In a bizarre new twist on the "assault weapon" vs. "patrol rifles" idiocy of last October, we're now being told that Chicago police officers will soon be carrying "semi-assault weapons" ("high-powered semi-assault weapons," no less).
In addition to the battle dress, police will soon add high powered semi-assault weapons to their arsenal. Weis says it's in reaction to a shooting last month where police encountered a man with an AK-47.So what is a "semi-assault weapon"? My first thought was that it is a semi-automatic "assault weapon," but that can't be right--the AR-15's, the semi-automatic AK-47 copies (and now, apparently, the SKS rifles) that we're supposed to fear, as scary "assault weapons," are all semi-automatic, so this apparently new category of weapon must be something else. It's only partially useful in an assault, maybe? Only sort of a weapon, perhaps? I simply don't know.
Superintendent Weis continues:
"They were outgunned. I don't want officers going up against an AK-47 with a Smith and Wesson," Weis said. "They would lose every time."Actually, it seems that the above is only a partial quote of what Weis actually said:
. . . and they have a Smith and Wesson revolver.How long has it been since the standard duty weapon of the Chicago PD was a revolver, I wonder?
Not everyone is thrilled with this militarization of the Chicago Police, however.
But in Chicago's South Shore neighborhood, the idea of police with assault weapons is a concern.Better get accustomed to the idea of many "Only Ones" thinking of the rest of us as the enemy, Pat.
"If they're going to carry assault rifles like that that's just going to be an all out war with citizens criminals because they're going to defend themselves," said area resident Kevine Green.
Pat Hill, a former police officer and the president of the African American Police League, questions the message police are sending to the black and Hispanic communities where the battle-ready officers are expected to be deployed.
"This is the stuff you use in war," Hill said. "This is what you use in Iraq and Afghanistan. So are they telling the community now that they've declared us as the enemy?"
But at least they'll only "semi-assault" us.
Stumble it!
7 comments:
Well, they probably have been talking to DC. DC just spent a year converting 500 AR-15 rifles from fully-automatic to semi-automatic.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/article/20080509/METRO/996294229/1004
It appears the Chicago and DC police don't know there are select fire weapons and semi-automatic civilian versions.
IIUC, what Chicago is supposed to get is the M4 which offers semi-auto fire or three round burst. Full auto is not an option.
I get a kick out of the comments, "Yes, Kevine, it's an all out war. Criminals have always been the "enemy" of the cops. Maybe it's time "war" was declared.
IIUC, what Chicago is supposed to get is the M4 which offers semi-auto fire or three round burst. Full auto is not an option.
Keep in mind that, as far as federal law is concerned, three round burst is full auto.
By the way, A-Bolt--where did you see comments? I can't find them.
Ah--never mind--you were referring to the comments by people interviewed in the video clip.
I'm a bit slow to catch on tonight.
This is one of the unparalleled video of police officers , I think that it is so cool because it is so real and magnificent,I would like to be a cop when I grow up!!22dd
One of the most important feature of assault weapon is that It must have an intermediate-power cartridge: more power than a pistol but less than a standard rifle or battle rifle
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