serleran wrote:Apparently, the stupidity is bigger than one city.

The part that gets me is...they wouldn't give their true identities and therefore they could not serve as witnesses.

Badmike wrote:
Sadly this will probably end badly. Police are notoriously bad at handling any sort of situation outside of their area of expertise and it takes them forever to adapt to change.  When the Guardian Angels moved to Dallas they went ape-shit ballistic, doing everything in their power to keep them off the streets (despite the fact the Angels don't carry weapons, and are trained not to directly confront crimebreakers unless it is to protect someone).  They failed miserably, the Angels were allowed to patrol, and the Dallas cops were allowed to continue ineffectually enforcing the law to the best of their limited ability.  There will definitely be more pressure put on any type of vigilante group than actual street level criminals, because they will be a threat to the norm (drug dealers, prostitutes & pimps, burglars, and most street level crime is acceptable because it is the "norm").  

That, along with lawyers who will be salivating to sue anyone in a costume who hits their drug dealer client, will make this a really bad idea.

BTW, this story (referenced in the superhero tale) made me laugh.  In Texas, this guy would have gotten a slap on the back and a hearty hi-ho.  No wonder people are fleeing the NE, NW and midwest  in droves for the relative sanity in Texas:

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/411698_northgate30.html

Mike B.

Under Washington State law a private citizen may use force, including deadly force, to prevent a felony being commited against themselves or another person in their presence.

The standard for determining appropriate actions is the same for private citizens as for police officers....it is based on the threat that the shooter perceived at the time of the incident.

Police officers...but not private citizens...may also base a decision to shoot on the possibility that the felon is likely to get away and thus be a danger to someone else.  

The car prowler was running away with stolen property.  Breaking and entering and theft are not capitol offenses in Washington State.

There can be a fine line in some cases.

In a case near where I live, a man was driving home from a Mariner's game late at night.  His young son was assleep in the back seat.  He cut off another driver on the highway, provoking an agry response.

The other driver followed him home and parked behind him in his driveway.  The other driver...a male in his 20's...shouted, cursed, pushed, slapped and tore an earring out of the victim's ear, attempting to provoke him into a fight.

After several moments of this abuse, the victim opened his trunk and pulled out 9mm automatic.  The abusive driver saw the gun and turned to run.  Fifteen or so shots were fired, including around ten hits.  The felon was dead.

Local authorities tried to charge the victim with murder and/or a slightly reduced charge such as manslaughter.  Their contention was that the assailant had turned to run and was therefore no longer a threat.  Also, they contended that a volley of shots was inappropriate for the situation.

The defense pointed out that the victim was already under assault.  The felon was turned away...but could easily have been going to get his own gun.  Also, at what point in an assault is the victim allowed to lose his own temper and respond appropriatey?  How far can a private citizen be pushed?  Further, the felon posed a direct threat to the victim's young son.

The jury response was definitive.  The felon had gone too far.  It was too late.  Also, given the intensity of the assault, the victim was correct in his assumption that the violence would escalate.   He had excellent reason to assume that the felon would harm him and his son.

In my opinion, the victim should have been given a medal for improving the human gene pool.

Badmike wrote:http://www.seattlepi.com/local/411698_northgate30.html

The thing in this story that I find most interesting is the weapon used by the victim.  They stopped making the Mosin-Nagant bolt action rifle back in the 60's.  Normally in these articles it is always something more modern.  Nice to see the old stuff still being put to good use.

I hope I didnt bore everyone with this post.  Would it be better if I threw in a bunch of nasty expletives and crappy artwork?  

Kingofpain89 wrote:The thing in this story that I find most interesting is the weapon used by the victim.  They stopped making the Mosin-Nagant bolt action rifle back in the 60's.

They have been available in Pacific Northwest gun stores from military surplus sources for as low as $50...right next to Enfield rifles bound together with brass or copper wire to repair rifle grenade stress.

Local sporting goods store, Big 5, had them in slightly better condition for $75 within the past couple of years.

Of course, you can't afford to fire them because the surplus ammo is a lot more expensive than 22 longrifle ammo.  Why not just shoot a 22?

Badmike wrote:
... When the Guardian Angels moved to Dallas they went ape-shit ballistic, doing everything in their power to keep them off the streets...

Mike B.

This had nothing to do with training.  It happens anywhere a group like the Angels turn up.  People tend to forget this, but police are first and foremost union employees.  And Public Employee Union at that.  And so are Firemen, and so are Paramedics in some areas.

No matter how good the intentions of the average patrolman on the street, don't make any mistake about where the loyalties of the organization as a whole lie.  

And their worst nightmare is a privatized or non-union force stepping in and cleaning up the streets (or putting out the fires or patching up the populace)  with twice the efficiency at a third of the cost.

Even the tiniest whiff of this notion must be stamped out at all costs, lest the voting public catch on.

FormCritic wrote:Cops peferring crime over law and order so they can protect their union jobs?   You can't be serious.

Protect their union jobs?  Yes.  Prefer crime?  No.  It's not that black and white.
 
But answering minor calls a lot slower than usual when the city threatens cutbacks?  Yup.  Sick outs when layoffs are suggested?  You bet.  You've never heard of the Blue Flu?

It's not just cops.  Everybody saw what happened in NYC last month with the snow removal.  And how many stories have we all seen about some fireman in his 20s retired on full medical pension, waterskiing in Florida?

Look, public unions are just plain corrupt.  Everybody knows that.  And unfortunately, cops are unionized.  That's life.

Completely OT but nevermind.

Have just finished listening to the last of the Ashes tests in Oz - Oh happy day - Englishmen do not often have a happy relationship with international sport, but once in a while we get reaon to smile

Note to Americans - you have no reason to understand cricket - and to be fair it probably isn't worth the bother anyway!!

Note to Australians - Siddle averaged higher than Ponting!!
Please resume normal service now

Carl

HermitFromPluto wrote:Few films have upset me in recent years as much as 'Next' starring Nicholas Cage.

That was a pretty bad film.  Probably the worst Philip K. Dick adaptation I have seen to date.  Screamers and Impostor were both pretty crappy.  I thought Paycheck and Total Recall were pretty underwhelming as well.

Besides Blade Runner only Minority Report really did anything for me.  A Scanner Darkly had some good actors and was somewhat interesting but it wasnt all that memorable.

I'm hoping that someday, a talented screenwriter and director can do justice to The Penultimate Truth.  But I doubt it.

I have Splice sitting in my Netflix queue but I have to wait awhile before I can watch it.  I promised my wife she gets to choose the next two or three movies.  So were watching The Expendables next.  

Kingofpain89 wrote:
That was a pretty bad film.  Probably the worst Philip K. Dick adaptation I have seen to date.  Screamers and Impostor were both pretty crappy.  I thought Paycheck and Total Recall were pretty underwhelming as well.

Besides Blade Runner only Minority Report really did anything for me.  A Scanner Darkly had some good actors and was somewhat interesting but it wasnt all that memorable.

I'm hoping that someday, a talented screenwriter and director can do justice to The Penultimate Truth.  But I doubt it.

I have Splice sitting in my Netflix queue but I have to wait awhile before I can watch it.  I promised my wife she gets to choose the next two or three movies.  So were watching The Expendables next.  

The Man in the High Castle is the white whale of PKD novels.  Even 40 years later I don't know if the world is ready for PKD's stark, depressing view of a world where the Axis won WWII and the Nazi party members are fighting for Hitler's job as he's on his deathbed.  Supposedly Ridley Scott is going to produce this as a mini-series, really the only way it could be done.

I'm surprised a version of Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said hasn't shown up yet, but I've heard for years the screenplay was written and just not filmed. Probably one of the easier to film of PKD's books, and a pretty good story.

His short story "Upon the Dull Earth" is still one of the creepiest End of the World stories ever.

No denying the man was a genius, a lunatic also, but a genius.

Mike B.