Sheriff Clarence Dupnik is a loose cannon who needs to be secured in Pima County, Arizona
Posted by John Keller
I'm wondering today just exactly what making broad, factless accusations of radio show talk hosts has to do with investigating the shooting Saturday in Tucson, Ariz., that wounded U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and killed six bystanders.
Nothing, it seems, and that's the trouble with Clarence Dupnik, sheriff of Pima County, Ariz.
Rather than sticking to his job of enforcing the laws in Pima County, as well as investigating and solving crimes committed there, Sheriff Dupnik has seen fit to accuse Radio host Rush Limbaugh of creating an atmosphere of violence in our nation that led to the shootings in Tucson Saturday.
This is the same man who says he refuses to enforce Arizona's new immigration law because he thinks it's a bad law. Once again, is this what Sheriff Dupnik was elected to do?
I think Sheriff Dupnik has done more than anyone else since this tragedy to inflame rhetoric ... not that there's anything wrong with inflaming rhetoric. Dupnik and everyone else has rights to free speech that give us the privilege of inflaming rhetoric.
Still, Dupnik's exercising those rights at this moment in time does nothing to help investigate the crime, and to put the alleged shooter behind bars; it may even hinder law-enforcement efforts rated to this case. It's a question of judgement.
Sheriff Dupnik is the definition of a loose cannon, and he needs to be secured to the deck of Pima County, Arizona. The sheriff boasts of his 50 years experience in law enforcement. Perhaps it's time he retired to make way for a new sheriff who will:
1) show sensible judgement; and
2) enforce the laws of Pima County.
John Keller is editor-in-chief of Military & Aerospace Electronics magazine, which provides extensive coverage and analysis of enabling electronic and optoelectronic technologies in military, space, and commercial aviation applications. A member of the Military & Aerospace Electronics staff since the magazine's founding in 1989, Mr. Keller took over as chief editor in 1995.
