by smiddy 51 Replies latest social current
DAO pistols are specifically designed to resist accidental discharge on draw. The exaggerated trigger travel required to release the striker/hammer is actually very awkward and difficult to get used to.
The information on the liveleak page is also outdated. (Appears to be from December) In February, the officer was terminated and formally charged. (For not admitting to the shooting until the suspect had died.)
Just remember there are good cops and there are bad cops. Killing a dude who is subdued just because you see a gun is evil. Even if he was a known badass criminal, you have him subdued, you get the gun and get him into the station. There are some cops who are on a personal warpath...they use their position to play a role and they become dangerous.
I am not justifying vengeful mass murders however...simply pointing out that some people have been justifiably harmed, abused by the police who are supposed to be keepers of peace.
Many US police are simply not professional enough. I'm amazed how fat some of them are - heck, they probably shoot people because it's easier than running.
But they are not all like that, and someone extracting revenge or deciding how they should or shouldn't respond to the police simply because they wear a uniform is as bad as deciding someone should be treated a certain way because of their skin color.
Again though, the underlying issue is made 100 times worse by the easy access to guns and the effect they have on how people react to interactions and the possible consequences.
Blindly looking at stats of how many African Americans are shot is pointless because it doesn't explain "why" and whether it's due to higher rates of criminal conduct etc... i.e. is it measuring the effect of bias or the result of actions?
It's a fact that African American are over-represented in crime stats compared to the percentage of the population. But then other groups (e.g. asians) are under-represented ... what is the explanation for that? Is one cultural but the other not?
It's easy to make snap claims on headline figures but it needs more investigation of all the nuances. I find some of the latest incidents compelling but at the same time, when people stand up and invoke Trayvon Martin as evidence of police violence I just think they undermine the credibility of their own argument.
But white officers on black suspects is an issue in Canada too; do I understand that part of the problem is data collection?
Many US police are simply not professional enough. I'm amazed how fat some of them are - heck, they probably shoot people because it's easier than running......Simon
I was watching CNN..
Those exact thoughts ran through my mind..
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I would love to hear Simon (all due respect, bro) explain how restricting guns from law abiding citizens will keep extremists from killing with guns.
1) the extremists can buy guns illegally off the street.
2) they can use pipe bombs, maltov cocktails, pressure cookers, etc.
If you take away the AR15 from law abiding citizens, you might as well take away all semi automatic pistols as well, since using them is a place like a nightclub will be almost just as deadly.
And what about shotguns? Most shotguns fit 6 rounds and you can them buy a side sleeve for easy reloading of six more rounds. Should we ban them as well? Sorry dove hunters (big here in Texas)! You can't dove hunt anymore!
To ensure that no one (except law enforcement & military) has semi automatic rifles, the government would have to order a seizure of all existing semi auto rifles & ammo. Will people comply? Will the criminals comply? Even if you got all the rifles out of the US, you would then need stronger border defense...to keep the ones from border countries out!
Can we please use some logic here and not just fear based rhetoric?
The police in my area are good guys. They support the community, volunteer with youth groups, and go to the schools for outreach programs. They have degrees and are required to pass physical fitness tests twice per year. They are not fat, dumb, and uneducated. Please don't generalize - there are a lot of good cops out there that do good things every day. They have bought food for people who were stranded, the police forces here give away car seats and bike helmets, teach high school students about drinking and driving and wearing seat belts. And these are only the stories I hear about, I am sure there are more good things I don't know about. There are a few bad cops that get a lot of press but there are a lot of good cops you never hear about.
jacobm: proof is the many countries with lower crime rates that don't have free access to guns, that have implemented common sense gun control. Thinking more guns stops crime is like hoping more donuts will curb obesity. It's a nice idea, but just stupid.
To imagine that restricting guns doesn't have an affect is completely false as evidence shows that it quickly feeds in. Where do you imagine illegal guns come from? The illegal gun store? They start their life as legal weapons. Why do we also bother with restricting access to drugs? Because it makes them harder to get.
The facts are beyond dispute. It's getting into the same league now as climate change denial.
Simon:
You ignored my questions, only pointing back to "popular opinion". Sorry, but just because you say the facts are " beyond dispute", doesn't make your argument correct.
Care to answer any of my questions?
Here's another: Should a woman be able to buy a semi automatic pistol to protect herself from her ex husband who she recently divorced and has threatened her with murder? Why or why not?
This shooter had military training, and was that not true of the other Dallas shooter, Oswald, also?
