Remember when your teachers tried to scare you away from cannabis by claiming it was the gateway drug? Supposedly smoking cannabis would lead to your also snorting cocaine, dropping acid, and injecting heroine. Following that line of thinking Garry McCarthy, the Chicago police superintendent, had something to say about those of us who carry a firearm:
Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy says that’s more than any major city and he says if you can reduce weapons you will reduce crime.
“Carrying a loaded firearm is the gateway crime to committing a murder,” McCarthy said.
If that’s the case then receiving a badge must be a gateway crime as well because it seems that the Chicago Police Department has a rather interesting history of criminal behavior [PDF].
In all seriousness I do understand McCarthy’s attitude. Police officers often seem to have a desire to commit murder and other violent crimes. Were I surrounded by police officers every day, especially Chicago police officers, I would probably hypothesize that carrying a gun is what drives their desire to commit violent acts. But when you’re not involving in the police machinery the picture looks quite different. Most non-state agents who carry firearms are quite peaceful.
Based on this logic all police officers are future murderers cause they get hooked on the gateway crime of carrying all day. Probably explains why they start with shooting dogs.