Is it Right to Club Bears?

[Dr Sardonicus]

Originally Posted by Xyzzy

<snip>
Our second idea is maybe the police shouldn't be armed with anything that the general population isn't allowed to own.

What are your thoughts?

A blanket prohibition is inappropriate IMO. Some law-enfocement agencies have to deal with criminals who have illegally acquired weapons "the general population isn't allowed to own." Some may also have to deal with situations members of the general population don't have to deal with - a standoff with a barricaded suspect, for example.

Note that I said "some." I happen to think a lot of LEO's have been handed military-style hardware they don't particularly need, and the rhetoric about law enforcement has become overly militaristic. Law enforcement officers aren't soldiers, and their job is not to wage war.

[Xyzzy]

Originally Posted by Dr Sardonicus

I happen to think a lot of LEO's have been handed military-style hardware they don't particularly need, and the rhetoric about law enforcement has become overly militaristic. Law enforcement officers aren't soldiers, and their job is not to wage war.

Agreed!

[LaurV]

Originally Posted by Dr Sardonicus

I happen to think a lot of LEO's have been handed military-style hardware they don't particularly need, and the rhetoric about law enforcement has become overly militaristic. Law enforcement officers aren't soldiers, and their job is not to wage war.

Correct.

This reminds me of the recent story in the Solomon islands - local people upset with the local Chinese entrepreneurs/traders (who were treating the natives bad, and were taking commercial/economical advantages of them, so speaking) ganged together and burned few houses and shops, including of a Chinese diplomat. The Chinese government (in the mama China) was upset, and showed its muscles to the local Solomonese authorities, but these guys said "Well, sorry, we are a poor country, with peace loving people, our police can not stop riots, we have no trained personnel and no guns". Which was most probably true, their policemen had only few sticks and could apprehend a thief etc., but stopping a riot is a different thing. So, the Chinese offered to help them, "ok, we will send you hand guns and we will send some of our police experts to train your people in close hand-to-hand combat, in using the guns, etc., so these things should not repeat in the future".

There, I imagine Sammo Lo sent to Solomon islands to teach the guys kung fu.

Then, ok, said and done, they sent the trainers, things started to go somehow well, Chinese want the control there because they have interests in the region, against Australian influence, etc., not that they should be interested in Solomon island for fun, that is just a rock lost somewhere in the ocean, but you know.... you have to listen to Australian news to get the "western side" of the story... China and Australia have a long history of struggling against each-other for influence in that part of Pacific.

Anyhow, the guns arrived later.

And when they unpacked the guns, they found out the guns were fake

No joke. Plastic replicas. Probably the Chinese bought them from Aliexpress, and the seller didn't know they are for the government.

[xilman]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-61454989

[Dr Sardonicus]

Originally Posted by xilman

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-61454989

Another racist with a manifesto.

Tucker Carlson must be so happy.

[retina]

Originally Posted by xilman

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-61454989

Originally Posted by Joe Biden

President Joe Biden offered his prayers for the victims and their families ...

Thanks Joe, that'll help immensely.

Keep those prayers coming, they are certainly working.

[Uncwilly]

Another idiot spewing hate by spewing lead:
California church shooter was motivated by hate for Taiwanese people, officials say

[chalsall]

Originally Posted by Uncwilly

Another idiot spewing hate by spewing lead

I hope this is taken the way it is intended...

Please get your House in order.

[chalsall]

Originally Posted by chalsall

I hope this is taken the way it is intended...

When I feel a lot of pain, I sometimes take comfort by listening to artists who seem to resonate with my thinking.

Knopfler has always been reliable.

[Dr Sardonicus]

Originally Posted by Uncwilly

Another idiot spewing hate by spewing lead:
California church shooter was motivated by hate for Taiwanese people, officials say

The shooter killed Dr. John Cheng, 52, and wounded five others during a lunch held by Irvine Taiwanese Presbyterian Church, which worships at Geneva Presbyterian Church in Laguna Woods, authorities said at a Monday news conference.

Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes said the motive of the shooting was a grievance between the shooter, identified as a Chinese immigrant and U.S. citizen, and the Taiwanese community. China claims Taiwan is a part of its national territory and has not ruled out force to bring the island under its rule.
<snip>
Barnes said Cheng, a sports medicine doctor who is survived by a wife and two children, heroically charged at the shooter and attempted to disarm him, allowing others to intervene. Cheng probably saved the lives "of upwards of dozens of people," the sheriff said.

A pastor hit the gunman on the head with a chair and parishioners hog-tied him with electrical cords. But Cheng was hit by gunfire.
<snip>

It wasn't a good guy with a gun who stopped the shooter. It was a hero.

[Uncwilly]

Originally Posted by Dr Sardonicus

It wasn't a good guy with a gun who stopped the shooter. It was a hero.

The pastor hit him with a chair during the reload. This speaks to why smaller magazines are a good thing. People can point to videos of target shooters dropping and replacing magazines in under 1.5 seconds, but that is not what you will see from the average person.