Dr. Helen relays to us the story of Woo Bum-Kon, a mass killer in Korea, who happened to be a police officer:
Bum-Kon had an argument with his live-in girlfriend in the afternoon of April 26, 1982. Enraged, he left the house and went to the police armory, where he began consuming large amounts of whiskey. He became moderately drunk, raided the police armory of its weapons and built a personal arsenal. Bum-Kon then stole a single high-powered rifle and some grenades and left the armory. It was by this point around dinner time. He walked from house to house, and abused his position as a police officer to make people feel safe and gain entry to the home. Then he shot the victims, or killed the entire family with a grenade. He continued this pattern for the next eight hours, and into the early morning hours of April 27.
This speaks to a point I’ve been raising in the comment sections of various blogs: the police aren’t super humans. They are people, just like everyone else, and have the same passions, failings, virtues and deficiencies as the rest of us. Folks are calling it “insane” to suggest that valid concealed weapons license holders be allowed to carry on campus, but most would have few problems with a police officer in the same age range being permitted to do the same. Why? The idea that police officers are particularly well trained is a fallacy. Some are, and some aren’t, just like the rest of us. While police should be appreciated for the job they do, which is necessary, they should not be exalted above ordinary citizens. The police, in fact, are ordinary citizens, just ones that society pays to enforce laws and keep the peace. If you would trust an armed 22 year old police officer on campus, you should trust an armed CHL holder too.