I'm out of time for individual posts. Here's a sampling of some--but not all--tips received in my inbox:
...Acting as a Community Role Model Enough
A former Tennessee Highway Patrol officer is accused of doing drugs and spending time with a prostitute....Inadmissable Enough
The blood test in question shows that Bisard’s blood alcohol content level was more than twice the legal limit when he plowed into two motorcycles, killing one person and seriously injuring two others....Crashing Enough
A detentions deputy has been accused of driving under the influence after she was found crashed into a pole with two inmates....Helping Ourselves Enough
A Clayton County police officer was indicted in federal court Wednesday on charges of taking money and using his law enforcement position to protect drug dealers.Just remember, Josh thinks these guys should enjoy a monopoly of violence, and Paul thinks I'm denigrating law enforcement...
Jonathan Callahan, 27, also was indicted by a federal grand jury for stealing guns and money from people during two traffic stops.
Seems to me these untrustworthy characters are doing a pretty good job of denigrating themselves without my help...
[Via several of you]
But David, Paul thinks COPS are well-trained.
ReplyDeleteReally! See here:
Firearms Training A Sobering Lesson
When I was the Mayor of Fort Wayne, Indiana and we had a police-action shooting I would often be asked why the police officer didn’t shoot the weapon out of the assailants’ hand, or just wound them in the arm or leg, rather than shooting to kill. I would have to point out that real life was not like the movies.
In a situation involving the exchange of gunfire with a criminal suspect, police officers generally hit their target only 20 percent of the time. The most critical decision a law enforcement officer makes is whether to shoot. When the decision is made to shoot, police are trained to shoot to kill, because even that is very difficult to do.
Given how difficult this is for law enforcement officers, who are regularly trained and tested, it seems clear that it is also very difficult for private individuals. And more guns, in more inexperienced hands, are likely to make tense situations worse. Just ask Phillip Van Cleave, an experienced gun owner, how hard it is to have a successful outcome.
Many of those who collect guns passionately, and wear them concealed wherever they can, think they are ready for a showdown, and ready to be a hero, if any criminal pulls out a gun. To them I say read about Van Cleave’s experiences.
Like everything else in life, matters don’t always turn out as we’d like, or as we plan. And sometimes, a would-be hero just makes matters worse.
Yep--disregarding that in this exercise, Van Cleave was acting the role of force initiator as opposed to the defender, who won the encounter.
ReplyDeleteI do partially agree about "would-be heroes"--no desire to be one and do not consider myself a "sheep dog" to put myself in harm's way/get hurt/killed/arrested/sued just because someone else didn't take their responsibilities as free adults seriously enough. Just don't get in the way of me defending myself and mine.