Stanley Ray Hoffman: Johnson’s foolish statement

Regarding the June 23 news article “Police: Durham council member should apologize” which contained the foolish statement of Durham City Councilwoman Jillian Johnson, “the most dangerous people with guns are cops and soldiers”: Well, I certainly hope so.

That’s what they’re trained and equipped to do and are held accountable for that difficult task. They may have to make a split-second decision and be judged later by civil courts or courts martial.

But ... dangerous to whom, exactly? Well, to gun-toting felons making life-threatening moves, yes. To the “enemy” the soldier is ordered to fire upon, yes.

Are cops and soldiers perfect? No. Do they make deadly mistakes? Yes, but not often. Demonizing law enforcement and soldiers in the sworn performance of their duties is not helpful

Voters should evaluate elected officials carefully who carelessly criticize law enforcement and military. What is Johnson doing about gun crime in Durham?

This story was originally published July 1, 2016 at 4:28 PM with the headline "Stanley Ray Hoffman: Johnson’s foolish statement."