Consider this, from the NYT:
In Texas, gun owners can legally and openly carry what are known as long guns, including shotguns and rifles. The carrying of handguns is regulated in Texas and requires a state-issued permit, whether concealed or openly carried, but the carrying of rifles is largely unregulated and requires no permit. The so-called open carrying of rifles has become common at many demonstrations in Texas in recent years.
Obama noted that Dallas police on Thursday had to protect themselves and citizens from sniper fire while deciphering who had guns among those taking part in a protest decrying police shootings of black men.
The presence of a gun in the car where Philando Castile, 32, was killed by police in Minnesota on Wednesday contributed to that event, he said.
“In Minneapolis, we don’t know yet what happened, but we do know that there was a gun in the car that apparently was licensed, but it caused, in some fashion, those tragic events,” Obama told reporters.
“We can’t just ignore that and pretend that that’s somehow political … it is a contributing factor – not the sole factor – but a contributing factor to the broader tensions that arise between police and the communities where they serve.”
No guns, no deaths from guns.
You’re seriously blaming the fact that black men had guns for their murders?
That is entirely unreasonable. Police should get the fuck over it. The real problem is we hire cowards who jump at the smallest shadow to “protect” us. If you think everyone with a gun is dangerous, you ARE the danger, and you shouldn’t have a gun or a position of public responsibility.
I’m sick of so-called “Democrats” kowtowing to the police on this, starting with Obama retracting his remarks about how stupid it was for the Cambridge police to arrest a distinguished African American professor for breaking in to his own house. STOP. The police are the problem. Not the black men. Not the guns. The police.
“The police are the problem.” Your solution? How do you know that only cowards are hired?
What do you do for a living? How do you know what goes through a cop’s mind during a traffic stop, or domestic dispute, or reports of a man with a gun as has been reported about the Alton Sterling shooting?
Cops aren’t clairvoyant. You think the were driving by and said “hey, look at that distinguished African American professor trying to break into his own home. Let’s hassle him!”
If the cops mistakenly shot and killed Castile, someone should be going to prison. But are all the facts in? Or are you saying the facts don’t matter?
The Nation had a great article about this.
The examples you cite ARE how I know they hire cowards. They go into these situations where a normal person wouldn’t be so inclined to use force, and then they use force, often deadly force, because they believe their lives are in danger. What other word would you use for someone who constantly sees danger where there is none?
Ex-Baltimore cop who lays it all out.
What I found particularly striking is that police tactics in the US are more aggressive than what the military does to foreign populations in similar situations. That tells me all I need to know.
…”If men were angels no government would be necessary.” Obviously that is a huge and utopian IF. Yes, we should invest in all the things the author mentions, but doing that will not eliminate crime entirely.
Make all guns illegal?
Unfortunately going that far probably WOULD run afoul of the 2nd amendment.
Not all priests are pedophiles, but by enabling that behavior for so long the immoral bishops tarnished the entire church. Historic bastions of Catholicism from Boston to Ireland have been decimated and won’t ever fully recover. Not
all soldiers are war criminals, but My Lai left an indelible stain on our military in the eyes of the world and our own country that took over a generation to heal. Not all teachers are bad, but the rubber rooms certainly helped give rise to the notion that unions were out to protect the bad teachers instead of the students.
The same is true bow. I am a strong supporter of organized labor including for our law enforcement, but they have to stop coddling the bad apples and closing ranks every time something like this gets out there. They have to fire people. They have to want some people to be prosecuted and convicted. They have to stop bribing politicians and DA to treat them better than the public. The police are our first line of defense in enforcing the law, all the more reason they have to stop acting like they are above it.
We should treat police like police treat black men. That’ll solve the problem a lot faster than any “reform” bs.
“We should treat police like police treat black men.” With respect? With disrespect? With deadly force? What do you mean?
If you believe the (minority) progressive meme that law enforcement are “assassinating” black men, then I infer you advocate murdering police. I don’t think — I hope you don’t — believe and advocate this.
What do you mean?