Arizona sheriff got warning on Mexican cartel assassins wrong
May 25, 2016, 2:06 PM | Updated: May 26, 2016, 11:21 am
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Earlier this week, Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu had some advice for families that were looking to spend some family time in his county over the holiday weekend: Carry a firearm!
Wait WHAT?
Yep, if you head to Pinal County, go packing heat!
The sheriff claims Mexican cartels are sending groups of assassins to kill rivals trying to steal their drugs.
So instead of simply cautioning potential visitors to his great county, Babeu is encouraging an armed family vacation. You know, like most of mine!
You might expect me to celebrate this move, as I celebrate most things that are steeped in the Second Amendment, but not this one.
You see, this gives the citizenry a false sense of security that most people find once they dive into gun ownership: The thought that simply owning or carrying a gun makes you safer.
That is simply not true.
Could you imagine what would happen if the family stopped at Sportsman’s Warehouse on the way to camp and purchased their first firearm? Then they are met by one of the cartel? Game over for that family.
Babeu obviously should have gone the PSA route and informed the public of this danger, but guns get headlines.
He could have been seen as a thoughtful protector of his county and not another crazy Arizona sheriff.
He should have suggested that, if potential tourists were going to take his advice, they NEED to take a firearm safety course BEFORE arriving and going all Dirty Harry on the joint!
Or how about giving us a description of these drug-running clowns? What to look out for, how to AVOID a potentially dangerous situation, you know, common sense-type stuff.
Look, our border has a serious drug problem and I am thankful that there are men and women that stand guard to protect us from harm.
I’m just not sure that I am ready for those protectors to be the Smith family from Gilbert.