The Inmates are Running The

The Inmates are Running The County - Doug Grow writes a paeon to criminals.

Hennepin County (which is where Minneapolis is) plans to defy the terms of the new concealed-carry law. This is, of course, against the law. It's also a lousy lesson for "the children".

The law's supporters make their usual case:

"We all have to abide by the laws that are set," Boudreau said. "You can't set new law just because you want to."

Joe Olson, a Hamline University law professor who did much of the actual writing of the conceal-and-carry law, also said there are no clauses allowing counties to follow only those portions they like.

"If you or I did what they're doing, we'd go to jail," he said. "There was a lawyer at the [commissioners'] meeting. He pointed out they were intentionally violating the law. They are setting themselves up to be sued."

Olson said strategy sessions already are being held regarding ways to counter rebel governments in the state.

"The test case will be carefully planned, I assure you," he said. "Right now, our tactic is to wait and see if they're really going to try to enforce their ban. They know it's illegal. They may be doing this just to make themselves feel good. Obviously, if they try to enforce, there will be a suit."

Meantime, he said, "think of the message [that the Hennepin County commissioners] are sending to our youth: 'If you're big, the law doesn't apply to you."

Hennepin County always has at least one county commissioner whose overheated paranoia about gun issues makes great tragicomedic copy. This year, it's Gail Dorfman:

Dorfman obviously detests the new law. She said her decision to look for ways to adjust it came after a phone call from a constituent.

"This woman called and said, 'I'm taking my kids to the library. Are there going to be people with guns there?'

"I had this vision that you can't even take your children to the youth reading session at the library without thinking about guns. There's something wrong with that."

What's wrong with this is that people in positions of authority, like Gail Dorman, are allowed to spread such idiotic, paranoid bathwater.

What's worse is that the likes of Doug Grow can lionize this sort of thing - inflammatory paranoia, and shifting of blame for society's problems to the law-abiding citizen. Worse still, Grow compares this sort of thing - "government civil disobedience", Grow calls it, oblivious to the oxymoron he's just coined - with the Boston Tea Party.

Sorry, Doug Grow. You have it backwards. The Boston Tea Party was thrown by a bunch of grassroots patriots who fought for the rights of the law-abiding individual against overbearing, overweening government.

The Hennepin County Commission is the redcoats, in this case.

As always, I welcome the opportunity to debate Mr. Grow on this subject. Have his people call my people.

Posted by Mitch at June 14, 2003 10:35 PM