Headline Milwaukee, Police shoot and kill a 23-year old man who was ARMED with a stolen handgun. The man pointed the gun at the police officer, refused to drop the weapon, and was shot and killed.
Protests break out.
Police face violent crowds.
Police cars burn. Property damaged. Looting ensues. Innocent people injured.
Someone misread the text message or Facebook post.
The guy was armed with a stolen handgun that he pointed at the police officer and refused to drop it when told.
How many of those “angry” protesters would offer the same opportunity if someone pointed a weapon at them?
I can tell you, none. They’d either run away or, if they had a weapon, shoot first. Yet, they expect the cop to find some alternative way short of returning fire. They are quite willing to sacrifice the officer’s life.
By rioting over the shooting death of a man who had every opportunity to drop the weapon, they demean their cause and make themselves look foolish.
There are many legitimate issues raised by the Black Lives Matter movement. The message may be difficult to accept but necessary for us to address the issue of racism. But I can tell you this, even someone like myself who readily admits to the racism issue with law enforcement, and society in general, loses respect when people react in such a manner.
Protest peacefully, advocate in the courts, poke the American people out of their comfortable ignorance as needed.
But once you burn cities over the actions of a criminal you lose your credibility and you give back any gains your efforts have made.
Perhaps if you were as vocal about the proliferation of firearms in the hands of criminals and their crimes you would find a great deal more support of your goals.
If the flames of a burning police car reflect your anger, you’ve lost.
Agreed. This hurts the integrity of the cause. It also may prove that there are instigators within any movement, who are not truly part of the movement, they are just there for some violent acts.
Perhaps they need to remember the lessons of Martin Luther King, John Lewis, and the other civil rights leaders who face open violent response to their actions yet still embraced the path of non-violence
Totally agree. The biggest thing I learned at the Writers’ Police Academy, and the one thing I never expected, was how officers see the world, and for good reason. It seems everyone wants to kill them. And when met with a threat, they only have seconds to make life or death decisions. We did practice rounds where we turned our back on the suspect. When we faced them, we had no idea what they had for a weapon, or if they were just some drunk reaching for their wallet. It was so real and terrifying. That’s just one example. There were many more. I gained a whole new respect for law enforcement.