From Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey R. Gahler:
Dear Editor,
In a letter to the editor last week, Mr. Christopher Boardman outlined his opposition of my support for our citizens’ 2nd Amendment Rights. Yes, I am a supporter of every law abiding citizen’s right to keep and bear arms and do not shy away from defending those rights. As I have said previously, it would be very easy for me as a law enforcement officer, who has the ability to be armed and protect myself and my family, to not stand up for the ability of our citizens to do the same. It would be easy, it just would not be morally right.
In his letter, Mr. Boardman claims to call for civility in our conversations with one another, yet as he personally demonstrated in a most egregious manner his reprehensible and divisive language used to describe residents of our neighboring county, this is not the standard he holds for himself. In an email shared with me by my friend, the late Senator Wayne Norman, Mr. Boardman described attendees at the Senator’s summer fundraiser as, “Cecil rednecks who want to blow people’s heads off with guns.” Mr. Boardman inquired of the late Senator how Boardman’s attendance with these “rednecks” might help him in his effort to become the Sheriff of Harford County. Senator Norman not only was equally disturbed by this generalization of a demographic of the population, but also saw fit to forward these unkind and thoughtless comments (and his personal response) to my attention.
To be sure, we have so many issues we are unwilling to address as a society. Examples of these issues that need attention are: mental health (being at the top of the list); better background checks (tied to those afflicted with mental health issues); better securing of our schools; paying for armed security or additional school resource officers; the desensitization and devaluation of human life by our young through music, videos, and games; absentee and/or neglectful parenting; ensuring break downs in the process of following up on tips do not occur (like we saw in Parkland, in Southerland Springs and in the Fort Hood shootings); and discussions related to more severe penalties and deterrents. Instead of doing any of this, some want to blame the type of gun that a killer decides to use and turn to discriminatory and hateful speech to further their political aspirations.
The Office of Sheriff in Harford County serves all citizens equally with courage, honor, and integrity as our core values. Our law enforcement officers across this nation fight hard to keep violent criminals off the streets, because they are the ones truly responsible for the violence and death that we see.
It is disappointing to see a supposed candidate for this Office that will not support our citizen’s Constitutional Rights, but also one that feels comfortable describing certain members of the community with disparaging and bigoted terms.
The place for those civilized conversations that Mr. Boardman claims are important, but fails to meet, is through our legislative process. I am pleased to say that as your Sheriff, I have been in Annapolis the past several legislative sessions having those respectful conversations with Republicans and Democrats alike, supporting many bills related to public safety and opposing those that are counter to that goal. Much of that effort touches on the issues just outlined, to include 2nd Amendment Rights.
Sheriff Jeffrey R. Gahler
I guess this is something else Boardman can do better than Gahler, insult people! Another dem made in the Hillary mold. Agree with him or you are a deplorable!
I guess we can look forward to his explanation letter tomorrow.
I guess this guy has no clue how many of the Sheriff’s employees live in Cecil County. Wants to be our boss? I think not!
Who gives a d@mn what they want? As Cecil County citizens they do not get a vote in the matter.
Problem is Gahler is just as bad at insulting people. He gets a fix off of it and it’s unnecessary. Be the bigger man
Examples please? Holding a writer accountable for what he writes seems pretty spot on.
His letter to Baltimore County Executive Kamenitz about the ICE program. I mean why not just write a response to everyone. Your boss loves being in the spotlight. Sometimes he needs to focus on just running the office he was elected to run and shut up. I know you will argue. But know this I think Kamenitz Is a fool but Gahler needs to chill.
Not arguing but disagree. I am very familiar with that program and the Sheriff’s letter. If he wanted it just to go to Kamenitz he could have put it in the mail and no one would have been the wiser. Seems it was just as you wanted, written for everyone and hopefully plays a small part in stopping Kamenitz from becoming Governor.
Also how is that letter to Kamenitz insulting? That might be arguing a bit.
It makes him look like he needs to save the whole world, the whole state, Baltimore county…etc. He is the highest level cop in this county he needs to start acting like it. What is the point in fighting with everyone. It sends the wrong message. I get where you are coming from but it makes him look like a small child crying over who got the last bowl of Cherios. It just isn’t necessary. Great debate, we can agree to disagree. I appreciate that you were at least civilized and didn’t take personal shots at me. I just wish your boss got that concept.
Yes we will have to agree to disagree. Baltimore county could do the same program we do but instead run the risk of releasing criminals back out on the street. That could directly affect this county. Also I still don’t see where he insulted Kamenitz? Maybe that is because their issue was political and Boardmans was just hateful? I know you don’t agree but I voted for Gahler because instead of political double talk he just tells it like it is. I understand that is not going to be the same for everyone.
I write this because I know both of the people I am about to discuss and I think very highly of both. As an allied agency of both HCSO and the BAPD I am sick of what is going on between them. Jeff has written some nasty letters about Chief “Chuck” Moore from BAPD and because I know Jeff I am surprised. The relationship between these agencies is at an all time low. I know that there is a past issue with Jeff and Chuck but this is far past that. The citizens of Bel Air and Harford county are the ones that will suffer for a personal grudge. Gotta find a way to move on. Ridiculous stuff. I hope my brothers and sisters on the road are looking past this. Stay safe!
You mean Chief Bane Jr? Moore has BAPD so screwed up they are moving backwards. Everyone is unhappy and it is because of Moore and Bane. Moore’s antics with Bane cost Bane the last election with Moore campaigning in uniform. Nice try but no on is buying on your pitty party for Jr.
@Road Dog, Truth be told the relationship between agencies is great. Chief Moore has driven morale so low in the BAPD by being a micro vindictive manager that he needs someone to blame and that falls on the Sheriff. Probably just because Gahler fired the chief after he was hired as an unqualified warden for the jail.
This is laughable. How is moral at the HCSO? They are having trouble recruiting people and can’t fill positions fast enough. This has never been an issue until Gayler came along. BAPD has no trouble filling positions. Great job Sheriff!!!!
76% of Dems support banning assault rifles. Only 70% of Republican support a ban.
Boardman is dead right on the gun safety issue, Sheriff Gahler opposes the democratic majority’s common sense opposition to military assault rifles in the hands of civilians. Gahler is just bloody wrong and his day of reckoning is coming.
https://www.npr.org/2017/10/13/557433452/poll-majorities-of-both-parties-favor-increased-gun-restrictions
Still can’t identify anything bipartisan he has done, can’t you?
Supporting a ban on military assault rifles is a bipartisan issue. A majority of voters in both parties support the ban. Bingo! Chris Boardman is not an ultra partisan Democrat. He supports bipartisan common sense gun restrictions!
https://www.npr.org/2017/10/13/557433452/poll-majorities-of-both-parties-favor-increased-gun-restrictions
He is a member of the Democratic Central Committee and has been a partisan candidate in multiple elections. Partisan hack.
Did this guy really just paste links to National Public Radio.org? LOL
Great stats, man.
Sheriff Jeff Gahler is the political hack!
A bipartisan. majority favors increased gun restrictions and Gahler as a far right Republican advocates making guns easier to get,
Gahler is the political hack and his extreme political positions threaten public safety and the safety oh his own police force.
Most professional police departments do not advocate more guns as a solution to our gun violence problem.
Gahler is a political extremist !
Tom Paine, the State of Maryland has been trying to disarm this State’s citizens for years. When the Brady Bill was passed and signed by our treasonous government back in the 90’s, the State of Maryland then started making a slue of crimes punishable by more than a year in jail in order to disarm the public. Let me be clear, this was a bi-partisan act of treason by both parties that put Federal government in control of something it simply has no Constitutional authority to do. In reality, the Constitution banned the Federal government from any infringement on gun rights, Clinton and everyone in Congress decided that treason was the correct path for this country. There is a war going on, between the government and the United States because WE THE PEOPLE are the United States, not the government. The government’s war against the people’s behaviors is a mission to abrogate every right guaranteed by the Constitution and those that condone it and take part in it are actually guilty of treason. It is TREASON because the effects of this war are leaving WE THE PEOPLE defenseless to protect ourselves from real crimes against WE THE PEOPLE and from future tyranny of the government. On this particular issue, Gahler is acting as a patriot and you are acting as a traitor. ANY war against the people by our government is an act of TREASON. Period. End of discussion. You call Gahler an extremist, but anyone who preaches the poison coming from what you type is the extremist. Guns don’t kill people, people kill people because people aim the gun and pull the trigger. When a man kills someone with an axe, do we ban axes? No. We put the murderer in jail for the crime he committed and in a more reasonable day we put than murderer to death. I disapprove of your advocacy of treason. I believe you will want to ban more types of guns if you get your way with this issue. Maryland has already got strict gun laws and regulations regarding gun types and magazine sizes. The Federal government just banned “shock absorbers” on certain types of rifles as that is what a bump stock is. What will you ask the people to give up next?
Oh, NPR… that’s great. I’ve been listening to NPR for the last several months and it usually goes something like this: “Today’s guest is Dr. Smarls and he’s the foremost authority on late Ming Dynasty ceramics… tell us Dr. in your expert opinion, how exactly is our current president most like Hitl3r?”
Knucklehead Gahler was elected after a years long attack on the esteemed Sheriff Bane..so no…he actually is far worse at criticizing. Now, we also know he is beneath contempt using a deceased man to leverage an attack on his opponent. Disgusting. Further, gahler cares more about the second amendment than he does the entirety of our constitution. Lastly, having dealt with knucklehead Gahler in past years, I question who really wrote his letter to the editor…he is really not that articulate.
Disgraced Bane is more accurate. A guy who also crapped on the 2ND Amendment while claiming to support it. His proof of supporting your rights was that he had a copy of the constitution in his office or something like that. He is so despised he had to buy loyalty in his novice warden and then baby chief. Moore is not that bad really. If Bane were not pulling his strings and making him look so stupid he might actually be okay.
Hold on there Bubbalooey. I don’t think we want we go there about someone “pulling someone’s strings”. Remember, Sheriff Gahler, a Republican in red red red voting Harford County lost his first bid for office because a large contingent of the Sheriff’s Office recognized that he was just a puppet being led by the nose by former HCSO Colonel Walter. He lost an election that he shouldn’t have for that very reason.
Bane was running a racketeering ring with Cassilly thru the law enforcement of CDS. This is how DeHaven got that jag, remember. Bought it before it went up to auction I was told. The courts are ALL involved in it as well. That’s why the check for the money given back to me from my illegal conviction was written out from the Harford County Law Library. I still have that conviction, yet I got all my money back. Don’t figure…..
This doesn’t sound like the temperament of a person of sound mind and body who we want to put in charge of parking control much less our Sheriff’s Office. “Rednecks who want to blow peoples heads of” is deplorable. Pun intended
Sheriff Gahler has every right to TELL THE TRUTH about Mr. Boardman. He is a partisan hack – a member of the Democrat leadership – who cares NOTHING about bipartisanship or working to make Harford safer.
Give em, hell, Jeff!!!
Agreed
Thank you Sheriff Gahler for being one of the few voices of sanity out there and standing up for the citizens. This guy has to be crazy. If he says it is writing to a state senator, I can only imagine how many other hateful things he manages to keep hidden.
Way to go Senator Norman! Still doing good in Harford and Cecil County by defending us from the liberal hate mongers! You were a great public servant and you are missed.
So Mr. Boardman is it only the Cecil Redneck who want to blow peoples heads off, or does that apply to us in Harford? I don’t know any law abiding gun owners who want to do that but I sure hope that insane hateful “civilized” folk like you aren’t allowed to own a gun.
I don’t think you need to lower yourself to explain Mr Boardman’s comments.
I agree. Hate is ugly all by itself.
This guy Boardman is a racist and in serious need of mental health. I sure hope no one every lets him purchase of issues him a gun.
Care to tell us how to came to the conclusion that he is a “racist?”
Sheriff,
You are doing a great job and have certainly outlined what can and should be done to address gun violence. Attacking the gun won’t solve anything. If so we wouldn’t have a heroin addiction problem. Heroin is illegal but that doesn’t stop criminals. Whoever this guy Boardman is he is a fool who has a lot of hate in in heart. He continues to prove his incompetence with everything he writes.
I am appalled by Mr. Boardman. He can go suck it, for all I care.
He IS a partisan hack. Here: http://www.harforddemocrats.org/about.html
What you say, Mr. Boardman? How can you represent those of us who aren’t Republican when all you have done is trash the GOP?
This is exactly what is wrong with the Democratic Party. These fake hatefilled people. The central committee should demand he step down, but they won’t and that is why it will be another Harford County GOP sweep. Time to change my party affiliation.
The First Amendment has priority over the Second Amendment. Mr Boardman’s Free speech is protected by the Constitution. The right for a militia to bear arms is also protected.
Every right enumerated in the Constitution is a fundamental and an unalienable right. The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. There is no prioritization of fundamental rights, unless the right you are expressing interferes with the rights of others. By using your mouth, or in this case a blog, you are advocating the disparaging and abrogation of the rights of others. When you interfere with the rights of everyone else, you become the problem.
I work with a few guys who were born and raised in Cecil County. They refer to it as “Ceciltucky.” So how far off can this guy be when he calls them rednecks.?
Calling them rednecks is one thing (and true for some of them.) saying they want to just go blow people’s heads off is something else.
How in the world can the Harford County Democrat Party allow this guy to be there candidate and serve as an officer in one of their clubs. This guy seems like the Roy Moore of the Harford County Democrat Party.
Hey “Noreaster”, it’s “their”, not “there”.
Just like to correct deplorables. 🙂
I like Jeff Gahler but he acts like a small child sometimes. He needs to grow up and stop writing belittling letters about people. Just focus on running the HCSO and highlight the good things he’s done. I will probably vote for Gahler but for the love of god grow up Sheriff please.
Mike, asking Gahler to act like an adult is far too much for his thin skin and vindictive personality to handle. We need Jesse Bane back in office.
Said no deputy ever.
I see this is going to get ugly. I applaud the Sheriff’s stance on the 2nd Amendment and urge him to have the same stance on every enumerated right as well as those not enumerated. Don’t let politics take you to a place where you may never return. Remember, your honor and integrity are things that can never be regained once they are lost.
Every one is nit picking about details when the question everyone should be asking is how did Gahler get a copy of emails between 2 individuals? One of which is now dead.
What should shock the shit out of everyone reading this is Gahler after obtaining this confidential communication between 2 adults by unknown means then proceeds to make it public. WTF!!! this is the Sheriff, an elected official.
Gahler claiming to fight for everyones second amendment rights while he tramples every other as they watch must bring him great joy
This is not normal.
The e-mails were sent to him by Wayne Norman. If you look at the header on the e-mails you can see where they came from and whom they were sent from. Remember, e-mail is only subject to privacy to the extent of whom they are shared with. Wayne Norman forwarded the e-mails to Gahler and once in Gahler’s possession he may do what he chooses with them. I hope he makes the right choices…..
None of the header email adress’s are for Gahler. Isn’t it ironic he’s no longer with us to confirm this…..
Well, you are right about the e-mail addresses not having Gahler’s e-mail address attached to the documentation. However, if you examine the e-mails you will see they are from a print out from Wayne Norman’s e-mail address. I suspect they were given to Gahler by Wayne Norman or his wife, as she took over his position in the short term since his death. I don’t see any evidence that Gahler acquired the e-mails in any fashion that could be described as illegal or dishonest. Once that e-mail got printed, it is open to any who gain possession of it. There is no expectancy of privacy of an e-mail once it is opened and printed out. If it fell into the hands of someone whom it was not meant for, that issue is moot once it was printed and left Wayne Norman’s office. If you dropped an opened envelope that you received from your mailbox, it is not illegal for someone to pick it up and read it.
There is no indication where they were printed out from and there also is a question why this email thread was only made public from the middle. What ere the emails from May 22 and May 18.
Gahlers accusations are now all suspect. Will he provide the answers?
Bob (Christopher),
Why don’t you call him and ask? The only thing I would say could be called suspect is Boardman’s character, but that is not suspect, it is clearly known. Hateful and divisive.
Is SoulCrusher now the lawyer for Sherriff Gahler? Another reason not to vote for Gahler!
Yeah, Tom Paine. Why would anyone want to listen to someone who speaks the truth? Time and time again, I have been the truth on this website and I don’t care who I offend or if anyone agrees with me. So, I’m pretty sure you know I don’t give a damn about your opinion…..
ChillLax , Soul Crusher!
(Wasn’t “Soul Crusher” the worst recording the White Zombies ever made?)
Your confusing your opinion with the truth. Your opinion and the facts might coincide with the truth but your opinion and b.s. coincide with malarkey.
Well, since you called them the “White Zombies”, you definitely don’t know anything about that group. Even if it was a bad song the name is cool. For the sake of argument, what was wrong with my opinion regarding the Boardman e-mails? I don’t see anything wrong with someone’s own words being used against them. Why do you?
Mea Culpa, I was thinking of Key and Peele” video:
“Drop it Busta”, you haven’t a clue what you’re talking about!
Bob, You have to read the letter and you will see that it was sent to the sheriff by Wayne Norman. Take the foil off your head and read. Makes me wonder what other hateful stuff does Boardman has floating around out there?
Since you have the answers how was it sent to Gahler?
Boardman, you are a clueless moron! It today’s society of political correctness. You should know that the term “Redneck” may be offensive to some people. We prefer the term “Appalachian American”. And my little Snowflake Democrat wanna be politician, perhaps you are not quite ready to play with the big boys. But then again, I guess your crime novels have prepared you. You are a complete joke!
Geez, how immature is the sheriff and how shaky is your campaign to bring a dead man into this? Come on!! I don’t know Mr Boardman or his platform and am not in his camp but this move by Gahler sucks.
I have concerns with Gahler’s numbered list as well, parroting the “mental health” #1. It could be argued all people who shoot other people have an issue with mental health but that’s not the true meaning of those suffering from real mental health issues. Not to mention “mental health” is only used for white guys as an excuse for mass shootings by them.
Hanging on to assault style weapons as a right is also disturbing. Federal appeals courts have decreed assault style weapons are NOT covered by the 2nd amendment and the Supreme Court has refused to take up any cases.
If all the sheriff is concerned about is guns, guns and more guns, we are in trouble.
Back to the email, is Gahler running for Harford or Cecil? Would he have released that if Wayne Norman were still alive? Bringing in a private email with a dead man about another county hardly seems like a wise strategy to gain support beyond the 2A’ers and questions Mr Gahler’s ethics. Slinging mud will not get my vote. If Gahler can’t tell us what he has accomplished and win on that platform, that’s just sad.
Uncle Jesse??? How the heck are you?
The decision you keep bringing up does not mean what you are saying. It was about a State’s right to ban firearms of its choosing as this is and will always be the right of each State to choose what firearms are permitted within its boundaries. The law of Maryland was allowed to proceed because of this. The nonsense the Judges of the 4th District Appellate Court brought into their decision is completely illegal and was meant to confuse the public about its rights regarding firearm ownership. You can keep quoting the decision’s wording and the imaginary grounds for their decision, but in the end it is a question of what guns a State allows their citizens to possess. If your interpretation of the law were correct a nationwide ban on sales of assault weapons would currently be in effect. If that were to happen the Supreme Court would take the case and would make a ruling you would not like. It is a State’s right to decide what weapons it allows.
Thanks for sharing this information Sheriff Gahler. As a long time friend of Senator Wayne Norman I know he wouldn’t have hesitated to share this information publicly and his response to Mr. Boardman was classic Wayne Norman. I personally think Mr. Boardman needs a psychiatric evaluation and have any firearms he owns taken away.
Fred why not give your real name if you were such a close friend of Waynes? What are you afraid of?
“real name.”
Yeah, good one. So, if any comments here anger you, and now, you have a “real name.”
What do you plan on doing with a “real name”? What do you get out of it, on an annnonymous message board on some place on the internet. This is not a Harford County Council meeting.
Do you plan to show up at this person’s residence or employment, with what intentions exactly?
Boardman as Sheriff hahahHhAAAAhahaA! ? What a goofball. I wouldn’t let that nutcase anywhere near a loaded firearm.
I support Sheriff Gahler 100%
Obviously Wayne was friend of Gahler, Everyone LOVES Sheriff Gahler!
Not everybody. It will be embarrassing if Gahler gets less than 75% of the vote but I think it could happen. That would be a big embarrassment to him
No one gets 75% of the vote. Shows how blindly loyal too many are to party votes. The fact that anyone would vote for this guy after reading him own ramblings outlining just how unfit he is, is crazy. I predict a 20 point win for Gahler.
I just think Boardman is too partisan.
Heading political campaigns does not match real law enforcement experience.
My two cents, Wayne Burk
Wayne Burk, what does “too partisan” mean? Does it mean “not a Republican” or “too Democratic”?
Mr. Paine, please identify one thing of any consequence that Mr. Boardman has done in collaboration with Republicans.
He is a hyperpartisan Democrat central committee member.
Gahler will come and go just like Bane, Moyer, Mele, Coomes, Meadows, Kunkel – we have had lots of sheriffs. Somebody will eventually figure out how to beat Gahler or the political tide will turn, etc. etc. But this election won’t be it. Everybody knows the outcome of this election before it even happens. The Pat Paulsen syndrome – a guy runs who knows he won’t win anything. Gahler might as well stop monitoring the papers for his name, etc He’s going to win – so do the job and chill about this election. I was originally sad when Gahler helped Penman give away guns. But after reading about mass shootings in the US since 1966 -it’s pretty much hopeless to think there’s going to be any kind of solution. Nuts who want to kill will figure out a way. We all are going to die – just some in more violent and unfair ways than others. So give everybody there guns and maybe once in a while they’ll get lucky and pop off a bad guy. Let those who want tighter gun laws keep talking – maybe somebody will have a good idea that even gun guys will go for. The one thing really to me worth gettting a little stoked about now is when leaders pop off on their constituents like Andy Harris did on that 15 year old girl. Not cool Andy – I don’t think you’d like somebody doing the same to your kids. chill baby, chill.
I’d bet my paycheck Gahler would not have published these if Wayne Norman was alive. He is up to his old mud slinging ways again. I can’t wait for the day he gets knocked off his pedestal because people have mud on him.
Mudslinging because he shows Boardman’s true character? You sound like a whinny Baner and sure, I will take that bet! Wayne obviously thought a lot of the Sheriff as outlined in his comments and thought little of Boardman’s disparaging comments aimed at the residents of Cecil County. Wayne wasn’t afraid to speak his mind and neither is our sheriff.
PS. No one is reading all the way down here anymore but you and me.
I just can’t believe that Sheriff Gahler would publish an email thread sent to him(that’s debatable) from a dead senator. That should speak to the true character of Sheriff Gahler. Grow up man!
He’s afraid, it’s a republican thing
Why? Wayne Norman can not be held accountable for any actions or damages Boardman acquires from the release of this information. He’s dead. It seems to me that NOW is an appropriate time to release these e-mails. Do you think that the voters should be shielded from Boardman’s past? Do you think the voters should not know what Boardman truly thinks? Does Boardman’s opinions align itself with the rest of the Democratic Party? Should independent voters not know about opinions and actions that may influence their vote? Transparency and glass houses are a bit_h when they don’t serve your own needs. Why should Boardman not have to deal with this issue? On another note, all of this shows the hatred and divide between Republicans and Democrats. The two party system has failed. It can not work. That’s why Trump was elected and anyone who disputes this is lying to themselves……
Where is the test of this email thread? This is hand picked pieces not the full email thread. put the whole thing out Jeff not just selected pieces of it.
Be fair – not everyone in Cecil County are “rednecks who want to blow people’s heads off with guns.” Some of them opt to burn crosses instead.
Really? Another Democrat spreading the hate.
Spreading hate? Rising Sun, Cecil county was once the Tri-State HQ of the KKK!
and Bel Air in good old boy Harford County is the proud home of native son John Wilkes Booth. Oh so sorry – defender of slavery, supporter of the secession, member of the confederacy and assassin of one of our greatest presidents – Abraham Lincoln!!
The Curse of John Wilkes Booth still haunts Bel Air. The original editor of the Southern Aegis supported the Confederacy and was run out of town when the war broke out. Freedom of speech sometimes has a price tag!
Well I guess there is nothing wrong with condemning all people of a certain group or heritage together and placing stereotypes and cruel demeaning terms to reference them collectively. Nope nothing wrong with the protected free speech of discrimination and hate. Thanks for pointing that out Tom Paine, sounds like common sense to me.
Go, Jeff, go!!
Luv ya!
It’s pretty pathetic when you have a sheriff who would rather protect guns than children
It would be… fortunately that’s not what we have. I don’t doubt he’d do everything in his power including putting his own life on the line to defend children… unlike someone like yourself who’d probably be pissing himself in the closet or the coward of Broward county who I hope is haunted by the sound of shots and kids screaming while he did nothing until the day he dies. Then they let him retire. Talk about zero accountability.