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LETTERS / A Recent and Direct Quote of Attorney General Eric Holder

Dear Editor,

A recent and direct quote of Attorney General Eric Holder:

“What we need to do is change the way in which people think about guns, especially young people, and make it something that’s not cool, that it’s not acceptable, it’s not hip to carry a gun anymore, in the way in which we’ve changed our attitudes about cigarettes. You know, when I was growing up, people smoked all the time. Both my parents did. But over time, we changed the way that people thought about smoking, so now we have people who cower outside of buildings and kind of smoke in private and don’t want to admit it.”

Eric Holder’s twisted logic and unreal analogy are bizarre, to say the least. His ‘comparison’ of gun owners with smokers is laughable and ridiculously out of place. Holder’s mindset and statements are representative of the warped, authoritarian attitudes of many public officials. For far too long, most public officials and even government employees expect the American people to be totally defenseless and to literally “cower” before the bureaucracy, be it local, state, or federal.

Many public officials will not admit it, but for the citizenry to be disarmed and beholding to government is a very dangerous situation — that is, for the people, the population. However, this defenseless condition of the ordinary citizens benefits a totalitarian, dictatorial, and oppressive bureaucracy and State. Holder, and other bullies like him, fear a well-armed and independent citizenry, which would check and diminish the power of any government body. Holder’s attitude should tell us, the American people, how most public officials feel about our God-given rights to defend ourselves, not only against the criminal element, but even against a runaway government agency of any level.

Also, Holder’s use of the word “cower” brings to mind the police; the differences between law enforcement of decades ago and their more modern counterpart. In the ’50s and ’60s, and before, most local law enforcement, with a minimum of equipment, less firepower, and fewer vehicles, had a generally better attitude and were far more protective and respectful of their communities. Remember the Texas tower incident of the early ’60s? At that scene, most policemen did not have anything more than handguns and ordinary uniforms, yet their heroism and gallantry were far beyond the call of duty. Their brave, selfless efforts were aided by a responsible armed citizenry who helped pin down the sniper while the police and others rescued the injured and dead, as well as helping defenseless people to safety. Yet, some individuals had the gall to criticize the armed citizenry’s participation, but sensible people could easily understand and were appreciative. Now, fast forward to the modern police: Most are militarized, beginning in the ’90s, to the teeth, which is infringing on jurisdictions, yet, during serious confrontations, even though the officers are much better armed, dressed in protective gear from head to toe, etc, one gets the distinct impression that they are mostly ‘cowering’ behind their big tanks and vehicles, buildings, and trees.

Also, many law enforcement officers are unnecessarily belligerent towards and even physically injure ordinary, unarmed citizens who are non-threatening. Plus, if an unfortunate target of the police, whether armed or not, resists in any way, which is a normal reaction, this resistance is labeled a crime itself. This ‘no resistance’ law brings to mind the attitude of the Soviet system that our society and government used to criticize, but our system now embraces the same charge and the same attitude.

Again, as one of the chief law enforcement officers of the land, like his recent predecessors, Attorney General Holder’s attitude is wrong, provocative, and just plain illegal. Holder and other top government officials of both parties have a hostile and untrusting attitude towards the American people. This attitude, these statements and actions, even more so, indicate the presence of dangerous bullies within the US government who ignore and do not honor or obey the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

Karen Carter