Sheriff David Clarke appeared on Fox News with Neil Cavuto on Saturday and the subject was the mass shooting in Washington State, the Minnesota stabber and various other terror incidents and Sheriff Clarke of the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s office, told them that getting scared doesn’t work and then he advised everyone to buy a gun for self defense.
Sheriff Clarke told Cavuto:
This is the world we live in now, [and Americans] are scared, but being scared is not enough. I say, you can hide under the bed, you can do all this other stuff, but you can fight back. And the more these individuals, these perpetrators, realize that somebody is going to quickly be able to counter their nonsense, I think you’ll see less [of these attacks]. If nothing else, you’ll be able to play a role in saving your own life.
Clarke said that predators look for weak targets to rob and that if more people had guns and these thugs realized that any time they approach a target they could have a gun, there would be a lot less robbery attempts. Besides, owning a gun means you can help yourself survive. He said people have to get over the notion that the police can save you anytime and anywhere.
On January 25, 2013, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that the PSA featured Clarke emphasizing that waiting on police was no longer a valid option, that citizens needed to get “in the game.” He added, “With officers laid off and furloughed, simply calling 911 and waiting is no longer your best option. You could beg for mercy from a violent criminal, hide under the bed, or you can fight back.” He urged residents to take a firearm safety course and familiarize themselves with their guns so they could defend their lives until police arrived.
Clarke added, “You have a duty to protect yourself and your family. We’re partners now.”