The terrorist murders in Dallas
Last night, during a Black Lives Matter protest, five policeman were killed and nine people (seven cops) were wounded by rooftop sniper fire. One shooter was killed, after police learned that “he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers.”
This was clearly a terrorist attack, aimed very specifically at the police. It was clearly inspired and instigated by the hate being expressed during this election year by leftists and by the very bigoted Black Lives Matter movement, which really only cares about black people, and gets offended if you try to tell them that all lives matter.
Five years ago shortly after the Tucson shootings that badly injured Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, I noted in disgust the inflammatory language of the left. Even as they were demanding more civility from conservatives, they were also demanding the murder of conservatives. At that time I called on them to tone down their rhetoric.
This behavior must stop. Violent and angry rhetoric can and will cause violence. And it probably has, considering the fact that a large number of the random violent acts in recent years have actually been committed by deranged individuals with liberal, not conservative, leanings. This is not to say that I blame the left for this violence, but that the left has as much of a responsibility as the right to think carefully about what it says, before it says it. Otherwise, they might find that they have made their less rational followers more angry than they ever imagined, or can control.
Or as Michael York says to his NAZI friend at the end of this scene from the 1972 movie, Cabaret. “You still think you can control them?”
Sadly, in the five years since I have seen no effort at all by the left to tone down its rhetoric. If anything, they have notched it up, repeatedly expressing hate against conservatives and calling for increased acts of violence and oppression against them. Thus, we should not be surprised by last night’s attacks in Dallas. Nor should be be surprised if it gets worse in the coming months, as we get closer to the election. While the right wants to win in the voting booth, too many people on the left now seem to consider the idea of elections inconvenient and a problem, and also consider violence as a reasonable response should they lose at the polls.
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I read that the suspected murderer recently went to Afghanistan. Maybe the black lives matter movement was just misused as a false front for the everyday muslim terrorism we suffer from again again and again? And maybe they lazily (at best) let themselves be abused for its lethal cause.
Shooting a dozen police from a distance is difficult. Police shoot back. Maybe they were too brave and made too great sacrifices, naturally assuming that civilians and not they themselves were the targets. This is more like a war than a crime. Let’s just identify the enemy correctly. We’ll see, but I don’t think it is petty criminal “blacks” who are afraid of police brutality. That kind of doesn’t fit with such a murderous sniping attack. I blame the you know who as usual. The stone age arapes. The murderers of the world.
LocalFluff–
Apparently the killer served in the Army for 6 years, including a tour in Afghanistan.
This doesn’t look, feel, or smell like Islamic-terrorism, appears to be plain old violent-racism Terrorism, perpetrated against the Police, by someone who sympathizes with the blm “people.”
What can anyone say at the moment about such things?
1. http://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/obama-war-on-cops-police-advocacy-group-225291
2. http://www.timeanddate.com/countdown/generic?p0=263&iso=20170120T00&msg=Time%20left%20until%20Obama%20leaves%20office
Leadership that does not lead but constantly attempts to explain and blame is no leadership at all. I talk about rising ones self up in the leadership position and becoming more than ones self is and not less than. This leadership fails this test on so many levels.
I sympathize with the ‘driving while black’ problem that has effected almost ALL of the black citizens of this nation.
I can understand their anger.
In my youth I was harassed by southern white cops even though I was a nice white young man in the military.
Now that I a man older white man with a CCW I am again experiencing what I can only describe as harassment by a few cops because my CCW comes up when my plates are run.
For 25 years I NEVER got pulled over for anything, but since getting my CCW I have been pulled over 6 times. And never been given a ticket.
I now feel black.
Police officers and the black community need to get together and work some stuff out.
First the cops need to learn how to deal with the general public better.
And the black community, and our youth in general, need to learn how to interact with the authorities and cops so things do not escalate.
After online talking with MANY police officers from many states I have found out that their idea of good safe respectful interaction with civilians varies greatly.
And after talking with at least a few black people their idea of the same towards cops varies just as greatly.
This breeds unsafe interaction between the two groups.
The two groups absolutely need to get together on a large scale and come up with a common understanding. Then teach this to everyone in each of their groups.
This will eventually breed respect and understanding among them all.
pzatchok:
–I empathize with your experiences, but I must disagree with your conclusions.
We have turned Police officer’s into Social-Workers, and criminal’s into victim’s.
I’m in the “how does that make you feel” business, and huge fractions of that bunk, are pure hokum. It just is, and the purveyors of that Progressive Thought give my profession a bad name and breed distrust among ordinary citizens.
I myself am “grouped into” being a “White, Movement-Conservative, Capitalist, Heterosexual, Widower, Gun-owner;”
–100% of the Left hate my guts and want me arrested & “re-educated” at a minimum, or killed in a death-camp, if they had their way.
— 50% of the so-called Republican Party & their presumptive nominee, hate my guts & wish I’d shut up and go away. They demand my Vote and my acquiescence, while they sell me out in their crony grocery-store.
Don’t buy into the lefty narrative and adopt their world view, it will only depress you.
We are all individual American’s, not members of some Marxist “social-racial-class” structure.
Here is one simple piece of miss understanding between cops around the country and citizens. Even the cops in different areas argued over how best to handle this simple everyday situation.
Your getting pulled over for whatever reason. Do you …
1. Stop and get out your ID and other information.
2. Get out your ID and information then stop.
3. Stop and wait for the cop to ask for your information.
After stopping what do you do…
1. Place hands over your head touching the roof of the car.
2. Place your hands in your lap.
3. Place your hands on the steering wheel.
4. Place your hands outside the window.
After the officer gets to the window…
1. Do you make sure he understands everything about your day and why you were pulled over.
2. Do you explain exactly how your innocent and make sure he knows and understand that.
3. Only answer questions when asked and keep your answers short and as polite as possible.
Being a polite, professional, confident police officer is not being a social worker.
Being a polite, professional, confident citizen is not being a Marxist social racial class member. Or a suck up to ‘the man’.
pzatchok:
–interesting choices. I’m sure it varies greatly across the Country.
I’d be interested in what other people have told you about their choices.
1st one– I’m going to do nothing with my ID unless I am specifically asked. If I’m in a car I have to show my driver’s license & insurance, when asked. If I’m on the street (not in a car) I do not have to present ID for any reason, but there are good reasons to cooperate.
2nd one– I’m going to put both hands on the steering wheel, or otherwise keep them in sight. Last thing you want to do is fumble around in your car when stopped.
3rd– I’m going to be polite but keep the chit-chat to a minimum.
This is enlightening–
“Correct way to handle traffic stops”
https://youtu.be/sVx0NpYbtus
as is this:
“When can police as for ID?”
https://youtu.be/eV_ANiGk4Sc
The recent shootings are not good, and with the commander-in-chief stroking the flames of miss trust and violence, it’s only going to get worse. If things do not turn around, cops will not patrol were their lives are in constant danger, were others that don’t trust them, do not want them. This will leave a vacuum that will be filled with BLM gangsters.
Muslim neighborhoods will take advantage and follow in their wake with little resistance or notice as they implement sharia.
This will give the left the tools and the means for military action on US soil that will suspend the Constitution… The Bill of Rights will not survive this conflict or return any time soon.
The proof of this is in the action they took to end the life of the cop killer who was committing “suicide by cop”. I understand that drastic measures were needed so no one else would die, but if I remember correctly, bombs to kill someone is strictly a military action. Forbidden use in civilian police force. Whether it was a hand grenade, or a suicide vest on a robot, it was still judge jury and executioner. Once a pattern of extreme measures becomes commonplace, there will be no need of courts, due process, or rights. Obama’s method of drone strikes and terror from the sky will be our new norm… God help us all
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wayne
July 8, 2016 at 9:21 pm
“…..–I empathize with your experiences, but I must disagree with your conclusions.
We have turned Police officer’s into Social-Workers, and criminal’s into victim’s….”
********************************
Wayne, speaking from 30 years on the MSP, I couldn’t agree more.
I knew it was going to be bad when I saw the President of the United States say that one of our local police depts “acted stupidly”!?!
Little did I know it was going to get even worse than I imagined with a “community activist” using his power and position to drive people apart using identity politics for fun and profit…….
*ALL* good interactions between human beings begins with a mutual respect and attempting to understand the situation from the others point of view. (If you are able to be classified as a not “normal” person then this rule may well be thrown out the window)
The last time I was pulled over, which was about ten years ago, I pulled the car over, put it in park and waited for the officer to approach me, my hands remained on the wheel. (as I understood more and more about the Constitution, the law and the real power instilled in the government / police I became more fearful of official interactions)
I greeted him respectfully, “good morning officer, is there a problem?”
(I had inadvertently driven through a school zone at a higher rate of speed than was suggested by the flashing sign which I did not see. Cost me about $400.00 and points)
He told me of my violation and asked me for my license, registration and insurance card. I told him my license was in my wallet, he approved and I slowly retrieved it from my back pocket. My registration and my insurance card was in the draw under the passenger seat. Before I went to retrieve it I told the officer that I had to reach down and open the draw to get them, which he acknowledged. No fast moves, no unreasonable speech.
Like it or not, fair or not, the black population would go a long way to reducing the escalating of situations by adopting similar behaviors. Thinking about it, the poor guy in Minnesota who had chosen to legally carry might have developed a policy when he was carrying of having his I.D. and gun permit info in a easily accessible clear plastic holder either in his pocket or held around his neck with a lanyard. And before accessing it clearly and respectfully communicate his intended actions to the officer and wait for his permission to proceed or not.
I have to assume that during the Minnesota stop 1. The cop is at a heightened state of paranoia and stress when he pulls someone over and there is a male black citizen involved because he knows that he is more likely to be shot (those are the statistics). 2. When the male black citizen reasonably tells the officer of his weapon and confidently says that he has a permit to legally carry and qwickly reaches for his documentation, that becomes an unfortunate / understandable but outrageous on the cops part fatal mistake.
This is like Pzat describes a lack of understanding / respect on both party’s part. Consciously being able to choose to change your perspective and see things from another’s point of view goes a long, long way to allowing everyone concerned to go home at night.
These perspectives and techniques are the things that must be taught to both the police and the public. Ignorance is everyone’s enemy.
Pzat: great breakdown of police expectations; I think a lot of problems come when the police and/or the person they pull over don’t have clear expectations. Too often, the police get into a mentality “when in doubt, use force.” They (and all of us) would be better served if they communicated clear expectations, and ran campaigns to ensure that as many people as possible have a good understanding of those expectations, before they get pulled over.
The police are to protect and serve, which may mean risking their lives. I like to believe that most police accept and embrace this. But in far too many cases, police get in an ambiguous situation, and decide to minimize their own risk by using violence. In some cases, this is pure cowardice, and I think it’s better to avoid ambiguity in the first place, although I recognize that it can’t be completely eliminated.
I think many police are unaware of how they come across. In a neighboring town, a woman was pulled over by what appeared to be police, then raped by the apparent police officers, physically injured to the point where she can no longer work in her profession.
About a month ago my wife was driving in that same town, and was followed by police. She was driving over the speed limit, in a place where the speed limit is unreasonably slow, but going at a reasonable speed. (That’s a whole different topic I can write much on, but won’t here).
The police followed her past areas with a lot of houses, into a deserted area, where they stopped her, about half a mile short of a very busy area.
She rolled down her window about an inch, and when the police approached, the first thing they did was tell her to roll down the window. She asked how much, they told her all the way, she politely refused and said she would do that, if they drove half a mile further to the busy area. The police were visibly upset, but in the end they let her off with a warning for driving too fast.
There is a middle ground between making police social workers, and their being totally unaware of the perceptions people have of them. It’s the very definition of tone deaf to pull over a woman in a deserted area and tell her to roll down her window all the way, in a small town where, under similar circumstances, a women had recently been raped and severely injured.
This was an unusual incident, but illustrates how tone deaf police can get into situations that lead to unnecessary confrontation.
I am fully behind police using all reasonable means at their disposal when confrontation is necessary (as it was in Dallas), but the slow drip-drip-drip of unnecessary confrontations has made many of us very suspicious of police and their intentions.
I know that most police went into their work to protect and serve, but I’ve encountered too many who appear too ready to confront, or oblivious to how they appear to us civilians.
Cotour:
Good points about interacting during stops.
Steve: (hey!)
I was hoping you’d weigh into this. If you were doing an ordinary traffic stop, how would you like to see it go down, ideally?
I do empathize with pzatchok’s point, but I just don’t agree entirely with the proposed solution.
Garry:
Referencing your wife’s experience–
Yow! Glad everything turned out OK!
I live in Ohio and here things are a bit different about having a CCW.
CCW holders are required to present ID and CCW license when asked for by an officer. In ALL official police interactions.
I also must verbally inform him of my CCW license and inform him about the status of my firearm. Such as its location on me or elsewhere in the vehicle. Even if I left it at home that day and am presently unarmed.
And because of this video the officer is required to give you that chance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kassP7zI0qc
Personally I do not like a large wallet in my back pocket. So I keep all my necessary’s in a thin billfold That either sits in my center console while driving or in my pocket when out of the car. My firearm either sits in the center console or rides my front right side belt.
So when I get pulled over I get out all my junk before the office even gets to the window and I let him clearly see my pistol.
I keep both hands on the wheel until asked to move them.
Car is off and foot is off the brake.
Some thugs keep weapons in the roof of the car or in the visor areas. No need to have a cop think your reaching for one. Keep your hands in clear view at all times.
Those nice pockets on the inside of the door. Same thing keep nothing in them and keep your hands away from them.
Passengers. Keep your hands out in front of you, better yet, on the top back of the front seat if your in the rear of the car. Only speak when spoken to, stop using the phone and talking to the other passengers.
As for officers. The policy of being able to trick and or lie to a citizen should be officially stopped now. It only breeds distrust.
You are just a traffic cop not a crime scene investigator. There is no need to lie to gain the information you need. You could say something like “You do not have to talk to me but if you do and you knowingly lie to me you can and will be charged with interference in a police investigation.”
And officers should remember that anyone with a CCW has already gone through a background check in order to get the license. So they are pretty much in the group of good law abiding citizens. No need to be extra nervous.
Citizens should remember that cops are just people also. They will in NO WAY know every law on the books. Accept what they say at the scene and accept the decisions or tickets they hand out even if you know positively they are wrong just take the ticket and deal with it in court. I would rather pick you up from the jail and drive you to court than pick you up from the morgue and drive you to the graveside.
pzatchok:
Thanks for the info on Ohio and CCW.
>And, good advice all around.
Totally agree with “accept the ticket & fight it later.” I’ve only had 4 tickets in my life, but 2 of those I fought and won. If you are sure you’re innocent, make the Officer show up in Court and let the Judge decide. It’s a hassle, but make them work for it.
Politely assert your rights, but know your rights ahead of time.