Pistol-Packin' Prosecutors

 Posted on March 26, 2007 in Uncategorized

The Brownsville Herald had an article last Thursday about a proposed bill to allow felony prosecutors to bring concealed weapons to court. The notion came about because of unfounded fears that a violent gang would try to break one of its members out from the courthouse during his sentencing.

Like any policy decision made based on fear, this seems like a bad idea to me.

I support law-abiding citizens' right to keep and bear arms without restriction. Prosecutors should be treated no differently than any other citizens. When was the last time a Texas prosecutor was killed on the job? Many prosecutors have no business carrying guns, much less doing so in court. Prosecutors don't have any better judgment than normal people, and some of them have considerably worse. I've seen prosecutors call people names, throw temper tantrums, and call defense lawyer out of court.

The Second Amendment was intended to allow the people to protect themselves from the government (not from street thugs or squirrels). Allowing government agents (like prosecutors) to carry guns at times or in places where the people could not carry turns the Second Amendment around backwards.

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