[Newsbot]

<strong>Title: </strong> <a href="/link.php?id=27769" target="_blank">Border guards unprepared to bear sidearms, will cost government millions</a> (click to view)

<strong>Category:</strong> <a href="/news/topic/14-misc-cdn" target="_blank">Misc CDN</a>
<strong>Posted By: </strong> <a href="/modules.php?name=Your_Account&op=userinfo&username=Hyack" target="_blank">Hyack</a>
<strong>Date: </strong> 2007-12-01 14:26:05
<strong>Canadian</strong>

[ridenrain]

Again: Why do we train and expect these people to have the weapons abilitys of peace officers when the whole purpose of giving them guns was for self protection, so they wouldn't leave the border when they get scared.
I don't know what training armored car guys get but they definately don't go through such a course nor are they shooting up the town either. I can't really recall when a armored car guard shot anybody. It's not like these guards are going to leap out of their booths into a hot persuit.

[Thanos]

If the guards are going to act like a bunch of goofs about this then I say that the whole program be scrapped right now. We have to be able to rely on all the guards to be able to perform at a certain level of firearms competency or the whole thing becomes pointless. When the inevitable day comes that Mohammed and Akbar open up and empty a thousand AK47 rounds at a border crossing, and blow away a couple of dozen people (guards included), the guards union had better not go crying to the government whining that they need to be armed.

Tough titty, jerkies. You had your chance to behave like professionals and IMO you blew it.

[sasquatch2]

First of all the mentality involved must be considered.

Anyone who regularly crosses the US/Canada border has experienced the body-language of the border guards.......it's sorta like a MEL BROOKS movie.....it's NICE to be king.

The Nazi's fully understood this and became the one regime in history where the pistol was the badge of authority. Their demand for handguns was really incapable of being satisfied. Small french pistols spurned by the Wehrmacht were issued to minor railway officials to make them feel important. The Canadian customs folk have for years cast envious eyes at their pistol packing US counterparts strutting about.

Now they are faced with the reality that the requirements are different than they anticipated by watching television. And there is a critical mass of hoplophobes, indoctrinated by the gun-grabbers. That group, long accustomed to the perceived threat of armed felons, now has their whining addressed and have discovered that the all powerful magic tool is not that magic and requires a modicum of discipline to master. And without that mastery are now SOL.