grand."

-"Congress demonstrated in 2004 how much value was placed on the mythical right of private citizens to own semiautomatic military assault rifles."

I think we all need to write our opinions to The Herald in a courteous but informative way and correct this sheeple's askewed and socialist commentary. I'll be doing so.

Click Here to Read the actual article.

Here is my email that I sent that jackass of a writer.

Dear Mr. Grimm, I don't know or understand your reasoning but I am highly insulted and madden but your article "What's a few dead cops to the gun lobby?” I am the son of a Police Officer and I myself am a Police Officer. I will not say what PD I work for because I know that you will more then likely simply twist my words anyways. When I became a Police Officer I took an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States of America. Part of that oath is protecting the 2nd Amendment. The Right for the people to keep and bear arms; the people by the way Mr. Grimm isn’t the police or the military. It is the citizenry that I as a public official serve. As for your ideas that “assault weapons” are the major threat to the lives of Law Enforcement Officers, I find that laughable sir. You mentioned the death of Miami-Dade officer Jose Somohano. I remember that day as if it was yesterday. It was September 13, 2007. I was there at that scene. I was on of the first officers on the scene. And even though it was a horrible event, the idea of outlawing a type of firearm from the legal ownership of the law abiding citizen will not or would not have prevented that horrible day to happen. The main issue with criminals is that they do not follow the laws sir. Law Abiding Citizens do. So do you really think that a criminal that breaks a number of laws already will go and not break one more law? These firearms, the so called “assault weapons” are nothing different then the common semi-automatic hunting rifle or plinking rifle used by millions of citizens for hunting, camping, target shooting, and other sports and activities. The only difference is their looks. The civilian version of the AK-47 rifle or the M-16 (AR-15) cannot be converted to automatic fire with just the flick of a switch or by using a paper clip as the rumors so say. The sale and possession of Automatic Weapons have been regulated since 1934 when the National Firearms Act was passed. All Automatic Weapons in legal possession has been registered and controlled by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives. Since 1986 no automatic weapon made after that year can be sold to civilians. Every single Automatic weapon owned in civilian hands was made before 1986 and a $200 Tax Stamp must be paid for it. Top get said tax stamp, the person must have a clean background, go through a long and rigorous background check by the BATFE which takes a number of months, and must keep the paper work with said firearm. The owner of such firearm cannot sell it to anyone unless they themselves file for the same tax stamp and go through the same procedure with BATFE. And for every automatic weapon a person owns they must do the procedure again. It’s not a one time thing. The civilian copies of the automatic weapons are 100% not machine guns. BATFE enforces the National Firearms Act with zeal that I wish Immigrations & Custom Enforcement enforced immigration law. As for someone buying a civilian AK-47 or AR-15; they must do the following within the State of Florida. They must be over the age of 18, must be a citizen of the United States of America or a Legal Resident with proof of Residence. Have Legal State issued ID. Must file a BATFE Form 4473 background Check. Have a Background Check performed by Florida Department of Law Enforcement through the Florida Crime Information Center and the National Crime Information Center. And then in wait a five day waiting period if they do not have a conceal carry permit. Law Enforcement Officers like myself must wait three days if we do not have a conceal weapon permit. Also a person cannot be any of the following. • Anyone who has been convicted in any court of, a felony punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding 1 year, excluding those crimes punishable by imprisonment related to the regulation of business practices. • Anyone who is a fugitive from justice. • Anyone who is an unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance. • Anyone who has been adjudicated as a mental defective or has been committed to a mental institution. • Any alien illegally or unlawfully in the United States or an alien admitted to the United States under a nonimmigrant visa. The exception is if the nonimmigrant is in possession of a valid hunting license issued by a US state. • Anyone who has been discharged from the Armed Forces under dishonorable conditions. • Anyone who, having been a citizen of the United States, has renounced his or her citizenship. • Anyone that is subject to a court order that restrains the person from harassing, stalking, or threatening an intimate partner or child of such intimate partner. • Anyone who has been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. • A person who is under indictment or information for a crime (misdemeanor or felony) punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year cannot lawfully receive a firearm. Such person may continue to lawfully possess firearms obtained prior to the indictment or information, and if cleared or acquitted can receive firearms without restriction. The AR-15 and AK-47 are used in a large number of sports. The AR-15 is the most popular rifle for the Camp Perry National Rifle Matches which is held by the Civilian Marksmanship Program; which is a government run organization. It is held at the National Guard training facility located on the shore of Lake Erie in northern Ohio near Port Clinton. The AR-15 is also a very popular hunting rifle for game such as hog and deer. Remington Arms, America’s oldest firearm company since 1812 builds an AR-15 for hunting. Remington Arms is the name of the classic hunting rifle. Also there are numerous sports that focus around the AR-15. Bench Rest Shooting, Steel Target, IDPA, and the classic target shooting and plinking. The civilian copy of the AK-47 is also very similar in terms of popularity. It is not a long distance shooting but it is very popular because it is priced less then the AR-15. It is a very popular rifle for hunting also in shorter ranges like heavy woods. It is a very simple firearm to operate and clean. Very robust and well made. It is also very popular for sport shooting. 3 Gun Matches, IDPA, Steel Shooting, etc…. As for crime, I have never come across a large number of criminals armed with said rifles. If they are armed it is usually with a small cheap pistol chambered in .32 ACP or .38 Special. The price of these firearms are around $100. What you in your industry call “Saturday Night Special”. The average price for a civilian copy of the AK-47 is $500-$600 and the AR-15 between $900 to $2500. They are hard to conceal, large, awkward to carry, and priced very highly. Your average criminal wants something small and concealable. They want to be quick and fast. Carrying a large rifle is not quick and fast. As for you part in your article about the police being armed with rifles is something scary…. Firearms are tools. Different tools for different tasks. I carry a pistol, I carry a shotgun, and if I can I would carry a rifle. I’m sorry to inform you but the pistols we carry cannot do everything. If I run across a wild large bull, yes a bull. Rodeos still happen in Miami and there are even cows in Miami Lakes. My pistol will not stop the creature. It will only make it angrier. Now my shotgun or rifle would. If you have ever seen what a 2000lbs animal can do you would understand why. That is just one of the many issues that firearm are used as tools. If you have a criminal that is shooting at officers, with anything, a pistol, shotgun, or rifle. You want us, the police to prevent that criminal from harming the public correct? But you also want us to god forbid, shot the criminal without missing and striking a innocent bystander. A rifle will do a far better job then a pistol. Rifles are more accurate then pistols or shotguns. And every time I see a police involved shooting in the news. The media always says that the officers were dangerous because they could not hit the target etc. Lastly, the 2nd Amendment is just that; an Amendment. It is a legal right that We People have. It is just of equal importance as the 1st Amendment and the 4th Amendment, and the 5th Amendment and every other of our 27 Amendments. As I said, I took and swore an oath that I would defend and uphold the Constitution of the United States of America and the rights of the people that I serve. By doing so, I cannot say that the public can speak freely but cannot have the right to bear arms. The 2nd Amendment isn’t about sports or hunting. It is about the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. Our founding fathers meant that we the people are the militia and that we should have the same access to the same style of firearms as our soldiers and soldiers across the world. That was meant so that the people can defend themselves against foreign invasion but also against an unjust government. All of the world’s most vile governments all started by one simple action. Removing the right for the people to keep and bear arms. Nazi Germany disarmed its citizenry and Jews by passing firearm laws. The Soviet Union did the same as did Communist China, North Korea, Cuba, Eat Germany, the Sudan, and every other two bit thug dictatorship. It is happening as we speak in Venezuela. Our own National Defense. Our military and our police use firearms correct? Well were do they get them from? Private Industry. Every single firearm in the hand of a soldier or police officer was made by a private company. The United States of America no longer has a government run armory. The rifles in the hand of our soldiers in the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan were made by FN Hertsal in South Carolina. The rifles that Fort Lauderdale PD are buying are made by Colt. Another American Firearms Company. The pistols that Department of Homeland Security issue. The Sig Arms P229 and the H&K USP are made in America. Why do I mention that? Because by passing laws that restrict the civilian ownership of firearms. You put a number of companies and jobs out of business. The civilian market is what drives the firearms market. It’s not government contracts or purchase orders. So if you put these businesses out of business you just hurt America’s National Defense. If we have a major conflict in the scale of World War II; where are our troops going to get their arms needed to defend our freedoms? No where because there are no factories or businesses that can make them. Lastly, I as a police officer cannot be everywhere at once. I cannot watch you or your family 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. But law abiding civilians with firearms can defended themselves. It takes on average 3 to 5 minutes for the police to arrive to a burglary call. It takes less then 10 seconds from a thief to go from a thief to a rapist or murderer. Are you going to hide and wait in a locked closet with 911 on the line while you wife or children are being harmed, raped, or worse… killed? Or are you going to defend them? In the end Mr. Grimm, I want to let you know that your facts are wrong and that you need to understand that Gun Control isn’t about firearms or crime. It’s about control. It’s about destroying rights and basically getting our Constitution and burning it as if it were confetti paper. The 2nd Amendment is a right of the People, not the State. The People in the 1st means the people, the People in the 4th means the people. Yet according to some like you the People in the 2nd means the State. Sorry Mr. Grimm. But as a Law Enforcement Officer I will enforce and protect all of the People’s rights. Not just a select few. The People have a right to Keep and Bear Arms. Whether they are "assault weapons" or simple single shot shotguns for bird hunting. The 2nd Amendment is a Constitutionally Guaranteed Right.

Your letter to the editor needs to be about 350 words.Get to chopping.

Quoted: Your letter to the editor needs to be about 350 words.Get to chopping.

It's not a letter to the editor. It's a letter to the author

I couldn't have said it better.   Outstanding!

"After a shooting spree, they always want to take the guns away from the people who didn't do it. I sure as hell wouldn't want to live in a society where the only people allowed guns are the police and the military."

-William Burroughs, taped conversation (published in Grand Street, no. 37)

"Since police started keeping statistics, we now know that assault weapons are/were used in an underwhelming 0.026 of 1% of crimes in New Jersey. This means that my officers are more likely to encounter an escaped tiger from the zoo than to confront an assault weapon in the hands of of a drug-crazed killer on the streets..."

-Joseph Constance, Deputy Police Chief, Trenton, NJ, in testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee in Aug 1993


"Assault rifles have never been an issue in law enforcement. I have been on this job for 25 years and I haven't seen a drug dealer carry one. They are not used in crimes, they are not used against police officers."

-Joseph Constance, Deputy Police Chief, Trenton, NJ

"The rifle itself has no moral stature, since it has no will of its own. Naturally, it may be used by evil men for evil purposes, but there are more good men than evil, and while the latter cannot be persuaded to the path of righteousness by propaganda, they can certainly be corrected by good men with rifles."

-Jeff Cooper

"Gun control has not worked in D.C. The only people who have guns are criminals. We have the strictest gun laws in the nation and one of the highest murder rates. It's quicker to pull your Smith & Wesson than to dial 911 if you're being robbed."

-Lieutenant Lowell Duckett, Special Assistant to DC Police Chief; President, Black Police Caucus, The Washington Post, March 22, 1996.

"Who are the militia? They consist of the whole people."

-Patrick Henry, 1782 speech

"Passing a law like the assault weapons ban is a symbolic - purely symbolic - move in that direction. Its only real justification is not to reduce crime but to desensitize the public to the regulation of weapons in preparation for their ultimate confiscation."

-Charles Krauthammer, columnist, Washington Post, April 5, 1996

"Gun control is a band-aid, feeling good approach to the nation's crime problem. It is easier for politicians to ban something than it is to condemn a murderer to death or a robber to life in prison. In essence, 'gun control' is the coward's way out."

-Gabriel Suarez, police officer, California

"Assault weapons... are a new topic. The weapons' menacing looks, coupled with the public's confusion over fully-automatic machine guns versus semi-automatic assault weapons — anything that looks like a machine gun is assumed to be a machine gun — can only increase the chance of public support for restrictions on these weapons."

-Josh Sugarmann, "Assault Weapons: Analysis, New Research and Legislation", March 1989

"The NRA is right...handgun controls do little to stop criminals from obtaining handguns."

-Josh Sugarman, former communications director for the Coalition Against Gun Violence

"If you've got a gun law that criminals will obey, why not just turn it into a murder law that criminals will obey—then we won't have to worry about the gun part."

-Andrew Ford

"What the subcommittee on the Constitution uncovered was clear - and long lost - proof that the Second Amendment to our Constitution was intended as an individual right of the American citizen to keep and carry arms in a peaceful manner, for protection of himself, his family, and his freedoms."

-Senator Orrin Hatch, Chairman, Subcommittee on the Constitution, Preface, "The Right To Keep And Bear Arms"


"If gun laws in fact worked, the sponsors of this type of legislation should have no difficulty drawing upon long lists of examples of crime rates reduced by such legislation. That they cannot do so after a century and a half of trying—that they must sweep under the rug the southern attempts at gun control in the 1870-1910 period, the northeastern attempts in the 1920-1939 period, the attempts at both Federal and State levels in 1965-1976—establishes the repeated, complete and inevitable failure of gun laws to control serious crime."

-Senator Orrin Hatch, 1982 Senate Report

Quoted: Quoted: Your letter to the editor needs to be about 350 words.Get to chopping. It's not a letter to the editor. It's a letter to the author

Great letter. You used "shot" where "shoot" should have been used in one instance.


Remember that the Bill of Rights does not grant our rights. It sets limitations on the government as to which rights they specifically cannot touch and in which manner our rights cannot be modified.

Spell check and proof read that puppy. Also, do not start a paragraph with "Lastly..." and then begin yet another paragraph later on with the same phrase.

Otherwise, nice angry letter to the author!

pretty good, just need to do some spell checking on it.

There's one major problem with your article.

It's right.

Point-by-point rebuttal

The shock was in the weight of the thing. Less than six pounds. Since the majority of rifles weigh between five and ten pounds, that isn't anything surprising or out of the ordinary. It was a cop's weapon, a semiautomatic assault rifle Technical point: An assault rifle is, by definition, one capable of firing fully-automatic. If it's semi-auto, it isn't an assault rifle. The term "assault weapon" is a gross misapplication used by the media and anti-gun lobby to villainize semi-automatic firearms, which have been available to the public since the 1890's. of dull anodized black steel, stripped down to an unadorned functionality. The majority of guns are strictly functional, rather than decorative or aesthetic. What's your point? Just trying to describe how eeeeevil it is? How light it felt in my hands. Like a toy gun. Welcome to 1965-era technology. Try to keep up. I thought how easy it would be for some kid, some 110-pound wild-dog street punk, to heft an AR-6520 and wield it to hellish effect. Since 90% of hoodlums have no idea how to properly maintain a firearm, have no training and little understanding of proper marksmanship, and rely overwhelmingly on cheap, small-caliber pistols or stolen handguns, this is a foolish statement. In fact, so-called assault weapons are used in less than 8% of crimes committed with guns nation-wide. They're not an issue. No wonder Fort Lauderdale is spending $82,000 for guns designed to kill enemy soldiers. Really? If they send in a request, the feds will give them surplus M-16's for free. Why pay for semi-auto AR-15's when they can get free machine guns? Police know that since the expiration of the federal assault weapon ban, young criminals have ginned up the arms race. *sigh* An outright lie. First of all, the AWB did NOT ban firearms in any way, shape, or form. They banned newly-produced semi-auto firearms from having certain features, such as flash suppressors, bayonet lugs, folding stocks, etc. As long as it had none of those features, you could produce as many AR-15's and AK-47's as you wanted. Production of so-called "assault weapons" did not stop or even diminish during the ten years of the ban, and the only change since the ban ended was that now new guns could have folding stocks, flash suppressors, and bayonet lugs. I fail to see how adding a folding stock or bayonet lug to the exact same rifle produced during the ban somehow magically makes them deadlier. I also fail to see how these mostly cosmetic features suddenly makes it easier for criminals to obtain semi-auto guns than during the ban. The availability of these firearms has remained the same, before, during, and after the ban. Anyone who says otherwise is lying. Gun peddlers visit gun stores and shows where they make legal purchases of semiautomatic military assault guns The military has not used semi-automatic rifles since WWII. In fact, I cannot think of a single military anywhere in the world that does not use fully-automatic weapons rather than semi-automatic. Your are being deliberately misleading and making claims based on the cosmetic appearance of these firearms rather than their function or capability. powerful enough to penetrate walls, doors, cars -- A .22 will penetrate any wall in my house, penetrate any door in my house, and penetrate most parts of my car. All of the so-called "assault pistols" such as the TEC-9, Uzi, and MAC-10 fire the exact same ammunition as other pistols, and the so-called "assault rifles" such as the AR-15 and AK-47 are WEAKER than the majority of traditional hunting rifles. Villainizing semi-automatic guns by stating that they do things nearly every firearm in existence does is retarded. powerful enough to render a police officer's bulletproof vest obsolete. Body armor is not bulletproof, it is bullet resistant. Most police officers wear concealed Level IIa body armor, which will stop most, but not all, pistol bullets. Nearly every rifle in existence will penetrate this armor. Level IIIa is resistant to nearly all pistol calibers, but most rifles will still penetrate it. Level III is resistant to small-caliber rifles like the AR-15 and AK-47, but can still be penetrated if shot in the right location or hit with a more powerful rifle, like a traditional deer gun. Level IV is the most protective, but is too bulky and heavy to be worn for most applications. And it still is not bulletproof. Again, making claims about the capabilities of so-called "assault weapons" that are true for nearly every firearm in existence is being deliberately deceptive. They flip them. Sell them out of car trunks at twice the price to gangbangers, drug dealers and armed robbers who want to upgrade to cop killers. Straw-purchasing, or buying a gun with intent to give or sell it to someone who cannot legally buy or own a firearm, is illegal. It also doesn't occur very often. Most firearms in the hands of criminals are legally bought by the criminals themselves (since they haven't been convicted of a crime and therefore are still legally able to purchase and own guns) or are stolen from law-abiding citizens. Again, so-called "assault weapons" make up less than 8% of firearms used in crimes. They are a non-issue. Sell them to felons. Sell them to kids. How many kids can buy an FAL for three grand? Sell them to certifiably crazy people as long as crazy people can ante up a cold three grand. Nice use of drama, but you may want to limit yourself to factual data rather than sensationalism and histrionics. PRO-GUN CONGRESS Last year, the feds indicted four gun merchants on charges they had purchased more than 150 assault weapons and accessories, including a 90-round clip Technical point: They're called magazines, not clips., and resold them in northwest Miami-Dade's toughest neighborhoods. And since they did illegal things, they went to prison, now didn't they. Chew on that: A young aspiring criminal no longer thinks his 9mm automatic pistol packs enough death. Actually, most criminals use .22 revolvers and .25 or .32 automatics of questionable quality and reliability. He's willing to pay street prices for an AK-47 with a 90-round clip. Technical point: There are no 90-round magazines for the AK-47. Also, since the overwhelming majority of criminals spend less than $100 on their guns or steal them, and we know from FBI statistics that less than 8% of firearms used in crimes are so-called "assault weapons", you'll pardon my scepticism at believing that some crackhead, pimp, rapist, or burglar will pay double or triple the value of a rifle that costs between $600 and $1,000 in the gun store. They mostly spend their money on "bling" and drugs. The Fort Lauderdale police department held a news conference Wednesday to talk about the purchase of 100 Colt AR-6520 rifles. Why? Weren't they getting enough attention? The city's cops were authorized semiautomatic weapons back in 2001 but it was up to individual patrolmen to buy their own. Whereas smarter departments authorized them back when Andy Griffith was running Mayberry. A lot has changed since 2001. Well, gas prices went up, taxes went up, and we've blown up two different countries in the meantime. So, I guess, yeah, a lot has changed since 2001. In 2004, Congress allowed the ban on assault weapons to expire. The ban didn't ban guns, it banned guns from having certain, mostly cosmetic, features. In 2003, during the ban, I could walk into any gun store and buy an AR-15 for the same price as today. Actually, cheaper since they didn't have folding stocks or bayonet lugs. The federal law suffered major loopholes, but it still had the effect of tamping down the firepower cops faced on the streets. No, it didn't. The FBI admitted it had zero impact on crime, Congress admitted it had zero impact on crime, the Violence Policy Center and Brady Bunch admitted it had zero impact on crime, and police around the nation admitted it had zero impact on crime. It did absolutely nothing to change the availability of AR-15's, Uzi's, and AK-47's to the public and "assault weapons" weren't an issue in crime before, during, or after the ban. You're lying. Since the ban was jettisoned, police groups like the International Association of Chiefs of Police have lamented that the bad guys have the cops outgunned. When the police come in groups with backup, have access to firearms that are identical to those used by criminals or superior (like M-16's and MP5's), have body armor, gas masks, tear gas, and even access to armored personnel carriers in some departments, you'll forgive me if I find it highly unlikely that Tyrone the crackhead, who robs liquor stores for a living and spends most of his money to feed his drug habit, has the cops outgunned. FBI and Justice Department statistics also point out that, just like before and during the ban, "assault weapons" still are not an issue in crime. NEW REALITY Nationwide, even as police departments beg Congress to reinstate the assault weapon ban, Actually, most police departments are indifferent or opposed to a new AWB. It's a collection of leftist politicians who hold honorary "police" membership that have formed lobby groups. Try not to lie so often, journalism is supposed to be about presenting the facts, not an agenda. they're reluctantly dealing with the new reality. Last month, Washington D.C., announced that city patrol cars would be equipped with AR-15 assault rifles,Why? D.C. has the strictest gun laws in the nation. If gun bans prevent crime, shouldn't D.C. be the safest city in the nation, rather than the murder capital? I sense a flaw in your logic. following cities like Miami, Minneapolis, Los Angeles, even Waterloo, Iowa. I forget the name of the town, but it had less than a dozen police officers but over fifty machine guns in the police department. What's your point? That other departments are finally catching up to the mid-20th century in terms of equipment? The danger has become painfully obvious to any department in the vicinity of Miami-Dade County. Two officers have been murdered in the past nine months by gunmen carrying variations of the AK-47. Two. Total. Again, forgive me if I don't find those numbers overwhelming. In September, Miami-Dade officer Jose Somohano was killed and two other officers wounded. In February, Miami Detective James Walker was murdered as he sat in his car. As opposed to all those other cops shot with tamer guns, shot with their own guns, stabbed, or run over. Fort Lauderdale cops see the increase in firearm savagery a few miles south. They understand the new reality. My gosh, would it kill you to stop sensationalizing and making histrionic bullshit for even two sentences? Congress demonstrated in 2004 how much value was placed on the mythical right of private citizens to own semiautomatic military assault rifles. "The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed." Doesn't seem mythical to me. Asshole. How much? More than a few dead cops. Fuck you. Nice exploitation of the dead for your own purposes, shitbird.

Please please please use Swindle's retort.  It is much more to the point (and grammatically correct)....

Quoted: Please please please use Swindle's retort.  It is much more to the point (and grammatically correct)....

I tried to keep it as civil as possible, but you'll notice I just couldn't avoid it by the end.

It was good but I couldn't finish reading it. I...just...couldn't.

Quoted: Here is my email that I sent that jackass of a writer.

Good letter. Hopefully that idiot will actually pay attention...but I doubt it.

Anti-gunners and liberal democrats never let pesky little FACTS get in the way of their propaganda.   You know that by now.

"A lie repeated a hundred times becomes the truth." -Chairman Mao

That pretty much sums it up.

great stuff

Well done, Sir.

I got a response from him about my email

where in my column did i suggest that it was "scarey" for policemen to arm themselves with AR-15s or the like? and you were worried about me twisted your words. fred.

My Email

Dear Mr. Grimm, I don't know or understand your reasoning but I am highly insulted and angered by your article "What’s a few dead cops to the gun lobby?” I am the son of a Police Officer and I myself am a Police Officer. I will not say what PD I work for because I know that you will more then likely simply twist my words anyways. When I became a Police Officer I took an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States of America. Part of that oath is protecting the 2nd Amendment. The Right for the people to keep and bear arms; the people by the way Mr. Grimm isn’t the police or the military. It is the citizenry that I as a public official serve.   As for your ideas that “assault weapons” are the major threat to the lives of Law Enforcement Officers, I find that laughable sir. You mentioned the death of Miami-Dade officer Jose Somohano. I remember that day as if it was yesterday. It was September 13, 2007. I was there at that scene. I was one of the first officers on that scene. And even though it was a horrible event, the idea of outlawing a type of firearm from the legal ownership of the law abiding citizen will not or would not have prevented that horrible day to happen. The main issue with criminals is that they do not follow the laws sir. Law Abiding Citizens do. So do you really think that a criminal that breaks a number of laws already will go and not break one more law? These firearms, the so called “assault weapons” are nothing different then the common semi-automatic hunting rifle or plinking rifle used by millions of citizens for hunting, camping, target shooting, and other sports and activities. The only difference is their looks.   The civilian version of the AK-47 rifle or the M-16 (AR-15) cannot be converted to automatic fire with just the flick of a switch or by using a paper clip as the rumors so say. The sale and possession of Automatic Weapons has been heavily regulated since 1934 when the National Firearms Act was passed. All Automatic Weapons in legal possession have been registered and controlled by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives. Since 1986 no automatic weapon made after that year can be sold to civilians. Every single Automatic weapon owned in civilian hands was made before 1986 and a $200 Tax Stamp must be paid for it. Top get said tax stamp, the person must have a clean background, go through a long and rigorous background check by the BATFE which takes a number of months, and must keep the paper work with said firearm. The owner of such firearm cannot sell it to anyone unless they themselves file for the same tax stamp and go through the same procedure with BATFE. And for every automatic weapon a person owns they must do the procedure again. It’s not a one time thing. On top of all that, no legally owned automatic weapon has been used in the commission of a crime since 1934. The civilian copies of the automatic weapons are 100% not machine guns. BATFE enforces the National Firearms Act with zeal that I wish Immigrations & Custom Enforcement enforced immigration law. As for someone buying a civilian AK-47 or AR-15; they must do the following within the State of Florida. They must be over the age of 18, must be a citizen of the United States of America or a Legal Resident with proof of Residence. Have Legal State issued ID. Must file a BATFE Form 4473 background check and have a Background Check performed by Florida Department of Law Enforcement through the Florida Crime Information Center and the National Crime Information Center. And then wait a five day waiting period if they do not have a conceal carry permit. Law Enforcement Officers like myself must wait three days if we do not have a conceal weapon permit. Also a person cannot be any of the following.    * Anyone who has been convicted in any court of, a felony punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding 1 year, excluding those crimes punishable by imprisonment related to the regulation of business practices.    * Anyone who is a fugitive from justice.    * Anyone who is an unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance.    * Anyone who has been adjudicated as a mental defective or has been committed to a mental institution.    * Any alien illegally or unlawfully in the United States or an alien admitted to the United States under a nonimmigrant visa. The exception is if the nonimmigrant is in possession of a valid hunting license issued by a US state.    * Anyone who has been discharged from the Armed Forces under dishonorable conditions.    * Anyone who, having been a citizen of the United States, has renounced his or her citizenship.    * Anyone that is subject to a court order that restrains the person from harassing, stalking, or threatening an intimate partner or child of such intimate partner.    * Anyone who has been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.    * A person who is under indictment or information for a crime (misdemeanor or felony) punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year cannot lawfully receive a firearm. Such person may continue to lawfully possess firearms obtained prior to the indictment or information, and if cleared or acquitted can receive firearms without restriction. As for citizens in possession of a conceal weapon permit. They must go through a background check by FDLE, have their finger prints taken, and take a weapon safety course given by a nationally recognized firearms instructor. The same type of firearm instructor that teaches police officers on how to use firearms. The AR-15 and AK-47 are used in a large number of sports. The AR-15 is the most popular rifle for the Camp Perry National Rifle Matches which is held by the Civilian Marksmanship Program; which is a government run organization. It is held at the National Guard training facility located on the shore of Lake Erie in northern Ohio near Port Clinton. The AR-15 is also a very popular hunting rifle for game such as hog and deer. Remington Arms, America’s oldest firearm company since 1812 builds an AR-15 for hunting. Remington Arms is the name of the classic hunting rifle. Also there are numerous sports that focus around the AR-15. Bench Rest Shooting, Steel Target, IDPA, and the classic target shooting and plinking.   The civilian copy of the AK-47 is also very similar in terms of popularity. It is not a long distance shooting but it is very popular because it is priced less then the AR-15. It is a very popular rifle for hunting also in shorter ranges like heavy woods. It is a very simple firearm to operate and clean. Very robust and well made. It is also very popular for sport shooting. 3 Gun Matches, IDPA, Steel Shooting, etc…. As for crime, I have never come across a large number of criminals armed with said rifles. If they are armed it is usually with a small cheap pistol chambered in .32 ACP or .38 Special. The prices of these firearms are around $100. What you in your industry call “Saturday Night Special”. The average price for a civilian copy of the AK-47 is $500-$600 and the AR-15 from $900 to $2500. While law abiding gun owners prevent or deter crimes more than 2,000,000 times per year in this country, according to the National Institute of Justice, most of the time without even firing a shot. Sadly I cannot say that those in my chosen profession don't have such an outstanding track record. These so called “assault weapons” are hard to conceal, large, awkward to carry, and priced very highly. Your average criminal wants something small and concealable. They want to be quick and fast. Carrying a large rifle is not quick and fast. As for you part in your article about the police being armed with rifles is something scary…. Firearms are tools. Different tools for different tasks. I carry a pistol, I carry a shotgun, and if I can I would carry a rifle. I’m sorry to inform you but the pistols we carry cannot do everything. If I run across a wild large bull, yes a bull. Rodeos still happen in Miami and there are even cows in Miami Lakes. My pistol will not stop the creature. It will only make it angrier. Now my shotgun or rifle would. If you have ever seen what a 2000lbs animal can do you would understand why. That is just one of the many issues that firearm are used as tools. If you have a criminal that is shooting at officers, with anything, a pistol, shotgun, or rifle; you want us, the police to prevent that criminal from harming the public correct? But you also want us to god forbid, shoot the criminal without missing and striking an innocent bystander. A rifle will do a far better job then a pistol. Rifles are more accurate then pistols or shotguns. And every time I see a police involved shooting in the news. The media always says that the officers were dangerous because they could not hit the target etc.   The 2nd Amendment is just that; an Amendment. It is a legal right that We People have. It is just of equal importance as the 1st Amendment and the 4th Amendment, and the 5th Amendment and every other of our 27 Amendments. As I said, I took and swore an oath that I would defend and uphold the Constitution of the United States of America and the rights of the people that I serve. By doing so, I cannot say that the public can speak freely but cannot have the right to bear arms. The 2nd Amendment isn’t about sports or hunting. It is about the Right to keep and Bear Arms. Our founding fathers meant that we the people are the militia and that we should have the same access to the same style of firearms as our soldiers and soldiers across the world. That was meant so that the people can defend themselves against foreign invasion but also against an unjust government.   All of the world’s most vile governments all started by one simple action. Removing the right for the people to keep and bear arms. Nazi Germany disarmed its citizenry and Jews by passing firearm laws. The Soviet Union did the same as did Communist China, North Korea, Cuba, Eat Germany, the Sudan, and every other two bit thug dictatorship. It is happening as we speak in Venezuela. We cannot in anyway allow our rights to be altered. Because if you remove one right, what makes you think that the rest will not be? Have you ever heard of the domino effect or the slippery slope? Our own National Defense. Our military and our police use firearms correct? Well where do they get them from? Private Industry. Every single firearm in the hand of a soldier or police officer was made by a private company. The United States of America no longer has a government run armory. The rifles in the hand of our soldiers in the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan were made by FN Hertsal in South Carolina. The rifles that Fort Lauderdale PD is buying are made by Colt, another American Firearms Company. The pistols that Department of Homeland Security issue. The Sig Arms P229 and the H&K USP are made in America. The shotguns that our police and soldiers used to protect us and our families? Made by Remington Arms and O.F. Mossberg & Son Inc., another American owned company. Why do I mention that? Because by passing laws that restrict the civilian ownership of firearms. You put a number of companies and jobs out of business. The civilian market is what drives the firearms market. It’s not government contracts or purchase orders. So if you put these businesses out of business you just hurt America’s National Defense. If we have a major conflict in the scale of World War II; where are our troops going to get their arms needed to defend our freedoms? No where because there are no factories or businesses that can make them. But I guess that even though you more then likely spout that it’s President Bush’s fault for a bad economy. But you must believe that by closing down businesses that you’re improving the economy. But wait! It doesn’t work that way. You would be putting people out on the streets without a job, great way on improving our economy. I as a police officer cannot be everywhere at once. I cannot watch you or your family 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year. But law abiding civilians with firearms can defended themselves. It takes on average 3 to 5 minutes for the police to arrive to a burglary call. It takes less then 10 seconds from a thief to go from a thief to a rapist or murderer. Are you going to hide and wait in a locked closet with 911 on the line while you wife or children are being harmed, raped, or worse… killed? Or are you going to defend them? As for crime rates, ever since Florida passed the Conceal Carry Weapon Permit back in 1987. Florida’s crime rate has been dropping like a rock. Same with just about every other state that has copied Florida. Strange though that the Cities that have the more restricted firearms laws have a higher crime rate. New York City, Washington DC, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Washington DC, with the most restrictive gun laws in the country. Laws that model those of the United Kingdom have the highest crime and murder rate in the Country. Strange that the laws that restrict civilian ownership of firearms is in no way effecting the criminal element. Oh wait, I know why. Because criminals don’t follow laws. Washington DC is so buried in their righteous gun free laws that they are going to set up check points and demand people for ID. And I’m not talking about check points like those at air ports. I mean check points in regular neighborhoods and streets. Public roadways and sidewalks, much like how the Soviet Union or Nazi Germany did. Last time I checked sir, we as American citizens have the right to freedom of movement and we have the right now to be asked for our “papers” on the spot. But you in the media of journalism must take great pride in know that you have the freedom of speech and the freedom of movement. But do you want to know the scariest part about this little experiment that they are doing? The Peter Nickles (Washington DC Attorney General) said "I’m not worried about the constitutionality of it." So if restricting the freedom of movement is no longer an issue because they no longer worry about the constitutionality of it then I guess pretty soon it’s going to be the same with restricting the freedom of speech because they are not worried about the constitutionality of that right either. As for why is that important? Peter Nickles is the Washington DC Attorney General. The Attorney General is the highest law enforcement position in the land. That’s right, Florida has a Attorney General also and he is the head chief of all the chief of police in our state. Same with Washington DC. Their Attorney General is the head chief of all their law enforcement. In the end Mr. Grimm, I want to let you know that your facts are wrong and that you need to understand that Gun Control isn’t about firearms or crime. It’s about control. It’s about destroying rights and basically getting our Constitution and burning it as if it were confetti paper. The 2nd Amendment is a right of the People, not the State. The People in the 1st mean the people, the People in the 4th means the people. Yet according to some like you the People in the 2nd means the State. Sorry Mr. Grimm. But as a Law Enforcement Officer I will enforce and protect all of the People’s rights. Not just a select few. The People have a right to keep and Bear Arms. Whether they are "assault weapons" or simple single shot shotguns for bird hunting. The 2nd Amendment is a Constitutionally Guaranteed Right.

Someone should write an article called" What is a few more gun deprived victims to the gun banners?"  And then you can tell about defenseless people that have been killed by lack of firearms.  But that leftist POS would never listen to fact.  

We need more people to jump on this idiot and hammer him over this; if he sees that enough people are offended by what he wrote, he might avoid writing stuff like this in the future.

The only reason these people vomit forth this anti-gun drivel is because they think they can get some mileage out of it, and that their audience is receptive to it. If they get it through their heads that this stuff isn't a hit, they'll switch to something that is.

The news is all about the marketing, and we need to become the market!

I write the author or editor of stories like this every time I see them in print, and I encourage everyone else to do the same; they only write this crap because they think they have a receptive audience.

We need to show them that it "ain't necessarily so."

I actually had an email exchange with the guy.

Me

Don't let facts get in your way, Fred, we wouldn't want that messing up your propaganda. Every single one of the weapons that was "banned" by the "assault weapons ban" was only done so based on cosmetic feature.  The day after the law was passed every weapons that was "banned" was still out there minus the cosmetic features.  Not to mention states like California, New York and others have "assault weapons bans" and yet there are plenty of "assault weapons" all over those states. Prohibition doesn't work.  We already had this lesson didn't we? As for "the mythical right of private citizens to own semiautomatic military assault rifles," just wait 'till the 23rd of this month when the supreme court decides that the 2nd ammendment is an individual right.  Not many of the fascist gun laws you and your ilk support are going to hold a candle to that ruling.

Him:

i think i'll stay with the cops on this issue. but thanks. fred.

Me:

The cops are human, too.  Just because they took a class or two doesn't mean they are better than anyone else or that their opinions on an issue should trump another person's civil rights.

Him:

so where do you draw the line. fully automatic? 50 caliber machine guns? stinger missiles? and do you think that where you draw the line would provoke outrage from the enthusiast who prefer the next step down the line. what about his civil rights?

Me:

I'd say the market draws the line by itself pretty well.  Take ebay for example.  After the Viriginia Tech massacre they stopped all sales of gun related items.  This will be relevant later. Fully automatic weapons are pefectly legal.  All it takes to own one is a fedral form approved by the BATF, a $200 tax, and the cash to buy one, the cheapest being $3000 for a Mac 11 9mm.  This is irrelevant anyways, because if someone wanted to use a fully automatic firearm in the commission of a violent crime do you really thin they are going to jump through all of those hoops to have that much firepower?  No, criminal will modify the firearm illegally and no law abiding citizen will risk their rights just to have some extra fun at the range.  Most states outlaw hunting with fully autos, anyways. .50 Caliber machine guns are pefectly legal and a lot of people own them.  People even own mini guns and 20mm anti aircraft cannons, tanks, armored personnel carries, flamethrowers, and howitzers.  Do some reading about what goes on at the Knob creek machine gun shoot. Semi-automatic replicas of .50 caliber machine guns cost upwards of $8,000.  If new machine guns were authorized to be transferred they wold cost the same if not more, not to mention the cost off ammunition for such a weapon.  Do you really think someone intent on breaking the law and killing a lot of people would spend that amount of cash to accomplish such a thing? What do you think keeps someone from owning a stinger missile?  What if someone built it in their garage and registered it as a destructive device rendering it perfectly legal?  Where do you think demolition companies obtain their explosives to demolish buildings or fireworks companies get their stuff to make mortars?  These are businesses that use and build high explosives and it happens every day. The fact is, as above with the ebay stuff, do you really think a company would want the social stigma of making a shoulder fired rocket launcher available to the public?  But then again, what laws do you know of prohibiting a person from owning one?  No one has ever legally tried that I know of, so I guess we'll never know. I do know, however, that anyone willing to break the law and kill people, isn't going to looking to buy a rocket launcher unless they are borderline retarded.  They'll probably make something out of readily available materials like Timothy Mcveigh or something. I set the bar pretty high, I doubt the next guy with legal intentions is going to be outraged over my views. The fact is that the corporations that manufacture weapons for the military would never through their own policies knowingly allow their weapons into the hands of unapproved persons.  How big of a staw man do you want to set up, Fred? How far are you willing to go to trample on someone's civil rights?  The 2nd ammendment isn't about hunting or sporting.  Would you be jumping for joy of Fred Phelps were incarcerated for hate speech?  Sure, what he says and does is detestable, but does he not have a right to do so?  How far are you willing to go for safety? The fact is assault weapons are used in a very small percentage of crime and chances are more likely that he will be killed by his own service weapon rather than an assault rifle.