The nation’s largest police union, The National Fraternal Order of Police, has asked the NFL to change it’s policy on concealed carry inside stadiums across the country, at least for retired and off-duty law enforcement officers who hold valid permits. Currently, the NFL has a complete ban on concealed firearms at their events.
In a letter, FOP President Chuck Canterbury made his case for allowing certain people to carry their firearms to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
“Today, I am writing on behalf of the members of the Fraternal Order of Police to urge you to rescind this policy, which weakens the safety and security of NFL players, personnel and fans. The terrorist attacks and threats of attacks from organizations like the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) are selecting targets based on the amount of death and injury they can inflict — mass murder and casualty events.”
While Canterbury specifically calls out retired and off-duty officers for the exemption, we’re moving in the right direction. Right? Of course I’d be thrilled if he had thrown us all into the pot, but let’s be realistic. Whatever the case, Canterbury mentions the very real threat of terrorism aimed at large sporting events in the US.
“Well-attended venues and areas are being deliberately targeted by the radical killers who do not intend or expect to survive the assault. Law enforcement, even when working actively with highly trained and skilled security professionals, cannot be certain that all threats will be detected and neutralized.”
Before the 2014 season, it was up to teams and venues to determine whether or not to allow the concealed carry of firearms.
“We concluded that public safety inside NFL stadiums on game days would be best-served by the carrying of firearms by on-duty officers specifically assigned to work the game as part of the comprehensive public safety plan for the event,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told FoxNews.com “This approach has been certified by the Department of Homeland Security under the SAFETY Act (Support Anti-Terrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies).”
I’ll go out on a limb and say that my Glock, whichever one I may be carrying at the time, is a pretty effective anti-terrorism technology. Or at least it could be. While the chances are slim that a concealed carrier would ever encounter a terrorist, it doesn’t negate the fact that millions of honest citizens carry firearms each day — without issue. This fact would indeed translate over to NFL stadiums across the country. And in all honesty, I find it increasingly difficult for someone to sit there and say that more armed citizens out and about isn’t an overall positive thing.
Not to mention self-defense situations that can — and do — come up often.
Let’s have an honest moment like we do so often: The ‘gun free zone’ is simply an illusion.
I’d like to personally call on FOP President Chuck Canterbury to include law-abiding citizens in his revised letter to the NFL. We carry everyday, anyway. Responsibly.
To read the full letter, click here.
