I am all for right and wrong and accountability. But that wasn’t the assertion. The statement was that overreactions were needed to balance the scales. That crap sounds real good behind the safety of a computer screen and a keyboard. Not so good in real life when some hot head with a chip on his shoulder decides that the officer he is dealing with needs to be part of some reckoning.
I agree about hotheads. However we got to this point by not standing up for ourselves, as Mr. Branch did in that video.
I actually like what Mr Branch did. He held his ground firmly, but respectfully. Wisely never brought his weapon into play, which made the officer pulling his weapon look exactly like the excessive reaction it was. We need restrained, yet solid public behavior like his. That film would also be a great training film for how not to engage with the public.
I don’t care for the respectfully. Other than that I agree.
Humans are emotional creatures. Emotions have a habit of clouding decision making. When loaded weapons are in the mix I will always prefer respectful exchanges.
That seems unlikely.
If, as I predict, CC becomes the law of the land, the flash point is likely to be in someplace like CA or OR.
Until recently, my state was ahead of @WuWei ‘s in terms of gun rights. And he’s in TX for cryin’ out loud!
The cop disrespected him in front of his family. Mr. Branch owed him no respect in return.
Alright man, I take your point. I was flippant in that post.
Nevertheless, I predict that many of these confrontations will have to take place before the balance if power equalizes.
Mr Branch was the bigger man. And his family members were all in close proximity. “He disrespected me” sounds like the rational used by teenage gang bangers before whipping out their iron on the block.
You get the respect you both earn and demand. The cop disrespected.
You’ve got to know when to hold 'em
Know when to fold 'em
Know when to walk away
And know when to run
Which is to say vindication might be sweet, but I thought that cop was itchin’ to shoot a dude.
He wasn’t. He was afraid and out of control.
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Yes he did, and should have faced discipline for his conduct. Like I said, it would make a great training tape for what not to do.
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He didn’t know the law.
Most definitely he was afraid, with no actual reason to be afraid.
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Which also should have consequences for him. 2d Amendment and state weapons laws should be just as familiar as the 4th and 5th Amendment.
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And that doesn’t result in police shooting people?
Yes, but he was lucky. It was a real fine line between him being arrested or shot and how it turned out. I wonder if he had to pay the parking ticket those vindictive cops wrote him.
