SEATTLE NEWS ARCHIVES & FEATURES

Would civilians be safer if we stripped guns from cops?

Apr 11, 2018, 8:50 AM

Seattle handgun...

(File, Associated Press)

(File, Associated Press)

The Left seldom uses the same logic on gun control that it applies to incidents of police shootings of unarmed civilians. Not even the most doctrinaire progressive suggests we should make civilians safer from police gunfire by taking guns away from all cops.

Most Americans recognize that guns are a necessary tool for the great majority of police officers, though a few irresponsible operators may deserve to lose both gun and badge. Civilian gun-owners should get the same approach: it makes no sense—practically or ethically—to strip guns from law-abiding, good citizens who want their weapons for self-defense.

Instead, we should concentrate on the few criminals, gang members and mentally disturbed individuals who deserve no weapons of any kind. For civilians, as well as for cops, it’s the human being wielding the weapon, not the weapon itself, that provides the real threat to our safety.

Haitian costumes for Lespri Ayiti Mas Camp are displayed ahead of the West Indian Day Parade, Thurs...

Associated Press

For New York’s Haitian community, annual West Indian Day Parade means more in trying times

NEW YORK (AP) — Steel drums, flag-draped floats, and the smell of jerk chicken will fill Brooklyn’s Eastern Parkway on Monday, as hundreds of thousands turn out for the West Indian Day Parade, one of the largest celebrations of Caribbean culture in the country. This year, Haitians are marching under more solemn circumstances than in […]

3 hours ago

Associated Press

Fuel prices at record Labor Day high in US thanks to Iran War and refinery issues

It’s never been more expensive in the U.S. to fill up the tank and take one last summer trip over the Labor Day weekend. The average price of regular gas was $4.14 a gallon heading into the holiday, nearly a dollar higher than last year and well above the Labor Day weekend record of $3.82 […]

3 hours ago

Associated Press

Asian shares are mixed as chipmaker shares rally in Tokyo and Seoul

TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares were trading mixed on Monday, with benchmarks in Tokyo and Seoul leading gains thanks to buying of computer chipmakers’ stocks. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 added 1.7% to 66,104.93, while South Korea’s Kospi jumped 3.3% to 6,907.53. Shares in Samsung Electronics jumped 4.5% and memory chipmaker SK Hynix surged 6.2%. “The […]

4 hours ago

Associated Press

Assailant lunged at Democratic candidate for Ohio governor at fair, campaign says

WASHINGTON (AP) — An armed assailant lunged at the Democratic candidate for Ohio governor, Amy Acton, on Sunday during a campaign stop at the Canfield Fair, injuring several people, campaign officials said. The suspect knocked volunteers to the ground and was arrested with “multiple weapons,” Mahoning County Democratic Party chairman Chris Anderson said in a […]

9 hours ago

This photo provided by Steve Hague shows a surfer at Newport Beac, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026, in Newp...

Associated Press

Storm creates huge waves and dangerous currents at southern California beaches

Hurricane Marie, well out in the Pacific, created flooding and dangerous conditions at some southern California beaches over Labor Day weekend, with strong currents and huge waves presenting a threat to swimmers and surfers. Rose Schoenfeld, a National Weather Service meteorologist, said Sunday that Marie stirred up “life-threatening” conditions as it churned in the ocean […]

11 hours ago

This satellite image released by NOAA shows Hurricane Lowell approaching Hawaii, Sunday, Sept. 6, 2...

Associated Press

Hawaii residents told to expect tropical storm conditions as Hurricane Lowell passes to the west

LIHUE, Hawaii (AP) — Officials in Hawaii urged residents and visitors to prepare for heavy rains, flooding and possibly mudslides as Hurricane Lowell, a major Category 3 storm, prompted the National Hurricane Center to issue a tropical storm warning for two islands on Sunday. The Miami-based center issued the warning for Kauai and Niihau as […]

11 hours ago

Would civilians be safer if we stripped guns from cops?