So, trending on Twitter tonight is #ShootThePolice.
I kid you not. Two NYPD officers were killed while sitting in their squad car today by some wonderful vigilante. Yup. There are people in Twitter calling him a hero.
Hero? He killed his girlfriend in Baltimore a few days ago. He was already a fugitive from justice. And then the coward shot himself when cornered by police on the subway.
Something is very wrong. The police are no longer members of the community. And members of the community believe the best way to respond is to block traffic... or loot.... or kill other police.
It's all wrong. Militarization of the police will not make our neighborhoods safer. But meaningless protests won't either.
I have no solutions. At least not right now. I'm sick over this.
I too was extremely sick over the situation in Ferguson....and am also sick about what continues to happen. No one is listening to rationale. No one is listening to facts. This is not going to stop until everyone decided to be responsible for themselves. Personal responsibility is key here.
ReplyDeleteThe inciters and enablers are complicit. I don't need to name them, they are the first on the scene to take advantage. When deblasio entered the presser, the officers there turned their backs on him....exactly as he did to them.
ReplyDeleteFacts are irrelevant when there is money to be made or a potential photo op.
You are absolutely correct about responsibility....
We must reject the idea that every time a law's broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions.
Ronald Reagan
When we resurrect quotes from 30 years ago and they apply today as much as they did then.... it's an indication that we're not doing enough to change things.
DeleteThe logic of yesterday is still the logic of today.
DeleteSo... we never learn?
DeleteBecause we tend to be wrapped up in ourselves, collectively we don't. Some of us understand and live that way.
DeleteIndeed, as St. Ronnie once said (and continues to be conservative mantra), "individuals must be responsible for their actions" as if it were ever that simple and the answer was ever that easy. What happens when a police officer clearly uses excessive force..... an illegal choke hold specifically banned by police mandate... that kills a suspect caught on the street selling single cigarettes, a misdemeanor type crime typically ignored by NYC cops? The killer of Eric Garner is quickly exonerated by a puppet grand jury. Where's the responsibility? What is the blowback to neighborhood residents and the neighborhood of American citizens who see and evaluate the incident and are left with anger? Yup, another case of police brutality. And who holds responsibility for a psycho killer who intentionally executes two cops in their patrol car and than blow his own brains out? Who put that gun in his hands or rather how easily did he obtain the weapon? The answer to the latter questions is simple. Indeed, the broader question of responsibility is not because it is societal.
ReplyDeleteKatie, you are missing the point entirely. There are people who are referring to the "psycho" as a hero. This is wrong. Don't use dime-store psychology to justify it.
DeleteTypical liberal response to blame inanimate objects and misconstrue facts. People are cheering this incident. People marched and chanted "what do we want? dead cops!" That is what they got. You justify the execution of two police officers because of what you heard on msnbc.
DeleteTypical conservative response .... sure you don't watch Fox News, it's a favorite ploy of theirs: "Dancing in the streets to celebrate a dead cop?" How many? Count them with both hands? Yup, narrow-minded, conservative thinking to fan the fires.... as if there are great numbers who applaud the execution of a cop.... as if, through your implication I applaud the event or let it go with a shrug. As usual you forget and choose to ignore the facts, be it environmental crisis or runaway gun ownership. Unlike in other countries where this would be a singular (horrible) event, the psycho in the U.S. easily gets a gun and kills the cops. Read my words again. It IS about responsibility; WE Americans are responsible for their deaths and the other too numerous massacres by other loonies with handguns. Actually, more to the point since my blood is now steaming, not WE, but those who simply say it is ok for the proliferation of guns living in the narrow insularity of their own surroundings, the insanity of owning an assault weapon or find it cute that a chick with a tight butt has two handguns stuffed in her waistline just waiting for the moment when some guys whistles at her so she can "defend" herself from rape. Blame others 'cause it's easy but responsibility stares at us...at you and me.... in the mirror. Blame a psycho who gunned down two innocents but think hard about who is responsible.
ReplyDeleteThe thing that sucks about being a moderate is that I rarely get to agree with anyone. I do however, agree with the tenets of gun control.
DeleteIt doesn't change the fact that this man chose to do what he did. And no, I'm not suggesting a plurality of people supported this guy. But that element is out there, sucking on the teat of the concept that this is all society's fault.
I think it's filthy that universities were busing college kids in to support protests hundreds of miles away.
Society didn't kill those cops. He did.
Society is broken... and it goes way beyond gun control. It goes way beyond race relations.
And no McFly, I believe it is you who are totally missing the point and not thinking beyond a tiny sphere. It is a miniscule number who applaud the killing. Indeed outrageous but not the thinking at all of 99.99999 percent of Americans. The big picture which you and our fossil friend miss entirely is that the killer did his deed with a gun, which, I'm guessing was easily obtained. The subject of this discussion is about responsibility. My point which is thumb-on the very reason for the executions is about gun control. Who among the three of us believe it is an American's right to own guns, even military style killing machines? I believe I am in the one-third minority. Yes, it's harsh. The cops were murdered by a crazed individual. But he was armed by those who turn their back on our country's disgusting gun problem.
ReplyDeleteGun control I support: rapid fire and high capacity guns should be outlawed, except for special permit. This isn't something that can be solved quickly or without controversy. Katie, if I'm not allowed to be outraged by a small minority of people who support the lunatics, then you must also accept the reality that only a tiny percentage of guns are used illegally.
ReplyDeleteIt's not always about the numbers.
Either way, you have to pick a side or else you lose credibility.
But. As I said, this is much bigger than gun control. Folks on Wall Street cause much greater damage to society in general and are never held accountable.
Our community police are bing outfit by leftovers from military actions that have nothing to do with the greater good.
Oh, and if we're going to outlaw weapons, are we going to ensure that only certain people can't have guns? Like the way only Jews are allowed to have guns in Israel?
There are no easy answers here, but I can assure you that no government action will fix anything without more people being willing to take responsibility and be held accountable for their actions. As a society, we want to forgive everyone their transgressions. It sounds admirable, but if you're unwilling to draw the line, it's just naive... And anarchy ensues.
Molon Labe
ReplyDeleteI have a better idea. Let's just eliminate all laws. Every man for himself.
DeleteWhen a 2 year old child shoots his mother in a Wal Mart with her concealed weapon, you cannot possibly suggest that the way we do things is ok.
ReplyDeleteA horrible tragedy. The mother is 100% responsible.
ReplyDeleteThat's great. She's dead.
Delete