Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Sheriff Clarke And The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight

Just the other day, I reported about how Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke had made some public disservice announcements in which he urged people to get guns and become one-person vigilantes because you can't count on him to do his job.

What could possibly go wrong?

Well, we can't ask Trayvon Martin that.

The predictable results from Clarke's irresponsibility happened, with Wild West shoot outs and people using the Sheriff as an excuse for shooting someone.

What Clarke was doing with these ads was using taxpayer money to fund thinly disguised campaign ads to pander to his base - gun nuts and other Teapublican types.

In response to Clarke's misappropriation of funds, Milwaukee County Supervisor Pat Jursik introduced a resolution that would prevent an elected official from appearing in a public service announcement.  That's it. In no way did it try to infringe on anyone's Second Amendment rights.

When it was first introduced, gun nuts from around the country responded in irrational anger.  The resolution was sent back to committee and tabled until called by the chair.

Clarke thought the issue was coming up on Thursday and hit the panic button.  He called on his gun nut buddies to come an bail out his butt again. And respond they did.

First, Tim Schmidt, President of US Concealed Carry Association, sent out this hysterical email blast full of errata, errors and paranoid ranting:



USCCA
Do You Have Three Minutes To Make A Huge Difference?
Milwaukee County Sheriff
David A. Clarke, Jr. has been all
over the national news lately because of
Public Service Announcements he has been making.
In these announcements, he encourages
Milwaukee residents to partner with the police
by getting a concealed carry license, 
identifying potentially
dangerous situations, 
and learning how to protect their families and loved ones.
Basically, he is a hero who shares our ideals and principles.
And he is currently under attack...and needs our help!
The Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors is
trying to squash his 1st amendment right to make
these announcements and he has asked us for our help.


Would you be willing to take 3 minutes to call one of
the council members who opposes his right to free speech and
ask them not to prevent Sheriff Clarke from making these lifesaving announcements?
If so, here are the committee members you can call:

1) Jim "Luigi" Schmitt: 414-278-4273
2) Peggy Romo West: 414-278-4269
3) Patricia Jursik: 414-278-4231
4) David Bowen: 414-278-4265 


One important thing, though...
When you call, they may ask you for personal information.
While it's important to give them your name, they don't
need your address, phone number, or any other private information.

Simply state:

“My address and phone number are not important. I don’t want to end up on another government list. I’m exercising my 1st Amendment right to dissent against this government overreach. Sheriff Clarke SHOULD be allowed to make these public service announcements.”
Let's show the Milwaukee Common Council the true
strength and power of the United States Concealed Carry Association! 


Thank you so much for your help.

Take care and stay safe,


Tim Schmidt
President | USCCA

P. S. - Please call soon as the vote is scheduled to take place this Thursday!

P. P. S. - Click here to watch a video I made to answer any more questions you might have. 
USCCA
Questions? Call us at 877-677-1919
USCCA | Delta Defense, LLC
N173W21298 Northwest Passage Way
Jackson, WI 53037
As the gentle reader can tell, Schmidt has no clue as to the difference between the Milwaukee County Board and the City of Milwaukee's Common Council.

I also really appreciate the line about not wanting "to end up on another government list." What I am curious about is why he included that line.  Is it anti -government paranoia or is that he was trying to hide the fact that most of the callers were from outside of Wisconsin, much less Milwaukee County? (Note to Schmidt: We have caller ID in this part of the country now)

It should also be noted that the resolution isn't even being discussed on Thursday.  In fact, it won't be up for discussion for at least two more months.

Lastly, but perhaps most importantly is the falseness of their stance.

No one is taking away Clarke's First Amendment right of Free Speech.  If Clarke wants to run an ad pushing guns to bolster his campaign, he can do it to his heart's content.  He just has to pay for it with his campaign fund.  Or if he feels that it truly is a public service announcement, he can use taxpayer money to do that.  He just can't be in the ad in order to avoid even the perception that he is using taxpayer funds for his campaign.

The real concern here is not whether Clarke gets to use taxpayer dollars to fund his campaign ads (the answer is no, he shouldn't).  The thing we should be alarmed about is that if Clarke and his supporters are so reckless in shooting off their mouths, why in the world should we trust them with guns?

1 comment:

  1. So it's reckless to not know a date of a meeting? Geez, I'd hate to be your kid. Talk about pressure!

    Why do taxpayers have to pay for the campaign puff pieces sent out by their wonderful county supervisor touting how much "good" they've done with a bright, shiny picture of them? There's NO difference between those and actual campaign pieces, they say the same thing...except one is paid for, unwillingly, by taxpayers. If I want to see what my supervisor is doing, I'll do the research as any engaged citizen should. Save the printing and postage.

    ReplyDelete