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Hey 49 . . .
First you opine that my post didn't deserve a response, then you respond to it. And I said I didn't care if YOU responded...if others care to respond, thats fine too.
I NEVER SAID NOR BLAMED You, nor eastern hunters for our Wolf problems....and its not only the eastern tree hugger/facists alone that has caused this ...look at California. And the wolf issue IS a State Issue...read the 10th Amendment. I made a stretched parallel to Al Quida...and in that same vein, this IS terrorism, these killing wolves forced down our throat and the horrible damage that they do.
I don't have practical experience Working as a street cop in NJ; I got OUTTA there! ... I was in the midwest on the street, but I still have family and friends in NJ. I have a MAJOR problem with NJ police and the philosophy that NJ runs by....and Everything I said is True, and NONE of it "far fetched". If you've been on the bricks many years than you probably don't feel it. One of my closest friends some years ago, [an Episcopal Priest for God's sake (!)] had his door kicked in, rousted out of bed, was beaten to a pulp, stomped, cursed, ridiculed, required hospital treatment and his family [wife and children] all handcuffed and terrorized by a New Jersey State Police "swat team" over an alleged "paper violation" -- The "NJSP swat team" raiders, (black BDU's and no name tags, of course) with MP5 submachineguns, screaming and cursing "Hey, we got us another F---ing gun nut" (the priest was a reloader); even the Local cops were incredulous and couldn't believe it. YES, this happened in the United States of America, not Moscow or Beijing. THAT is the mindset of NJ on guns. The judge in the end finally told the prosecutor to kiss off that enough is enough already. My beef IS w/ the NJ politicians and any cop that plays their tune.
War stories and such is all fine, especially the good belly busting laugh ones, including the numerous "choir practices" after work after swing shift.
Its Supposed to be tough to be a street cop in our country ...its Easy to be a cop in places like Russia.
I don't know if this will play for you ... but paste it and see this little vid of a Russian Cop ... and how its done there:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zAcxAXPLZY&feature=related
Must be a training video for NJSP.
THAT is what our country is coming to with the militarization of police here [NJ is the poster-boy example] ...faces covered...no name tags, etc. (Note that the Nazi Gestapo never covered their faces... what are these cops afraid of)??
If it happens ONCE -- its once too often.
I don't know how old you are, but when I was a kid in NJ a parent could say to a young child "see that policeman over on the corner? ... if anything ever happens or you get scared, hes' your friend; go to him".
You can't say that now. Now its the "us vs. them" syndrome with cops. THAT is a terrible and powerful thing. Cops wind up in a psychological situation where their only real friends are Other Cops. I'm sure you've seen that, or are In that situation.
You say: "Plenty of hunters and gun owners in PRNJ who don't like the laws"? -- Yes, I Know that's true.
The Problem is THOSE LAWS; that's all I'm saying, and don't take it personally. I couldn't See you taking it personally UNLESS you were part of "them". If you feel like we do then I don't blame you for straining at the bit to head for Arizona; you'll be able to sleep in peace there (unless you're close to the Mexican border, but thats another story).
I LOVE good cops -- I was Proudly one of them, and that oath I took when I pinned on my tin is Just as applicable to me now as it was then.
No I DON'T have a chip in my shoulder, 49 ... I am educated, I've been around the block a few times, I'm very much an historian, and I SEE what is happening around me in MY Country. Apparently You (maybe?) can live in that cesspool police state and not have it bother you, or at least not very much; and you being a street cop, its not as "personal" to your situation as the average citizen. But even though I'm a million miles away from it, in the freest state in the nation, I still See it; its on the news every day. Its like the popular police jargon nowadays...if you're not a cop, you're a "civilian". (Read: "Us vs. Them").
No, Wrong. You're a "citizen"; a high and holy word.
The one man, dear personal friend (as well as his whole family), (you may never have heard of him) who had more of a mentorship and influence upon me in my adult life than anyone else for 30 years, (and I'm alive because of the training I took under him) was Col. Jeff Cooper (now deceased). (Jeff founded the American Pistol Institute and Gunsite Ranch). He once encapsulated to me: "Cas,: "An Armed man is a citizen --- and Unarmed man is a Subject".
In England, (for example) they are "Subjects" ... and the British mindset does not conflict with that, as mine does, and as our's does.
Now, you've attacked me personally since I first put out a wolf post, never offered your name, told me I have a chip on my shoulder because I call a spade a spade, and because I Know Wolves, what they are, and what they do, know how to hunt them and have done so, and am suffering the damage here in Wyoming that every other rancher and hunter is here, as well as Idaho, Montana. etc.
If you were in OUR boots...and seen what I/many of us have seen, maybe, just maybe it would hit a Core and you could identify a bit more with it.
BTW, you're almost over-gunned w/ your 7mm. Mag. ... I've taken all mine with a .17 Remington and it does just fine. If its over 250 or so, grab a .243 Ackley or 6.5/06 Ackley Imp.
Cas in the High Desert.
Thanks for the post, Cas.
And I don't say that with sarcasm.
You seem like a decent sort after all. Your initial posts were abrasive to an eastern hunter/police officer like myself. If I came off abrasive as well, then I will ask you to excuse my tone.
Believe it or not, after pondering this thread I am starting to agree with you that wolves may not belong in the lower 48 states. This however, is no excuse for breaking the law, as has been indicated by some here. And I don't mean you.
As far as the NJSP swat team incident goes...I never heard of it. I am not saying it didn't happen, just that I never heard of it. There are some bad apples in every bunch unfortunately. There may have been some misguidance there from the county prosecutors or Attorney General. There may have been a lack of leadership on the swat team or the people in charge of it. But I can tell you I personally know many north Jersey SWAT TEAMS unit members, and by far the majority of them are stand up guys. Many of them are hunters like you and I. One incident doesn't make the NJSP Nazis. You have to remember that in a 3000+ member agency you will have all types, from cityfolk down to the country type people. Sure, mistakes have been made, but don't paint NJ cops with a broad brush. By doing so you are doing them as well as law enforcement in general a disservice.
I don't subscribe to the "us vs. them" mentality, Cas. Maybe I did when I was a young buck. But I have long since matured out of that mindset. This mentality is not only inherent to NJ LE. It is all over the country in law enforcement. I find it to be mostly exhibited by the younger cops.
Your are obviously an intelligent man. Though I do think you tend to take things to extremes. It doesn't make you a bad guy though, and we all have our reasons. By now you may have figured out which LE agency in NJ I work for. I take a tremendous amount of pride in what I do professionally and the way I go about doing it. Perhaps this is why I took your posts personally.
Anyway, thanks for the tip on rifle caliber selection.
Stay safe,
Nick
