Rep. Burt claims police ordered not to speak out, repeats analogy comparing cops to Nazis
In an interview with NH1′s Kevin Landrigan, state Rep. John Burt (R-Goffstown) claimed New Hampshire law enforcement officers have been ordered not to speak out in support of legislation that would repeal the state’s concealed carry license requirement.
“The police who do all the work, they really do support this,” Burt said, “but they’re being told not to say anything.” Burt did not identify the officers or the towns where this took place.
The legislation was vetoed by Gov. Maggie Hassan, who said she had listened to concerns from law enforcement and public safety officials. “They oppose removing the protections that the licensing process offers to help ensure that potentially dangerous individuals are not allowed to carry hidden weapons and I share their concerns,” she wrote.
Burt addressed the “firestorm” that erupted after his comments, first reported by Miscellany Blue, comparing the police to Nazi soldiers for not speaking out. Burt denied he was making that comparison – even as he repeated the analogy.
"No, I’m not comparing them to Hitler’s people, not at all,” Burt told Landrigan. “People kept saying to me, ‘Well John, they’re only doing their job and they don’t want to lose their job,’ “ he explained. “Well. you know, that’s what Hitler’s people said.”
Following Landrigan’s report, Burt posted a message on Facebook asking his supporters to leave a comment on the NH1 website. Reps. Al Baldasaro, Steve Beaudoin, Bart Fromuth, JR Hoell and Jordan Ulery complied. “Are people so stupid that they don’t understand the concept of analogies?” asked Beaudoin.