Gun Control 1: Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang

[Kepler]

I also think "Defund" was a very poor choice of messaging.

What we really need to do is civilize the police, and that means a big shift in who we give coercive power to. It's like the old joke:



No more ahem "German" police.

[Swansong]

I think this is what most of us are saying. We don't want to "defund" in the sense that Fox News uses the word. I, for one, don't think parking enforcement needs a bearcat or even a weapon to be honest. I don't think that cops armed with slightly less lethal means and zero training in mental health crisis resolution are the best people to take point on calls for mental health. I don't think we need cops to lead high speed chases through neighborhoods. I don't think we need cops to resolve noise complaints. I don't think we need cops to do a lot of what we ask cops to do. So I would prefer those funds get allocated to departments with the expertise to handle them.

I think the issue comes from last summer, when (righteous) anger led people to declare that they did, in fact, want to defund the police. Some still do. https://www.afsc.org/blogs/news-and-...-defund-police

(there are a bunch of links in there for further reading. some are nonsense but I think this article is as good as any to show evidence to my point)


No serious politician is advocating a disinvestment in policing, in fact Biden specifically said he does not support it. But since when do facts matter?

[Handyman]

I would like to cut a lot of police budgets significantly. They take up way too much of the overall budget and the return on investment stinks. I don't want it cut to zero, but there is about 25-40% of the money that goes to them that would be better off going elsewhere.

You throw that kind of money at other factors and you will see the cops job get easier. Cops are not the right actors to follow up on a lot of the situations that arise. They also are not properly trained to deal with some they are the right actors to deal with a situation.

Put the 25-40% into funding mental health infrastructure, des-escalation training, de-militarization and better public health initiatives for drug and alcohol abuse and you will see a much better return on investment top to bottom. Also, cops jobs will be easier since they wont be required to deal with things they aren't trained and equipped to deal with. Make their jobs better, they might ****ing treat people better.

As for Minneapolis, I have no idea how that will go. I know the sentiment in certain parts is they want things changed but it comes down to whether they choose to vote or not. I live in the burbs so I dont count ;^)

[Kepler]

I would like to cut a lot of police budgets significantly.

Better: repurpose it to genuinely "serve and protect" people. Have specialist police units you can call when your landlord or employer abuses you, when a store follows you around, when a bunch of knuckledraggers gets in your face about a mask.

Stop the police from being rightwing death squads and start using them to protect human beings against bullies, authoritarians, racists, and... well, against the people who are currently police.

Keep the budget and the powers. Just seize them. Give the red hats a little taste of The Overseer.

[Proud2baLaker]

2 dead, 4 injured in shooting at Town Square mall in Boise, ID.

[FadeToBlack&Gold]

The Rittenhouse judge is already doing everything to ensure that little sh*tbag is going to walk.

[ScoobyDoo]

The Rittenhouse judge is already doing everything to ensure that little sh*tbag is going to walk.

The judge also ruled that the two deceased men and the injured man could not be referred to as victims.

"The word 'victim' is a loaded, loaded word," he said. "'Alleged victim' is a cousin to it."

What in the ****ing hell?

[Deutsche Gopher Fan]

Yes the right to protest is gone- everyone is a rioter

[Drew S.]

What in the ****ing hell?

Shooter and shootee now the proper terms?

These wacko judges are really, really bad news for our country.

[Deutsche Gopher Fan]

Shooter and shootee now the proper terms?

These wacko judges are really, really bad news for our country.

Are they bad news? Then why do you have your head up the cooch of a Republican senator who greenlit and rubber stamped every wacko judge thr last admin rammed through?

[The Sicatoka]

Nothing about Alec Baldwin on the set of RUSH killing one and injuring another?

Folks keep calling this an "accidental discharge." He pointed and pulled the trigger. Not. An. Accident.

Reports say he was told it was a "cold" (unloaded) weapon. "Told" doesn't matter. Protocol is you ALWAYS clear a weapon handed to you on set. Always.

And why the < bleeeeeep > is a live round on any movie set? This retired armorer wonders exactly that.

And the on-set armorer hired by the producer? She seems ... um ... interesting.

Baldwin is a producer of the film and a lot of process and procedural things the producer is responsible for went horribly wrong. That adds culpability beyond pulling a trigger.

[Deutsche Gopher Fan]

It’s in the movie thread Jesus Christ

[The Sicatoka]

It’s in the movie thread Jesus Christ

Oh ... the conversation four pages back ... hadn't gotten there yet.

[unofan]

Oh ... the conversation four pages back ... hadn't gotten there yet.

And yet you had the time to link 4 different articles because you wanted to stiggit to the lib actor.

[aparch]

Shooter and shootee now the proper terms?

These wacko judges are really, really bad news for our country.

Just wait until they discuss "un-aliving" someone...