Milwaukee, WI — Sheriff David Clarke, who made national headlines with his controversial public service announcement about skipping 911 and getting a gun instead, has cut a new pro-gun radio ad.
In the first ad, he recommended that Milwaukee County citizens take a firearms training course so that they can be prepared to defend themselves against intruders rather than hiding under the bed and waiting for the overworked cops to arrive.
The new 30-second spot, which aired for the first time today, alludes to a gun in the hands of a law-abiding citizen as a “great equalizer.”
In the new PSA about self defense, Sheriff Clarke has this to say:
‘Violent crime went up nearly 10% in Milwaukee. Are you the next victim? You don’t have to be, but that’s your call.
Armed criminals are being put back on the street by a soft-on-crime court system even before the ink even dries on police reports. Are you prepared to handle a life-or-death threat?
“Wisconsin’s Personal Protection Act now gives you the same advantage that I have. Now it’s the crook has to wonder what you might do. It could be a great equalizer but you always have to think survival.
“Remember, it’s you and me now.”
According to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel , Sheriff Clarke’s radio ads are funded by his county budget, i.e., funded by the taxpayer. The department plans to spend approximately $17,000 on radio ads this year out of a $85 million annual budget; they cost about $100 for each airing.
Sheriff Clarke, who appears to be a strong proponent of the Second Amendment, served on the Milwaukee police department for 24 years before being appointed county sheriff in 2002 by the governor. He has been overwhelmingly re-elected twice since then.
What do you think of the recommendation by Sheriff Clarke in both ads for citizens to arm themselves against crime rather than relying on police intervention?
Listen to Sheriff Clarke’s new pro-gun ad: