The Shooting Gallery: Police Violence MEGATHREAD

[Valmy]

"Us" vs "them"

So the police are not accountable to any elected official? They have no democratic mandate? No accountability to anybody but God? I don't understand their point here. I guess I thought they were public servants of their local communities not some unelected and unaccountable paramilitary force pursuing their own interests. I don't even understand the concept of a police force declaring themselves independent of the elected government like this. "We have been left alone to do our own thing" Um...no? You are not empowered to do that?

[Ancient Demon]

It's not that surprising. A lot of the looting and vandalism has been started by white people. "Just wanting to break shit" is among the least nefarious motives ascribed to them.

Yes, most antifa are white.

[Ancient Demon]

Proud Boys have been breaking windows and looting in Portland. They're on tape doing so.

Where is this tape?

[Sheilbh]

"Us" vs "them"

So the police are not accountable to any elected official? They have no democratic mandate? No accountability to anybody but God? I don't understand their point here. I guess I thought they were public servants of their local communities not some unelected and unaccountable paramilitary force pursuing their own interests. I don't even understand the concept of a police force declaring themselves independent of the elected government like this. "We have been left alone to do our own thing" Um...no? You are not empowered to do that?

Just seen this re your comments and DG's:

Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer just announced every single officers' body camera was NOT ACTIVATED during the shooting last night that resulted in DavidMcAtee's death. Not one.

[Maximus]

Yes, most antifa are white.

So are most dentists! 

[Habbaku]

Yes, most antifa are white.

So are most dentists! 

[Maximus]

Sue me. I was on my phone.

[Razgovory]

Proud Boys have been breaking windows and looting in Portland. They're on tape doing so.

Where is this tape?

Why?  Afraid you might be on it?

[grumbler]

Just seen this re your comments and DG's:

Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer just announced every single officers' body camera was NOT ACTIVATED during the shooting last night that resulted in DavidMcAtee's death. Not one.

I am sure the lawtalkers can explain the theory about something like "adverse implications" where someone's failure to do something can be assumed by the jury to be implying guilt. 

That's what should apply here.  At the very east, any officer whose body camera is not activated in an interaction with the public should be fired and blackballed from any further law enforcement employment.

[fromtia]

Well, this is all pretty horrible. Broadly agree with what everyone else is saying; police reform urgently, de-militarize, try and understand the impact of hiring veterans of endless foreign wars and if necessary put a stop to it, introduce robust accountability at some federal level and so on.

The US police forces, the vast majority of them look like we lost a war with a foreign power that has deployed it's ill disciplined infantry to our cities. Trampling people with horses, running them over with cars, beating them , firing baton rounds at their heads and shooting them dead (off camera). Staggering.

Trump is going full Caligula, big Tiananmen  energy from the Donald. Republicans still loving it, but I'm wondering if some of them aren't begining to get a bit concerned.

I got caught up in a protest on Saturday, my work is downtown, so a big demonstration in the surrounding streets. Seemed orderly, regular looking people, encouraging number of white people. Counted a couple of sketchy looking white-vegan-skateboarder-need-a-shower types, but nothing else too threatening. It all kicked off with plenty of loud booms and big clouds of teargas. Closed our place and GTFO. Got stuck at an intersection that was blocked by about a hundred people for a few minutes, which was a bit concerning, but we were out and on the freeway shortly after.

Posted "Black Lives Matter" on my facebook page and was treated to about 50 comments of argument between an old acquantance in the UK, a passionate brexiteer who quickly responded with "All Lives matter" , and a number of my black american colleagues, who said brexiteer then told were racists for trying politely to disagree with his position. Surreal.

Sheilbh is right, The Republicans have abandoned "Black Lives Matter Thugs" and have switched to their anti-fa wank fantasy. That's a small piece of progress.

[HisMajestyBOB]

Just seen this re your comments and DG's:

Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer just announced every single officers' body camera was NOT ACTIVATED during the shooting last night that resulted in DavidMcAtee's death. Not one.

I am sure the lawtalkers can explain the theory about something like "adverse implications" where someone's failure to do something can be assumed by the jury to be implying guilt. 

That's what should apply here.  At the very east, any officer whose body camera is not activated in an interaction with the public should be fired and blackballed from any further law enforcement employment.

Should be, but all to often aren't.

[HisMajestyBOB]

Good summary of Trump's address to the nation:

[jimmy olsen]

Don't discount that a big portion of the protesters acting violently really just want to break shit.

A rough majority of the city I live in is black, the mayor is black, a majority of the police force is black, both the district attorneys from the two counties covering the city are black. But the nearest mall to me has been ransacked as have a bunch of the stores in the area. There are pictures of the crowds breaking into businesses into some of the nicer parts of town, and some of them are just groups of white people.

Which is a fascinating dynamic--a white cop kills a black dude in Minnesota, so white people start pillaging a black city in Georgia.

Oh yeah they are using the protests as cover. Sickening shit. What is wrong with our country?

Over 100k dead from a pandemic that could have been greatly mitigated. 20-25% unemployment. Tons of those folks are going to be homeless in the coming months and they know it. A lot of them now have no health insurance. Many of them never had it once leaving their parents. They have nothing to lose, and they feel done wrong by society. Is it in any way surprising that a nation in which that happens has rioting? And that's not even touching on the issues of police brutality and political polarization.

[Admiral Yi]

Curfew in Coralville IA, city jammed right next to IC.

[grumbler]

Good summary of Trump's address to the nation:

Man, I wish I'd written that!