and he was about as helpful as can be expected from a lame duck, who holds a neutered job title.  All of my emails have gone out to the entire council, and nobody has seen fit to discuss it with me.  Manager Hall doesn't bother writing back either.  I am going to get a meeting with the OPD, and am going to call a well known attorney Monday. 

I'm sick of this crap.  The OPD will have to learn to deal with citizens who lawfully carry arms.  

I was told by a couple of people they saw several unmarked cars driving around Old School for a bit.  :-)  What a shame, I specifically invited the OPD to send someone to the meeting.  They could have had some nice hot pizza.

I have set a few things in motion I have to let them play out before I take the next steps.

It seems that the Tacoma Police, during their protests, were allowed to ban backpacks from the designated protest area.

I guess someone openly carrying a firearm would have been OK.

Please give me a second grace. Please give me a second face. I've fallen far down, the first time around, now I just sit on the ground in your way.
Nick Drake

I believe I brought this up a while ago.

Most police departments are moving toward hiring armed social workers. Very few people want police officers who - God forbid - look intimidating. The most important thing in law enforcement is common sense, not a B.A. Unfortunately, most departments place a far greater emphasis on the latter rather than the former this day in age.

It's been brought up numerous times in military publications because many people who would otherwise be qualified cannot get hired due to things such as exposed tattoos, which a significant number of people in the Armed Forces have.

And then some police departments want to meet certain gender and ethnic requirements, making exceptions and hiring individuals who have failed to meet a standard criteria.

Of course, a number of people my age (early 20s) aren't exactly keen on signing up for the military or law enforcement, either. Not that my job in the Army consists of slugging it in the dirt, but you have to give up a lot of personal freedom when you go into the military or law enforcement. Most people simply don't want to make that trade.

I suspect as time goes on we'll see more tangible effects.

I say this separate from the specific article because I don't necessarily believe there's an uprising in "police brutality" due to the candidate field being reduced. From what I've seen, the Average Joe isn't complaining about the police department and - shockingly enough - if you're a citizen who simply goes about your business law enforcement is willing to bend over backward for you.

I tend to put little value - and really, don't care - if the guy who just beat the shit out of his wife complains that he was slapped around a little bit. As a prosecutor I wouldn't be in a hurry to take anyone to court, either.

Please give me a second grace. Please give me a second face. I've fallen far down, the first time around, now I just sit on the ground in your way.
Nick Drake

Those kits are, and have been since 1934, illegal. Most civilian rifles since 1984, that are semi-automatic versions of the full-automatic rifles, used by military, have had their receivers tinkered with to make it more difficult to alter it so that it may receive these parts. There are hand cranks available that give the simulation of being full-auto, but they are technically legal, and incredibly cumbersome (couldn't hit the broadside of a barn) to use, and a big waste of money imo.

I understand your personal opinion on weapons. I love to shoot, but I'm not really into the "tactical weapons" stuff myself. I've had many friends that love all of their toys, but I don't understand why they own half of them. I don't think they shouldn't be allowed to own them though.