Thin Blue Line Gets Thinner; ‘Be Prepared to Defend Yourself’

How many more citizens will be reading such books as police manpower is challenged by vaccine mandates? Maybe people will start carrying guns because a cop is unavailable! (Dave Workman)

U.S.A.-(AmmoLand.com)- While the president of the National Police Association is talking to Fox News about “costly litigation” over law enforcement suspensions or firings over COVID-19 vaccination resistance, and police agencies around the country braced for manpower shortages, caught in the middle of this clash are the citizens living in those jurisdictions, worrying about safe neighborhoods.

One message that probably caused angst for the public while city officials winced came from Mike Solan, president of the Seattle Police Officers’ Guild, as he chatted with KIRO News: “Be prepared to defend yourself and your family because it’s going to be a long time before a cop can get there. That’s not alarmist talk. That’s a reality.”

Gun ownership in Washington State is up, and the number of active concealed pistol licenses is springing back following a year-long decline because of the coronavirus. At last report, more than 98,100 residents in King County, which encompasses Seattle, were licensed to carry. Across Washington, more than 640,700 people have active CPLs.

The problem is not just in Seattle. In a YouTube video that has gone viral, a Washington State Patrol trooper signed off permanently over the weekend, telling Gov., Jay Inslee to “kiss my ass.” Trooper Robert LeMay, who patrolled Central Washington’s Yakima Valley area, thanked his colleagues for years of support and friendship, and helping make sure he made it home each night. But he would not comply with Democrat Inslee’s vaccine mandate for state employees.

In San Francisco, KPIX News noted that police and firefighters faced an Oct. 13 vaccination deadline. California has stricter gun control laws than Washington, but both states have so-called “universal background checks” and waiting periods on handguns.

Down in San Diego, KUSI News reported police officers are unable to speak publicly but have “privately confirmed they are strongly against the COVID-19 vaccine mandate, and willing to leave the force if the policy does not change.” The report noted the bad timing of this conflict, as the city “is experiencing a surge of violent crime under the leadership of Todd Gloria, making it the worst possible time to get rid of the people who protect and serve the community.”

The situation in Chicago, which Ammoland News covered earlier, has gotten no better, as WMAQ—the NBC affiliate—reported, “police officers have begun to face disciplinary action for not reporting their vaccination status.” John Catanzara, president of the Fraternal Order of Police, indicated “close to 50 officers were placed on unpaid status” as the city under Mayor Lori Lightfoot began enforcing the vaccination mandate.

A judge ordered Catanzara to stop making public statements and the city attorney reportedly accused him of “municipal sedition and treason,” according to NPR.

And according to WBBM Newsradio, Lightfoot “is feeling pressure” about the number of cops who have not reported their vaccination status. Almost one-third of the force is apparently not cooperating, while Lightfoot said only a small number of officers have been placed on “unpaid status.”

“I’m not seeing that there’s going to be any disruption in our ability to keep our neighborhoods safe,” Lightfoot reportedly said; a remark that could come back to haunt her with the city having chalked up 687 homicides so far this year, including 30 so far this month, according to heyjackass.com.

On the other side of this issue, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva has declared he will not enforce the vaccination mandate, explaining he could lose possibly 10 percent of his workforce “overnight,” according to the Los Angeles Times. The newspaper said “hundreds of police officers in San Diego” apparently are considering quitting rather than comply with the mandate.

So, what about Solan’s advice to the citizens of Seattle? Crime is up there, also, and relief does not appear to be on the horizon. Seattle police say all commissioned officers, including detectives, are apparently suiting up to respond to normal calls. Outgoing Mayor Jenny Durkan—a liberal who infamously called last year’s violence-marked protests a “summer of love”—insisted at a presser the other day, “If someone calls 911, there will not be a significant impact on the response.” That remains to be seen.

Washington has a matter-of-fact self-defense/use-of-force statute. Time will tell whether it comes into play as the mandate battle unfolds.

But across the country, wherever police and sheriff’s deputies or state troopers are putting their careers on the line to resist vaccination mandates, private citizens may have to become their own first responders. If the “Defund Police” proponents want to see what anarchy looks like, they may get a front-row seat.

RELATED:


About Dave Workman

Dave Workman is a senior editor at TheGunMag.com and Liberty Park Press, author of multiple books on the Right to Keep & Bear Arms, and formerly an NRA-certified firearms instructor.

Dave Workman

27 Comments
Most Voted
Newest Oldest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Deplorable Bill

Nope, I am not taking a jab when I don’t know it’s properties and side affects. I know some of the stuff it’s made with. I know people test positive for H I V after the jab. I actually watched the video of this man signing off and I commend him for standing up for what is right. There are more than a few governors who are willing to sacrifice their citizens and their l e o’s to go along with biden’s poison jab. As far as I am aware of they are all demoncraps. This is a reflection on… Read more »

Arny

Still believe voting is a solution ? lol

swmft

and always have a backup , sometimes two handed is what you have,a machine gun is what you need but….

swmft

you take jabs here all the time @Deplorable Bill

Wild Bill

Yes, things can go sideways fast. That is why I also carry Quick Clot with me as part of my EDC.

JPM

Well said Bill.

swmft

add sad truth, a lawyer ,who was a friend gave me the guns he brought back from ww2 because his two lawyer sons were progressive leftists, and sadly embracing the Nazi bs that cost his family 30 members in Europe

Wild Bill

That is scary.

Wild Bill

There are none so blind as those that refuse to see.

WI Patriot

“‘Be Prepared to Defend Yourself’”
Already there…

ExGob

I have been following that well-known BSA motto for most of my 84 years. It’s always close at hand in my home, and I never leave home without it. To borrow from your advice “BE PREPARED”

StreetSweeper

There’s a certain level of irony here…

UncleT

Uhm, we ALWAYS have had to defend ourselves. The police are not even obligated to protect any individual via SCOTUS. This is the message by both sides that have gotten Americans comfortable with the govt will protect you when they won’t. In fact, most of the time they’re not even on your side.

Hoepfully this will wake up folks to that reality. I’d say it already has for many.

Wild Bill

Yes, how strange that the police are not even obligated to protect us, but the state claims the authority to protect our health, and safety.

American Cynic

On a number of occasions, I’ve asked this same question, and expressed the same concerns… We have our 2nd Amendment, it was given to us so that we may defend ourselves against an oppressive government (which by the way, is the interpretation that the Leftists are afraid of, they seem to know what was meant by “self-defense”), yet we have been living fairly cushy lives, and despite being armed, how many are ready to actually defend their freedom knowing full well that doing so could result in a loss of freedom? How is that? Let’s not forget that more and… Read more »

Stag

There are a lot of people, several of them comment on this forum, who still refuse to acknowledge that it’s the “blue line” that enforces arms laws. A good portion of cops are willing to take a stand when it effects them, such as getting a shot, but they’re not willing to uphold their oath when it comes to defending our 2A rights by refusing to enforce arms laws. I also find it funny how they like to use fear mongering tactics like the following from the article: One message that probably caused angst for the public while city officials… Read more »

2gats

Actually….police are likely to spend less time on real crime and more time harassing law abiding citizens and gun owners who don’t pose the threat to. Bodily integrity that armed criminals pose to their top goal of “going home safe at the end of the day”

It’s probably the cops with integrity that are quitting. Those that remain on duty will most likely be “just following orders”

Tank

True story

TStheDeplorable

The firings for non-vaccination have a silver lining. Departments all over the nation cannot find enough qualified applicants due to the outrageous lies told about police over the last two years. When a blue jurisdiction pulls a Karen and fires cops who don’t comply with the vaccination requirement, those cops can easily find jobs in red jurisdictions where they will be happier and welcomed and appreciated. Screw blue jurisdictions. Let them burn and face the forseeable consequences of their decisions.

Wild Bill

I foresee a great migration of criminals to blue states!

ExGob

Ain’t no flies on your vision, Wild Bill. Criminals prefer to shy away from places where they know they’ll meet with resistance.

HLB

From all corners of life are those that will be of good use in times of turmoil and those that will hinder that end. If we can recognize them as individuals rather than some classification that would be helpful.

HLB

Wild Bill

This is completely contrary to what I learned in my Critical Race Theory class, where I was taught to pre-judge every book by its cover!

nrringlee

Satan comes to lie, steal and kill. When Hillary Clinton protested the ‘vast right wing conspiracy’ in America the devil was speaking through her as a means to mask the real conspiracy against America and Christian culture. That is the vast left wing conspiracy. Everything that you are seeing in New Left Progressive utopias like Seattle has been long in the making and intended by the Marxist left. Just find a copy of the Prairie Fire Manifesto and read it. In 1973 the Progressive New Left, the spawn of the Weather Underground declared war on America and our Judeo/Christian culture.… Read more »

Tank

No accidents or coincidences in politics (poly-tics). Ramping up the societal tension & class warfare continually using Arc of Crisis’s to advance the breakdown & asymmetrical warfare societal plan.

If the Police have no duty to protect Life, Liberty or Constitutional rights of the people then who are they working for ? Asking for a friend. Lol

Last edited 2 years ago by Tank