Shoot First, Ask Questions Later Police Mentality

[SpecialEdition]

Thank you for retaining a calm clear head. You give me hope.

Well I try to look at it with whatever clarity I can muster. I do understand that there is absolutely a racial problem in the USA. I absolutely understand that prisons are just jam packed with black people who, if they had been white, likely would have been sent along with a slap on the wrist. I think the prison system is a joke in the sense that it's not really designed to help or rehab people it's just there to make money.

I feel bad for those who feel they can't go about their every day lives without a police interaction that goes wrong or facing racial discrimination and realize that is an issue.

In Canada right now they're demanding that the police don't have floats in the gay pride parade. There are plenty of gay police officers and there are plenty of black police officers but the BLM movement up here doesn't want ANY police involvement. This is where it starts to get pretty murky for me. You can't isolate specific groups based on their profession, their sexuality, their race, etc because there are many people who may be several of those things all at once. Where are they supposed to fit in and feel included and safe when there are groups who want to unilaterally remove another group from the equation entirely?

I feel like there has to be some middle ground here but I don't think we'll find it until everyone is finished arguing over who has it the worst and why.

 

[Eventhorizon]

Well I try to look at it with whatever clarity I can muster. I do understand that there is absolutely a racial problem in the USA. I absolutely understand that prisons are just jam packed with black people who, if they had been white, likely would have been sent along with a slap on the wrist. I think the prison system is a joke in the sense that it's not really designed to help or rehab people it's just there to make money.

I feel bad for those who feel they can't go about their every day lives without a police interaction that goes wrong or facing racial discrimination and realize that is an issue.

In Canada right now they're demanding that the police don't have floats in the gay pride parade. There are plenty of gay police officers and there are plenty of black police officers but the BLM movement up here doesn't want ANY police involvement. This is where it starts to get pretty murky for me. You can't isolate specific groups based on their profession, their sexuality, their race, etc because there are many people who may be several of those things all at once. Where are they supposed to fit in and feel included and safe when there are groups who want to unilaterally remove another group from the equation entirely?

I feel like there has to be some middle ground here but I don't think we'll find it until everyone is finished arguing over who has it the worst and why.

I don't agree with everything you have said. However if solutions are going to work if will take calm thinking people to come up with them.

 

[SpecialEdition]

I don't agree with everything you have said. However if solutions are going to work if will take calm thinking people to come up with them.

I am just looking at it from the perspective of someone who does not live in the USA and where this kind of issue is not as urgent as it is in the USA.

 

[New zealand001]

The Philando Castile and Alton Sterling videos are all over the media right now. Black Lives Matter is protesting across the country. Minnesota, Louisiana, Texas, and New York are in an uproar. Beyoncé is advocating. The President is addressing the matter from a NATO summit half way across the world.

Yet police officers continue to get away with excessively shooting people dead, at point blank, with little more than an administrative leave or temporary suspension.

Why is this happening? Why is this allowed to continue?

This isn't meant to be a black lives matter/blue lives matter/all lives matter debate.

This is about understanding the force's obligation to protect, serve, and remain justices of the peace; and why there seems to be a disconnect between the tangible meaning of what that oath means and who it applies to.

I am in no way condoning the police force or those who serve it. I have several friends who were trained to be officers, served on the force, or are currently serving. I pray for their safety as much as I pray my friend's black son, and hope he isn't found at the wrong place, at the wrong time.

In new Zealand police are not permitted to carry live round fire arms the world is a very hostile place recently moving to Australia last year I realized that those who serve and protect are equipped with tools to kill... I just don't know what to think. We are 5 million in population and we get by just fine with tazers and k9 units even tho our gangs have fire arms the police still manage to keep a tight grip. Is it the international mentality or large scale population? I can't understand (personally) why it has to be this way abroad.