Tonight we’ve already lost several Law Enforcement Officers in Dallas, Texas and many more are wounded. If you’re out in the streets, stay safe, and that goes for everybody.
May those who have fallen in the line of duty, Rest In Peace. May those who are wounded, heal quickly.
Watched this unfold on live Tv while watching Megyn Kelly on FOX News. She was speaking with her panel and they were showing NY and Dallas protests but no sound on Dallas. My wife and I saw the people run and we both said, ‘shooter!’ We saw the 3 officers down on the ground next to their cars, man that was disturbing.
So our thoughts and prayers to the Dallas peace officers wounded, those killed and their families. Hope they get the pond scum that did this.
Keep in the fight and win it team blue.
Thanks for the post SSD.
Just in. The shooter suck started his gun. Adios motherfucker.
Where’d you get that from? From CNBC, 0945 CDT today:
Dallas Police Chief David Brown shared comments from the suspect during a press conference Friday morning. Police negotiated with the suspect for hours before sending in a robot equipped with a bomb, which eventually killed the shooter, Brown said.
This is the civil war starting, that’s been coming for nearly 8 years of Obama fragmenting our country. Pray for the fallen officers and the USA
So this is the civil war? Not the what, three attacks here in the homeland by Muslim terrorists over the past two years? What makes this different?
It is a difficult distinction to make when we start talking about Cause & Effect.
Where does Imports & Local Religious Fanatics stirring things up through dis/mis information & propaganda, etc. stop and locals perceiving snd experiencing social, political, economic imbalance, racial injustice, etc. start?
The whole point of the Fifth Columnist subversion trip is to get the trigger pulling to start without folks _truly_ knowing why it started.
It pains me to say it… I think Gerard’s observation is on the mark.
(and)
Dallas, down here in Houston we’ve got prayers and respects for you.
Blue Team, Check Six. Shit is gettin’ heavier.
And then we have this…
http://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2016-07-09/suspects-friends-family-shocked-by-tennessee-shooting
Clearly you don’t remember the 90s race riots which were WAY worse. This is nothing compared to that. Oh and civil rights era? Cmond dude
Responding to SSD, attacks on our country by Muslims are part of an ongoing war between Islam and all of wester civilization. Dallas is American’s killing Americans, by definition that is civil war
I don’t think any domestic act of murder rises to the level of civil war.
Maybe that misguided P.O.S. thought he was “rising up against tyranny” because he perceives police murdering black men, but one person taking extreme, violent, murderous actions based on their deluded beliefs does not a civil war make.
I guess we’ll have to see what happens. More protests? Definitely. Will vionlence break out? Probably. And the conventions are coming up, which will only exacerbate the situation.
This whole thing makes me feel so cynical. America is supposed to be better than this, but I think we’re going to see lots of the bad parts through the rest of the summer.
On the other hand, the New York Post is in agreement about Civil War:
http://www.mediaite.com/online/fcking-shameful-new-york-post-faces-criticism-for-cover-after-dallas-police-massacre/
An American killing Americans is a crime, it’s not civil war.
Respectfully SSD, what happened in Dallas was politically motivated, and by definition a mass murder of state LEO, can and should be considered civil war, like the open warfare of the Black Panthers and Weather Underground in the 60s/70s.
By your definition, our country has been in a perpetual state of civil war since before its inception.
You’re pretty quick SSD, and giving it some thought, I’d say that’s true, what we see today in Dallas is just a flare up of a low grade perpetual civil war, I’d never considered that
Gerard,
To be more accurate, every society on earth contains individuals or sub-elements that are violently dissatisfied or disaffected with the current political or social status quo. Their anger may be based on real grievances or entirely delusional.
Whatever their motivation, these characters are constantly engaged (at least in their minds) in either a latent or incipient insurgency. It takes very little additional stimulus to motivate them to take murderous action in support of their cause.
We have seen countless examples of this in our history by hateful handfuls of people. Everyone from religious fanatics to white supremacists to radical environmentalists. People willing – even eager – to kill innocents in order to “make their point”.
But that isn’t civil war. Thankfully, the fact is that despite this tragic event we are no where close to a civil war in this country. And since our country has already engaged in two civil wars in our brief history I suggest we all work to ensure we never put our children through another.
TLB
Great response Terry.
And I hope we’re as far away from civil war as you suggest, but this whole mess touches on so many raw nerves… race and police use of deadly force, BLM, accused shooter is combat vet, so let’s see how many talking heads start spinning the PTSD/crazed combat vet meme…
I’m not in Gerard’s camp, but certainly understand the momentary cynicism. And these raw nerves are going to be inevitably irritated further at the Rep/Dem conventions…
Mick.
Brilliantly worded Terry, I defer to your more comprehensive definition.
What happened in Dallas was racially and socio-politically motivated. I don’t see/hear MSM using the term Hate Crime. This thing in Dallas was a hate crime that resulted in multiple deaths. His accomplices should all be charged in like.
What Gerard said previously was, “This is the civil war starting.” The last word in that statement is probably the most important. I think some of the discourse that followed was simply getting bogged down about a defining data point on a given continuum.
There’s the rap about Kings Write The History. Why do we call the US Colonial Breakaway the Revolutionary War? It wasn’t. It was a Civil War.
Why do we call the American Civil War what we do? It wasn’t. The Southern States seceded from the Union. The alternate terms War Of Northern Aggression, or the less… charged War Between The States are both far more accurate.
However, with accuracy comes questions. The Black Panthers didn’t come forth, fully formed. There was a lot of shit that lead up to Newton and Seale creating the Black Panther Party For Self-Defense (original name). And initially, their biggest crimes were creating a free breakfast program for children, opening health clinics, and exercising their right to bear arms in self-defense.
The only thing that separates Matthew Johnson from Crispus Attucks is which side of which king you stand on.
I would not agree with SSD’s “By your definition, our country has been in a perpetual state of civil war since before its inception.” The easiest indicators are that empo and conflict have not been sustained. Rather, I would say this country has been in a constant state of Civil Unrest since before the battles of Lexington and Concord.
It will take time to see if Micah Xavier Johnson is simply seen as another POS and very fucked up end of a continuum that includes Rashaad Devon Ben, or that Johnson is seen as the pointy end of a stick being swung by people who had come to some sort of breaking point. Hell, it may turn out to be none of the above.
Mick, Gerard, Mike,
Good comments all. I’m not trying to get too bogged down in definitions. But it is important to be as accurate as possible when you are seeking to realistically define a serious problem.
Letting it become instead defined by feelings or emotions gets in the way of crafting practical solutions. Nor is it helpful to make the threat seem either larger or smaller than it really is.
I think we would all agree that creating public policy based on fear or anger (or even popularity) rather than rational thought is by definition BAD policy making.
I think as citizens we will always have work to do to make this a more perfect union. We have real problems that need to be mitigated or solved. I happen to have confidence in our ability as a Nation to get any job done…if and when we make the effort.
TLB
Indeed, and agreed on all points. Your last paragraph resonates the most with me, in part because of how it plays against what I see as part of the problem: GOV now behaves in a way that impedes our ability as a nation to respond -to solve- the problems being discussed.
We will never solve these problems if we can’t have an honest discussion that includes properly identifying them, and their root cause.
These guys weren’t just run of the mill thugs. Something stinks.
http://heavy.com/news/2016/07/micah-xavier-x-johnson-dallas-police-shooting-sniper-gunman-shooter-suspect-name-identified-photos-facebook-video/
A vet?
Shit… keeps getting worse…
Vets of all people should have respect for law enforcement even if they disagree with them on some stuff…
My unit RIP/TOAd with this guy’s. I remember talk of an insubordonate little shit then… Wonder if it was the same guy.
God, this is so terribly awful.
I thought there needed to be a serious national discussion about law enforcement and its relationship with the black community after the shootings in MN and LA, but this… straight up murder/terrorism, and it has wrecked the chance for any thoughtful conversation in the process.
So, so terrible, hoping for healing for the wounded, and solace for the families of the slain, and justice for the perpetrators.
And that cooler heads will prevail and prevent escalations.
Mick.
So now we have Islamic and home grown American terrorists to watch for. And they want to disarm us.
Every time I see things like this I say thanks Obama. Every time I see my medical bills go up I say thanks Obama. By far the worst president of our time, I thought Carter and Bush jr. held that title until now.
3 violent felonies, the 3 strike rule and life in prison no parole. Get the thugs off the street even if you have to build bigger prison, I do not care, get them off the street. That’s a start…..
It’s time the leaders of the black community start preaching how to become good Americans first and foremost. The thug and entitled mentality is destroying the USA. It’s not just one culture or group there are a lot of people who embrace the “give me stuff” mentality and not the work for it belief system. Of course it doesn’t help when the only jobs out there is either fast food or one needing a masters degree. We need trade schools and middle class jobs you can live on what it pays.
I will also say it’s time for the police to stop alienating law abiding citizens and develop a better relationship with us. We are not your enemy we are your allies. How about a war on Thugs, oh wait the one on drugs hasn’t worked very well.
It’s also time for term limits in DC and an end to lobbyists giving money and perks to those corrupt politicians.
This guy wasn’t a thug. Army Reservist with no criminal record.
This is the result of having a president that’s been instigating racial animosity for the last seven years.
Or is it the result of police shooting to death law abiding citizens exercising their 2nd amendment rights?
This is the result of using an excuse to commit criminal activity, namely murder.
Agreed. I don’t think the president has anything to do with it.
Your definition of law abiding is quite different than most other people, if you think recent events involved law abiding citizens.
I think someone driving with a broken taillight is close enough to be rounded up to law abiding. I consider myself law abiding even though I jaywalk and speed. Don’t think I should be shot by the cops over it.
How was philando Castile not law abiding? All evidence points to fact he was.
He had a lot of traffic violations. Some are going to point to that. I’m still unsure if he was a licensed concealed carrier.
He was.
http://www.startribune.com/philando-castile-had-permit-to-carry-gun/386054481/
And traffic violations, even if they were in the thousands, are not an excuse to kill someone.
There are numerous factors that contributed to this. I will not disagree with your assessment of this administration’s lackadaisical (or at times antagonistic) stance toward race relations.
To try and pin these events on that issue alone is shortsighted, and minimizes the importance of addressing the other factors present.
Take off your tinfoil hat. Anyone who knows anything about politics knows the president is a fall guy. The House and Senate are the problem…. the president just lets people like you blame the black guy.
Hey SSD, I’m a paramedic in the DFW area, and looking for some Level IV plates. I just bought a PIG Plate Carrier, and am looking for some multi-curve plates.
Know any deals going on?
Thank you for your service, sir. And please stay safe.
Don’t thank me, help me chose some gear!
http://www.ar500armor.com has affordable plates
email Velocity Systems directly. Or call and ask for Clinton Miller.
Thanks for the suggestions!
Hi David,
Check out AngelArmor.com, a little pricier but top of the line. Stay safe. Thanks for serving the public.
Blacks have been getting killed by the police in disproportionate numbers for some time now. Honestly folks should have been expecting something like this.
Maybe, but shit it does SO MUCH HARM to trying to have a conversation about those topics. This will only exacerbate the worst “us vs. them” mentality that drives a wedge between black communities and law enforcement.
The result will be just more pain and suffering as the two sides look at each other as enemies rather than allies, and the resulting violence.
I always thought America’s greatest strength was its ability to use democracy to calmly and rationally look at problems and suss out solutions. That seems to have taken a back seat to baser instincts, at least this year.
What are you talking about? The majority of victims in officer-involved shooting events are white. I’m probably going to get torched for what I’m about to say, but so be it.
The media overhypes and sensationalizes killings of black and other minorities because it fits the widespread (but very ignorant) narrative that law enforcement has declared war on people of color, just for being people of color.
No one mentions the disproportionate numbers of certain ethnicities participation rates in crime, nor do they seem to give a damn about the countless numbers of innocent victims of inner-city violence, where people kill each other and cause their communities to suffer tremendously by their own hand… and merely mentioning either gets you called racist.
The left feigns sympathy for “innocent” grown-ass men with criminal histories who are shot dead after freely choosing to commit crimes, or choosing to act tough and assaulting cops or brandishing a weapon in the presence of an armed responder. They say that “he was a good guy”, or that “he wasn’t like that”, or that “he was turning his life around”. They flat-out ignore the fact that these people CHOSE to commit crimes. Past intentions don’t absolve or negate present actions.
When questioned on the plague of seemingly unavoidable inner-city violence within their own political strongholds (Chicago, Detroit, LA, Atlanta, and New Orleans to name a few) all we hear are crickets, or the occasional scripted speech about more gun control. It’s because they DON’T CARE. Race-baiting and false empathy are political tools: pretend you care, pretend to understand the struggle, and make promises in return for votes; get elected, do nothing (or blame the wrong people out of fear of retaliation for conflicting with the views of the angry masses and social justice warriors).
These politically correct promise making race pimps are the enemy of these downtrodden communities. They get elected on promises to improve the quality life, but in reality diminish it. They count on the “us vs. them” division to secure votes. They pander to the victim mentality and paint anyone who doesn’t follow the narrative as an enemy of an entire demographic of people. They are willfully exploiting the fearful and the uninformed for personal gain. They care about saying the right things at the right time to avoid a scandal and ensure they stay favorable amongst pollsters.
Secondly; Blaming cops for a very prevalent, deeply-ingrained subcultural mindset that — through pop culture, music, and movies — openly encourages thuggery, violence, and vilification of authority isn’t the solution. It’s a scapegoat. Police aren’t the problem, but thug culture is.
Stop telling kids they have to be crooks or in gangs to be cool, protected, or safe. Stop glorifying illicit substances and promoting their consumption. Stop implying that beating your wife, stepping out on your kids, and that killing cops is ok. Stop killing people over stupid “turf” or because they wore the wrong color shirt in your ‘hood. How many of these people have been killed because of their pursuit of this lifestyle? How many would still be alive if they had chosen a textbook and college instead of a handgun and the block? One needn’t be “privileged” to escape the ghetto…living there doesn’t mean a criminal life is an inevitable outcome. It is a choice. A choice that unfortunately too many people make, to their detriment.
Prominent members of these stricken communities need use their positions responsibly. Instead of jumping on the bandwagon of hashtag activism, finger-pointing, blame, and politicization, they need to speak out against that unhealthy subculture and its undeniable impact on the members of those communities.
Regardless of ethnicity, a human life lost is still a human life lost and is grounds for sadness. Grief is colorblind. Let’s look for ways to stop killing each other, instead of trying to blame it on someone or something else.
You speak as if people in these communities can just clap their hands and POOF fix everything. There are deeply ingrained socioeconomic factors that keep African Americans living in poverty and stack the deck against them. Ignorance of these factors does not deny their existence
Ah yes, the manufactured “it’s not their fault” SJW response. You lot always talk about how the deck is so stacked against minorities…but when confronted with examples of things these communities CAN actually do help themselves it’s suddenly out of their control?
There is nothing in our society preventing anyone from speaking out against a hurtful subculture and attitude that’s wrecked these communities. No one forces someone to emulate this dangerous and antisocial lifestyle. It is chosen. Nothing stops someone from educating themselves and saying no to such a lifestyle or behavior, either. YOU are marginalizing them by implying there’s nothing they can do to help themselves!
Minorities do not have a monopoly on drugs, crime, misfortune or bad choices. Residency in a bad area or a hard upbringing is not a guaranteed ticket to a shitty life. Our choices construct the route that takes us to wherever we end up. Bad choices can mean detours or dead ends. But they are still our choices…we maintain responsibility for them, no one else.
Like I said, ignorance of those socioeconomic factors does not deny their existence. If you really think that all the problems faced by African Americans are by their own doing then we don’t have anything further to talk about.
How financially well-off do you have to be to obey the laws of the land. Quit making excuses for criminal behavior. It makes you look uninformed.
**WHOOSH**
Thats the sound of the point going right over your head
You’re so enlightened aren’t you? Have all the answers, but then try to act like we’re operating beneath your intelligence because some views on ways to remedy a problem don’t conform to your oversimplified belief that every minority is a helpless victim with no ability to improve their lot in life without the help of government and activists like yourself.
I never said they were responsible for everything wrong in their communities. I said they have the choice and ability to denounce hurtful aspects of a lackluster subculture that has perpetuated much undue suffering on their communities.
You state they “can’t” because of vaguely-referenced (outdated or pulled from your ass) factors, ignoring completely the impact that free will has on a person’s ability to chart their course or change an outcome.
“Lets look for ways to stop killing each other, instead of trying to blame it on someone or something else.”
I think the whole point of the protest in Dallas is to maybe try to find a way that a guy following a cop’s instructions while legally carrying a legally purchased firearm doesn’t get shot to death in front in front of his girlfriend and kid.
That’s not “blaming”, that’s pointing out a problem.
Especially when this dude points a gun at cops and is just arrested.
http://www.wfmj.com/story/27753282/texas-man-arrested-after-pointing-gun-at-new-castle-police-officers
There’s a disparity in the reaction there… do you see any obvious disparities?
I fully understand your position and agree there is a disparity. In the context of the most recent shooting, blame is indeed a poor word choice. The shooting in MN was very troubling and I am interested to see what that investigation reveals. Had what happened there happened to any other ethnicity in the context it did, I would still be just as upset.
However, what I was alluding to were the previous instances of criminals shot after brandishing a weapon, that activists still protested as innocent victims and used to fuel the overall anti-cop sentiment that has been increasingly prevalent over these last few years… that no doubt contributed to the incident in Dallas.
I’d like some statistics to back up that claim. Could it be the people getting killed are disproportionately involved in criminal activity?
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2015/jun/01/the-counted-police-killings-us-database
They are killed at a rate disproportionate to their population
Can we close the comments already? Surprising how many sympathize with domestic terrorists browse this site.
I see no sympathy anywhere here
Really Steak? Because you literally just said:
“Blacks have been getting killed by the police in disproportionate numbers for some time now. Honestly folks should have been expecting something like this.”
It sounds to me like you are saying what happened in Dallas was justified due to tension from past events.
An observation is not the same as sympathy, but thanks for playing
You strike me as super naive, and willing to believe everything you’re spoonfed.
“Expected” and “justified” are not synonyms in any thesaurus I own.
Jesus, guys. This isn’t a sign of things to come or proof positive of a brewing civil war. This is one fuckbag with an axe to grind, just like the hundreds of other fuckbags of similar and different stamp all throughout history.
While I think that the BLM movement is somewhat misguided in that they have been too quick to assume that EVERY instance of a black person being killed is evidence of tyranny, objectively speaking, they are right about a good many of these killings.
One very good way to end the decisiveness is not to double down on the poor logic used by some of these BLM folks. When they assume that all police shootings are unjust or that all cops are unjust, that is a fallacy. Likewise, when some of you guys decide unilaterally that all BLM participants (members?) are bad, that’s the same fallacy.
Spoiler alert: there are good cops and bad cops, people in BLM with noble intentions and those with ill intent. Neither group should be unfairly praised or unfairly demonized.
I live in Dallas, this hits very close to home, and I am a strong supporter of the police. But let’s keep things in perspective. This killer no more speaks for ge whole of BLM than legitimately corrupt cops speak for the whole of law enforcement. If there is any brewing crisis, I assure you that simple-minded, poorly reasoned, guilty-by-association assumptions are at the heart of it, and we should be better than that.
I didn’t mean to type decisiveness. That was an auto correct error.