CCHL - 'Is it everything law enforcement wants?'

...Nobody gets everything they want...

Milwaukee – State legislators made budget cuts that forced County Sheriff David Clarke to lay off and furlough 48 officers for this fiscal year.

His response to taxpayers?

“I need you in the game,” he said in a controversial 30-second radio spot that has some folks popping their fingers and saying, 'Right on,' and others calling for a check on violence and the potential for bloody murder.

“With officers laid off and furloughed, simply calling 911 and waiting is no longer your best option. You can beg for mercy from a violent criminal, hide under the bed, or you can fight back...Consider taking a certified safety course in handling a firearm so you can defend yourself until we get there.”

It's all part of an ongoing debate that has raged throughout the dairy state for several years over concealed carry handgun licensing, open carry, and the duty of the average citizen to get proactive in his own defense.

Statists are against the concept. They argue there is no need for an ordinary citizen to take up arms. Among their ranks are many police officers and chiefs of police.

Libertarians are very much proponents. They say it's a God-given right to match deadly force with deadly force. It's the central tenet of the “Castle doctrine,” which allows such a response to deadly aggression in the home.

A sample of the kind of rhetoric from those who stand in opposition:

“I feel like this is such an irresponsible thing for our chief public safety officer of a county to do,” said Jeri Bonavia, executive director of Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort. “I think he owes this community an apology. And if he really believes that he's not capable of providing for our public safety he should get a different job.”