News Reporting Rising Gun Sales- Our Resident Police Expert Weighs In
Our distinguished expert served 15 years as a cop. During that time he was a financial crimes detective, certified hostage negotiator, and police sergeant. He was also awarded two Distinguished Service Cross medals, and was nominated for a Presidential Medal of Valor. For his work telling the stories of police officers, he has won four Edward R Murrow awards and two Heartland Emmy Awards. He is currently speaking to police departments around the country helping reduce police suicides. So WHO WAS our special guest? Why South Florida's very own Detective of the Air, retired sergeant Steve Warneke!
While Steve strongly supports the second amendment and the right to bear arms, he cautioned against just anyone going out and buying a weapon.
"I'm in favor of gun ownership but with one big caveat— You've got to know how to use it."
Guns in the hands of unskilled people are dangerous. Even with training, accidents are still possible. Steve told stories of people TRAINED in how to effectively use a gun, who still have accidentally shot themselves. "I worked at a gun range before I was a police officer and there was a gunsmith there that had been handling guns for 20-some years and he came in one day and he's got this huge bandage around his arm and his fingers...
" 'I shot my finger off. I was working on a gun, and I shot my finger off.' This is a guy who had been handling guns for twenty years."
He also warned listeners against buying a gun whilst being ill-prepared with a terribly sad story about a young boy who found his father's gun... and while showing it to his friend, accidentally shot him in the head, killing the boy instantly.
Steve's main message hit home: If you buy a gun, you're now introducing it into every situation.
"This is my advice... If you don't know what you're doing and you go buy a gun and you end up in an altercation that otherwise would not have had a gun, what you have done is introduced a gun into every altercation."
Being a non-responsible gun owner increases the danger to you and everyone else. Take the time to learn what you are doing.
The Steve Warneke Show is LIVE SATURDAYS at 10AM EST to 850 WFTL on your South Florida AM dial or you can stream live during the show at www.850wftl.com.
If you haven't already, or need more information, listen to the recorded show HERE! or watch the show on Facebook!
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Until next time...