by Bob Anderson

January 26, 2001

I've been a politically active member of the "gun culture" since I was a kid.  I enjoy membership in several national and local gun-rights organizations, including NRA, KABA, JPFO and GOA and I'm Cofounder of the Washington State Tyranny Response Team, a grassroots action organization dedicated to the restoration of the Constitution.  Our primary mission as an organization is in defense of our Right to Keep And Bear Arms.

Like a lot of people who take a "no compromise" position on the Second Amendment, I've been more than a little concerned about recent divisions within the Pro-2A movement.  Of particular interest lately are recent statements from Leroy Pyle and the Second Amendment Police Department (2AMPD) with regard to the "no compromise" view.  I've been wondering if we had lost a valuable ally in the struggle to restore our Rights.

I've always believed cops were Pro-2A.  I've read a number of Pro-Rights articles by former and current LEOs and I've heard of many former cops who left their respective agencies out of conscience.  I've talked with several local LEOs about the 2nd Amendment and have been favorably impressed by most of them.  I know that there are many good folks in law enforcement whose hearts and minds are in the right place, but what about 2AMPD? 

I decided that the place to look for answers was on their website, http://www.2ampd.net/.  What I found was encouraging.  2AMPD features articles from many former and current LEOs whose writings demonstrate that we are in substantial agreement on the current threat to Liberty and the Citizens' role in fighting it.  The following excerpts from some of those articles should ease the minds of many.  (Please, follow the links and read the articles in their entirety.)

Does 2AMPD really understand how badly our Right to Keep And Bear Arms has been infringed?

From: Treasonous and Unconstitutional Legislation 
By:  Sergei Borglum Hoff, Former Deputy (15 yrs)
Montana (Missoula County)

"Unrelentingly, armed lawful men and women are harassed beyond reason and commonsense with infringing, illogical and asinine gun control laws (forbidding self-defense).  In their incremental efforts to abolish all guns, our corrupted government and dishonorable politicians are doing precisely what the Constitution forbids.  If the 20,000 (plus) federal and state gun laws (fact) do not flawlessly illustrate Webster's definition of infringed, then no other repressive or invading action will.  Within the world of authenticity, our gun laws remain as insidious acts of infringement and severe violations of constitutional law.  These unconstitutional legislative and judicial illegalities represent direct and treasonous assaults upon the men, women and children of this nation and our sovereign "Constitutional Republic.""  

"Unarmed, we are all vulnerable to tyranny.  In truth, it is occurring to this day.  Irrespective of ongoing government attempts at deception (BATF and FBI), the federally sanctioned mass murder of over eighty men, women and children (shot or burned to death)  at Waco and a young innocent boy (shot in the back) along with his infant bearing mother (shot in the face) at Ruby Ridge, should serve as profound examples demanding a well-armed citizenry.  As a consequence of militarism (utilizing such equipment as machine guns and tanks, designed for global warfare, not assaults on U.S. civilians), now being discovered within the ranks of our federal, state and local police forces, freedom inspired armed citizens must hold these audacious agencies in check."

We should all be grateful to Deputy Hoff for his outspoken support of the Constitution and the Citizens it protects, and to 2AMPD for having the courage to publish the truth. 

Does 2AMPD really recognize our Right to Self Defense against Tyranny?

From: Remarks of Police Lieutenant Harry Thomas
Public Address at Fountain Square/Cincinnati, Ohio
February 27, 1994

"The time has come for us to openly discuss something that up to this time we have mainly whispered about. The purpose of the 2nd Amendment is to threaten the government. The framers of our Constitution knew that government is a necessary evil, which, as in the case of the British government, could easily become more evil than necessary. The Founding Fathers wanted to ensure that should that situation again come to pass, the American people would have the capability to reclaim their country by force of arms.

"I believe that we are dangerously close to that day when we will have to use the 2nd Amendment in exactly the manner that our forefathers anticipated. When I was a boy, my father could buy firearms through the mail. It was rightly believed at that time that such a transaction was the business of the buyer, the gun dealer, and no one else. I lost that right with the passage of the GCA 68. In my lifetime, I have been able to walk into a gun store, select a handgun, and walk out of that store with that gun in my hand. My children lost that right with the passage of the Brady Bill. I'm not giving up any more rights.

"I sincerely hope that a political solution to this problem is still possible, and I will continue to work on the NRA Board of Directors to try to find that solution. But if that solution cannot be found, I say this to the megalomaniacs in Washington: Pass your gun laws. I will not beg the government for a license to continue to be a handgun owner. I will not submit to being finger printed, or photographed, or interrogated like a criminal for claiming my birthright as a free American. I will not register a single gun that I own. I will not surrender a single gun that I own. I will not apply for an "arsenal" license because I own more than 20 guns or more than a thousand rounds of ammunition. I will not attend mandatory safety training, nor will I submit to a test to prove that I'm fit to be a gun owner.

"And Miss Reno, I have this to say to you: If you send your jackbooted, baby-burning bushwackers to confiscate my guns, pack them a lunch, it will be a damned long day. The Branch Davidians were amateurs, I'm a professional.

"Patrick Henry, while addressing the Virginia House of Burgesses on March 23, 1775, put these concepts into words in a manner far better than I can ever hope to:

'Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take, but as for me, GIVE ME LIBERTY, OR GIVE ME DEATH!'"

What a tremendous rallying cry!  Patrick Henry's spirit of Defiance in the face of Tyranny lives on in men like Harry Thomas.  He deserves our respect and admiration, as does 2AMPD for spreading the word. 

Does 2AMPD recognize the threat of Confiscation?

From: The Lynchpin
New Dimensions Magazine/Special Issue (1990)
By David Kupelian

"Americans are in grave danger of losing their rights to keep and bear arms. If it comes to pass that law-abiding, armed citizens are considered criminals, while real crime continues to grow uncontrollably guess which "criminal" will be pursued by law enforcement. A vast gun-control police will go after citizens in violation of the law, because they are easier to catch than real criminals, and they satisfy the need for a scapegoat."

More than ever, the danger of confiscation looms.  If you think it can't happen here, think again.

Is 2AMPD paying attention to the precedent being set in other nations?  Do they recognize the effect of "gun control" laws on a Freedom loving people?

From: Is Modern Gun Control Hazardous to Police?
By: Constable John A. Gayder, Niagara Falls ON, Canada

Speaks of "gun control" alienating honest citizens:

"Increasingly restrictive laws eventually give citizens the impression they have "nothing left to lose" by not obeying the law. They feel it is only a matter of time before they will lose all their guns in a total ban. Looking at recent measures enacted in Britain (most guns banned) and Australia (all guns except non repeating shotguns and rifles banned), a total ban on civilian ownership of firearms is not hard to imagine..."

"There is a limit to even the most law-abiding persons patience; after too many demands, each additional requirement becomes insulting and demeaning. Historically, these feelings of disaffection, if not ameliorated, will boil into civil disobedience and eventually into outright violence against the police and government..."

"Media portrayals of gun owners tend to label them with a social stigma ... This bias, coupled with the widespread ignorance about firearms and firearms culture caused by gun control (mentioned later), may lead officers to act in a disproportionately aggressive or paranoid manner when informed of the presence of a firearm in a home. "After all", the officers tell themselves, "it is a gun call..."

"When... dramatic raids are seen in the media, even non gun owners must question the necessity of a full scale "raid", when a simple phone call to "clear your paperwork up as soon as possible" would have been easier."

Constable Gayder might as well be talking about America.  The only question that remains is how much more will the people take before they take action?  If there ever are widespread acts of "outright violence against the police and government" in America it will be in reaction to governmental abuse of our rights, and their authority, by continued passage and enforcement of ever more egregiously unconstitutional laws.

Does 2AMPD support ALL police?

From: Cops and Guns - A Generational Difference?
By Bruce Emmott, NYPD, Ret.

"Over my years, I noticed a not so subtle change in the attitudes of cops coming on the job. This was especially true during the early 80's. While at one time approximately 90% of new cops had military or quasi-military experience (iow, used to discipline and following orders), the figure in the 80's almost reversed, with less than 10% of new officers having military experience. These cops grew up in a totally different environment than my generation did. They didn't know guns, didn't particularly like them, and didn't trust anyone who felt the need to have them."  

"I was involved in 4 gunfights in my career - none anticipated or sought out. I received many decorations for bravery during my career - likewise not sought out. Yet I heard and saw young cops talking about getting into gunfights so they could get medals. Kinda scary stuff, when you think about it. In that same career, I was assisted by armed civilians on 2 occasions. I worked alone by preference, although 2 and 3 man cars and posts were the norm in my precinct. At one time I was in a situation where I had 5 males at gunpoint on a felony charge and was waiting for a backup to search and handcuff. A citizen in his car stopped and asked if I needed some help and said he had a permit for his gun. I gladly accepted and he stood to one side and helped control the subjects until backup arrived. To demonstrate the difference in generations, after all were in custody and being transported, one young cop took it upon himself to start questioning the civilian who came to my aid about his gun and where his permit was. I grabbed this nitwit and tore into him and the young Sergeant who was with him and told them that rather than giving a decent citizen a hard time, they should write (as I did) a letter of commendation to the police commissioner on his behalf."

"...cops are different now. Guns scare them when they are not the ones holding them. They follow the political line of the departments that guns are bad, gun owners are bad, and there is no need for them in private hands. They actually seem to believe that all one needs to do if in trouble is dial 911. Personally, I'll take responsibility for the safety of my family and myself, thank you very much. I don't feel like waiting 15 minutes for a car to arrive in time to take a report or clean up the mess. I have a RIGHT - a right given me by God - to self defense and the defense of my loved ones. Not only that, but I still - 6 years after my retirement - feel it is my DUTY as a professional law enforcement officer to aid anyone who needs help. I've said before many times, to both active cops and other "civilians", that one day all active cops will be just another civilian like I am now, and will be at the mercy of unworkable and unenforceable gun laws that do NOTHING to make society safer. The gun laws cops support now will come back to haunt them when they retire. On the contrary - it makes society LESS safe against the scum who by default will rule the streets if the anti-gun zealots have their way. But then they have their own security forces and live in gated communities, don't they."

If only all LE followed Bruce Emmott's example...

From it's inception 2AMPD has recognized the dangers posed by 'political leadership' in law enforcement agencies, whose alliance with the Democratic Party and the Liberal media has a damaging effect on the gun owning public's trust of law enforcement.  In fact, it's one of the reasons Leroy Pyle created 2AMPD...

From: What Cops Should Know About The Gun Issue!
By Leroy Pyle

"But the law enforcement officer's greatest ally is the public he or she serves. And the strongest ally within that public has always been the segment of the public that supports responsible law enforcement AND responsible civilian firearms ownership. They're our "NATURAL CONSTITUENCY," as the political scientists say."

"What's worrying me is that this coziness between so-called police leaders and our traditional political foes is causing many of our gun-owning friends, our TRADITIONAL "NATURAL CONSTITUENCY," to raise loud voices against ALL LAW ENFORCEMENT. And if you doubt it, you should read my mail, or look at the hostile comments on the law enforcement computer bulletin boards."

"Because the press is saying "police have joined the demand for gun control" not only have these police administrators succeeded in costing us much-needed support from our strongest supporters, they are triggering active hostility toward police among gun groups."

"...it's time that the public knows that when some chief talks about "what police think," he's really talking about what he and his bosses in city hall think -- NOT WHAT BEAT COPS THINK (or the many administrators who still think like beat cops). My friends and I have decided that informing the public is an important role for the 'real' law enforcement officer to assume. And I hope you'll help us fill that role, too!"

Of the hundreds of articles, letters and internet messages I've read during my work in defense of RKBA, I can count on one hand the number which have been hostile toward ALL police.  Every day Police Officers use their broad discretionary powers, nullifying bad Law, in order to NOT harass honest Citizens.  I've heard countless anecdotes of Citizens who've had encounters with local Cops in which they could have been ticketed, detained or even arrested but the Officer chose not to because, in his or her judgment, it wasn't warranted.  I've had such encounters myself, a few of them in which a firearm was at issue.

Just as the vast majority of us in the pro-rights movement cannot be held accountable for statements such as "Noone will be safe until the last cop is dead," among other insanities, neither can ALL Police Officers be blamed for the great body of unconstitutional laws that have been compiled by our government over the past several decades.

The past eight years, in particular, have been difficult for America's gun owners.  We have endured countless indignities during the Clintonian assault on our rights and our integrity.  It's no wonder that emotions have been running high in the Pro-2A community.  Try to imagine how difficult it's been for Local Law Enforcement.  Not only are they fellow gun owners, they've had to deal with increasing federalization and pressure from their politicized leadership as well. 

While the Pro-2A movement has never been more vibrant - just as the threat to our Liberty has never been more serious - we are split on whether or not to accept more compromises.  But, take a look at where all the compromises have gotten us.  GCA '68, Brady, "Assault Weapons" Ban, "High Capacity" Magazine Ban, Local Firearms Bans, the continued demonization of guns and gun owners, etc., etc., etc...  It can't continue.  The old ways of appeasing our adversaries have eroded along with the Democratic Party's 40-year lock on the U.S. Congress.  Let's not do their work for them.

ALL "gun control" laws are unjust, UNCONSTITUTIONAL and a constant threat to Liberty.  We should be working to repeal "gun control" laws, not helping the gun grabbers draft more.  Compromise gives "gun control" a stamp of approval, making it seem 'OK', 'sensible',.. acceptable.  Each "gun control" victory spawns more "gun control" laws, which WILL be used to disarm, imprison and/or murder more honest Citizens and will ultimately be used to disarm our children and grandchildren.

Pro-2A must not allow another compromise.

Unfortunately, there are voices of appeasement on 2AMPD.  In the following excerpt, our divisions are made clear.

From: Divide and Conquer
By: Ron Willis, Detective; Gresham, Oregon Police  

"In the meantime, the NRA is divided into two distinct political camps, with constant bickering and sniping at one another. The GOA and some others do not have the funds, or the political clout that is required to be effective in lobbying. The GOA and others tend to be purists, who see any compromise as too horrible to contemplate. They refuse to join with the NRA, which does have the funds and political clout. The purists do not seem to realize that in the real, hardball political world, compromise is the way things get done. They seem to think there is nobility in losing the fight, as long as you lost it on principle. Hog wash!... Just think how effective we would be if we were to unite and with one voice say "Enough!""

Some of us ARE saying, "Enough!" and some are saying, "OK, a little more won't hurt..."  NRA's record of capitulation is what has brought about the rising tide of "purists, who see any compromise as too horrible to contemplate."  I proudly count myself among the purists.  America was founded by such purists, men who refused to compromise their Liberty.

Pro-2A purists don't think there is nobility in losing.  But, do the compromisers think that accepting large portions of the "gun control" agenda is winning?  Now THAT'S hogwash!  Does it serve the cause for other Pro-2A groups to marginalize us, using the same rhetoric the gun grabbers have been using for years against the NRA?

The Pro-2A 'house' IS divided.  I suggest we attempt to rebuild UNITY.

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