The Partisan Divide on Issues

[David Horn]

(02-06-2020, 03:29 AM)Classic-Xer Wrote:

(02-05-2020, 08:18 PM)Eric the Green Wrote: We hear about shootings of police by people as surely as we hear about police shootings of innocent people. Mostly people who shoot cops get the full brunt of the law while police who murder people get off scot free.

Define murder...I understand that liberals with dunce caps have a hard time with the meanings of words they use these days. Do you really deserve to have a decent police force these days? I don't think so. Personally, I don't think a third rate group of people/politicians deserve to have a first rate police force these days.

Let me jump in here, as someone who has worked with police and other first responders, but isn't one of them.  Everyone has good points.  Police are people, and the people attracted to that field are just as diverse as the populous as a whole.  It is particularly attractive to men (mostly men) who enjoy the power they get from their positions.  Are they the majority?  No, I'm quite sure they aren't, but they are a large minority.  It's the ultimate macho field, if you still want to go home at night and sleep in your own bed.  So yes, there are bad cops, because the raw material is there in abundance.

Then there are guns.  I've talked with cops at all levels, from small town to FBI, and all have one issue in common (and this crosses the line between the good cops and the rest too).  Cops are out there in a world overloaded with firearms, many with military capabilities.  The degree of wariness is much higher than it was before the massive influx of firearms began in earnest 20+ years ago.

Is it likely that shootings occur because the cop felt he could?  Yes, but how many is arguable.  Is it also likely that shootings occur because of good old fashioned fear?  Yes again.  There is no argument that the first category is, or certainly should be illegal.  The second category is a lot harder.  You 2nd Amendment types may wish to give that some thought.