that is not the issue. the issue is when I looked for a handgun for self defense back before I really became someone so well trained that I help train other individuals in self defense, I figured my local department was a good choice.
It would be like a serious college tennis player trying to decide what gear to use-and looking to a pro who had a similar style
when I was a top collegiate athlete in another racquet sport, I asked my coach what gear I should use and he suggested that of a top player whose style I had a similarity to. I wasn't a pro level player but that was good advice.
what you are trying to suggest is that self defense for cops is different based on their status and thus the guns should be different. Or that society should ignore the fact that the situations are almost always the same in terms of probabilities but cops should be allowed more efficient weapons because they serve the state
What I am saying is that cops and other civilians are fighting against the same criminals in usually the same physical environment and thus the legal environment should be the same
Oh but I think that is exactly the issue. You are not a cop. To pretend that the standards and equipment needs that apply to them as professional police officers apply to civilians is simply not a solid argument.
That is a difference and I suspect most people recognize that difference. You are NOT fighting criminals the way police are. You are NOT in the same environment they are as officers performing their duties.
And I think this is what divides so many people on this issue.
I have said this many times: I support the right of a person and the need of a person to have a firearm for personal defense, home defense, business defense, hunting, target shooting, competition use, and other such uses. I strongly suspect that the vast majority of Americans do as well. Outside of the most extreme anti-gun people, I really see no movement to change this.
I do not support people having armories. I do not support people having military weapons that have large capacity magazines. I do not support people having automatic weapons.
HONEST QUESTION FOR YOU TURTLE: much of this then comes down to the idea that somehow someday you are going to need your armory or your weapons to do battle with the police and armed forces of the nation in some sort of armed resistance to tyranny. And that is why you want all this stuff to put you on the same level with the police and military.
If you want to believe that, it is your right to believe that. I think it borders on serious mental delusion that smacks of paranoia. But that is just my opinion.
The point is that as long as that is the ace card the gun lobby and some of its supporter hold up their sleeve, there will be no bridging the gulf between those who support common sense gun policies and the more strident and militant gun forces.
And yes, I taught history and government for 33 years and know all about how the USA got started and some of the motives for the Founders. Yes - I know them and accept them. And it does not change my opinion on this one iota jot or tittle.