Politics of the Free - It’s because Democrats, stupid. - The Bear and Badger

LivDiv

I really struggle to see how America move on from the whole gun thing.
Its easy to see it as them being duped by media and politics like with their health care for example.
Yet that ignores what is a really strong culture of not just gun ownership but obsession.

I find it jarring sometimes when I hear celebs or known faces who I otherwise respect defending American gun culture.

I remember being really uncomfortable when Killer Mike came out supporting gun ownership. I generally respect the guy and think Run the Jewels say some important stuff. Its challenging to navigate those conflicting opinions of others views.

Same thing with Corridor Crew. These guys are literally living my dream work life and I have a huge amount of time for them but some of the guys go into gun fetishism territory now and again that I just can't get behind.

Its clearly a more widespread belief system in the U.S than just Republicans and lunatics.

Gremill

I felt the same way about Killer Mike when I saw a lot of his Insta posts about guns. I still don't agree with him, but I can't possibly know what it's like to be black in the southern states of America and feel constantly threatened by white guys and cops with guns. In his shoes I'd probably own one or two myself. I think he's said in the past that he'd like the situation with guns in America to be different, but it isn't, so it is what it is for him. He wants to be able to protect himself and his family if it came down to it.

It's one fucked up country.

pantyfire

America is a noble experiment that should’ve had the plug pulled on it years ago.

Nina

Look, another one! This time only 30 minutes from where we live!

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-04-01/police-seek-answers-after-gunman-kills-4-including-child-in-orange-mass-shooting

It's pretty weird when it gets so close. Although have to say that when we still lived in Amsterdam there was trouble with the drugs maffia at some point around our neighbourhood. But at least they shot during the night (I slept through the sounds, B woke up) and only at the people that were involved in their business.

This just feels like it can happen anywhere, anytime, whenever someone has a bad day and needs to shoot it out for a bit.

nick_md

Stay safe, Nina. The vast majority of folks will never have any issue or encounter anything like that ofc, but be vigilant all the same. America is an amazing and dangerous place at the same time.

Nina

Yeah I know chance of being even within hear/view distance of a shooting are small, but it's weird going anywhere and wondering if there's any crazy around.

b0r1s

A small consolation I take from that news story Nina is that it looks to be a personal issue, and as grim as it is with a terrible loss of life it looks like he was focused on a personal vendetta.

LivDiv

Someone shot dead outside Capitol.

A man drove into a police barrier injuring two officers, one of whom died later.
The man got out and was brandishing a knife, then was shot dead at the scene.

They are saying not terrorist related. I'm reading that as "not brown". Odds of this being a Trump supporter?

GooberTheHat

99.9%

Blocks100

Nation of Islam supporter apparently.

LivDiv

Back to terrorist it is then.

b0r1s

GOP: Hey, how do we win the next election?

Also GOP: We bring in some more voter suppression laws.

b0r1s

Couple more bad apples.

LivDiv

I cant wrap my head around this officer thinking they were holding their tazer rather than their gun.

She shouts tazer, tazer, tazer as per training but she has to have known she had her gun in her hand.
26 years experience. Police trainer!
You can see the other officer's tazer in the video and its bright yellow.

Why was she shouting tazer? An alaborate attempt to cover her arse? Sheer panic and incompetence? Carelessness more like but I cant help but think there is something deliberate here even if its clear from the video the standard of discipline and protocol is garbage.

She has resigned now as if that makes it better.

MattyJ

It's ridiculous. The weight, colour, feel, everything would be different about a taser:

No way would someone of that experience in particular mistake the two. Plus surely taking the safety off the handgun etc is different.

RedDave2

I do like that the tazer comes in "pikachu" colours. If nothing else, the branding is on point.

I_R

I think she's just lost the head. Her grabbing the arm of the guy who gets killed seemed particularly hopeless and she's gone into some sort of taser auto pilot, even though she's got the pistol in her hand. They seem to be constantly fearful and not very good with the guns, which is a dangerous combination.

Matt_82

MattyJ wrote:

It's ridiculous. The weight, colour, feel, everything would be different about a taser: No way would someone of that experience in particular mistake the two. Plus surely taking the safety off the handgun etc is different.

There is no traditional safety on a Glock. Afaik, it's built into the trigger.

Hell of a fuck up to make, it has to be said.

GooberTheHat

Matt_82 wrote:

MattyJ wrote:

It's ridiculous. The weight, colour, feel, everything would be different about a taser: No way would someone of that experience in particular mistake the two. Plus surely taking the safety off the handgun etc is different.

There is no traditional safety on a Glock. Afaik, it's built into the trigger.

Hell of a fuck up to make, it has to be said.

This is correct, you can just see the little switch in the trigger on that picture.

LivDiv

I'm not sure what is scarier. The rampant racism or that a very experienced officer can get into such a fluster when stopping someone for an air freshener.

Certainly if I was a black man in many American states I would have to really question if I was willing to pull over. I can totally under stand why this poor guy tried to escape while being handcuffed.

That Leuitenant the other day did everything right. He pulled into somewhere well lit, with cctv, he held his hands up at all times. He still got a face full of pepper spray. I guess that's a good day now for a black man getting pulled over.

Diluted Dante

They should replace all American police guns with wooden training ones like in The Other Guys.

Roujin

Diluted Dante wrote:

They should replace all American police.

Ftfy.

It sucks but like, if you're qualified to be a cop in the USA, you actually are not the sort of person who should in fact, be a cop.

Anyway fuck Biden for immediately going from saying we need to review all the evidence from the bodycams before passing judgement on the cop to "there is no excuse for looting" that damn near gave me whiplash.

b0r1s

Right wing media doubling down on the excuses for killing a boy:

https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/adam-toledo-sean-hannity-fox-news-kyle-rittenhouse-b1832814.html

LivDiv

Closing arguments are taking place in the George Floyd case.

The verdict and following potential sentence will be huge for America.

Diluted Dante

The riots when the cop is aquitted will be massive.

Brooks

We can only hope.

Funkstain

He’s going down. Police chief, colleagues, force instructors all testifying against him? Main defence “he was black”? Not even a US jury will acquit this motherfucker

Unlikely

I will be genuinely astonished (and apoplectically appalled) if he's acquitted.

LivDiv

The defence seemed to be resting a lot on stating he was a drug addict and had a dodgy ticker and how those things could cause reasonable doubt.

It is obviously bollocks, you could be the healthiest person on the planet and die if someone squeezes they air out of your lungs for near 10 minutes.

RedDave2

Diluted Dante wrote:

The riots when the cop is aquitted will be massive.

Viewed from an Irish use of the word 'massive', this reads hilarious.

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