The Economist's Cookbook

... apparently neither is knowledge of the laws you're supposed to be enforcing.

This is the story I'm referring to: Open Carry Arrest in Wisconsin
(Thanks to Dave Codrea over at War on Guns for bringing this up)

Now let me get this right.

1. Wisconsin is an open-carry state, meaning that the open (or unconcealed carrying) of a firearm is COMPLETELY LEGAL.
2. Officer arrests this guy who is open carrying for Disorderly Conduct saying that the open carrying of a firearm is disturbing the peace.
3. The District Attorney will not prosecute the guy because ... well he can't.
4. The police will not give him his gun, mags, or ammo.

My Reaction: WHAT THE HELL!?

The arresting officer should be suspended without pay for a period of no less than 3 weeks, He should be forced to handwrite an apology to the individual in question.

This is what pisses me off, so often cops do not know the laws they enforce. (This occurs because they are too busy guarding speed traps rather than guarding the populace.) Yet somehow this DA decides to act completely asinine about this whole mess! If I was this guy I would sue for harassment faster than Jesse Jackson could say 'racism'.

I have absolutely no respect for modern law enforcement. I know some good cops, guys that are genuine decent human beings. I still wouldn't show them an ID if they asked for one on the sidewalk ("Papers please" much?)

Where does this stop?! When are we safe enough from ourselves? People wonder why I don't trust cops and all you have to do is read news sources beyond the NY times and the Washington Post and suddenly you start hearing things about the rampant abuses of police power.

These cops and MANY of the legislatures want to disarm the peaceful citizen for our own protection. Here's what I don't get: if my life is in danger, I need that protection RIGHT THEN, not in 4 minutes when the police respond. Those four minutes are the difference between a live person and a corpse.

So to all the people that know better how to protect my life than I do, heres a thank you.