Washington County Sheriff Opines on Rights
Yeah… what he said.
Protecting the Constitution
To Washington County Residents,
Recent comments on gun control by Milwaukee Police Chief Flynn highlight, for me, a problem with law enforcement in this country. Too often, law enforcement leaders confuse all citizens with criminals, and see themselves as “kings” of their jurisdiction instead of employees of the people.
In 2009, when Wisconsin’s Attorney General issued his advisory memo on open carry, it created little discussion within my department. That is because we already knew it was legal and protected by the Constitution. Chief Flynn’s position quoted from JSOnline was, “my message to my troops is if you see anybody carrying a gun on the streets of Milwaukee, we’ll put them on the ground, take the gun away and then decide whether you have a right to carry it.” Sounds like a man who makes no distinction between law abiding citizens and criminals. That is one example, but I believe other law enforcement leaders operate under the “end justifies the means” policing model, Constitution be damned.Law enforcement in America was never supposed to be about “ruling the people.” We are hired by “the people” to do that part of crime fighting they cannot do themselves. The citizens never gave up their protection against unlawful search of their persons, or seizure of their property, or the right to own guns and defend themselves, in that process. Does that make it harder to ferret out the criminals amongst us and arrest them? Yes it does, but it is how we protect our free society from a tyrannical government. I believe Chief Flynn is truly concerned about the safety of his officers, but law abiding citizens are not the threat, and any law to improve officer safety must first be Constitutional.
The way it is supposed to work, is that the citizens elect people to run the government. Those elected people then hire police chiefs and officers to enforce society’s laws within the confines of the Constitution. In the case of Sheriffs, the people elect them directly. Either way, we are all accountable to the people, we are not their rulers. The law abiding people are on our side and we should be focused on protecting their Constitutional rights, not limiting them! How did this get so backward?
The assertion, by President Obama, Senator Feinstein and Chief Flynn, that if certain types of guns or features of guns are banned, then violent crime will go away, is a fantasy. More importantly, they should not even be talking about it because the people hired them to protect that right. We should be talking about how to identify and stop people before they commit mass murders. We should be talking about why criminals remain on the street after multiple convictions for violent crimes. And we should be talking about how to change the sub-culture in this country that places no value on human life or personal responsibility.
Every American was appalled when they learned Adam Lanza inexplicably killed 20 children in their own classroom. But President Obama showed no leadership when he immediately took the focus to banning guns. That “kingly” position, shared by Senator Feinstein and Chief Flynn, essentially blames any American who supports the 2nd Amendment for those deaths, and excuses the perpetrator.What if after Sandy Hook, President Obama had said, “this is bad; dangerous people are committing mass killings in public places, drug addicts are robbing banks, pharmacies and gas stations, and the Drug Cartels are operating in our central city neighborhoods. The violence in this country is more than our law enforcement people can handle right now. We work for you, and we need your help.” Might that have produced something more positive for this country than a threat to turn half its citizens into criminals for owning guns?
Rotten and disturbed individuals commit violent crimes, and that is where law enforcement leaders need to focus their energies. We were elected and hired by the people, and then took an oath to protect their Constitutional rights. I suggest we try a fresh angle on violent crime by inviting the law abiding public to be a part of the solution instead of carpet bombing their individual rights. It would do Sheriffs, Chiefs and the President well to remember Sir Robert Peel’s 7th Principle of Policing:
Police, at all times, should maintain a relationship with the public that gives reality to the historic tradition that the police are the public and the public are the police; the police being only members of the public who are paid to give full-time attention to duties which are incumbent on every citizen in the interests of community welfare and existence.
Mr. President, Chief, it’s time to trust the People, not rule them.
Dale K. Schmidt, Sheriff
Washington County, WI
While I agree with what he said, if he is going to quote Peelian Principles-
5. Police seek and preserve public favour not by catering to public opinion, but by constantly demonstrating absolute impartial service to the law.
All of them (Clarke, Flynn, et al.) should follow that and STFU.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on March 08, 2013 at 1135 hrs
1 word sums this to a tee…....“exactly.”
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on March 08, 2013 at 1136 hrs
Wow, such a bout of common sense compared to Chief Flynn.
Sheriff Schmidt and Sheriff Clarke are both good Sheriffs.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on March 08, 2013 at 1242 hrs
Flynn said it best .
” no one has more to say about law enforcement in Milwaukkee County and less to actually do with it than Sheriff Clarke.”Now add our sheriff to the list of pandering political toadies to the NRA .
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on March 08, 2013 at 1251 hrs
Now add our sheriff to the list of pandering political toadies to the NRA .
Sorry, but I’ll take a person with a life time dedicated to law enforcement and public protection over some internet hack who posts daily on another’s blog.
Enjoy.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on March 08, 2013 at 1424 hrs
Now add our sheriff to the list of pandering political toadies to the NRA .
No kidding. It started with James Madison and all his pandering when he introduced that pesky Second Amendment. Stupid Founders and their dumb ideas about freedom and stuff. I bet the NRA filled their pockets with gold ingots.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on March 08, 2013 at 1705 hrs
Milwaukkee County?
Never heard of it.Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on March 08, 2013 at 1714 hrs
@ Mark Maley,
This has absolutely NOTHING to do with the NRA or a political party and everything to do with complete common sense.
You should try it once.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on March 08, 2013 at 1810 hrs
Mark, You should also be proud of your savior for nailing the Waukesha County DA’s wife. Can you say adultery? Most Liberals can’t so as a Christian I will excuse you and your family for ignorance.
I will remain proud of Clarke, thank you…
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on March 08, 2013 at 1817 hrs
And Dale Schmidt.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on March 08, 2013 at 1818 hrs
Terry - thanks for the forgiveness . Can you talk to Jason about that Christian spirit toward those you disagree with ?
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on March 08, 2013 at 2224 hrs
Can you talk to Jason about that Christian spirit toward those you disagree with ?
How righteous liberals become when it suits their purpose.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on March 09, 2013 at 1353 hrs
Typical Maley comment from one of our fine WB Coaches. No different than his penile challenged council comment awhile back. Mr. Maley can’t have a normal dialogue without hatred, name calling, and criticism.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on March 09, 2013 at 1527 hrs
I accurately quoted them police chief and suggested that the Sheriff’s ( both of them ) were committed believers that more guns with no restrictions is the answer to all life’s problems.
I respectfully
Only the paranoid or delusional or penile impaired would beleive differently .
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on March 09, 2013 at 1806 hrs
Whoops - disagree.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on March 09, 2013 at 1807 hrs
Ya know, MarK? I’m struck by the fact that most of your comments against gun rights devolve into your assertion that you have a big dick and those who support gun rights don’t. It’s a curious frame of mind. And your fascination with the size of men’s penises is a bit disturbing.
Posted by Owen on March 09, 2013 at 1844 hrs
Owen, it wasn’t Mark who brought up the whole penile thing.
Terry N—please remember that Jesus commands us not to judge. Asserting that Mark has a savior other than Jesus, is judgmental. I suspect your life could not live up to the standards you set for others.
Remember, both the commandments and Jesus tell us not to kill—not even in self-defense. Seems owning an object that only serves to kill or injure is against the words of Jesus.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on March 09, 2013 at 1856 hrs
It wasn’t just this comment, ATV. I can go back into the archives and find a dozen examples of Mark touting the size of his dick when it comes to this issue. It’s an uncomfortable fascination of his.
Posted by Owen on March 09, 2013 at 1900 hrs
AV,
I need to correct you on Exodus 20:13. (Exodus 20 being the chapter where the 10 comandments where handed to Moses by God.)
It says, “You shall not murder”.
This is a common problem with misquoting this comandment. (Probably the most misquoted commandment.)
There is a clear difference between “Kill” and “murder”.
Killing can be a sanctioned act morally, both by God and civil authority…self defense being the most obvious example. Serving in the military in a time of war being another example where killing can be morally acceptable, especially killing where unspeakable evil is eliminated.
“Murder”, on the other hand, is not a sanctioned act by God. Abortion being the perfect example. Murder from gang violence being another example.
You are welcome to come to a bible study on this.
I hope this helps to clarify.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on March 09, 2013 at 1914 hrs
This Mark Maley guy who’s all interested in penile sizes, etc coaches kids? Yikes!
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on March 09, 2013 at 2305 hrs
I bet the next thing you’re going to tell me is that this Mark Maley guy is a wildly successful businessman (more than any of us who read this blog will ever be), and that he’s a double-major student-athlete. Must be fulfilling for him to talk about penises all the time.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on March 09, 2013 at 2340 hrs
another voice - I’ll choose my words more carefully since you are judging them.
I was using savior rhetorically. I could just as easily used the word hero.
BTW, your suspicion is also judgmental which means you consider yourself a liberal by my judgement.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on March 10, 2013 at 1643 hrs
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