Walter Scott shooting

[Harleyman]

The problem I see (I only have that short clip to go on) is that the cop swung round the corner, overtook a cop car and didn't have time to confirm the suspect for a start, it could have been anyone. The video footage shows no rifle visible so how would the cop know if the suspect had ducked down a path and the guy in the white shirt was an innocent? The other thing is that it's a good job nobody was behind that wall.

 

I'm not saying there was no rifle, I'm just talking about what was visible in the video. The cop's actions were totally reckless in my opinion (based on the video).

 

The video does show the man with a rifle and what I saw was that he had raised it up to fire in the air just as he was swiped by the car.

 

He was armed, dangerous, obviously mentally unbalanced, walking along a public street and he had to be removed in the quickest possible way

 

---------- Post added 16-04-2015 at 15:22 ----------

 

Avoid being black, mainly. That's a good way to minimise the risk of being shot by police.

 

Let's not hide from the fact that American society has a problem with insitutional racism. It's not all as malevolent as the police shooting people in the back, but to even hint that this is as simple as a lack of common sense is insulting.

 

Stay in school, graduate, avoid joining the Bloods or the Crips or any of the other notorious street gangs, don't go stealing, mugging, dealing in drugs, shooting at other gang members, endangering the lives of innocent bystanders in the process and that's usually the way to stay out of trouble and not die prematurely or end up doing life without parole.

 

That's god given common sense

 

Nothing to do with "being black" but the fact is that street gangs are all black or Hispanic. There are no white street gangs these days

[Sierra]

I don't believe in God, but you've made a strawman. I never said that. I said that people being shot in the back by police is not a mistake of "common sense". It is a problem with the police.

 

It isn't a strawman, it's a perfectly sensible suggestion to get through a traffic stop or any other interaction with American police (who usually have guns and often bad attitudes) without ending up in the morgue.

 

Though I agree that doing something stupid should NOT be a death sentence. Why take that chance? Only an idiot gambles with their life.

 

To avoid being shot in the back by police? Don't know. .

 

DON'T RUN FROM THEM!

 

If the answer to police brutality is to not catch their attention, that's ignoring the bigger problem of police brutality in the first place.

 

I'm not suggesting ignoring the problem, the first line of defense is understanding who you are dealing with and doing all YOU can do to avoid becoming a statistic.

[RootsBooster]

The video does show the man with a rifle and what I saw was that he had raised it up to fire in the air just as he was swiped by the car.

 

He was armed, dangerous, obviously mentally unbalanced, walking along a public street and he had to be removed in the quickest possible way

Are you watching the same video?

 

I just watched it several times again to make sure I wasn't imagining what I'd seen, the guy clearly has his arms down by his sides when the car strikes him. (time stamp 0:36 - 0:37)

 

Stay in school, graduate, avoid joining the Bloods or the Crips or any of the other notorious street gangs, don't go stealing, mugging, dealing in drugs, shooting at other gang members, endangering the lives of innocent bystanders in the process and that's usually the way to stay out of trouble and not die prematurely or end up doing life without parole.

...you mean like Walter Scott?

[Sierra]

As others before me have remarked, bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing.....

 

Hat tip to Mr. John Stuart Mill.

[ronthenekred]

The video does show the man with a rifle and what I saw was that he had raised it up to fire in the air just as he was swiped by the car.

 

Like Roots I must be looking at a different vid to you. If not, could you time-line where the gun is evident?

[Sierra]

When I first joined this forum, I really thought we weren't that different. After all, we were once your colony, and we have a common language, hah! The Brits I've known in California seemed to adapt remarkably well and most wanted to stay.

 

It's threads like this that make me realize there is a chasm between us. The Grand Canyon. I know online communication doesn't make it any easier, but there are things about us you all will never understand, and things about you English that will never make sense to me.

Edited April 16, 2015 by Sierra

[RootsBooster]

When I first joined this forum, I really thought we weren't that different. After all, we were once your colony, and we have a common language, hah! The Brits I've known in California seemed to adapt remarkably well and most wanted to stay.

 

It's threads like this that make me realize there is a chasm between us. The Grand Canyon. I know online communication doesn't make it any easier, but there are things about us you all will never understand, and things about the English that will never make sense to me.

 

Could you give one example of each?

[ronthenekred]

When I first joined this forum, I really thought we weren't that different. After all, we were once your colony, and we have a common language, hah! The Brits I've known in California seemed to adapt remarkably well and most wanted to stay.

 

It's threads like this that make me realize there is a chasm between us. The Grand Canyon. I know online communication doesn't make it any easier, but there are things about us you all will never understand, and things about you English that will never make sense to me.

 

Harley has used this line of logic repeatedly, almost to the point of comparing Manhattan to the lost tribes in Borneo. There's hardly any difference between Brits and Yanks, if the gulf was so immense Harley would still be living in the arse end of Sheffield, he plays golf fer Christ's sake.

 

So yes, you were initially right..we really aren't that different.

[Harleyman]

Harley has used this line of logic repeatedly, almost to the point of comparing Manhattan to the lost tribes in Borneo. There's hardly any difference between Brits and Yanks, if the gulf was so immense Harley would still be living in the arse end of Sheffield, he plays golf fer Christ's sake.

 

So yes, you were initially right..we really aren't that different.

 

There's a very big difference both in thought and attitudes. Why wouldn't I know that having lived here for well over 40 years

 

As for your comment on golf :hihi: Koreans, Japanese, and a boat load of other Americanized Asians play more golf in one month than I do in a year

 

---------- Post added 17-04-2015 at 05:09 ----------

 

When I first joined this forum, I really thought we weren't that different. After all, we were once your colony, and we have a common language, hah! The Brits I've known in California seemed to adapt remarkably well and most wanted to stay.

 

It's threads like this that make me realize there is a chasm between us. The Grand Canyon. I know online communication doesn't make it any easier, but there are things about us you all will never understand, and things about you English that will never make sense to me.

 

IMO there's a definite similarity between Americans, Australians and Canadians. Many of their distant ancestors may have all been children of the Motherland three centuries ago but the history of all three is very similar. All were pioneers in new and often hostile lands, their early towns were much the same, existing on the edge of the frontiers. They lived off the land, hunted, farmed mined, had to learn to survive in hostile climates, law and order if there was any generally of the rough and ready kind with only the very basics of English Common Law in effect.

 

From all that shared experience there developed a strong sense of independence and a healthy wariness of absolute authority.

 

I've lived among Canadians and known a lot of Australians. They are not people to be pushed around. If they don't like something they'll let you know right away much like the Americans who wont tolerate come and go politicians monkeying around with the Constitution. There's also a refreshing openness. They don't measure up a person by their accents. If you accept them they'll accept you without reservation.

 

That's been my experience anyway for what it's worth

Edited April 17, 2015 by Harleyman

[Bonzo77]

Nothing to do with "being black" but the fact is that street gangs are all black or Hispanic. There are no white street gangs these days

 

Nothing to do with colour, yet all the gangs are black or Hispanic?!

 

Dude, some of the tripe that pours from your mouth is hilarious!