Are they more important to you?

[PsyOps]

In light of this thread, the question needs to be answered by the anti-gun/gun control advocates:

Are certain people in our society - past/current government officials, entertainers, the wealthy, etc... - more important than you and me that they deserve the right to protect themselves in public with armed security or even CCW while many of these same people are aiming to ‘tighten up’ on our ability to buy and get licenses for firearms.

Current and past presidents and their family members receive secret service protection at OUR expense. Very few people question the validity of this. But are they more important that they should be afforded this while we - the ordinary citizen - have to go through extraordinary measures to justify our own protection?

Are we less important?

 

[mAlice]

In light of this thread, the question needs to be answered by the anti-gun/gun control advocates:

Are certain people in our society - past/current government officials, entertainers, the wealthy, etc... - more important than you and me that they deserve the right to protect themselves in public with armed security or even CCW while many of these same people are aiming to ‘tighten up’ on our ability to buy and get licenses for firearms.

Current and past presidents and their family members receive secret service protection at OUR expense. Very few people question the validity of this. But are they more important that they should be afforded this while we - the ordinary citizen - have to go through extraordinary measures to justify our own protection?

Are we less important?

I believe there are people who are more important than me, but celebrities do not rank among them.

I believe that our President should be afforded protection while in office, and I'm sure there are others that should be protected. However, for the most part every American citizen should maintain the right to protect themselves, and their property, whether it be from a burglar, or a corrupt government.

 

[GWguy]

As far as lives go, no. My life is just as important to me and my family and friends as theirs.

In the big scheme of things, maybe. If I get shot, the country will go on. For upper members of Congress and the presidency, loss of one individual can trigger a series of events that could be catastrophic for the country. But would also think that they do, or should, have contingency plans in place so those kinds of issues are minimal.

 

[Chris0nllyn]

I think tax money should ONLY go to running the government.

If a president wants armed guards, it comes out of his pocket.

 

[PsyOps]

I believe there are people who are more important than me, but celebrities do not rank among them.

I believe that our President should be afforded protection while in office, and I'm sure there are others that should be protected. However, for the most part every American citizen should maintain the right to protect themselves, and their property, whether it be from a burglar, or a corrupt government.

I find this interesting. You're saying that the president and his family are more important than your kids? Are you willing to throw your child in front of the president or any of his family to block a bullet? What about yourself?

 

[PsyOps]

As far as lives go, no. My life is just as important to me and my family and friends as theirs.

In the big scheme of things, maybe. If I get shot, the country will go on. For upper members of Congress and the presidency, loss of one individual can trigger a series of events that could be catastrophic for the country. But would also think that they do, or should, have contingency plans in place so those kinds of issues are minimal.

And what sort of catastrophy happened when Gabby Giffords was shot? Even worse, what about Kennedy? The country went on. It hurt emotionally, but we moved on.

 

[GURPS]

But are they more important that they should be afforded this while we - the ordinary citizen - have to go through extraordinary measures to justify our own protection?

Are we less important?

The KING is always MORE Important that the serfs .... serfs breed like rats, easily replaceable drones .........

 

[GWguy]

And what sort of catastrophy happened when Gabby Giffords was shot? Even worse, what about Kennedy? The country went on. It hurt emotionally, but we moved on.

That's why I said 'maybe'. Loss of some people may be a bigger deal than others.

 

[PsyOps]

That's why I said 'maybe'. Loss of some people may be a bigger deal than others.

Only a bigger deal if we make it that way. I'm not trying to marginalize the importance, but I can assure that I mourn the loss of my dad far more than any president.

 

[mAlice]

I find this interesting. You're saying that the president and his family are more important than your kids? Are you willing to throw your child in front of the president or any of his family to block a bullet? What about yourself?

No. I am saying that the President is more important than I am. If we were at war with another country, and the enemy stood the President and I together against a wall and said "who dies", I'd step up. Maybe not this President, but then again, maybe I would. :shrug:

I believe there are people who are more important than me.

I do not believe there is anyone more important than my loved ones.

Same scenario, only with my kid instead of me, I would feel entirely different about it. But that's natural.

I do not think for a minute that a single American should have not the right to protect themselves, their families, and their property.

 

[somdwatch]

No

Once out of office it should be on them. Jimmy Carter had a SS detachment at his place in Plains, GA for quite a while after he got out of office.

The loss of individual within our government is covered by contingency plans. After they're out of office, there of no value to provide protection to.

Some could even question the value while they are sitting!

 

[Chris0nllyn]

No. I am saying that the President is more important than I am. If we were at war with another country, and the enemy stood the President and I together against a wall and said "who dies", I'd step up. Maybe not this President, but then again, maybe I would. :shrug:

I believe there are people who are more important than me.

I do not believe there is anyone more important than my loved ones.

Same scenario, only with my kid instead of me, I would feel entirely different about it. But that's natural.

I do not think for a minute that a single American should have not the right to protect themselves, their families, and their property.

This post makes me wonder why ANYONE would fight for equality, and not just go through life accepting that others are somehow better, or more important than them

 

[SamSpade]

A dead ex-President might not be something to worry about -

But a *captured* ex-President is an extreme risk to national security. I think protecting such people is worth the price.

 

[mAlice]

A dead ex-President might not be something to worry about -

But a *captured* ex-President is an extreme risk to national security. I think protecting such people is worth the price.

My scenario was with current acting President, since it's a hypothetical anyway, and I wasn't given a script.

 

[terbear1225]

some people are far more likely to be a target. this doesn't mean they are more important, just more well known

 

[Chris0nllyn]

A dead ex-President might not be something to worry about -

But a *captured* ex-President is an extreme risk to national security. I think protecting such people is worth the price.

Isn't that what they signed on for though?

You can't run for presidency and expect to be safe ALL the time. Again, if they are afraid of that, get their own guards.

Plus, I doubt that the president knows every single detail on national security. Some, yes, but not all.

 

[dontknowwhy]

I find this interesting. You're saying that the president and his family are more important than your kids? Are you willing to throw your child in front of the president or any of his family to block a bullet? What about yourself?

If you knew my son then you'd understand why, yes...I would throw him in front of any of our 43 legitimate Presidents...not the azzclown in chief

 

[dontknowwhy]

Isn't that what they signed on for though?

You can't run for presidency and expect to be safe ALL the time. Again, if they are afraid of that, get their own guards.

Plus, I doubt that the president knows every single detail on national security. Some, yes, but not all.

of course the President would know EVERYTHING about National Security.
He has daily briefings that he sits in on to be fully informed of our National Security

Oh, that's right...I forgot about how this clown feels about his daily briefings...

 

[PsyOps]

A dead ex-President might not be something to worry about -

But a *captured* ex-President is an extreme risk to national security. I think protecting such people is worth the price.

I'm not saying it's not worth the price. Like I mentioned, I think most of us accept that the president deserves certain protections. But on a daily basis, do we deserve less because we hold a less significant role in this country? I thought I read somewhere that "All men are created equal".

 

[SamSpade]

Isn't that what they signed on for though?

You can't run for presidency and expect to be safe ALL the time. Again, if they are afraid of that, get their own guards.

Plus, I doubt that the president knows every single detail on national security. Some, yes, but not all.

Run for the Presidency? No. McCain and Romney are in no way entitled to lifetime security. They were never commander-in-chief and they were never privy to our most important national secrets.

Clinton, Carter and the Bushes? Yes. There's very little doubt in m mind that they know things that would be immeasurably valuable to our nation's enemies, although admittedly Carter and Bush I have been gone long enough that anything they know probably isn't terribly relevant.

If Lindsay Lohan hired armed guards to protect her, that's her own deal - but if she were kidnapped by terrorists, I don't think anyone in Washington would make much of it. Like any celebrity who needs armed security for protection, it's only her own skin on the line.

With an ex-President, it's more than his life, it's potentially MY life also. Worth the small price to protect them.