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Shooting First

Tumeke and NRT have managed to shoot first and ask questions later. Lucky it was metaphorical. They were complaining about a particular BART enforcement officer who may have mistaken his handgun for a taser, and shot some-one resisting arrest.

Whilst NRT see this as proof of how evil America is (I'll explain later), the fact that the incident was investigated and then the officer arrested makes NRT's own tendency to come in with guns blazing somewhat ironic.

I'd heap even more abuse on NRT for this, if it weren't for the fact that I'm often guilty of the same crime (although my motives are always purer and my analysis always more accurate and rational, of course). For example, I'm not even going to check for his apology post and just assume he remains seriously deranged. An oversight on my part, to be sure.

In the interests of criminal safety though, I shall put myself in the shoes of a "person of interest" and make the following recommendations:

1. NEVER resist arrest.
2. NEVER antagonize a policeman when in the process of being arrested.
3. DON'T BREAK THE LAW.

Now, point three is situational. You may at some time be arrested and not actually breaking the law you are being arrested for. But resisting arrest is breaking the law, so refer point 1.

In the event this all goes pear shaped, and you are killed or beaten anyway, your loved ones might at least get some financial compensation if you live in America, so cheer up.

The only people that do better used to be suicide bombers. Saddam used to pay out bonuses of US$30K to the families of suicide bombers. Unfortunately, W. put a stop to all that. Those damn Americans. Republicans.

Related Link: Srubone and the art of a one line fisk - Two sides to every story

Hm, so the guy who shot a criminal at point blank range was arrested after an initial investigation was made? How shocking. [But the supporting commentary also worth a read.

When NRT goes on about the police shooting, he manages to throw in a jibe about how some American soldiers tortured prisoners in Abu Ghraib, the prison where Saddam and rulers before him tortured prisoners. Ironically, those soldiers were caught and put on trial too. What a system, eh?

Comments

  1. ...he manages to throw in a jibe about how some American soldiers tortured prisoners in Abu Ghraib, the prison where Saddam and rulers before him tortured prisoners. Ironically, those soldiers were caught and put on trial too. What a system, eh?

    Clear evidence that America under Bush wasn't as bad as Iraq under Saddam Hussein. Who could possibly ask for a cleaner bill of health for the Bush administration?

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  2. Exactly PM. I can see you understand where I'm coming from. The bit about "being caught, tried and punished in a court of law" is clearly irrelevant to the more important fact - Saddam wasn't so bad, really.

    I'm expecting the "Saddam Freedom Fighter" T-Shirts to go on sale after the current Che fashion trend runs it's course.

    The true lefty though will wisely hold off from buying such a T-Shirt, knowing the Uday release will be just around the corner.

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  3. The "kidz in prisonz" and "rape is the Saddams Family way" shirts should be a big hit with the left too.

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  4. I guess now's not the time to post that picure of Rummie shaking Saddam's hand, huh? Although, a T-shirt of that might well get some sales milage out of the left...

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  5. Along with Phil Goff holding hands with Arafat....
    If we're talking about cuddling up to thuggish tyrants, the number of leftards licking Mugabe's boots alone would keep a T-shirt company in business well into the middle of this century.

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  6. I guess now's not the time to post that picture of Rummie shaking Saddam's hand,

    Fair comment. It was indeed the US who helped put Saddam in play all those years ago. At the time, he was a moderate and he replaced something as bad as he grew to be.

    Equally, when Rummie was shaking Saddam's hand, we don't know for sure if he was also smiling like a wolf and whispering "there aint no bunker deep enough if you go rogue, Saddy Babe."

    Truer words never spoken, even if they were never spoken.

    Whereas Phil Goff was probably saying "How much in donations do you need Arafat?"

    Pity all the donations went straight to Arafat's bank account.

    After your return jibe, can we get back to the post about the BART employee? I realise NRT reduces all conversations about America to Hitler/Saddam but we don't need to. Especially now that the messiah has come.

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  7. I don't really have a comment on that - NRT's firm conviction that the USA is some kind of murderous totalitarian dictatorship says more about him than it does about the US. As far as this incident's concerned, an ordinary citizen certainly couldn't just shoot an unarmed man in the back and continue chatting to his mates as though nothing had happened - but if you want people to put on a uniform and protect you from crime, there's an obligation on your part not to immediately leap to conclusions when shit like this inevitably happens.

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  8. Chris Rock - How not to get your ass kicked by the Police!

    http://nz.youtube.com/watch?v=uj0mtxXEGE8

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  9. Ummm, having seen the video, your post seems a little light on reality. There are more cops than 'yoof' on the platform, which undermines the cop claim they were scared because they were outnumbered.

    And it is quite a deliberate action of shooting, with no appararent provocation.

    And there was no arrest of the cop who killed the kid, nor any investigation, until the public outcry from his family and friends...

    Surely rational, caring bloggers would be concerned when 'law and order' officers decide they are above the law? Humour is really only funny when not applied to obvious inhuman atrocities...

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  10. Hi Squaredrive.

    The point of my post was not so much about the shooting itself, but about NRT conflating that incident with Americans at Abu Graib.

    I don't know the full facts of the case, and I've come across many opposing views, and several sets of "facts" that support a range of scenarios.

    What appears to be a deliberate execution in front of many witnesses, a few with video phones running, would arguably be an insane thing to do, and therefore perhaps NOT a deliberate thing.

    It is right and proper the officer gets his day in court. It is right and proper his family seek answers and justice is served.

    I'm not sure any such action would have escaped an investigation, which is why there is an investigation right now.

    Whilst there are no doubt cover-ups and corruption in America, just as there are muggings and violent fights on the train system - it's still got to be a better place for justice than most places in the world, and one experience like this does not have to be connected to a few aggressive Americans in Iraq, who were caught and put on trial and locked away.

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  11. It is right and proper his family seek answers and justice is served.

    I meant the victim, Oscar Grant.

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