I spend much of my day writing about the Second Amendment and gun rights. Respect for the Second Amendment stems from my father, a retired police officer, who taught me to respect guns and our right to keep and bear arms.
Most of the officers he worked with respected people’s gun rights. They rightfully understood that no matter how fast they tried to get there, it still took several minutes for any officer to arrive on the scene unless he just happened to be on the block when things were going down. Armed citizens were able to protect themselves whereas police just simply couldn’t.
But the writers for the CBS show SWAT clearly don’t get that. Instead, they’re pushing the lie that lawfully purchased guns are used to threaten police.
This week’s episode of CBS’s S.W.A.T. made the ridiculous claim that “sensible gun control” would stop guns being aimed at cops, ignoring the fact that a majority of criminals use illegally acquired weapons.
In the episode, “Crisis Actor,” on Friday, November 12, armed gunmen storm the set of an Alex-Jones style show that spread a false story claiming a school shooting of kindergartners was a hoax.
Parents of the dead children, and a parent-sympathizer named Arnold (Joshua Dov), attack the set of the show and threaten guests with guns. One of the guests, Andrea (Ellie Araiza), shoots at Arnold and is injured as a result before S.W.A.T. arrives on the scene to de-escalate the situation.
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Jeffrey: I wanted to know if you’d be interested in coming on the show this afternoon. Our viewers are big, big fans, and you got yourself quite a following already. And a hashtag: #Hotswatcop. You know, people want to know more about the officer who saved our butts.
Chris: I didn’t do it alone.
Jeffrey: Yeah, but you’re a woman. People like that. It’s different. You look great in that uniform, too. You should really move these five minutes of fame into something. I mean, these opportunities don’t come around too often.
Chris: No, thanks.
Jeffrey: You sure? I think you’d make a perfect spokesperson for gun rights. People want to hear from law enforcement.
Chris: Most cops believe in the second amendment, but they also believe in sensible gun control laws. You want to know why? MM. ‘Cause a lot of the times those guns are aimed at us.
Chris’ claim is ridiculous. The guns aimed at cops are mostly illegal and no so-called “sensible” gun control law would stop that. But Chris is one of the most consistently left-wing mouthpieces on S.W.A.T. She tried a polyamorous relationship in a past season and this season went radical feminist, complaining that male standards of physical strength should not be applied to female S.W.A.T. Academy applicants.
It is no surprise that her character would be the voice for the left-wing myth that gun control laws somehow make cops safer rather than merely making potential victims less able to defend themselves.
Now, I’m not getting into the other issues brought up by the author–though the bit about strength standards might be a good topic for discussion at another point in time–but the idea that lawfully purchased firearms are somehow used to threaten police is nonsense. The same can be said for the argument that most cops support gun control.
Yes, police often face armed offenders, but those criminals aren’t going to their local gun store and buying a firearm after passing a background check. They’re buying stolen guns or firearms obtained through other illicit means. In my experience, most police officers understand that and recognize that making things difficult for law-abiding citizens doesn’t actually make things better for them, it just makes things worse for everyone else.
But I can’t be surprised the writers are unaware of this.
You see, police chiefs’ groups often back gun control proposals, which leads many to believe that the chiefs are speaking for everyone. After all, aren’t they the official voice of their departments?
The thing is, speaking for the department and speaking for the officers in that department is a different matter entirely. The rank and file officer on the street tends to favor gun rights, but CBS writers aren’t likely to actually talk to them and get their take. If they do, they go to the chiefs’ offices and ask for an introduction, which means they’ll get a yes-man or woman.
So, they push the lie. They push a narrative that’s popular in their circles but doesn’t reflect reality.
Which is fine so long as people understand what they’re seeing is a fantasy, but how many people see this kind of thing and take it to heart? They see it and believe it.
And that is ultimately the point. Repeat the lie often enough and people will believe it.
