There were plenty of people openly carrying AR-15's at the incident who, I suppose, were prepared to take action against "bad guys." We have had shootings all over the country where plenty of people were carrying guns, openly or concealed, and we haven't heard of one time--not one--when these Walter Mitty "White Knights" ever protected anybody.
1
Yo NRA/Republican Congress! Arm everybody to stop terrorists/assassins? If the police can't deal with this madness nobody else will be able to either. You can't stop these guys with psychological test scores and/or internet preferences. You can only slow them down by restricting everyone's access to weapons designed for warfare.
2
I suspect that this deranged gunman came back from his war time experience a changed man who could no longer control his emotions and intentions. After his release from the armed services particularly with the charges that had been leveled against him, he should have been tested and treated for violent tendencies. He should not have been allowed to carry guns.
1
You took a young lad, trained him, used him to fight for you. On his return you ignore him and openly disrespect him and those he loves. What do you think will happen. How much injustice do you think the system can get away with before the tethers of sanity snap? Including those others that did not draw much attention, keep a tally, the death count can only increase.
1
If possession of semi-automatic rifles became a FELONY....Only FELONS would have them. And they can't vote. So that might be the thing that finally castrates the NRA and keeps their greasy hands off of congress.....How many MORE assassinations of children, young people, police officers, high school teenagers, is it going to take before our Government takes ACTION! The President SHOULD DECLARE a state of emergency and make those f--king weapons ILLEGAL to buy, sell or possess!
2
When you have a gun it winds up getting used.
6
I don't understand why the business community doesn't do more to enact gun control in the US. I should think that the preposterous amount of gun violence here will increasingly become a drag on economic commerce in the US. Why do I want to risk being caught in the crossfire while shopping in a mall or attending a sporting event? Or going to a restaurant?
2
Violent tragedy after tragedy after tragedy -- and still Congress does NOTHING to regulate access to automatic and/or semi-automatic weapons. They will, however, waste untold millions of dollars and weeks - if not months - investigating Mrs. Clinton's emails, a true non-issue with no repercussions whatsoever for our country's citizens' ability to continue to live.
Also incredible to me is that Mr. Johnson, the (alleged?) Dallas shooter, felt that protesting racism by this overtly racist act was in any way an appropriate protest action. The New Black Panther Party has no place in a society that seeks peaceful equality and social justice. They themselves sow discord, hatred, anti-Semitism, and racism as a supposed "solution" to the problems of black US citizens. An eye for an eye DOES leave the whole world blind.
Also incredible to me is that Mr. Johnson, the (alleged?) Dallas shooter, felt that protesting racism by this overtly racist act was in any way an appropriate protest action. The New Black Panther Party has no place in a society that seeks peaceful equality and social justice. They themselves sow discord, hatred, anti-Semitism, and racism as a supposed "solution" to the problems of black US citizens. An eye for an eye DOES leave the whole world blind.
4
Seems to me that after witnessing the horror in Afghanistan, then coming home and witnessing the shootings and deaths of young men his age and color, he just couldn't take it anymore.
1
“Blane Salamoni and Howie Lake II, both police officers in Baton Rouge, honed police skills to a deadly conclusion.” Why don’t the media address police brutality in these terms I ask myself. Instead, it is both incredible and smart how the media manage to divert attention from the real issue by zooming in on actions of an individual. The indiscriminate killing of police officers is by no means a justifiable act. There is however a tendency in US media to apply reverse psychology. After the Dallas shootings the police are depicted as the victims. And yes in this case they were. But let’s not forget the countless accounts, recordings and stories of US citizens brutalized by police. The US police force has way too many negative and deadly interactions with its own citizens. Officers who cannot deal with teenagers or elderly without the use of force. Officers who continue to abuse people who have already been neutralized. Fellow officers allowing this to happen. And while some of these citizens may have done wrong, does that justify their abuse? The systematic police brutality is a real disgrace to the USA, the world’s no. 1 democracy. It is quite alarming that the US treat their own with so much disrespect and so much disregard for human life and dignity. The outcome of the Dallas incident? A new precedent. It is now ok for police to bomb a suspect. This is the epitome of American brutality and savageness waged on their own in the name of the Law.
1
Alright guys, which is it an AR-15 or an SKS? Since every article l read says one or the other about these 2 guns that look nothing alike...
I wish the NYT woul;d change its stylebook regarding how people are referred to; that is, "Mr." and "Ms." instead of using only their last names as 99% of the rest of media do. Bestowing the title of "Mr." on this awful person shows respect for him, and I don't think there is a single person in the U.S. who has any respect for this miserable human being.
4
I do not take the opinion of many others, it is quite convenient that the police gathered so much information from a guy who was such a threat. It is also inconsistent that a male with this agenda would be willing to speak to officers. Is it ironic that after lying and defaming another black man, this man was apprehended? Their are questions that must be answered truthfully. I believe the cops wanted revenge and they got it.
My heart goes to Micah's family, since when did the police become ISIS? Are we really living in a country that allows police to prohibit due process? How is Micah murder different from the other murdered by police? Please do not say, because the police said so. We are seeing what the police do, imagine if their were no videos. They would cover it up also.
Micah survived a war but could not survive Dallas. Blowing up a person is inhumane, I would rather the military take over. My heart goes out to each black man and family that lost their lives. My heart mourns that blacks cannot attend worship service without being killed.
If police were protecting and serving, they would not have been a target. Police clearly believe it is okay to shot in a car with children, so I do not mourn for them. I yearn for the day when we do not have to be afraid am I going to die beacuse I was pulled over by a racist police.
Too much discussion about the police, more on all those who were murder in the streets like animals. They are people and they deserve justice.
My heart goes to Micah's family, since when did the police become ISIS? Are we really living in a country that allows police to prohibit due process? How is Micah murder different from the other murdered by police? Please do not say, because the police said so. We are seeing what the police do, imagine if their were no videos. They would cover it up also.
Micah survived a war but could not survive Dallas. Blowing up a person is inhumane, I would rather the military take over. My heart goes out to each black man and family that lost their lives. My heart mourns that blacks cannot attend worship service without being killed.
If police were protecting and serving, they would not have been a target. Police clearly believe it is okay to shot in a car with children, so I do not mourn for them. I yearn for the day when we do not have to be afraid am I going to die beacuse I was pulled over by a racist police.
Too much discussion about the police, more on all those who were murder in the streets like animals. They are people and they deserve justice.
Excellent article however I wouldn't advise posting tactics used in case there are copycat killers out there waiting to pounce. No wonder it was thought there was more than one sniper. God bless the USA. We are a truly country of dysfunctional humans in need of a paradigm shift...the world is for that matter.
Americans have a long established system of dealing with people being killed by other people. It hasn't delivered anything like perfect results, but it sure beats mob and media hysteria. Sadly among the mob hysterics, are the governor of Minnesota and the President of the United States. Seriously, is it time to put CNN and FOX on the ballot?
i think those cops showed a lot of restraint considering there were armed ,camoufaged protestors who were lucky they were not shot
1
But they were in Texas, where all problems are solved by having civilians carrying guns.
3
I can understand a returning vet with PTSD feeling that after all he went through in combat that the least we could do is honor, not profile, his kind, and possibly snapping. I am an advocate of more medical care to help vets so that they don't become suicidal. And to get the physical and psychological care necessary to return to society. But it must be heartbreaking, after putting time in to come back and see such violence against your race. We know now that this was not the case here, but the problem does not go away. Also if I had seen a neighbor doing military maneuvers I wonder if I would have notified the police. I would like to think so. What I can't ignore is those carrying long rifles. How easy it would be for a cop to think that one might be a shooter accomplice. I'm surprised that all of them weren't hauled in. Could a shooter throw his gun over his shoulder and mingle with the rest of the open carry? What about the reaction of the crowd to those with rifles over their shoulders running with them? Did they feel threatened by them as well, wondering if? The possibilities of so many more casualties are mind boggling. nd still with the rapidity of the shots it doesn't seem possible that a pistol from afar could have such accuracy. Let's hope that all our suspicions are just that.
1
Is this about race? Oh, yeah, the race to the bottom with the GOP and NRA.
Open carry in 45 states. What could go wrong. All BLM's fault, ask Sean Hannity or Rush Limbaugh.
Open carry in 45 states. What could go wrong. All BLM's fault, ask Sean Hannity or Rush Limbaugh.
3
Ever see a gun build a house? Cure a child of cancer? Keep a boat from sinking? They're just good at one thing.
7
Ever see a hammer cure cancer? Keep a boat from sinking? Solve a complex equation? No, they're good for one thing. Unless… I DECIDE to pick it up, and do harm to another.
1
Once again a gun and killing people solves a problem and makes the world feel better.
Ok. Ok. You want to talk about race? You'd rather what then? A white man do some shooting of black men?
America wants a side of race instead of sending back the guns to the kitchen and ordering some love.
There's a lot of sick people.
Lose the guns.
Ok. Ok. You want to talk about race? You'd rather what then? A white man do some shooting of black men?
America wants a side of race instead of sending back the guns to the kitchen and ordering some love.
There's a lot of sick people.
Lose the guns.
5
Take it from a lifelong Texan. Guns are like cold remedies: they don't work as advertised, have dangerous side effects, and don't do a thing about the cold virus.
7
Anyone else notice these events tend to happen after dark? I propose a national curfew: Everyone indoors one hour before nightfall.
Except the kids, they can still play. In peace. Until adults get their act together.
Except the kids, they can still play. In peace. Until adults get their act together.
1
National curfew?
That is even more racist than the repeatedly declated racism against whites made by Micah X. Johnson.
Every summer, African Americans and their culture enjoy time outside of the house and on streets.
Hot and long summer nights have been for many decades the time when riots, sorry protests, took place, city blocks were burned, etc.
That is even more racist than the repeatedly declated racism against whites made by Micah X. Johnson.
Every summer, African Americans and their culture enjoy time outside of the house and on streets.
Hot and long summer nights have been for many decades the time when riots, sorry protests, took place, city blocks were burned, etc.
My heart goes out to the families of the police officers who were killed in this senseless and horrific act of violence. I am grateful that so many people choose to serve as police officers and protect our communities. It is one of the most important and self-sacrificing professions. While in any profession, there are some people who at times struggle to be constructive, the vast majority of people in any profession, including the police, are compassionate, hardworking, and dedicated to serving our community.
Regardless of any frustrations that some people may have with specific individuals in the police, these senseless acts of violence are unbelievably horrific and destructive. It sounds like Mr. Johnson may have been mentally unwell. The fact that he was possibly so mentally unwell that this action may have made sense in his mind is a horrible and tragic thing.
My thoughts and prayers are with the families of those killed, other law enforcement professionals reeling from these senseless acts of violence, and with people of every ethnicity who are working in peaceful and nonviolent ways to use their voices to make our communities safer and more equitable. We can come together with love and compassion to make our communities inclusive, kind, and fair for everyone. Every life is infinitely sacred and important. Acts of violence against anyone, whether police or civilians, are tragic.
Regardless of any frustrations that some people may have with specific individuals in the police, these senseless acts of violence are unbelievably horrific and destructive. It sounds like Mr. Johnson may have been mentally unwell. The fact that he was possibly so mentally unwell that this action may have made sense in his mind is a horrible and tragic thing.
My thoughts and prayers are with the families of those killed, other law enforcement professionals reeling from these senseless acts of violence, and with people of every ethnicity who are working in peaceful and nonviolent ways to use their voices to make our communities safer and more equitable. We can come together with love and compassion to make our communities inclusive, kind, and fair for everyone. Every life is infinitely sacred and important. Acts of violence against anyone, whether police or civilians, are tragic.
2
I am not scared, no one is going to shoot me or you get on with your lives.
2
What is the reason the AP is using the US Army picture as a headline in all of their articles across the country? They should be showing him as the thug and racist he turned out to be.
4
Clearly there were lots of good guys with guns around. What happened?
2
Like with that other murder in Dallas (Lee Harvey Oswald killing JFK from a high floor at a book depository building) this professionally trained shooter took huge and lethal strategic advantage over policemen and demonstrators on the ground ... while he saw all of them well, they didn't see him.
If the killer would be on tha ground, it is rather likely that at least some policemen among so many (or even some civilians with guns) would be able to at least injure, incapacitate or even kill the killer before he was able to kill or shoot 10 [policemen and shoot two civilians.
So, try too look at this important perspective.
If the killer would be on tha ground, it is rather likely that at least some policemen among so many (or even some civilians with guns) would be able to at least injure, incapacitate or even kill the killer before he was able to kill or shoot 10 [policemen and shoot two civilians.
So, try too look at this important perspective.
1
Why have police organizations loudly taken on the NRA by now? I just don't get it.---
Its because for many many years the NRA has proudly stood with law enforcement.
It's because many in Law Enforcement understand the simple truth that guns don't kill people, just as knives don't kill people, or hammers don't kill people
People Kill People!
People
Its because for many many years the NRA has proudly stood with law enforcement.
It's because many in Law Enforcement understand the simple truth that guns don't kill people, just as knives don't kill people, or hammers don't kill people
People Kill People!
People
One thing that continues to stand out in our and the media's discussion of "race" [I always thought that we were all of the human race, i.e. Homo Sapiens] but now it seems that "they" are African Americans and "we" are White. C'mon guys, if they are "African Americans" then we, at least to give the appearance of equality, are "European Americans". If we are White then they must be Black.
1
I'm waiting to hear what the leaders of the black community says before I draw any conclusions. Beyoncé, Spike Lee, LeBron James, and Lil' Wayne should tweet any moment now.
Let's just hold on until we get some clear direction from the experts.
Let's just hold on until we get some clear direction from the experts.
4
"If we sow the seeds of violence we will reap a whirlwind of social disintegration." We are not only having social disintegration but political disintegration as well.
Unless all Americans renounce violence and hatred this vicious cycle will not cease. Dismissing politicians who promote hatred and division for political gains will be a good start.
Unless all Americans renounce violence and hatred this vicious cycle will not cease. Dismissing politicians who promote hatred and division for political gains will be a good start.
3
If guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns.
3
"Shoot and move?" Yeah, I did that as a regular Marine. Shoot, move someplace else, and shoot again. I could actually do that when I was nine. It’s slightly more advanced than walking. Does this mean I can claim to be “Special Forces capable” or something?
I also shot at targets 500m away with an M16 as a fresh-faced recruit in boot camp. I guess that makes me a sniper too, right?
Woah! I’m a Special Forces sniper and I didn’t even know it! Thanks guys!
Micah was a carpenter in the Army reserves. The Army didn't teach him to "shoot and move," it taught him to "hammer and nail." Nevermind the fact he went to a combat tactics school in Texas before going on a rampage, which probably had more to do with what he did. Journalists making analytic leaps to sell papers, as usual. Don't consult an actual veteran or anything, that would require work.
I also shot at targets 500m away with an M16 as a fresh-faced recruit in boot camp. I guess that makes me a sniper too, right?
Woah! I’m a Special Forces sniper and I didn’t even know it! Thanks guys!
Micah was a carpenter in the Army reserves. The Army didn't teach him to "shoot and move," it taught him to "hammer and nail." Nevermind the fact he went to a combat tactics school in Texas before going on a rampage, which probably had more to do with what he did. Journalists making analytic leaps to sell papers, as usual. Don't consult an actual veteran or anything, that would require work.
6
"Shoot and move?" Heck, I did that as a regular Marine! Shoot, move someplace else, and shoot again. Man, I could do that when I was nine. It’s slightly more advanced than walking. Does this mean I can claim to be “Special Forces capable” or something?
I also shot at targets 500m away with an M16 as a fresh-faced recruit in boot camp. I guess that makes me a sniper too, right?
Holy crap! I’m a Special Forces sniper and I didn’t even know it! Thanks, New York Times!
BTW Micah was a carpenter in the Army reserves. The Army didn't teach him to "shoot and move," it taught him to "hammer and nail." Nevermind the fact the dude went to a combat tactics school in Texas before going on a rampage, which probably had more to do with what he did. New York Times journalists making analytic leaps to sell papers and get clickbait, as usual. Don't consult an actual veteran or anything, that would require work.
I also shot at targets 500m away with an M16 as a fresh-faced recruit in boot camp. I guess that makes me a sniper too, right?
Holy crap! I’m a Special Forces sniper and I didn’t even know it! Thanks, New York Times!
BTW Micah was a carpenter in the Army reserves. The Army didn't teach him to "shoot and move," it taught him to "hammer and nail." Nevermind the fact the dude went to a combat tactics school in Texas before going on a rampage, which probably had more to do with what he did. New York Times journalists making analytic leaps to sell papers and get clickbait, as usual. Don't consult an actual veteran or anything, that would require work.
4
I wonder if a lawsuit by the families of victims of gun violence against the NRA is possible?
1
What idiots would carry rifles and where camo/bullet proof vests to a public demonstration. That is just asking to be shot. The Dallas police force has incredible restraint!
1
Well, according to them, they were exercising their second amendment rights. Scary isn't it.
1
I've seen American flags at half-mast too many times after mass shooting of our fellow Americans. Gun violence is dividing our country; there is no place in an educated civil society for high-capacity magazines and weapons of mass and quick destruction.
Perhaps every American flag in America and abroad should be flown at half-mast until politicians and manufactures of these weapons of war for civilians realize the damage they do to our nation.
My heart and prayers go out to the relatives of those murdered by the shooter, but I also know that for those people wounded in this insane carnage from gunshot wounds can take many, many years and cost a tremendous amounts of money. The wounded may need on-going therapy, both physical and mental and they will forever ask themselves: "Why did this happen to me?".
"Can't we all get along", Rodney King asked America so many years ago. I've concluded that apparently we can't; this saddens me and I think it may sadden the entire world to see America made hostage to these weapons manufactured for the murder of innocent people.
Perhaps every American flag in America and abroad should be flown at half-mast until politicians and manufactures of these weapons of war for civilians realize the damage they do to our nation.
My heart and prayers go out to the relatives of those murdered by the shooter, but I also know that for those people wounded in this insane carnage from gunshot wounds can take many, many years and cost a tremendous amounts of money. The wounded may need on-going therapy, both physical and mental and they will forever ask themselves: "Why did this happen to me?".
"Can't we all get along", Rodney King asked America so many years ago. I've concluded that apparently we can't; this saddens me and I think it may sadden the entire world to see America made hostage to these weapons manufactured for the murder of innocent people.
1
What!!! Openly carry long rifles!!! Frightening!!! That "privilige" has no place in our society and is an open invitation to death, mayhem and anarchy. Repeal the 2nd Amendment... NOW!!!
No problem with the Second Amendment. Just require those exercising it to show up for militia training a few times a year.
Suppose one-third of all Americans were known to have in their possession a bacteria that could kill many other people (or themselves). Does anyone suppose that we would shrug our shoulders and talk about their rights to own it? We manage to make possession of marijuana a federal crime. Why not assault weapons?
7
Perhaps Texas will rethink its position on open carry, and on nonlicensing of rifles.
One can hope.
One can hope.
7
Why? Because blacks are now open carrying?
2
Guns are a remarkable obsession in this nation. Most of us don't own one and don't want to be forced into thinking about them. We don't want someone obsessed with them shooting us or our loved ones, however.
Things have gone over the brink here. It's time to call in the guns, and criminalize the NRA which had fanned the flames of this division. That is what LIncoln would do and call to our better natures.
Things have gone over the brink here. It's time to call in the guns, and criminalize the NRA which had fanned the flames of this division. That is what LIncoln would do and call to our better natures.
29
I have a very strong feeling that the female soldier involved in the sexual harassment incident involving Micah Johnson was white. If this is so,the incident would have served to amplify Mr Johnson's antagonism and hatred of whites and could have helped fuel his attack in Dallas. Doubtless the shootings of unarmed blacks by police officers was one of his major grievances but I am quite certain that the harassment issue and perhaps issues with other soldiers and officers while he was in the military were definite factors in his eventual attack on the white police officers in Dallas.
6
If guns were the real problem, the fix would be easy. Get you head out of the sand and look around...our society is slowly decaying. When equal justice under the law erodes and no longer applies to everyone, when fraud, greed and corruption can wreck the world economies and perpetrators go unpunished, when the law makers and law enforcers are above the law, then society begins to slowly unravel until eventual failure.
Solution: fix the problem, not the symptom. I didn't make this stuff up, read your history.
Solution: fix the problem, not the symptom. I didn't make this stuff up, read your history.
17
Guns compound the problem. Get rid of them and you are better able to deal with the problem.
1
You're not allowed to carry your loaded weapon into a court full of people and the same should hold true of a town or city full of millions of other people.
Disarm America NOW!
Disarm America NOW!
The fix would be easy without a criminal organization called the NRA extorting and blackmailing our politicians into inaction on getting rid of the guns. Stop trying to mystify what is obvious.
2
We as a culture are obsessed with finding the root causes, the catalysts...but all we do is make more lists of behaviors that anyone of us could list as our own. Own guns, trained in the military, social, but quiet, employed or not, or between jobs, frequents a gym where self-defense-style training is offered. Young and lives at home, or older and lives alone and quietly, going about their lives making no ripples in the pond, not wanting to...till..
So to-date have we ever managed to stop one of these guys (always men) at their front door? Has a neighbor? Have local LEO's? Have the Feds? (they claim to, randomly, but we never see the evidence)
The reality is there is no script, or means for finding and stopping these sort of people. They will either blow and wreak havoc, or their internal pressure valves will release and they will just fade back into the landscape. And they could be anyone's family members, neighbors, work associates. They could be the good-guy who helps others, or the quiet, reserved guy who struggles with social anxiety, or the sociable, devil may-care guy.
But the news, and especially the TV talking-heads and their hired "expert" guests will fixate on compiling their lists of Why's. Spout How could this guy go unnoticed rants...one side will call for more gun control, the other less.
Yet for all the national clucking and hot-air - the next guy will simply appear from the mists of the general public, and the media will start the whole process over.
So to-date have we ever managed to stop one of these guys (always men) at their front door? Has a neighbor? Have local LEO's? Have the Feds? (they claim to, randomly, but we never see the evidence)
The reality is there is no script, or means for finding and stopping these sort of people. They will either blow and wreak havoc, or their internal pressure valves will release and they will just fade back into the landscape. And they could be anyone's family members, neighbors, work associates. They could be the good-guy who helps others, or the quiet, reserved guy who struggles with social anxiety, or the sociable, devil may-care guy.
But the news, and especially the TV talking-heads and their hired "expert" guests will fixate on compiling their lists of Why's. Spout How could this guy go unnoticed rants...one side will call for more gun control, the other less.
Yet for all the national clucking and hot-air - the next guy will simply appear from the mists of the general public, and the media will start the whole process over.
6
I bet that there are many people who would have shot someone -- except that no gun was available. Face it, people are impulsive, and lazy.
Take away the firearms and none of this stuff happens. 35 people have been killed by police in the UK in the last 17 years. That's 2 per year, vs over 1,000 in the USA. The cops are scared because every traffic stop can be fatal.
22
How do you think the folks they pull over feel? They are much more likely to be executed,..by bullet or hanged in a jail.
You will never be able to take guns away from the gang bangers and career criminals. If there are no legal guns for sale they will import them from the Drug Cartels in Mexico, whom I am sure that the Chinese will me more than happy to supply with more than they can possibly need.
1
What if he ran people over with a truck.
1
Most African Americans are asking this question: "Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?"
So my question is "Why is not White Americans asking this same question?"
So my question is "Why is not White Americans asking this same question?"
5
White America is asking the same question. The recent absolution of Hillary Clinton is proof that the watchers have no one to supervise their actions and so they do as they please.
We're watching and waiting.
We're watching and waiting.
Oh, please... using a private email server is hardly the equivalent of gunning down innocent people with an automatic weapon. I know the GOP is trying to equate these actions, but it does not take a law degree to understand that these are qualitatively different acts.
I am disgusted with all the handwringing about why. The answer is that any idiot or psycho in American can readily get a gun, thanks to the NRA and the Republicsn Criminal Organization . Eliminate there two criminal cabals from American political life and you will solve 90% of the problem. Ask Jerry Brown (the man who SHOULD be president) and the citizens of California: get rid of obstructionist Republican criminals, get rid of NRA terrorists, things improve. Radically.
See: http://www.newsweek.com/2016/04/22/jerry-brown-saves-california-447559.html
And
http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_30102235/mercury-news-editorial-gu...
NO REPUPLICANS IN 2016. NONE. NOT ONE.
See: http://www.newsweek.com/2016/04/22/jerry-brown-saves-california-447559.html
And
http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_30102235/mercury-news-editorial-gu...
NO REPUPLICANS IN 2016. NONE. NOT ONE.
15
We now have trained killers coming back from wars, who can get guns, and act out their frustrations, thanks to our enabling NRA, and the cowards in Congress and the Senate unwilling to standup to them.
Living overseas, when I watched the news of the violence in our country all I could think of was America: Savage Nation.
Now that I'm here, I've confirmed it.
The empire is sinking into a bloody disgusting morass.
Filing my Spanish citizenship papers ASAP.
Living overseas, when I watched the news of the violence in our country all I could think of was America: Savage Nation.
Now that I'm here, I've confirmed it.
The empire is sinking into a bloody disgusting morass.
Filing my Spanish citizenship papers ASAP.
4
Like has been stated over and over: It's the guns! But in addition, given the shooter's apparent background, I wonder if he had not been exposed to service in Afghanistan, if he would have come back a killer. Remember Timothy McVeigh? How many other young men and women have come back from military service - where they came to regard people as enemy targets instead of human beings - with a distorted sense of right and wrong, or with a sense that they need to rid the world of what they see as "evil", i.e., the enemy?
You cannot take a moral person, program him to be completely immoral by killing others, and then expect him to come back a moral person again. It simply defies logic.
While the majority of people come back from military service and manage to blend back into the society, not everyone is that thick skinned, and nobody comes back from a tour of duty in a war zone the same person that they were before they left, for better or for worse.
Until we leave behind the mindsets that dictate that the casualties of war are collateral damage, and that everyone should have the right to bear assault weapons, we will not see an end to mass shootings, period.
You cannot take a moral person, program him to be completely immoral by killing others, and then expect him to come back a moral person again. It simply defies logic.
While the majority of people come back from military service and manage to blend back into the society, not everyone is that thick skinned, and nobody comes back from a tour of duty in a war zone the same person that they were before they left, for better or for worse.
Until we leave behind the mindsets that dictate that the casualties of war are collateral damage, and that everyone should have the right to bear assault weapons, we will not see an end to mass shootings, period.
32
Nice try with the "brainwashed veteran" stereotype. Thousands leave every year and go on to live 100% normal lives, combat veterans or not. Unless you can provide evidence that serving in the U.S. military will contribute to domestic terrorism, you don't have a leg to stand on.
1
You're blaming Republicans for murder? Do you even hear yourself?
Manuela,
The murder rate in Mexico is six times higher than the US's. Your country is being run by the drug cartels in cooperation with your government. How else would 43 students disappear forever? The poverty rate never goes down and your country uses mine as a relief valve to get rid of the people sick to death of a country with no concern for its people.
When have you heard any Mexican public official complain about the US smuggling in 2000 guns under the Fast And Furious program and the US lack of concern for Mexico's sovereignty?
Perhaps if your people had the right to arm themselves you might have a more responsive government?
Clean up the mess in your own country before criticizing mine.
The murder rate in Mexico is six times higher than the US's. Your country is being run by the drug cartels in cooperation with your government. How else would 43 students disappear forever? The poverty rate never goes down and your country uses mine as a relief valve to get rid of the people sick to death of a country with no concern for its people.
When have you heard any Mexican public official complain about the US smuggling in 2000 guns under the Fast And Furious program and the US lack of concern for Mexico's sovereignty?
Perhaps if your people had the right to arm themselves you might have a more responsive government?
Clean up the mess in your own country before criticizing mine.
• Is easy access to guns part of the problem? Yes.
• Is an "us" vs. "them" approach to policing part of the problem? Yes.
• Is an "us" vs. "them" attitude in our public discourse part of them problem (regardless of whom you see as "us" or "them")? Yes.
• Is poor education and a lack of opportunity for young men part of the problem? Yes.
• Is poor training of police part of the problem? Yes.
• Is lack of mental health services part of the problem? Yes.
• Is an increasingly isolated culture with less connection to family and community part of the problem? Yes.
• Is the legacy of slavery and our as-yet incomplete ability to confront and process it part of the problem? Yes.
• Are unconscious racial biases part of the problem? Yes.
---
• Are protestors part of the problem? No.
• Are the majority of police homicidal racists? No.
• Can we come together as a country and find ways to make ourselves better, stronger, and smarter? To find and implement ways to diminish both random acts of lone-wolf gun violence and police shootings? We must.
• Is an "us" vs. "them" approach to policing part of the problem? Yes.
• Is an "us" vs. "them" attitude in our public discourse part of them problem (regardless of whom you see as "us" or "them")? Yes.
• Is poor education and a lack of opportunity for young men part of the problem? Yes.
• Is poor training of police part of the problem? Yes.
• Is lack of mental health services part of the problem? Yes.
• Is an increasingly isolated culture with less connection to family and community part of the problem? Yes.
• Is the legacy of slavery and our as-yet incomplete ability to confront and process it part of the problem? Yes.
• Are unconscious racial biases part of the problem? Yes.
---
• Are protestors part of the problem? No.
• Are the majority of police homicidal racists? No.
• Can we come together as a country and find ways to make ourselves better, stronger, and smarter? To find and implement ways to diminish both random acts of lone-wolf gun violence and police shootings? We must.
39
What is so subtle about this problem to America?
Take away the guns.
Stop the bloodshed.
Take away the guns.
Stop the bloodshed.
19
You never know when guns might come in handy. Like when Americans have to bail another country out of an occupation.
Police Chief David Brown of the Dallas police force was just interviewed on CNN and what a wonderful man. I am probably getting off topic a bit but I was so impressed with this man that I just had to comment about his intelligence and integrity. He was not biased and stood behind his police officers and stated it was not always easy for his men and women doing their jobs for only $40,000 a year. He was supportive of the force and I think his quick thinking led to fewer deaths. Dallas is certainly lucky to have this brave and fair mamas their police chief. I wish him well in all his endeavors and other cities should be so lucky to have such a fine honest police chief running their force.
14
My next to last sentence should have read "Dallas is certainly lucky to have this brave man as their police chief." Sorry for the error.
1
Obviously if ISIS wants to destroy America it should contribute to the NRA and keep those guns getting sold like hotcakes. Why recruit? Just let the NRA run wild.
22
If you want to break the NY Times search engine, enter the word, "gun".
No one can seriously argue that if guns are removed from the hands of 300,000,000 Americans that the killing will not stop, immediately upon the removal of those weapons.
Interesting how violent and angry some people get when the obvious is suggested.
No one can seriously argue that if guns are removed from the hands of 300,000,000 Americans that the killing will not stop, immediately upon the removal of those weapons.
Interesting how violent and angry some people get when the obvious is suggested.
19
It appears to me that this shooter followed the tactics of Mark Essex, the angry black, former military, man who paralyzed New Orleans in a sniper attack against police in 1973. One of the Beltway (Washington DC) snipers, John Allen Muhammad, was also said to have been inspired by Mark Essex.
http://www.theneworleansadvocate.com/news/16346362-123/dallas-police-sho...
http://www.theneworleansadvocate.com/news/16346362-123/dallas-police-sho...
3
Maybe he was inspired by a more recent angry white former military man... It's possible.
2
"America Grieves, Tense and Wary."
This is what the NYT has become? People Magazine headlines?
America is a big place. We are not all grieving, although we are (likely) all concerned about racial tensions. We are sorry, in some abstract way, for the unnecessary deaths of people we never met and do not know, both police officers and private individuals. But you know, hundreds of other people died in car crashes today. Thousands more succumbed to diseases.
Are we grieving them all, in a certified state of tenseness and wariness? I think not. This is just another example of dragging a story out, with as much sensationalism as possible, for as long as possible.
Do I wish our nation could do something more about our continuing race problems? You bet. Do I think Donald Trump is the guy to lead us to the promised land? No. The prospect of Donald anywhere near the White House is what makes me tense.
This is what the NYT has become? People Magazine headlines?
America is a big place. We are not all grieving, although we are (likely) all concerned about racial tensions. We are sorry, in some abstract way, for the unnecessary deaths of people we never met and do not know, both police officers and private individuals. But you know, hundreds of other people died in car crashes today. Thousands more succumbed to diseases.
Are we grieving them all, in a certified state of tenseness and wariness? I think not. This is just another example of dragging a story out, with as much sensationalism as possible, for as long as possible.
Do I wish our nation could do something more about our continuing race problems? You bet. Do I think Donald Trump is the guy to lead us to the promised land? No. The prospect of Donald anywhere near the White House is what makes me tense.
11
As the individual, called Micah Johnson is dead-killed by a bomb because polce claimed it was too dangerous to send police anywhere near him, no one will ever know how much of any of this is trrue, fantasy or concoction. One of the best reasons for not killing people like this is to get them to talk in custody-as Tim McVeigh did, before his execution.
Unfortunately, because someone thought police couldn't be exposed to the horror and danger of actually confronting a man with a gun , who lied and claimed he had numerous explosives-which could have been discovereed by watching him-so he was executed by bomb-a method never before used by police and illegal under US and and UN laws and treaties.
The police might have learned so much had they shot him with a animal tranquilizer which even the Russians have done-if with little skill. But this makes the Russians appear to be masters of the terrorist takedown,(using narcotic gas), All Dallas cops were able to do, after several fruitless hours of thandwringing- was to send in a bomb. Shades of the Road Runner! I wonder if it was in a pizza box or some similar nonsense out of a Warner Brothers cartoons. . .
Unfortunately, because someone thought police couldn't be exposed to the horror and danger of actually confronting a man with a gun , who lied and claimed he had numerous explosives-which could have been discovereed by watching him-so he was executed by bomb-a method never before used by police and illegal under US and and UN laws and treaties.
The police might have learned so much had they shot him with a animal tranquilizer which even the Russians have done-if with little skill. But this makes the Russians appear to be masters of the terrorist takedown,(using narcotic gas), All Dallas cops were able to do, after several fruitless hours of thandwringing- was to send in a bomb. Shades of the Road Runner! I wonder if it was in a pizza box or some similar nonsense out of a Warner Brothers cartoons. . .
8
I'm happy to read someone bringing up the remote controlled execution. It's certainly illegal and cannot be allowed to become the norm. The fact that this happened should send chills down every citizens spine, if the police have bombs in Dallas they have them in your city, why?
1
If he was in a confined area and unable to escape then I thought they'd wait him out. Either he'd give up, (remote chance) of finish himself off. I don't understand why he needed to be blown up.
He said he had planted bombs. For examples of how remote bombs can be activated and kill people, see Iraq.
Hillary Clinton is right. We need to look at where the problem is coming from. It is coming from the guns and the NRA.
We have troubled people in all walks of life. Give them a gun and we have murders in every walk of life.
No guns. No NRA. That is the truth to power and it must be spoken and acted upon if our society is to survive.
We have troubled people in all walks of life. Give them a gun and we have murders in every walk of life.
No guns. No NRA. That is the truth to power and it must be spoken and acted upon if our society is to survive.
15
Texas's policy on "Open Carry" sounds like they're living in a different cenutry, ie., the 1800's.
And just think.....next month college students at all 13 campuses of the UT system may open carry guns to class!
And just think.....next month college students at all 13 campuses of the UT system may open carry guns to class!
11
45 States now have open carry. We need to call in the guns and ban the NRA.
18
Actually, TWENTY-FIVE (25) states allow open carry, five (5) fully prohibit it. It's a simple Google search.
President Obama said it was “very hard to untangle the motives” behind the shooting. Why does this sound similar to the response to the San Bernardino murders, the Fort Hood murder, the Charlie Hebdo murders, the Orlando murders, the NYC cop murders? Is the man just naive? Or is this an attempt to deflect attention from the killers and their motives? Those would be politically incorrect.
11
Why is it not simple to untangle the causes? The shooter was a young male. He was not on an upward life path. He had not formed a stable family. He had learned the military skill of applying force to solve a problem. His deployment to Afghanistan had gone wrong and he had been discharged. So he felt resentful and angry. Maybe his brain chemistry was messed up. (The NRA says these guys are crazy and it's "the government's fault" for not identifying them all and confining them.)
And he identified with an historically disadvantaged minority group. The culture gave him a target for his resentment, something to legitimatize his angere with. in response with the killing (perhaps excusable, to be determined) of other young men by police officers. He had easy access to way, way, way too many lethal weapons.
No doubt there are other factors. But it's silly to think that there is one simple explanation for Timothy McVeigh, Adam Lanza, Dylan Roof, Elliot Rodger, John Zawahri, Syed Farook, Seung-Hui Cho, this guy, and on, and on. Okay, our culture produces and arms these people -- a straight-on explanation. Simple enough?
And he identified with an historically disadvantaged minority group. The culture gave him a target for his resentment, something to legitimatize his angere with. in response with the killing (perhaps excusable, to be determined) of other young men by police officers. He had easy access to way, way, way too many lethal weapons.
No doubt there are other factors. But it's silly to think that there is one simple explanation for Timothy McVeigh, Adam Lanza, Dylan Roof, Elliot Rodger, John Zawahri, Syed Farook, Seung-Hui Cho, this guy, and on, and on. Okay, our culture produces and arms these people -- a straight-on explanation. Simple enough?
1
You are right! Obama should say what motivates all these people is they are crazy and they can get a gun. Oh, what? Not what you want him to say to please your confirmation bias? Well it's what I want him to say, because that is the truth. We let nutballs buy weapons they shouldn't be able to have. These weapons should not be sold to the public. Would this killer have achieved as much damage with a shotgun or a single action bolt rifle? I sincerely doubt it. But if he could then perhaps we should rid the populace of these weapons too.
As for the argument that a better armed citizenry is a polite citizenry...hogwash. That is not playing out as truth in real time is it? Nor is the hypothesis that a good guy with a gun can stop a bad guy with a gun...there were dozens of good guys with guns that night in Dallas and NOT ONE could stop the carnage. Experiment over...scoreboard anyone?
As for the argument that a better armed citizenry is a polite citizenry...hogwash. That is not playing out as truth in real time is it? Nor is the hypothesis that a good guy with a gun can stop a bad guy with a gun...there were dozens of good guys with guns that night in Dallas and NOT ONE could stop the carnage. Experiment over...scoreboard anyone?
1
Stop the Demagoguery!! This is about a highly armed citizenry engaged with a hair trigger police force, mentality, fearing for their lives. Both sides share responsibility.. James Madison warned us all that a democracy requires wary citizens to sift through the blanket of demagogue statements, get to the truth then make intelligent modifications to our laws so our basic freedoms remain.. The real story is guns, the use of guns, the types of guns, who should have guns and how we protect the general population from guns...
9
And yet Madison, author of the constitution wrote the second amendment and insisted that that right will not be infringed. Puzzling..
The Bill of Rights, in which the Second Amendment is found, provided for arming a well-ordered militia in times before the U.S. (and other nations) maintained a full-time professional military. The Amendment was drafted by Madison to codify an antiquated common law principle that existed for many years in England and in the colones before independence. It was not until the 20th century "re-interpretationinsts" on the Supreme Court decided to read the clauses in an entirely illogical and grammatically incorrect way that we ended up with an "individual" right to bear arms.
Holly, you write, "why then do my blm friends think that this shooting of police officers will help their cause? They are making it hard to see them as reasonable."
Your comment is patronizing and insufferable. I find it impossible to believe that you have friends in the Black Lives Matter movement. One deranged gunman fires at police officers during a peaceful demonstration by BLM members, which was being protected by police officers, and you blame BLM? The sad thing is that many whites have done the same, on Facebook and in other places. Or blamed the black community as a whole, here in these comments. Same with the comments blaming Philando Castile for not obeying police orders, although he was doing his best to obey them when the cop shot him. The level of racism in this country never fails to astound me, and I'm in my 70s.
Your comment is patronizing and insufferable. I find it impossible to believe that you have friends in the Black Lives Matter movement. One deranged gunman fires at police officers during a peaceful demonstration by BLM members, which was being protected by police officers, and you blame BLM? The sad thing is that many whites have done the same, on Facebook and in other places. Or blamed the black community as a whole, here in these comments. Same with the comments blaming Philando Castile for not obeying police orders, although he was doing his best to obey them when the cop shot him. The level of racism in this country never fails to astound me, and I'm in my 70s.
4
What does this say about the tenet that the answer to gun violence is to carry a gun to defend yourself? Gun nuts who say that people should carry guns to church, to the movie theater, to a nightclub, to the supermarket -- even Trump saying that kindergarten teachers should keep guns in their desks.
The police in Dallas were armed, yet they were unable to defend themselves and take out this sniper with their guns.
So much for "more guns" being the solution. Especially when the killer has a military-grade assault rifle.
The police in Dallas were armed, yet they were unable to defend themselves and take out this sniper with their guns.
So much for "more guns" being the solution. Especially when the killer has a military-grade assault rifle.
10
It wasn't military grade. I was military and I know the difference. One trigger pull, one bullet. One trigger pull 600 bullets. Big difference. And assault rifle is a term invented by gun controllers to inflame the ignorant who don't know the difference.
The howling outrage expressed by people reacting against the logical conclusion that guns must be removed from society underlines the need for this measure to be pursued post-haste!
14
All these senseless shootings have 1 thing in common. Cops forced by their municipalities to achieve a quota of arrests monthly. Why else would a simple traffic stop turn into a murder situation? Cops are looking for any reason to arrest people. The arrest turns into a revenue generating incident and a summons is the end result. Money comes out of the victim's pocket. 99% of the time that's the end result. Unfortunately, last week was a terrible week where 3 idiotic police officers thought it was in their best interests to shoot 2 innocent civilians who were not looking to fire the weapon they were carrying. All in the name of seeking arrest numbers (quotas). Both of these men had weapons which were concealed and not in a position to do any damage. The Baton Rouge officers tackled a man selling music. A simple frisk and pat down would have located the weapon and the rest could be handled in a non-violent way. First they decide to Taz the man, and when this doesn't work, they move right away to execution because they "feared for their life" or whatever excuse they want to create.
The common denominator in this case, and most cop shooting incidents, is their desperation to achieve their "performance goals" and what not. When America finally wakes up to this sad reality perhaps change can come about. Police officers are here to protect and serve. Their job should not be to create revenue by way of over-policing communities.
The common denominator in this case, and most cop shooting incidents, is their desperation to achieve their "performance goals" and what not. When America finally wakes up to this sad reality perhaps change can come about. Police officers are here to protect and serve. Their job should not be to create revenue by way of over-policing communities.
6
Once again, Obama is right: it is far too easy to acquire firearms in this country. Would the police in Minneapolis have reacted the way they did had they not been certain that the belligerent person they pulled over was armed, in addition to being uncooperative? Is it not easy to justify the militarization of the police when places like Texas have laws permitting people to openly carry long-guns in public, and where criminals are heavily armed with military-grade weaponry?
This country's love affair with guns threatens to turn this place into a giant armed camp. That kind of society cannot function at all. Society cannot function if the government does not have a monopoly on the use of force. Without it, too many people will feel embolden not to follow its directives and once we go down that path we are on the road to chaos and national defeat.
The de-centralized societies have ALWAYS lost to the better coordinated nations governed by the rule of law. We cannot afford to succumb to the rule of the mob at this critical juncture.
This country's love affair with guns threatens to turn this place into a giant armed camp. That kind of society cannot function at all. Society cannot function if the government does not have a monopoly on the use of force. Without it, too many people will feel embolden not to follow its directives and once we go down that path we are on the road to chaos and national defeat.
The de-centralized societies have ALWAYS lost to the better coordinated nations governed by the rule of law. We cannot afford to succumb to the rule of the mob at this critical juncture.
7
A thought experiment, dear friends:
If the NRA and their supporters insist that the 2nd amendment guarantees the right to bear firearms so that citizens are prepared to take up arms against a tyrannical government, what is their response when a fellow citizen does exactly that?
I am not advocating violence, but see here: this man didn't shoot up a school, or a church, or a club. He didn't intentionally target civilians. He targeted police officers, the enforcement arm of the government. He quite literally took up arms against s government (or agents thereof) that he viewed as being tyrannical.
That is what the logical conclusion of the NRA ideology is. Violence against people who were otherwise just doing their jobs. And if that's not acceptable, you gotta ask yourself: just what are all these guns for, anyway?
If the NRA and their supporters insist that the 2nd amendment guarantees the right to bear firearms so that citizens are prepared to take up arms against a tyrannical government, what is their response when a fellow citizen does exactly that?
I am not advocating violence, but see here: this man didn't shoot up a school, or a church, or a club. He didn't intentionally target civilians. He targeted police officers, the enforcement arm of the government. He quite literally took up arms against s government (or agents thereof) that he viewed as being tyrannical.
That is what the logical conclusion of the NRA ideology is. Violence against people who were otherwise just doing their jobs. And if that's not acceptable, you gotta ask yourself: just what are all these guns for, anyway?
18
I agree the NRA is a criminal organization and should be jailed for murder.
13
Whenever I hear people say the Second Amendment was placed in the Constitution to scare the government thus giving the citizenry blanket approval to topple the government, I ask myself, do people who harbor such sentiments really think those men who debated and labored in Philadelphia in 1787 purposefully set up a government in such a way to have it bring about its own demise? Obviously, some think we are perpetually frozen in 1776 and every facet of that era. We are not a nation breaking away from an imperial power. We are a free and independent nation that values ballots over bullets.
1
If you're curious as to why the founders provided for the arming of the people read Federalist Paper #46 written by Madison, Jay and Hamilton.
I private loser becomes a pubic loser. These lone wolves are failures at love, and take their frustration out on killing those who have love. Race was just an excuse to kill here, though it may certainly have been a factor. Most of these "terrorist" young men are loners, and so are the ones who join terrorist organizations. Out of loneliness can come evil.
4
So what about the witness reports that claim there were multiple shots fired from different locations? What about the same claim by Orlando victims who said there was more than one shooter? Even witnesses to the JFK assassination and many others claim more than 1 shooter.
The authorities who are desperately trying to manage the populace do not want us to ever think that a group of men had the courage of their convictions to plan an attack against them because it would lead the rest of us to believe there is organized discontent. They'd much rather have us believe that there are only lone-wolves, crazies and one-offs who do not represent a broader segment of a discontent society. The last thing they want us to believe is that some "Green Mountain Boys" got their 2nd Amendment on.
The authorities who are desperately trying to manage the populace do not want us to ever think that a group of men had the courage of their convictions to plan an attack against them because it would lead the rest of us to believe there is organized discontent. They'd much rather have us believe that there are only lone-wolves, crazies and one-offs who do not represent a broader segment of a discontent society. The last thing they want us to believe is that some "Green Mountain Boys" got their 2nd Amendment on.
1
What about all the false reports? That's what happens when you stir the pot and add lots of guns. It's the guns, the guns and the guns. The big conspiracy is the NRA selling the need for guns to us above all else to kill one another to 'protect our way of death.' Confiscate guns, ban the NRA!! Make America Sane Again!!!
4
" Confiscate guns,"
Yes. All 300,000,000 of them from 100,000,000 owners. May I assume you will join up to to do the house searches for the ones that aren't turned in?
I thought so.
Yes. All 300,000,000 of them from 100,000,000 owners. May I assume you will join up to to do the house searches for the ones that aren't turned in?
I thought so.
MYHUGE, shouldn't be too much of a problem to get the guns owners to comply with the law. They have guns; ergo, they're good guys.
Social media has turned all of us into raving lunatics. We react before knowing the whole story, and the haters seize the moment to hate and manufacture more division. Both sides of the political spectrum use tragedies to push their agenda when they should be working to unite us, not divide us. The inequalities in this country will never be realistically addressed until we come together. Our pathetic leaders on both sides are partially to blame for this entire mess. The average American just sits home and watches a new tragedy unfold on an almost daily basis. When will our leaders work together to unite the country as they are sworn to do.
5
I am fairly optimistic about the future with respect to the trajectory of eliminating racism.
We should not be surprised about "lone wolves" taking extreme measures. With ubiquitous videos of a militarized and at times violent police it becomes clear to many what fewer have felt; the justice system, from enforcement to sentencing, is still very very racist. Who thought that we needed Apple to realize that?
My belief or hope is that the current exposure of that racism is leading to the next chapter in transforming a once racist country to a more egalitarian one.
We just witness history in the making. A future historian can analyze it with benefits of hindsight. For us though, I understand, it looks chaotic, perhaps even like Armageddon.
We should not be surprised about "lone wolves" taking extreme measures. With ubiquitous videos of a militarized and at times violent police it becomes clear to many what fewer have felt; the justice system, from enforcement to sentencing, is still very very racist. Who thought that we needed Apple to realize that?
My belief or hope is that the current exposure of that racism is leading to the next chapter in transforming a once racist country to a more egalitarian one.
We just witness history in the making. A future historian can analyze it with benefits of hindsight. For us though, I understand, it looks chaotic, perhaps even like Armageddon.
4
The NRA is exploiting race to sell guns. They profit from fear and chaos. Cui bene? The age old Roman question. Answer? The NRA.
As we learn more about the shooter, it seems his motivation had more to do with his own personal failure, misplaced anger and a hatred of authority who he blamed. A "normal" and "well-mannered" young man enamored by the uniform, proud to serve his country in the Army Reserve.
And finally deployed overseas, he's sent home in utter disgrace. His goal of valiant service ended an embarrassing failure. It was due to his own conduct, but perhaps he couldn't accept this. There must be another reason; someone he could blame.
His persecution complex took a racial trajectory, and dovetailed well with the anger of radical black-power groups he increasingly followed. Filled with rage, he continued his own militaristic training until he snapped. Two racially charged police shootings provided the catalyst - an opportunity to regain his lost honor as a martyr for the cause.
Many parallels to the Orlando shooter. Someone mentally unbalanced and angry, seeking dignity through violent retribution.
With easy access to a high-powered gun.
And finally deployed overseas, he's sent home in utter disgrace. His goal of valiant service ended an embarrassing failure. It was due to his own conduct, but perhaps he couldn't accept this. There must be another reason; someone he could blame.
His persecution complex took a racial trajectory, and dovetailed well with the anger of radical black-power groups he increasingly followed. Filled with rage, he continued his own militaristic training until he snapped. Two racially charged police shootings provided the catalyst - an opportunity to regain his lost honor as a martyr for the cause.
Many parallels to the Orlando shooter. Someone mentally unbalanced and angry, seeking dignity through violent retribution.
With easy access to a high-powered gun.
5
This is what it comes down to....We have a perfect storm that has led us to where we are. We have deranged people who are killing. That being said, there are deranged individuals everywhere around the world. Yet, the vast majority do not take such actions. Perhaps they have better access to affordable mental health treatment. Perhaps mental health services should be mandatory for those leaving combat.
But there still is one common thread throughout these mass murders in this country and that is the easy access we have to weapons of mass destruction. Weapons that are made to pierce bullet proof vests and destroy the flesh they enter. Weapons that until relatively recently have only been used on the battleground. No other industrialized country has such easy access as we do in the U.S..
Until lawmakers make a united effort to change easy access to these weapons, the NY Times will be reporting on many many more incidences such as Dallas, Orlando, Charleston, Aurora, Roseburg, Newtown, Virginia Tech, Columnbine, San Bernardino, Binghamton and on and on.
But there still is one common thread throughout these mass murders in this country and that is the easy access we have to weapons of mass destruction. Weapons that are made to pierce bullet proof vests and destroy the flesh they enter. Weapons that until relatively recently have only been used on the battleground. No other industrialized country has such easy access as we do in the U.S..
Until lawmakers make a united effort to change easy access to these weapons, the NY Times will be reporting on many many more incidences such as Dallas, Orlando, Charleston, Aurora, Roseburg, Newtown, Virginia Tech, Columnbine, San Bernardino, Binghamton and on and on.
12
While you articulate your concerns quite well, what is overlooked is that no small amount of the firearms economy is illegitimate, and gun traffickers are adept at outgunning (in a manner of speaking) what regulations do exist. The capacity for legislative resolution of this issue is not, to my mind, likely. It would be helpful, again, to my mind, to engage in extensive enforcement of the laws we now have. There would appear to be a good deal of catching up to do.
The ammunition used in the AR15 was around before the rifles were invented. The AK47 is a 30 caliber round available since the 19th century. Only the AK47 has been used in battle before 1960. Existing hunting rifles are more powerful than the AR15. Manufacturers design firearms around existing ammunition.
America you are psycho about your guns. Get rid of them. Jail the NRA. Lose your guns. Join civilization.
31
Does that mean that the creatures of the government, such as the police, FBI and our Dear Leader's Secret Service goons, will also loose their guns or will there be one rule for the and another more restrictive one for "ordinary" people?
5
Thank you Lisbon for seeing reason from afar much more clearly than those here clinging to their precious weapons.
7
The paranoid response from the NRA is that we will be 'tyrannized by the police.' Nope. The police work for us. Lose the guns and the police become safer. They want their pension, they will play by the rules.
The blithering paranoid psychotics who subscribe to the crackpot theory that a bunch of kooks with their guns are going to fight off the army or invading space aliens are to be coddled no longer.
The blithering paranoid psychotics who subscribe to the crackpot theory that a bunch of kooks with their guns are going to fight off the army or invading space aliens are to be coddled no longer.
10
The police are not safer with 45 open carry states.
What 25 years on the force taught me is that carrying a gun doesn't make me safer. It makes me more vulnerable because I'm already armed. Unfortunately, that was part of my job duties. Having to assume that any one of 300,000,000 Americans are packing with statistical certitude in some states is sending this nation into anarchy.
President Bush the first was right to mail back his NRA card. They are an outlaw organization that used to be a decent outfit actually concerned with teaching gun safety. They lost me when they targeted the smart gun initiative being pursued by S&W.
What 25 years on the force taught me is that carrying a gun doesn't make me safer. It makes me more vulnerable because I'm already armed. Unfortunately, that was part of my job duties. Having to assume that any one of 300,000,000 Americans are packing with statistical certitude in some states is sending this nation into anarchy.
President Bush the first was right to mail back his NRA card. They are an outlaw organization that used to be a decent outfit actually concerned with teaching gun safety. They lost me when they targeted the smart gun initiative being pursued by S&W.
30
An anti NRA screed from New Jersey is no surprise. That's the state that allowed a woman to be stabbed to death in her driveway by delaying her request to be armed because of an ex-boyfriend's threats.
No police are willing to use the so-called smart weapons because they've proven unreliable. New Jersey has mandated that they will be the only type of firearm sold in the state as soon as a dependable is designed.
When the Secret Service starts using them let me know.
No police are willing to use the so-called smart weapons because they've proven unreliable. New Jersey has mandated that they will be the only type of firearm sold in the state as soon as a dependable is designed.
When the Secret Service starts using them let me know.
The killer seems to have been practicing his plan of attack for weeks. The facts are not all in, but this guy appears to fit a familiar pattern of mass shooters.
One wonders whether the media would spin this story into a race war if the murderer had chosen to act before the killings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile. The Roanoke TV station shooter thought his co-workers were out to get him because he was black, and gay, and at least twice filed racial discrimination suits against his employers. As in this case, there was for him, a catalyst: "Flanagan claimed to have been provoked by the Charleston church shooting that occurred over two months before and made threatening comments about Dylann Roof, the sole suspect in that crime. He described the church shooting as a "tipping point ... but my anger has been building steadily ... I've been a human powder keg for a while ... just waiting to go BOOM!!!!"" [Wikipedia] He was a difficult, angry man who had trouble with relationships. The media got the story right in his case.
The facts are not all in in this case yet. Yes, racism is real. The anger it engenders is justified. But likely what we will see here, just like in Roanoke, Newtown, Orlando.....is just another angry loner using a high capacity weapon to take out his personal grievances on others. Let's not make this guy into some kind of anti-hero just because he chose to act Friday rather than the week before. He was just another loser, with just another gun.
One wonders whether the media would spin this story into a race war if the murderer had chosen to act before the killings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile. The Roanoke TV station shooter thought his co-workers were out to get him because he was black, and gay, and at least twice filed racial discrimination suits against his employers. As in this case, there was for him, a catalyst: "Flanagan claimed to have been provoked by the Charleston church shooting that occurred over two months before and made threatening comments about Dylann Roof, the sole suspect in that crime. He described the church shooting as a "tipping point ... but my anger has been building steadily ... I've been a human powder keg for a while ... just waiting to go BOOM!!!!"" [Wikipedia] He was a difficult, angry man who had trouble with relationships. The media got the story right in his case.
The facts are not all in in this case yet. Yes, racism is real. The anger it engenders is justified. But likely what we will see here, just like in Roanoke, Newtown, Orlando.....is just another angry loner using a high capacity weapon to take out his personal grievances on others. Let's not make this guy into some kind of anti-hero just because he chose to act Friday rather than the week before. He was just another loser, with just another gun.
8
We all know how our government has an immaculate record when it comes to taking care of its veterans. Yet, both attacks this past week were carried out in Texas by veterans.
And where was our government?
We send our men and women off to serve their country, only to have a government that sends in our militarized police forces to blow them up with drones? Is this what we are fighting for? Where is the freedom in that? Where is the due process? This is the "Thank you for your service" we all deserve?
It is the same thing with American citizens. Our government's completely broken immigration system allows radicalized Muslim extremists into the country where they commit acts of terrorism against American citizens. And where is our government -- blaming American citizens for arming themselves; for doing what their own government is either unwilling or incapable of.
This all started (I wish) when a man was murdered while reaching for his permit to carry a gun.
Even with the Constitution of the United States of America, the Bill of Rights, the 2ND Amendment. Even after following their rules, after submitting to their background checks. Even after legally obtaining a permit to own what is already our right. Even after attempting to follow their instructions they still shoot us dead.
Why our we listening to the biggest gun crazies out there: our government and this president? To them the people will never be cooperative enough; will never be compliant enough.
And where was our government?
We send our men and women off to serve their country, only to have a government that sends in our militarized police forces to blow them up with drones? Is this what we are fighting for? Where is the freedom in that? Where is the due process? This is the "Thank you for your service" we all deserve?
It is the same thing with American citizens. Our government's completely broken immigration system allows radicalized Muslim extremists into the country where they commit acts of terrorism against American citizens. And where is our government -- blaming American citizens for arming themselves; for doing what their own government is either unwilling or incapable of.
This all started (I wish) when a man was murdered while reaching for his permit to carry a gun.
Even with the Constitution of the United States of America, the Bill of Rights, the 2ND Amendment. Even after following their rules, after submitting to their background checks. Even after legally obtaining a permit to own what is already our right. Even after attempting to follow their instructions they still shoot us dead.
Why our we listening to the biggest gun crazies out there: our government and this president? To them the people will never be cooperative enough; will never be compliant enough.
5
It's not about guns or the military. I know that's liberal dogma but it's not real. The police were killed by an unrelenting campaign of hate, racial division and a breakdown in the rule of law. All for getting out the less then enthusiastic Black vote in November. It has been led by Obama, HRC, Democrats and their corporate/establishment media. The country knows that. No amount of flat earth, 19th century left wing spin and lies will change that.
3
It's about guns, not veterans, not race, not sex, not political party or ideology. It's about guns.
Get rid of the guns and you get rid of . . . this.
Get rid of the guns and you get rid of . . . this.
13
Hate speech and paranoid delusions to veer away from the truth - guns must be confiscated and the NRA banned.
The U.S. government has stupidly kept our troops in Afghanistan long after we had any reason to be there.
The U.S. government stupidly invaded Iraq in order to throw thousands of U.S. lives on the trash heap of history for nothing.
The U.S. government, especially the G.O.P. -led Congress, has stupidly failed to take care of veterans.
And the U.S. government created Micah Johnson and then stupidly let Micah Johnson own a gun because Americans stupidly believe that even terrorists have the right to own guns, and because we fail to recognize that the unlimited right to own a gun is a de facto right to commit murder.
I see a pattern emerging here.
The U.S. government stupidly invaded Iraq in order to throw thousands of U.S. lives on the trash heap of history for nothing.
The U.S. government, especially the G.O.P. -led Congress, has stupidly failed to take care of veterans.
And the U.S. government created Micah Johnson and then stupidly let Micah Johnson own a gun because Americans stupidly believe that even terrorists have the right to own guns, and because we fail to recognize that the unlimited right to own a gun is a de facto right to commit murder.
I see a pattern emerging here.
8
"The U.S. government has stupidly kept our troops in Afghanistan long after we had any reason to be there."
You mean Obama right? Or can't you bring yourself to place blame where it belongs? He has been president for almost 8 years.
You mean Obama right? Or can't you bring yourself to place blame where it belongs? He has been president for almost 8 years.
2
When was Micah Johnson identified as a terrorist?
Read Richard Rothstein's (of the Economic Policy Institute) work on the legacy of Federal, State, and local loan and housing policies in creating a segregated culture and vastly disparate household wealth along race lines. Unhealthy police relations are the product of unhealthy communities that are, in turn, a product of an unhealthy culture. If anybody thinks they can fix this with body cams or sensitivity training for police - they're dreaming. End the segregation. End the poverty. End the social inequality. End the failing schools. Stop identifying the victim as the criminal or accept your personal responsibility for more of the same. Anything else is just mindless blather.
10
All very nice and after we ban guns, I'll be happy to read any economic policy papers you like. But, the killing will not stop until the guns are removed from American society.
11
We need some greatness right now, and we don't have any. We need people like Martin Luther King, Teddy Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, or somebody who is willing to say things that people don't want to hear, instead of what will extend or create their political career.
Hillary is hopelessly caught up in her personal ambition, and a tool of the consultants that tell her what to say, how to look, etc. Donald Trump is useless to anybody but himself, hopelessly caught up in his own personal world of narcissism.
The idea that either of these candidates can really inspire others is a pipe dream. To inspire others you have to be thinking about others, not yourself all the time. We have a completely selfish situation going on. The unions are protecting (and covering up) the police, the black community refuses to realize that it is part of the problem and wants only to blame others, the media is in for itself, the Congress and Senate is all for itself.
President Obama is giving his best, but falling short. I fear that he is simply burned out, and I can't blame him. He just doesn't get angry enough to shake things up. He is frustrated, but we need somebody who will start banging a few heads together.
So who can speak to the problem with authority? The only person I can think of right now that has the moral authority and credibility of the size we need right now is Pope Francis. I doubt he'll want to stick his nose into this, but we need greatness right now.
Hillary is hopelessly caught up in her personal ambition, and a tool of the consultants that tell her what to say, how to look, etc. Donald Trump is useless to anybody but himself, hopelessly caught up in his own personal world of narcissism.
The idea that either of these candidates can really inspire others is a pipe dream. To inspire others you have to be thinking about others, not yourself all the time. We have a completely selfish situation going on. The unions are protecting (and covering up) the police, the black community refuses to realize that it is part of the problem and wants only to blame others, the media is in for itself, the Congress and Senate is all for itself.
President Obama is giving his best, but falling short. I fear that he is simply burned out, and I can't blame him. He just doesn't get angry enough to shake things up. He is frustrated, but we need somebody who will start banging a few heads together.
So who can speak to the problem with authority? The only person I can think of right now that has the moral authority and credibility of the size we need right now is Pope Francis. I doubt he'll want to stick his nose into this, but we need greatness right now.
8
America is a nation of children. If we aren't celebrating youth culture, then we have people who should know better acting like kids and parents wanting to be "friends" with their children instead of behaving as responsible adults.
What you are looking for is a responsible adult. Unfortunately you aren't going to find one so long as our culture puts children first and absolves them of learning what it means to solve problems on their own.
What you are looking for is a responsible adult. Unfortunately you aren't going to find one so long as our culture puts children first and absolves them of learning what it means to solve problems on their own.
1
Why didn't all those guns at the rally, carried both by police and legally by protesters, stop the sniper, as the NRA said that it would? Were less people killed because of the presence of all of those guns? I don't think so. Were police confused by all of the people openly carrying long guns?
67
I'm really not sure what one expects of people carrying a handgun or rifle, but the majority, by far, don't just start shooting because there's a shot fired. Most legal gun owners are responsible and not out looking to stop a sniper/mass killer. And, if I were police, with all this focus on "killing" black men, you don't think some would hesitate before just blasting yet another with gun fire?
There are many, many officers who never, in their career, shoot their weapon.
There are many, many officers who never, in their career, shoot their weapon.
1
How is it that its against the law to shoot people yet that law didn't stop Mr. Johnson from committing his horrific act.
How is it that ALL of those Big Bad Terrible People at that rally who were peacefully exercising their rights to open carry didn't hurt ONE single person?
According to the Gun Grabbers if you have people who are peacefully openly carrying a gun and a bad guy starts shooting then that tragedy will be compounded a 100 X's by those who are peacefully carrying guns -Why?
Because they will instantly take their guns and start shooting - they wont be able to stop the bad guy - they only will kill innocent people.
YET that did NOT happen
How is that possible?
OH I know it's because those people who were lawfully and peacefully openly carrying guns are really just cowards.
They ran away instead of loading their weapons and firing at a bad guy they could not see
.
Did you notice in some of the videos the police had drawn their weapons yet they were not firing - why was that? - because being responsible means you don't just pull a weapon out and start shooting at people for no reason and any one who does police or civilian is a whackado!
Why is it the Gun Grabbers are continually wrong about what it means to be a law abiding gun owner?
How is it that ALL of those Big Bad Terrible People at that rally who were peacefully exercising their rights to open carry didn't hurt ONE single person?
According to the Gun Grabbers if you have people who are peacefully openly carrying a gun and a bad guy starts shooting then that tragedy will be compounded a 100 X's by those who are peacefully carrying guns -Why?
Because they will instantly take their guns and start shooting - they wont be able to stop the bad guy - they only will kill innocent people.
YET that did NOT happen
How is that possible?
OH I know it's because those people who were lawfully and peacefully openly carrying guns are really just cowards.
They ran away instead of loading their weapons and firing at a bad guy they could not see
.
Did you notice in some of the videos the police had drawn their weapons yet they were not firing - why was that? - because being responsible means you don't just pull a weapon out and start shooting at people for no reason and any one who does police or civilian is a whackado!
Why is it the Gun Grabbers are continually wrong about what it means to be a law abiding gun owner?
2
The number of guns greatly complicated the policing problem and dispatching the shooter. Your statements are factually false and provable as such.
At the time of the shooting there were multiple sightings of others with guns who the police thought were part of an organized attack. It is a tribute to the improved discipline of the Dallas police that they detained, questioned and discharged these folks instead of killing them. But, did having a crowd of armed people help this situation? You cannot be serious.
At the time of the shooting there were multiple sightings of others with guns who the police thought were part of an organized attack. It is a tribute to the improved discipline of the Dallas police that they detained, questioned and discharged these folks instead of killing them. But, did having a crowd of armed people help this situation? You cannot be serious.
Guns are for wars. America is terrorizing itself. The NRA is laughing to the bank.
36
I don't know all the details of Philandro Castile shooting. I understand the Police officer fired several shots at Mr. Castile. The girlfriend states Mr. Castile stated he was carring and had a lincense. Did Mr. Castile ever draw his weapon?
Why several shots fired by the police officer? Did the officer just panic? I don't know what happened. but if these shotings were by black police officers on white people white America would react. Lets all just take a moment and reflect being Black in America is not the same as being white. Once we understand that we all can try to find resolutions and tranquility together.
Why several shots fired by the police officer? Did the officer just panic? I don't know what happened. but if these shotings were by black police officers on white people white America would react. Lets all just take a moment and reflect being Black in America is not the same as being white. Once we understand that we all can try to find resolutions and tranquility together.
5
A much larger percent of the shooting deaths of whites are by police than those of black Americans. Whites don't immediately react to every death with a tribal "us against them" lynch mob mentality.
2
For an excellent illustration of the problem, go to Google and punch in "philandro castile video." One of the first sites displayed is from Breitbart. I doubt you can find a more vicious pack of lies unless you search out attacks on Hillary Clinton. Alec (or Alex) Jones is another illustration of the same thing. Or read the news comments given on AOL. All of the sites mentioned have the same characteristics; i.e., outright lies, vicious speculation, distortion of fact, removal from context, and in the case of AOL, ignorance, stupidity, and limited literacy.
1
I read one article which said Mr. Castile had been "pulled over" by the police 52 X's
I'm white and at least 20 years older than Mr. Castile was and I haven't been pulled over 1/2 that number of times.
Why is it he or any person of color is "selectively enforced?"
A broken taillight? And now we have a man who has a women and a child in the car with him and he is shot and killed?
I don't know what type of driver he was but I'm going to assume he was within the "margin of error" the same type of driver I am
yet I lived for the majority of my life in California and for many years routinely drove 40-50 thousand miles per year and in one year 1989 I put close to 60,000 miles on a work vehicle. I do not know the number of miles he drove but I strongly doubt his mileage driven was anywhere near mine.
You would think based on mileage driven if he had been pulled over 52 X's I would have been pulled over 104 X's
I'm white and at least 20 years older than Mr. Castile was and I haven't been pulled over 1/2 that number of times.
Why is it he or any person of color is "selectively enforced?"
A broken taillight? And now we have a man who has a women and a child in the car with him and he is shot and killed?
I don't know what type of driver he was but I'm going to assume he was within the "margin of error" the same type of driver I am
yet I lived for the majority of my life in California and for many years routinely drove 40-50 thousand miles per year and in one year 1989 I put close to 60,000 miles on a work vehicle. I do not know the number of miles he drove but I strongly doubt his mileage driven was anywhere near mine.
You would think based on mileage driven if he had been pulled over 52 X's I would have been pulled over 104 X's
Ideologically polarized rhetoric, heated by a media desperate for higher ratings, is leaving America black and blue.
13
Amen
It's all about selling more guns- race is just gasoline for the fire the NRA is using to heat the pot for more gun sales.
So if this guy didn't have a gun please explain to us all how all this would have happened anyway? Guns make this sort of thing something to wake up to every morning.
GUNS MUST GO!
GUNS MUST GO!
27
Is everyone blind? Dumb? Brainwashed? It's the guns!
Disarm America now!
Whoever it was who said the NRA is a criminal organization under the RICO Act is dead on right. They must be taken out and the guns must go!
Disarm America now!
Whoever it was who said the NRA is a criminal organization under the RICO Act is dead on right. They must be taken out and the guns must go!
34
Your blaming the right because the left has started a bloody rebellion?
"They must be taken out and the guns must go!"
That's phrase used when an enemy is to be attacked and wiped out as in killed.
You must as well realize this sooner than later.
There 300,000,000 guns out here owned by 100,000,000 people. Pass all the laws you like. They'll still be 100s of millions of gun out here. Are you for house to house searches?
Military folks hate doing house to house searches. It's one of the worst things they do because it's more dangerous than almost any other activity.
Are you saying they should go to someones house and fire 00 buckshot from a shotgun through windows and toss in grenades as part of this search? What is your tolerance for the tremendous loss of life this would require. Casualties would be on both sides.
Is this your solution for high unemployment? Hiring lots of military to search houses and the inevitable need for replacements? Thee would be retaliation of course.
Are you telling us we need a civil war?
That's phrase used when an enemy is to be attacked and wiped out as in killed.
You must as well realize this sooner than later.
There 300,000,000 guns out here owned by 100,000,000 people. Pass all the laws you like. They'll still be 100s of millions of gun out here. Are you for house to house searches?
Military folks hate doing house to house searches. It's one of the worst things they do because it's more dangerous than almost any other activity.
Are you saying they should go to someones house and fire 00 buckshot from a shotgun through windows and toss in grenades as part of this search? What is your tolerance for the tremendous loss of life this would require. Casualties would be on both sides.
Is this your solution for high unemployment? Hiring lots of military to search houses and the inevitable need for replacements? Thee would be retaliation of course.
Are you telling us we need a civil war?
Another young man who drifted into extremism. He should have received mental health counselling after returning from war. Sadly the gun laws in Texas made it very easy for him to acquire powerful weapons and ammunition. Something must be done to limit access to military-style rifles.
16
He didn't serve in a combat position.
He worked in an Army Construction division as a carpenter and concrete mason. They aren't trained for offensive action.
I was a SEABEE Construction Electrician. I am trained to handle defensive maneuvers not offensive.
This guy taught himself the SEALs "shoot and move" offensive maneuvers.
I was a SEABEE Construction Electrician. I am trained to handle defensive maneuvers not offensive.
This guy taught himself the SEALs "shoot and move" offensive maneuvers.
Thought he may have had PTSD. Heard Chief Brown's comments about his behaviour, very bizarre. Thank you for your info.
Anyone bother to ask the right people near him about his motivations. They might get an answer they don't like - one that has become politically incorrect:
"Wells Newsome Sr., whose son by the same name deployed to Afghanistan with Johnson, said he had never met Johnson but had theories about his motivations.
“It’s just that these young black men are tired of white cops killing us,” he said, adding that he thought Johnson’s actions had nothing to do with his military service.
“It’s more along the lines of waking up and seeing the news and seeing unarmed black men getting murdered,” Newsome said. “I don’t think Afghanistan had nothing to do with his mind-set. He fought for this country and is still considered a third-class citizen.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/conflicting-image...
"Wells Newsome Sr., whose son by the same name deployed to Afghanistan with Johnson, said he had never met Johnson but had theories about his motivations.
“It’s just that these young black men are tired of white cops killing us,” he said, adding that he thought Johnson’s actions had nothing to do with his military service.
“It’s more along the lines of waking up and seeing the news and seeing unarmed black men getting murdered,” Newsome said. “I don’t think Afghanistan had nothing to do with his mind-set. He fought for this country and is still considered a third-class citizen.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/conflicting-image...
3
Maybe he should've been considered worse than a third-class citizen, since all he did was prove people right that he was a racist deranged murderer.
2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2ghdM66U4Y
the problem is excessive force being used by police
they are shooting kids 12 years old for a toy gun
they are shooting guys with a garden hose in their hand, dead
they are shooting Sunday school teachers with their hand on a door handle, for no reason.
wake up, the police are OUT OF CONTROL. the shootings in Dallas are only a defensive reaction to it by the black community
the problem is excessive force being used by police
they are shooting kids 12 years old for a toy gun
they are shooting guys with a garden hose in their hand, dead
they are shooting Sunday school teachers with their hand on a door handle, for no reason.
wake up, the police are OUT OF CONTROL. the shootings in Dallas are only a defensive reaction to it by the black community
3
I hadn't known that "the black community," wanted to be defended by disgraced soldiers who were obviously hate-filled nutjobs.
2
Insane. The people carrying guns at the demonstration were fortunate not to be shot as suspected perpetrators once gunfire broke out. In a chaotic situation such as that, a police officer often has to make a quick decision on what action to take.
The killing of innocent black people at the hands of police is a tragedy. So was this crime. We are at war with ourselves.
The killing of innocent black people at the hands of police is a tragedy. So was this crime. We are at war with ourselves.
13
What scares me more than Trump is the manipulation of language and the truth. Micah Johnson said he wanted to shoot white people, specifically white cops. President Obama said it "was very hard to untangle the motives" behind the shooting. An act of terror is reduced to an issue with gun control. We do need gun control--badly--but every time the narrative shifts for political expediency, every time our leaders and the media obfuscate what was made very clear by the killer himself, they hand over another vote. Step outside the NYT for a minute and read the comments of the people praising Chief David Brown for being honest and direct. They don't want more guns, they don't want a wall. They just don't want to be gaslighted.
9
No guns, no shootings.
9
Is it really that simple? Here I was worried not just about guns (and they worry me plenty), but also about intolerance, extremism, terrorism, and the like. I worried about the systemic issues that too often find their outlet in firepower, but failing that, will find another way. I worried that if we had a myopic focus on the manifestation but not also on the motivation, hatred and enmity would continue to flourish and seek alternate methods of violence. But it appears that if we ban all guns (and I'm actually fine with that), we have nothing to worry about.
These comments are both sad and politically hilarious.
They are an instruction manual on how to fashion a PC narrative around a black man killing white cops.
Blame it all on guns.
They are an instruction manual on how to fashion a PC narrative around a black man killing white cops.
Blame it all on guns.
16
The murderer clearly stated that he was tired of white cops killing black men.
Dan Kravitz
Dan Kravitz
1
Just because a madman clearly states something doesn't make it true, and he doesn't necessarily understand his own motivation. He didn't care much about black lives mattering if he planned to plant bombs and exposed innocent civilians to a gunfight, as he did.
Was 25 year old cop killer black military veteran Donald Xavier Johnson another 24 year old cop killer white military veteran like Lee Harvey Oswald or like 25 year old white military veteran cop killer Charles Joseph Whitman- the University of Texas, Austin Tower shooter?
Was Donald Xavier Johnson another Gabriel Prosser, Denmark Vesey or Nat Turner engaged in a battle against the lingering historic racially colored legacy of humanity denying African enslavement and equality defying Jim Crow where cops kill innocent unarmed blacks with impunity?
Does it matter whether Johnson was cruel, craven or crazy?
Was Donald Xavier Johnson another Gabriel Prosser, Denmark Vesey or Nat Turner engaged in a battle against the lingering historic racially colored legacy of humanity denying African enslavement and equality defying Jim Crow where cops kill innocent unarmed blacks with impunity?
Does it matter whether Johnson was cruel, craven or crazy?
4
It mattered that they all had guns and access to ready ammunition.
6
Yes. Of course it does. There's an important difference between killing someone out of hatred and in accordance with an ideology and killing someone because the murderer is insane and listening to voices in his head.
The first is an act of either war or terrorism. The second is a tragedy.
The first is an act of either war or terrorism. The second is a tragedy.
Does this put a new wrinkle in the gun control debate? No longer 'just' blacks killing each other while a hundred million other Americans play out their fantasies with guns in the closet. Now we have a justifyable
3
Micah Johnson is not the first military veteran, nor will he be the last, to "unload" his frustrations, by unloading magazines of bullets on innocents. Is it possible that Timothy McVeigh, himself a Bronze Star awardee, may have been the inspiration for the now-popular IED used so lavishly by ISIS and the Taliban? You must admit it was attention getting.
I don't see or hear anyone blaming America's military for either of these acts of terrorism. But it certainly wouldn't be any more ludicrous to do so than to do, as Rush Limbaugh does, blame the Black Lives Matter movement.
I don't see or hear anyone blaming America's military for either of these acts of terrorism. But it certainly wouldn't be any more ludicrous to do so than to do, as Rush Limbaugh does, blame the Black Lives Matter movement.
32
He barely made it through high school and then went into the employer of last resort military as a disturbed misfit loner with LOTS of problems. He was never in a combat zone, he was never an asset to his unit, instead spent his time as essentially a day laborer with no skills but sexually terrorizing female soldiers and amping up his black militancy on the taxpayer dime.
6
Ponder if you will:
Maybe, perhaps, perchance..
If the nation placed a higher priority on delivering the benefits used to entice impressionable young men and women to enlist in the military, it wouldn't have to improvise, adapt, and overcome this and similar atrocities.
Of course, whether proper, timely delivery of veterans' benefits would have altered the course of events is unknowable, but one thing is not.
Veterans' benefits are routinely and systematically withheld for a variety of reasons, many of which, if not most, have to do with financial considerations.
It's difficult to ascertain how any positive financial advantage or savings of any form is gained in delaying and denying veterans' benefits when the nation will pay for the actions of a single veteran not only in the near-term, but for many years, if not throughout the lifetimes of so many Americans affected by the events of July 7, 2016.
As a military veteran, it's possible the perpetrator was more familiar w/ the 27 grievances articulated in the Declaration of Independence than other citizens. If so, he may have found "Grievance 15" unfathomable.
(When it was written, British soldiers acted as police officers.)
Grievance 15 reads:
"For protecting them [police officers], by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States"
All Americans should find it unfathomable.
The only change in 240 years appears to be the uniforms.
Anyone else see this?
#G15
Maybe, perhaps, perchance..
If the nation placed a higher priority on delivering the benefits used to entice impressionable young men and women to enlist in the military, it wouldn't have to improvise, adapt, and overcome this and similar atrocities.
Of course, whether proper, timely delivery of veterans' benefits would have altered the course of events is unknowable, but one thing is not.
Veterans' benefits are routinely and systematically withheld for a variety of reasons, many of which, if not most, have to do with financial considerations.
It's difficult to ascertain how any positive financial advantage or savings of any form is gained in delaying and denying veterans' benefits when the nation will pay for the actions of a single veteran not only in the near-term, but for many years, if not throughout the lifetimes of so many Americans affected by the events of July 7, 2016.
As a military veteran, it's possible the perpetrator was more familiar w/ the 27 grievances articulated in the Declaration of Independence than other citizens. If so, he may have found "Grievance 15" unfathomable.
(When it was written, British soldiers acted as police officers.)
Grievance 15 reads:
"For protecting them [police officers], by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States"
All Americans should find it unfathomable.
The only change in 240 years appears to be the uniforms.
Anyone else see this?
#G15
6
After "W" gave out the tax cuts in 2003, (The wealthy saved enormous amounts). Then "W" said the Gov. could no longer afford VA benefits and ended the enrollment for those not injured in the war. Those, who served, and were counting on VA health care, as was always the case, were suddenly left without it. The Veterans had to go to the HMO's and pay through the nose, most certainly to big republican donors who were making millions in bonuses running these HMO's. Great scam "W" and Republicans, tell us again how you care for the Veterans. We were promised VA health care and you slammed the door shut as soon as you had a Republican President. (Who, by the way was appointed 5 to 4 by the supreme court.)
Veteran, Viet Nam era, 1965-1967
Veteran, Viet Nam era, 1965-1967
2
When will Americans get it !!! The gun problem is one of America’s most serious problems.
On guns, Americans need to recognize four facts:
1. Since 1968 more Americans have died from gunfire than died in all the wars of America’s history. There have been 1,516,863 gun-related deaths since 1968 in contrast to the total of 1,396,733 war deaths since the American Revolution.
2. There was a total of 33,636 deaths related to firearms in 2013. That amounts to a death rate by firearms of 92 persons per day !!! Both the total and the annual rate of all gun deaths per 100,000 of persons have increased over recent history and are the highest in the civilized world.
3. There are an estimated 357 million firearms. An estimated 31% of households, or one in three Americans own guns.
4. Most of the discussions on the need to improve controls on guns and gun ownership are debates on the margins. Any new legislation to strengthen gun controls will affect only new purchases of guns. Any such new legislation will leave the remaining guns already owned unaffected, grandfathered by earlier laws. Tinkering on the margins has not and never will work.
The key issues are the proliferation of and the easy access to guns.
Are the 92 gun deaths per day and every day committed by responsible citizens ??? NOPE !!! Every day it is “shoot-em-up at the OK corral” !!!
America: Demand Congress to repeal the Second Amendment.
The new law should be called: “The Innocents’ Law.”
Bring peace to America.
On guns, Americans need to recognize four facts:
1. Since 1968 more Americans have died from gunfire than died in all the wars of America’s history. There have been 1,516,863 gun-related deaths since 1968 in contrast to the total of 1,396,733 war deaths since the American Revolution.
2. There was a total of 33,636 deaths related to firearms in 2013. That amounts to a death rate by firearms of 92 persons per day !!! Both the total and the annual rate of all gun deaths per 100,000 of persons have increased over recent history and are the highest in the civilized world.
3. There are an estimated 357 million firearms. An estimated 31% of households, or one in three Americans own guns.
4. Most of the discussions on the need to improve controls on guns and gun ownership are debates on the margins. Any new legislation to strengthen gun controls will affect only new purchases of guns. Any such new legislation will leave the remaining guns already owned unaffected, grandfathered by earlier laws. Tinkering on the margins has not and never will work.
The key issues are the proliferation of and the easy access to guns.
Are the 92 gun deaths per day and every day committed by responsible citizens ??? NOPE !!! Every day it is “shoot-em-up at the OK corral” !!!
America: Demand Congress to repeal the Second Amendment.
The new law should be called: “The Innocents’ Law.”
Bring peace to America.
41
Er... who do you think pulls these triggers? Other guns? The bulk of these murders are by people who obtain the guns illegally. Let's enforce and strengthen the laws, not go down the slippery slope of changing the Constitution to suit ideology.
If, heaven forbid, abortion is considered murder by any loud group of people (and it is - by religious extremists), then the next stage is to destroy Roe v. Wade. A slippery slope, indeed.
If, heaven forbid, abortion is considered murder by any loud group of people (and it is - by religious extremists), then the next stage is to destroy Roe v. Wade. A slippery slope, indeed.
1
It is not necessary to abolish the second amendment...simply give each household a musket...only a musket....as the original second amendment intended...then ship every NRA member to Russia. Yes, I am discouraged.
4
Err . . . if there were no triggers to pull and no guns to pull them on, where would the flying bullets be coming from??
Don't give us patently false equivalencies like Roe v. Wade. That battle has been fought in the courts and right to choice has won.
The gun battle is being fought in the streets and its being exploited by the white supremacists and the hate mongers and it's far from clear that the vast majority are winning a blessed thing. To the contrary.
Don't give us patently false equivalencies like Roe v. Wade. That battle has been fought in the courts and right to choice has won.
The gun battle is being fought in the streets and its being exploited by the white supremacists and the hate mongers and it's far from clear that the vast majority are winning a blessed thing. To the contrary.
Micah Johnson was no different than any other foot soldier in the army or marines, they all spend countless hours at the range honing shooting skills, because THAT'S THEIR JOB in time of war.
the police need to wake up and stop brutalizing the public with this "shoot first" agenda training. the police will shoot someone dead first, ask questions later, because this way the victim can't sue the policeman, police dept., and city if they survive.
that's all there is to it. their way out is kill dead, dead men can't sue or talk later.
this isn't just a race issue, because it's happening to whites too. A LOT.
the good, honorable police, if there are any left, need to police and cull their OWN RANKS, and remove these madmen from their ranks, who give them a bad reputation.
the police need to wake up and stop brutalizing the public with this "shoot first" agenda training. the police will shoot someone dead first, ask questions later, because this way the victim can't sue the policeman, police dept., and city if they survive.
that's all there is to it. their way out is kill dead, dead men can't sue or talk later.
this isn't just a race issue, because it's happening to whites too. A LOT.
the good, honorable police, if there are any left, need to police and cull their OWN RANKS, and remove these madmen from their ranks, who give them a bad reputation.
7
Once a gain a former military person uses his sniper training to commit unspeakable murder and mayhem in Dallas. do we really need to know his name and see his picture? why?
Instead NY TImes should focus on the gun- when did he get it?
Would he have passed scrutiny for an in depth background check? Who sold him the Ammo? how much ammo? Did anyone in his family about his behavior, actions and words plus fact he had guns? Why not?
Instead NY TImes should focus on the gun- when did he get it?
Would he have passed scrutiny for an in depth background check? Who sold him the Ammo? how much ammo? Did anyone in his family about his behavior, actions and words plus fact he had guns? Why not?
5
As with 9/11, we are failing to ask (or face the answer of) the question, "why do they hate us?" And regardless of what the conspiracy theorists (one of whom was on NPR) might think, the answer should be obvious: we cannot have law and order when the law is so unfairly applied.
3
“As we’ve seen in a whole range of incidents with mass shooters, they are, by definition, troubled,” Mr. Obama said. “By definition, if you shoot people who pose no threat to you — strangers — you have a troubled mind. What triggers that, what feeds it, what sets it off, I’ll leave that to psychologists and people who study these kinds of incidents.”
We did that everyday in Vietnam, even bombed them too, even encouraged more of it, and gave out medals and promotions, too. Did the same thing with Bush-Cheney Iraq invasion and war. Citizens even paying taxes to accomplish these killings.
What's new here in human history? What's normal, really?
"What triggers that?" A good question. He might start with a phone call to Bush and Cheney. Then call Obama about his use of drones and Clinton about her blowing up Libya.
Bet all four can justify the killing of "strangers", innocent and "guilty" alike.
We did that everyday in Vietnam, even bombed them too, even encouraged more of it, and gave out medals and promotions, too. Did the same thing with Bush-Cheney Iraq invasion and war. Citizens even paying taxes to accomplish these killings.
What's new here in human history? What's normal, really?
"What triggers that?" A good question. He might start with a phone call to Bush and Cheney. Then call Obama about his use of drones and Clinton about her blowing up Libya.
Bet all four can justify the killing of "strangers", innocent and "guilty" alike.
5
So now we'll get off track about guns and whatever else, when improving mental healthcare resources should be the focus. This guy snapped, there are plenty more like him now simmering who will eventually bubble over.
6
When people snap doesn't it make sense to keep guns out of convenient reach? That's easier and more efficiently done across the board.
When people snap and they're holding a gun in one hand and a feather in the other, which are they going to think of using first? Tickle or kill?
When people snap and they're holding a gun in one hand and a feather in the other, which are they going to think of using first? Tickle or kill?
There is an eerie parallel between the Charleston Church Massacre and the Dallas Ambush. The shooters in both incidents were motivated by news media accounts of intraracial homicides. After visiting a website that focused on black-on-white murders, Charleston shooter Dylann Roof wrote in his manifesto that, “There were pages upon pages of these brutal black on white murders. I was in disbelief. How could the news be blowing up the Trayvon Martin case while hundreds of these black on white murders got ignored?” Dallas sniper Micah Xavier Johnson said he was outraged by news media accounts of white-on-black murders, including the Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown shootings as well as white cops shooting blacks. The question arises: Does the news media report interracial homicides in such a way as to make white-on-black homicides seem more numerous than black-on-white homicides? The FBI Uniform Crime Report (Expanded Homicide Data Table 6) shows that 446 blacks murdered whites while 187 whites (including Hispanics) murdered blacks in 2014, the most recent year for which data is complete. But many Americans appear to think white Americans are waging a race war against black Americans. Would better balanced reporting reduced racial animosity?
11
Actually, what we think is that we've got a prob with the ways that cops tend to treat people of color, and especially with the ways that far too many black guys end up dead because of it.
We think this because of the various studies, the video, and what people like the Dallas chief say.
Oh, and being wacky, we also think that Murder Is Wrong.
We think this because of the various studies, the video, and what people like the Dallas chief say.
Oh, and being wacky, we also think that Murder Is Wrong.
1
The MSM including this paper hypes these reports because it thinks that people tend to ignore these incidents and that they need to "scream", exaggerate, and color the news to grab people's attention. At this point, it is having the opposite effect. The incomplete reporting and lack of attention to detail is causing millions to cast doubt at best or at worst tune out completely.
2
Actually the relevant parallel is that each nut had access to a gun and ammo. Confiscate the guns. Put away your crime stats. Watch the shooting rate plummet.
4
So the shooter did not need to know the route of the march in advance, because the "open carry" laws of Texas allowed him to blend into the scenery carrying his assault weapon. So much for the Chief of Police's out-dated initial worry that there might be some "complicity" to investigate between the march organizers and the killer.
Once again we have a mentally unbalanced lone wolf with a personal arsenal, this time given cover by extreme pro-gun laws that fly in the face of any notion of public safety. Did the other armed citizens carrying long guns at the scene shoot back? Not by any report. Most likely and thankfully, they sensibly ran for cover and to get away like everyone else. So much for the vigilante defense of unregulated gun ownership.
Maybe this time, because the shooter was an angry black man, not white, not Muslim, and the victims were police, the danger of easy access to firearms will sink into racist America's thick heads. But I'm not holding my breath.
Once again we have a mentally unbalanced lone wolf with a personal arsenal, this time given cover by extreme pro-gun laws that fly in the face of any notion of public safety. Did the other armed citizens carrying long guns at the scene shoot back? Not by any report. Most likely and thankfully, they sensibly ran for cover and to get away like everyone else. So much for the vigilante defense of unregulated gun ownership.
Maybe this time, because the shooter was an angry black man, not white, not Muslim, and the victims were police, the danger of easy access to firearms will sink into racist America's thick heads. But I'm not holding my breath.
32
"President Obama said it was “very hard to untangle the motives” behind the shooting." It is for the wealthy elite politicians who make policies but have absolutely no idea about the hardships these policies have imposed on the average American. The political elite have ruined this country for their own gain and this is why I believe someone like Trump has been able to go as far as he has. MJ could be very correct in saying "The end is near".
9
Remember Dan, no time has been without it's troubles. It's important to keep a balanced perspective. Civil unrest is nothing new. I agree with your comments on the elite politicians and Trump.
2
"MJ" was a mentally unbalanced, isolated loner, like many mass killers. Paul Schrader and Martin Scorcese nailed this type of character in the movie "Taxi Driver". These people decide they are morally superior to society, and then they look for a cause and act on it, with deadly results.
4
Bullet-Riddled Bodies Do Not Lie. GUNS KILL. Get them off the streets of America. WE must DEMAND that EVERY gun in America be REGISTERED on a national database, state LICENSED and FULLY INSURED FOR LIABILITY. Our lives and the lives of our loved ones, neighbors and co-workers depend on it.
Gun lovers WE do not want your guns. We want your guns to stop killing us. NOW.
Gun lovers WE do not want your guns. We want your guns to stop killing us. NOW.
20
I would imagine that all of the government worshiping liberal/progressives would love this idea as it would be just the first step in confiscating all guns, except those of the crooks who would never register them. Also think of how many more useless, parasitic bureaucrats it would add to the government payroll. For the progressives, there can never be too much government, in their ideal world everyone should work for their great god government, or at least a non-profit organization, never for an evil for-profit entity, just like in the old Soviet Union.
4
You need to check your facts. George W. Bush increased government spending more than the six preceding presidents including LBJ. In 8 years Clinton increased the budget 12.5 percent while Bush increased government spending by 53 percent. You may not care about the truth, but it's out there if you are interested.
2
I don't worship the government. But, I don't go all moist over guns either, especially in the hands of my neighbor who has a double digit IQ and could likely shoot my dog for barking and miss and hit my kid. So, I would imagine that I'd rather have every ''crook'' with a gun know that they are automatically going away for 20 years and that every law abiding citizen is disarmed. And your puny little guns would do nothing against the army or even national guard, so put that puny lie to bed please.
I'm a high school teacher in Brooklyn. I have worked in some of the worst neighborhoods. I have to try to get black inner city youth to learn algebra and geometry. Sometimes they get rude. They are teenagers. I am alone in a room with 34 people that don't want to listen to what I am asking them to do. Some times they get angry and threaten me. Some of them are under intense pressure in their home lives. Some have just been thrown against a fence and insulted by the cores on their way to school.
I have to do my job without the threat of violence. I can't beat a kid up and arrest them for resisting arrest. I can't whip iut a gun and empty a clip into a kid, even if he looks like he might take a swing at me. I have to calm them down and deescalate the situation. I have to earn respect, not impose fear.
Vans go around and pick up teens that are not in school and bring them to me, so I work with the same people the cops do. The idea that they have to start beating on people that are rude to them is wrong, because it is demonstrably false, and because the results are bad. European countries, many with lots of black and Muslim people living there, do not have cultures of violence like that we have created here.
We have created a country where violence is the only solution to every problem.
Stop and think and find new solutions. We can create a world based on tolerance, respect, and mutual support.
I have to do my job without the threat of violence. I can't beat a kid up and arrest them for resisting arrest. I can't whip iut a gun and empty a clip into a kid, even if he looks like he might take a swing at me. I have to calm them down and deescalate the situation. I have to earn respect, not impose fear.
Vans go around and pick up teens that are not in school and bring them to me, so I work with the same people the cops do. The idea that they have to start beating on people that are rude to them is wrong, because it is demonstrably false, and because the results are bad. European countries, many with lots of black and Muslim people living there, do not have cultures of violence like that we have created here.
We have created a country where violence is the only solution to every problem.
Stop and think and find new solutions. We can create a world based on tolerance, respect, and mutual support.
34
The writer of this letter ought to be invited to the White House for consultation.
1
"Disgraced Soldier Honed Skills to Deadly End in Dallas"
From the article's description:
"But Mr. Johnson did not succeed. While overseas, a female soldier in Mr. Johnson’s unit accused him of sexual harassment. When the Army considered kicking him out, he waived his right to a hearing in exchange for a lesser charge."
There is nothing in the description of the shooter's military service that warrants its entire characterization as "disgraced".
From the article's description:
"But Mr. Johnson did not succeed. While overseas, a female soldier in Mr. Johnson’s unit accused him of sexual harassment. When the Army considered kicking him out, he waived his right to a hearing in exchange for a lesser charge."
There is nothing in the description of the shooter's military service that warrants its entire characterization as "disgraced".
4
The biggest problem in the black community is not police bias. It's not the gun laws. Of course those things need to be part of the discussion, but putting them front and center is akin to putting the cart before the horse. The root of the problem is lack of opportunity, lousy and dangerous public schools, and 70% out-of-wedlock births. Until the President, the black elites, and our cowardly politicians are willing to focus on the real problems, nothing will get better. They are doing a terrible disservice to the black community by not focusing on the truth. In 2015, Chicago, a city with arguably the strictest gun control laws in the country, had 2996 shootings. 444 deaths resulted from those shootings, 28 deaths from stabbing. and another 30+ deaths were caused by other means. Blacks make up 75- 80% of both assailant and victim stats. Gun laws and police bias have nothing to do with those sick and disgusting statistics. It's not going to be a pretty conversation, but the focus must start by taking a serious look inside these communities where violence, gangs and a total disregard of law is the culture that dominates. We are spinning in circles, getting nowhere, and the President is only making things worse by not using his unique opportunity to tackle these problems with wisdom, leadership and unity.
25
That has already been dismissed as not part of the theme. We are only allowed to discuss murderous police officers hunting innocent black men as sport,
That's where we are.
That's where we are.
7
Evidently, you did not read the description of the racially integrated, patriotic flag-flying suburban neighborhood where the shooter spent some of his childhood at the home of his father and step-mother. Mesquite, Texas, where he graduated from high school, is a town of only 139,000 that is 59% white.
This is not some boogeyman from some inner city "ghetto" where, as you put it, "violence, gangs and a total disregard of law is the culture that dominates." That itself is a racist fantasy, because the overwhelming majority of Americans living in poor urban neighborhoods are just law-abiding Americans trapped in distressed circumstances, victims of violence by the few and of a larger American legal culture that most evidently exempts police officers from standards of justice that apply to everyone else.
However little you like it, when it comes to mass shootings, we are going to have to talk about guns and who should have them, not race. Armed and unhinged does not discriminate.
This is not some boogeyman from some inner city "ghetto" where, as you put it, "violence, gangs and a total disregard of law is the culture that dominates." That itself is a racist fantasy, because the overwhelming majority of Americans living in poor urban neighborhoods are just law-abiding Americans trapped in distressed circumstances, victims of violence by the few and of a larger American legal culture that most evidently exempts police officers from standards of justice that apply to everyone else.
However little you like it, when it comes to mass shootings, we are going to have to talk about guns and who should have them, not race. Armed and unhinged does not discriminate.
4
Of course the President and every black leader there is has discussed exactly this problem, but you go right ahead.
It does raise a little issue about who's responsible when citizens in a democracy walk around with their fingers in their ears and their eyes squeezed shut, chanting LALALA, though.
It does raise a little issue about who's responsible when citizens in a democracy walk around with their fingers in their ears and their eyes squeezed shut, chanting LALALA, though.
Most people don't realize this but the average police officer in the Unites States never needs to fire his weapon on the job.
We need to rethink how officers are trained and we need to get rid of those who cannot meet the new standards.
Police MUST be trained, and tested, under stress conditions, in scenarios where they are challenged to make split second decisions when identifying a threat. This could be done on live action courses where potential threats "pop up" randomly and the officer must distinguish between a thug with a gun and an innocent papa carrying a baby. They must learn to take a scenario in at a glance and immediately identify both potential threats and innocent bystanders. This training in "threat recognition" can also be be done via video simulation, much like a video game.
This training must be on-going. Officers should be required to log in time EVERY MONTH on a course with live ammo, or via video simulation. Participation should be mandatory and all scores recorded. They also need to undergo a test every year for competency in weapon handling AND capacity to accurately distinguish between threats and innocent bystanders under stress conditions.
Many departments don't require on-going testing other than proving competency with a weapon by shooting at a stationery target once a year.
No police officer goes to work thinking he's going to shoot someone that day. But every one wonders if they will be shot. We must prepare for this stressful work.
We need to rethink how officers are trained and we need to get rid of those who cannot meet the new standards.
Police MUST be trained, and tested, under stress conditions, in scenarios where they are challenged to make split second decisions when identifying a threat. This could be done on live action courses where potential threats "pop up" randomly and the officer must distinguish between a thug with a gun and an innocent papa carrying a baby. They must learn to take a scenario in at a glance and immediately identify both potential threats and innocent bystanders. This training in "threat recognition" can also be be done via video simulation, much like a video game.
This training must be on-going. Officers should be required to log in time EVERY MONTH on a course with live ammo, or via video simulation. Participation should be mandatory and all scores recorded. They also need to undergo a test every year for competency in weapon handling AND capacity to accurately distinguish between threats and innocent bystanders under stress conditions.
Many departments don't require on-going testing other than proving competency with a weapon by shooting at a stationery target once a year.
No police officer goes to work thinking he's going to shoot someone that day. But every one wonders if they will be shot. We must prepare for this stressful work.
6
Does anyone have access to video of what exactly occurred prior to Philandro Castile being shot? I sure don't and I saw a historical and upset officer screaming in despair that he told Castile not to reach for his gun. Yet, every single statement asserts, as a fact, that he just shot him for sport.
Is there anything worse than a public opinion lynch mob armed with half of a story? I know...I get it...witch hunts are fun and public stonings are a real hoot. It's comforting to be on the side of the monster hunters.
Are we going to actually get this officers story (Hispanic by the way) or just move to the execution phase and not waste the time? I do know one thing for sure, irrespective of evidence, anything less than a conviction will be another excuse for ignorant yet 'justified' violence.
The officer has every right to defend and speak to his actions in a court of law in front of a jury of his peers. He might even have a different version of events than his girlfriend, Diamond,
Is there anything worse than a public opinion lynch mob armed with half of a story? I know...I get it...witch hunts are fun and public stonings are a real hoot. It's comforting to be on the side of the monster hunters.
Are we going to actually get this officers story (Hispanic by the way) or just move to the execution phase and not waste the time? I do know one thing for sure, irrespective of evidence, anything less than a conviction will be another excuse for ignorant yet 'justified' violence.
The officer has every right to defend and speak to his actions in a court of law in front of a jury of his peers. He might even have a different version of events than his girlfriend, Diamond,
7
Glancing at the NYTime the last few days, the story at the top of the front page has been about the Dallas cops that were killed and not the men that were killed by the cops in MN and LA. Why is that?!?!
4
Isn't it obvious. Black lives are less valued. I think the Constitution say a black life is 3/5 of a white life. Until the Constitution is amended nothing will change.
2
Probably because the cops were doing their jobs and reacting to what they perceived as threats. The Dallas shooting by the coward Johnson was murder.
9
You are seriously uninformed, Tullymd.
2
This is very sad. When these people killed civilians, they received only minor responses from both the public and other law enforcement officers. However, when the a black man killed police, the whole media exploded.
4
The obsession here is guns and shooting. Race simply provide a pretext for more guns and shooting. Mica Johnson was returned to America damaged goods good at killing with a gun. For those of you wondering at the confusion in his head, read Atticus Lish's, ''Preparation for the Next Life.''
For those of you who'd like to prevent the next shooting - confiscate the guns, ban and prosecute the NRA under the RICO Act, and return America to a civil democracy from a permanent state of terror and war.
For those of you who'd like to prevent the next shooting - confiscate the guns, ban and prosecute the NRA under the RICO Act, and return America to a civil democracy from a permanent state of terror and war.
114
This is no idle comment! I have read Atticus Lish and this comment is correct - the human fragments our society of making of people is a tragic thing. But, giving tragic fragments guns on the way out the door does not make all this better.
The rest of the 8-year-olds may have their tantrums, but they must be de-gunned if we are to have our society survive in tact.
The rest of the 8-year-olds may have their tantrums, but they must be de-gunned if we are to have our society survive in tact.
Let's not ignore the failings of our laws that allow individuals to maintain lethal arsenals and get away with becoming one-man armies. The longer we ignore the elephant in the room, the more lives it is going to trample out. Easy access to deadly weapons facilitates the actions of unbalanced folk. Columbine, Sandy Hook, etc... infants shooting parents, snipers targeting cops, what more is it going to take? We should be ashamed of the nation we have become.
12
I hope we are not discounting the (potential) PTSD component of this horrific act. While it seems evident that there was clearly a racial, police brutality component, we need to examine what other stresses were in this individual's life that led t this senseless act. Many of our combat veterans are struggling to reintegrate themselves into American society and we need to do more as a nation to address their issues. Supporting our troops involves a lot more than parades, bumper stickers and pats on the back.
6
Does Hillary Clinton carry a gun? Does Barack Obama, Bernie Sanders, Donald Trump? Given that carrying a gun seems to be this country's highest expression of American patriotism, it shouldn't be long before all our politicians will be armed to the teeth and It will be as common to open-carry as is the little flag pin politicians wear today. I'm imagining the debates! . . .
4
How about the neighbor who saw Johnson doing his military exercises in his back yard?
No comment to the police. Why? This is not "normal" behavior.
Johnson had anti-white comment on his Facebook page.
Add a up a few simple observations and you have a basis for at least checking this guy out.
The 4th Amendment does not prevent people, including the police, from accessing information that you voluntarily make available to the public. No Constitutional issue here.
No comment to the police. Why? This is not "normal" behavior.
Johnson had anti-white comment on his Facebook page.
Add a up a few simple observations and you have a basis for at least checking this guy out.
The 4th Amendment does not prevent people, including the police, from accessing information that you voluntarily make available to the public. No Constitutional issue here.
3
There was an article in todays NY Times that addressed the issue of whether the data support the idea that black people are treated more violently by police (after accounting for the number of crimes by race). It has evidently been taken off from the front page.
At any rate, even after accounting for the number of crimes committed by race, black people are more likely to be injured or killed by police.
Note that most police departments -- people we pay to protect us -- do not release their statistics to the public. Only several handfuls of police departments released their incident statistics to the public. Look for, ask for incident statists by race: how many people stopped, how many people injured, how many killed, how many booked by race.
At any rate, even after accounting for the number of crimes committed by race, black people are more likely to be injured or killed by police.
Note that most police departments -- people we pay to protect us -- do not release their statistics to the public. Only several handfuls of police departments released their incident statistics to the public. Look for, ask for incident statists by race: how many people stopped, how many people injured, how many killed, how many booked by race.
8
When I google-searched to remind myself of his name I saw Nola.com ran a piece on it, but I'm a little surprised the media in general hasn't drawn any comparisons between what happened in Dallas and what happened in New Orleans around New Years 72/73 (the Mark Essex/New Orleans sniper incident).
2
In Texas, as this article states, "the carrying of rifles is largely unregulated and requires no permit." Even the tragic murder of the five policemen has not changed how the public accepts the NRA interpretation of the 2nd Amendment as "absolute" rather than the original-intent interpretation of former Justice Scalia, much less even more modern views. The NRA does not consider any of the other nine Bill of Rights amendments or other Constitutional rights as unconditional: an example is due process, the NRA's main argument against putting "no-fly" suspects (including likely terrorists) onto the "no-buy" gun list--while the NRA remains silent on the killing, without due process, of black males carrying though not using legal arms. The NRA's White to Bear Arms against a sea of black troubles is clearly stated in quotes by its top executives on the website of the tax-exempt NRA Foundation, funded by tax-deductible donations and thus subsidized by all U.S. taxpayers...including black and white targets of uncontrolled gun violence.
2
MK from Michigan:
You could substitute the words "trailer trash" for black, or blue collar white, or any number of epithets. Most whites in this country are also undereducated, and also listen to questionable leaders; see Donald Trump.
It's not about black; it's about American culture in general.
You could substitute the words "trailer trash" for black, or blue collar white, or any number of epithets. Most whites in this country are also undereducated, and also listen to questionable leaders; see Donald Trump.
It's not about black; it's about American culture in general.
4
The 'good guys' need more guns before they can step up to being 'good guys'.
3
Little wonder that NRA blowhard Wayne LaPierre has been strangely silent for the past week. No more bluster about good guys confronting bad guys with guns. Applied to the three gun-violence episodes in St. Paul, Baton Rouge, and Dallas, his widely quoted comment about good guys and bad guys explodes in his face.
In St. Paul and Baton Rouge, the good guys were citizens who had a legal right to carry guns. The bad guys were policemen who shot them to death.
In Dallas, the good guys were the policemen well-armed with guns, and yet five of them were shot to death by one bad guy in legal possession of a rifle he had learned to use, all too well, in the military service. Ultimately it took far more than a gun to stop this bad guy's murderous rampage. It took a grenade.
Cat got your tongue, Wayne LaPierre?
In St. Paul and Baton Rouge, the good guys were citizens who had a legal right to carry guns. The bad guys were policemen who shot them to death.
In Dallas, the good guys were the policemen well-armed with guns, and yet five of them were shot to death by one bad guy in legal possession of a rifle he had learned to use, all too well, in the military service. Ultimately it took far more than a gun to stop this bad guy's murderous rampage. It took a grenade.
Cat got your tongue, Wayne LaPierre?
22
You conveniently ignore the fact that - unlike in what 99% of deaths by fire arms and even mass murders, epecially when police is at a scene - this murderer - clearly motivated by hate and racism against whites - used a huge strategic advantage: as a sharpshooter fired at policemen from a top of a building, invisible to his targets ... or policemen and civilians with guns on the ground below.
Lee Harvey Oswald was , hiddent at upper floor of bood depository, also invisible to JFK entourage and Dallas policemen.
Lee Harvey Oswald was , hiddent at upper floor of bood depository, also invisible to JFK entourage and Dallas policemen.
Oh, it's true that guns don't kill people, people do. But strictly regulate—"...a well regulated militia"—their means of doing so and the killings will decline drastically.
Every gun owner licensed. Every gun liability insured. Assault weapons banned, waiting periods and background checks.
There. That'll put a dent in things.
It'll help sort the racist problems, too.
Every gun owner licensed. Every gun liability insured. Assault weapons banned, waiting periods and background checks.
There. That'll put a dent in things.
It'll help sort the racist problems, too.
11
So in essence, blaming Black Lives Matter for the actions of Micah Johnson, a deeply troubled man, is misguided. Yet, some have rushed to do so anyway.
This misuse of the Dallas tragedy to impugn the work of a profoundly important movement must end — it is unfair to all involved, especially the police officers who lost their lives.
As others have pointed out, you can respect our law enforcement personnel and grieve when officers fall in the line of duty, while also seeking to end systemic abuses heaped on African-Americans. These are not mutually exclusive — they are in fact two sides of the same justice coin.
Nor should we overlook our nation's continuing failure to address gaps in our mental health care system, which is apparently among the factors in the Dallas tragedy.
There is also the most obvious issue here: the continued proliferation of weapons intended for mass killing, an absolute absurdity after so many massacres.
Today, I grieve for the officers lost; I stand with our police and Black Lives Matter; and I wish for a nation that provides better mental health care, less instruments of mass killing, equal justice under the law, and safety for those who serve and protect.
This is a complex matter to be sure and must be addressed that way, not simplistically misused for any agenda. Reasonable and decent people are ultimately all on the same side here.
@ricfouad
This misuse of the Dallas tragedy to impugn the work of a profoundly important movement must end — it is unfair to all involved, especially the police officers who lost their lives.
As others have pointed out, you can respect our law enforcement personnel and grieve when officers fall in the line of duty, while also seeking to end systemic abuses heaped on African-Americans. These are not mutually exclusive — they are in fact two sides of the same justice coin.
Nor should we overlook our nation's continuing failure to address gaps in our mental health care system, which is apparently among the factors in the Dallas tragedy.
There is also the most obvious issue here: the continued proliferation of weapons intended for mass killing, an absolute absurdity after so many massacres.
Today, I grieve for the officers lost; I stand with our police and Black Lives Matter; and I wish for a nation that provides better mental health care, less instruments of mass killing, equal justice under the law, and safety for those who serve and protect.
This is a complex matter to be sure and must be addressed that way, not simplistically misused for any agenda. Reasonable and decent people are ultimately all on the same side here.
@ricfouad
15
It didn't take a good guy with a gun to stop a bad guy with a gun, it took a robot.
Another problem from the pov of police officers, and the reason officers fire first in this country and ask questions later, is because so many people are armed. Let's face it, they're understandably scared.
Republican Congressmen and Senators should grow a spine, stand up to the NRA and stop this madness.
Another problem from the pov of police officers, and the reason officers fire first in this country and ask questions later, is because so many people are armed. Let's face it, they're understandably scared.
Republican Congressmen and Senators should grow a spine, stand up to the NRA and stop this madness.
17
Bound to happen... surprised not sooner... Often disenfranchised people will attack those they believe responsible for their predicament... Sometimes an individual -- in this case a generic-- the police.
Before all the stuff about guns.. remember he could have blown himself up.. or done other things to "get even." PS this does not make police tactics correct-- nor the wall of blue that protect people who often are predisposed towards bullying and fear. (I remember the Connecticut town that would not hire educated people to be policemen-- because they would be bored as was stated at the time or because they might not conform to all sorts of codes?? and might become whistleblowers which we need a lot more of.. and who in courts of law can sometimes be treated very badly... Archer Daniels Midland.. read that case..
Before all the stuff about guns.. remember he could have blown himself up.. or done other things to "get even." PS this does not make police tactics correct-- nor the wall of blue that protect people who often are predisposed towards bullying and fear. (I remember the Connecticut town that would not hire educated people to be policemen-- because they would be bored as was stated at the time or because they might not conform to all sorts of codes?? and might become whistleblowers which we need a lot more of.. and who in courts of law can sometimes be treated very badly... Archer Daniels Midland.. read that case..
1
I'm very sorry for the murder of those five police officers, and for the pain of the others that were shot (both police and bystanders). I don't know if more and better services for our returning veterans would have helped Micah Johnson; I hope so.
I do know that I am heartsick that, now that police officers (instead of innocent black men) have been killed, all of the headlines, editorials and Face the Nation are focused on their murders. If only the senseless murder of a black man who complied with a police request to get his wallet, when pulled over for a broken taillight, would receive such attention. If only the awful murder of a man pinned to the ground and submissive by a police gun received such attention.
I'm white, 58, and have never been pulled over for a broken taillight, failure to signal a turn, etc. I never thought about it before; I just didn't think police did than anymore, but now I am certain it is because I'm not black.
Police training needs to be drastically, wholistically overhauled, with strong emphasis on absolutely equal protection for their population, equal respect, and a very strong emphasis on nonviolence first. Learn from England, where cops don't carry guns.
I do know that I am heartsick that, now that police officers (instead of innocent black men) have been killed, all of the headlines, editorials and Face the Nation are focused on their murders. If only the senseless murder of a black man who complied with a police request to get his wallet, when pulled over for a broken taillight, would receive such attention. If only the awful murder of a man pinned to the ground and submissive by a police gun received such attention.
I'm white, 58, and have never been pulled over for a broken taillight, failure to signal a turn, etc. I never thought about it before; I just didn't think police did than anymore, but now I am certain it is because I'm not black.
Police training needs to be drastically, wholistically overhauled, with strong emphasis on absolutely equal protection for their population, equal respect, and a very strong emphasis on nonviolence first. Learn from England, where cops don't carry guns.
18
You make no sense. Maybe the reason you were not pulled over because your tail-light wasn't broken? It had nothing to do with your color.
You use the example that in England cops don't carry guns and this is what should happen here? You are not realistic. A country awash in guns and you want to send the officers into the jungle without a weapon? AT the very least, what happened to common sense?
You use the example that in England cops don't carry guns and this is what should happen here? You are not realistic. A country awash in guns and you want to send the officers into the jungle without a weapon? AT the very least, what happened to common sense?
4
A cop making a mistake--even if you consider it a huge mistake--is not even close to premeditated murder.
2
Having spent a good deal of my life living England, I know that an unarmed police force would not be practical in the US - unless the Supreme Court reverses what I believe is its misinterpretation of the Second Amendment and private ownership of firearms is vastly curtailed for anything besides membership in a 'well formed militia', hunting (with a limited variety of guns) and maybe target shooting of again a limited selection of weapons to be kept at licensed ranges.
Still, as my friends on London's Metropolitan Police Force frequently remind me: the US police could learn a lot from UK. In the US police tend to over-dramatize and escalate situations. In the UK, police are thoroughly trained in lowering the tension of dangerous situations - even where firearms are involved.
Still, as my friends on London's Metropolitan Police Force frequently remind me: the US police could learn a lot from UK. In the US police tend to over-dramatize and escalate situations. In the UK, police are thoroughly trained in lowering the tension of dangerous situations - even where firearms are involved.
6
I am surprised to see the NYT bury the connection between a mass shooter and sexual harassment/abuse so far down in this article (par. 21). Given the connections that are emerging between these two forms of violence (e.g., the recent Orlando nightclub shooter), and the massive implications of this connection for society, I would have thought that it deserved to be in the headline, or at least the picture caption. But then, I'm one of those funny people who think that Women's Lives Matter.
17
The "progressive" media feeds the hate with pure propaganda, facilitating the "hands up" lie, and jumping to conclusions in every case where there is white cop/black confrontation. They press the message that all white cops are racist, and don't clarify when new information comes to light, for example one of the latest incidents the cop was a Hispanic.
10
You are responsible for my opinion of you, jacobi. I don't find you either convincing or respectable.
1
And your point is? That it's okay to shoot black men during traffic stops for the crime of trying to take out identification?
1
I simply don't care Steve.
His anger was not ignited by "2 shootings". He has seen a lot all over the world. His perspective is much larger than "2 shootings". He is angry about the state of affairs and he is reflecting what he sees those in authority doing. If we expect civilians to behave then those who are in charge must be the example. You can not aggravate, mistreat, and kill people and expect them to be happy and nice. That's stupid to expect that. Wake up people! More retaliation is on the way. He was very brave to be willing to die along with those he shot. That's more than I can say for cops who shoot innocent people.
3
"He was very brave to be willing to die along with those he shot". Are you serious? This comment of yours tells me you are a dyed-in-the-wool racist. Black racist to boot, I assume. Otherwise your comment makes absolutely no sense.
9
No. Murder of innocents is not the proper answer to anything. And the notion that cops are systematically killing blacks is incorrect.
5
"In Texas, gun owners can legally and openly carry what are known as long guns, including shotguns and rifles."
In Texas the expression "Orange is the new Black" has to be changed to "Carrying a Shotgun is the new Black" and pretty soon obviously all over the US.
In Texas the expression "Orange is the new Black" has to be changed to "Carrying a Shotgun is the new Black" and pretty soon obviously all over the US.
There is no question that the NRA is indirectly responsible for the deaths of the policemen in Dallas and the motorist who was murdered by a cop in Minnesota as well as too many other gun deaths in the United States. Now is the time for a "Class Action" law suit against the NRA and of course its membership, for aiding and abetting violence and murder in America. The argument that law abiding citizens carrying weapons of mass destruction can prevent crimes has proven wrong over and over again. allowing their widespread availability. We need a "class action" law suit brought against the NRA, including all their officers and membership, that will bankrupt them for being responsible for this violence and bloodshed. Take away the means they have for re-electing the whores they support in the Congress. Next, we need to boot out of office every member of Congress who doesn't support gun legislation similar to what is now in effect in more civilized countries with a vey small fraction of the per capita homicides in the U.S. (e.g. Australia). The 2nd Amendment to the Constitution was never meant to produce this effect. Guns were supposed to be available for a "WELL-REGULATED MILITIA".
44
I think the "well regulated militia" has the Congress cowering at gunpoint now.
4
The NRA's argument that open carry laws keep people safer is once again proven false. Instead, once again, access to high-powered guns enable a madman to mow down multiple innocent people. Perhaps the FBI should monitor gun clubs and shooting ranges more than mosques and political groups.
25
Is there any law more stupid than allow people to carry a "long gun" in public without a permit? While I understand people who live in rural areas may want to carry a rifle to protect their livestock or even themselves from wildlife, there is a world of difference between a rifle and an AR15 or AK47. Hunters do not need that type of weaponry unless they're doing a drive-by duck hunt just for the thrill of killing something...anything.
19
Except this shooter had neither an AR-15, or an AK-47. His choice in rifle was not even a variant or anything resembling either of these.
1
No, it was a "tactical" AK74 capable of holding 30-round clips. Please refrain from stating facts before they are all in.
Wrong. He used a military-style semi-automatic rifle. Same difference.
A lot of thoughts! Back in 2011, Gabrielle Giffords, a Congresswoman from Arizona was ambushed by a gunman and shot in the head at point blank range. She lived, barely, and six other people died.
6
I'm with Andrew from Yarmouth: I do not read the NYTimes for this sensationalism, this descent into Rupert Murdoch territory. Please go back to reporting the news. Clickbait will kill you eventually.
14
WOW! "Sensational? What's sensational about the article?
3
You don't have to read it...
3
Discussing this guy, our media betrays its total disconnect from our military.
Shoot and scoot tactics are old. Native Americans used them in the Indian Wars of the 19th Century. It was routinely taught in WW2. Our advisers emphasized it to the Afghan guerrillas fighting the Soviets. It was our standard experience of enemies in Iraq and Afghanistan for the last 14 years.
The rifle this guy used in not an assault rifle. It is semi-automatic only and has a fixed magazine. It is also not very accurate, although it is notably reliable and cheap.
Every guy with any training can shoot this well. With any deer rifle, most any trained person can do a lot better.
This guy showed nothing new. It was nothing that ought to have surprised. If the wars were to come home, this is what it had to look like.
In fact, if anyone else ever tries this, he'd be quite able to do a better job of it, and kill a lot more. There are an awful lot of guys who know how coming back from the wars.
Shoot and scoot tactics are old. Native Americans used them in the Indian Wars of the 19th Century. It was routinely taught in WW2. Our advisers emphasized it to the Afghan guerrillas fighting the Soviets. It was our standard experience of enemies in Iraq and Afghanistan for the last 14 years.
The rifle this guy used in not an assault rifle. It is semi-automatic only and has a fixed magazine. It is also not very accurate, although it is notably reliable and cheap.
Every guy with any training can shoot this well. With any deer rifle, most any trained person can do a lot better.
This guy showed nothing new. It was nothing that ought to have surprised. If the wars were to come home, this is what it had to look like.
In fact, if anyone else ever tries this, he'd be quite able to do a better job of it, and kill a lot more. There are an awful lot of guys who know how coming back from the wars.
10
Apologists for our racist institutions keep saying that what black criminals do to other blacks is worse.
First the police should be held to a higher standard than being better than criminals.
Second, Black culture in this country was molded by the racist institutions. We spent hundreds of years ripping black families apart, beating them for trying to think for themselves, torturing them for daring to learn to read and write, telling them they are all criminals, calling them uppity for speaking "proper" English, and telling them, "don't bother aspiring to anything because you'll never amount to anything," and doing everything our institutions can to make these things come true.
And they have internalized these centuries of propaganda as our institutions hoped they would. I have students that repeat the racist lies like fact. "Black people can't learn, mister." "Black people are criminals mister." Black people can only do sports or hip hop, mister."
Third, this shooter was trained to kill by our government. Our military taught him that some people are less than human and need to be exterminated. Once you teach someone to think like that, it is easy for them to transfer this idea to other people, even white cops.
The root of our problem is not the guns. It is a culture that loves violence for the sake of violence, and cannot come up with any solution to a problem that does not involve violence.
Find peaceful solutions..
First the police should be held to a higher standard than being better than criminals.
Second, Black culture in this country was molded by the racist institutions. We spent hundreds of years ripping black families apart, beating them for trying to think for themselves, torturing them for daring to learn to read and write, telling them they are all criminals, calling them uppity for speaking "proper" English, and telling them, "don't bother aspiring to anything because you'll never amount to anything," and doing everything our institutions can to make these things come true.
And they have internalized these centuries of propaganda as our institutions hoped they would. I have students that repeat the racist lies like fact. "Black people can't learn, mister." "Black people are criminals mister." Black people can only do sports or hip hop, mister."
Third, this shooter was trained to kill by our government. Our military taught him that some people are less than human and need to be exterminated. Once you teach someone to think like that, it is easy for them to transfer this idea to other people, even white cops.
The root of our problem is not the guns. It is a culture that loves violence for the sake of violence, and cannot come up with any solution to a problem that does not involve violence.
Find peaceful solutions..
1
He didn't come back from war...he was not in a fighting unit, and he was originally dishonorably discharged for sexual harassment. Was he angry? Sure...that is a hallmark of sexual harassment. Was he really concerned about police brutality against Black men? No history of his suffering any, and he picked the wrong police force to attack if he did have that motive. My husband is an Infantry combat Vet 1968, wounded, plenty of action & was a sharpshooter. He & I prefer to live in a state that respects gun laws so idiots and violent minds are not easily acquiring guns of any kind...and we know plenty of legitimate hunters here in upstate NY .
3
Rosemarie Amendolia,PhD -- This man had the MOS 21W, in the Engineer Corps. It is a demanding specialty including heavy structural work, but it is certainly not limited to that.
He got Pre-Deployment Training as part of his unit, per Army Reg 350-9.
A substantial part of each such unit performs "force protection duties." That means they are trained for combat in their pre-deployment phase.
What they actually do when they get there depends on what needs doing. Some artillery units patrol as infantry. Engineers doing "route clearance" patrol as infantry looking for IEDs. Units man their own perimeter, in guard towers and patrols and defensive positions. They are all qualified on their personal weapons, expected to use them to defend their unit.
They are all made aware of the basic threats in country, and that means snipers, IEDs, and prepared attacks on their perimeter. There are preparatory courses developed for each of these, and they all take the courses.
Yes, this guy was taught to do what he did.
He got Pre-Deployment Training as part of his unit, per Army Reg 350-9.
A substantial part of each such unit performs "force protection duties." That means they are trained for combat in their pre-deployment phase.
What they actually do when they get there depends on what needs doing. Some artillery units patrol as infantry. Engineers doing "route clearance" patrol as infantry looking for IEDs. Units man their own perimeter, in guard towers and patrols and defensive positions. They are all qualified on their personal weapons, expected to use them to defend their unit.
They are all made aware of the basic threats in country, and that means snipers, IEDs, and prepared attacks on their perimeter. There are preparatory courses developed for each of these, and they all take the courses.
Yes, this guy was taught to do what he did.
This is another sad story, but it's difficult for people to process that Mr. Johnson was an individual... an outlier, in statistical terms. He does not reflect the views and wishes of our population at large. Mr. Johnson did perpetrate a horrific act, which shocks us all and perhaps leads us to errant thinking about aspects of our culture. By far and away, our society interacts civilly.
So too are the officers in Baton Rouge and St. Paul individuals who took the outsize actions that they did. They are outliers that do not reflect policing norms in this country. Of course people will interpret these acts as a national behavior against civil rights, just as Mr. Johnson's actions could be interpreted.
The acts of individuals can cause unwarranted disruption in a culture. One can compare Israeli-Palestinian relations. There was some hope of peace in 2000 until some questionable individual acts on both sides angered both populations to destroy the peace process.
It's difficult to avoid angry, polarizing responses to these incidents. But we need to understand that ours is a resolute culture that is founded on an ideal of equality. While there are incidents in our history that counter that ideal, they should not be cause to destroy the foundation on which this nation is built.
So too are the officers in Baton Rouge and St. Paul individuals who took the outsize actions that they did. They are outliers that do not reflect policing norms in this country. Of course people will interpret these acts as a national behavior against civil rights, just as Mr. Johnson's actions could be interpreted.
The acts of individuals can cause unwarranted disruption in a culture. One can compare Israeli-Palestinian relations. There was some hope of peace in 2000 until some questionable individual acts on both sides angered both populations to destroy the peace process.
It's difficult to avoid angry, polarizing responses to these incidents. But we need to understand that ours is a resolute culture that is founded on an ideal of equality. While there are incidents in our history that counter that ideal, they should not be cause to destroy the foundation on which this nation is built.
7
The NRA wants to remind everyone that, " More Guns'll solve everything " and here in New York, we have a similar refrain, " More Taxes'll Solve Everything ! "
So much for the good guy with a gun stopping the bad guy with a gun.
As I have said before, unless the good guy with a gun has proper training, it's useless.
Here, the good guys contributed to the carnage by confusing the police as to where the shooting was coming from. Then those good guys (wisely) ran the other way!
An exception turned his rifle over to a police officer to avoid confusion, only to have his photo splashed all over the media as a suspect anyway.
The bad guy succeeded in his mission because A) he was professionally trained, and B) he had access.
We really need to stop being sycophantic stenographers to the gun industry's NRA marketers and demand that we either A) ban civilian use of weapons designed for warfare or B) if we are going to allow civilian ownership, that people be given the same training as soldiers get before licensing. A car is technology that is not designed to kill but in part because it can, you need training before you are granted a license.
Common sense!
As I have said before, unless the good guy with a gun has proper training, it's useless.
Here, the good guys contributed to the carnage by confusing the police as to where the shooting was coming from. Then those good guys (wisely) ran the other way!
An exception turned his rifle over to a police officer to avoid confusion, only to have his photo splashed all over the media as a suspect anyway.
The bad guy succeeded in his mission because A) he was professionally trained, and B) he had access.
We really need to stop being sycophantic stenographers to the gun industry's NRA marketers and demand that we either A) ban civilian use of weapons designed for warfare or B) if we are going to allow civilian ownership, that people be given the same training as soldiers get before licensing. A car is technology that is not designed to kill but in part because it can, you need training before you are granted a license.
Common sense!
7
"President Obama said it was “very hard to untangle the motives” behind the shooting."
No, no it isn't.
No, no it isn't.
10
Anyone with any sense can clearly see that we need more guns in this country if we ever hope for this to stop.
4
Just wait, I am sure that gun and ammunition sales will set another record in July just like they did in May.
2
LOL!!! Yes, more guns, more massacres. That's the ticket....'wink-wink'!
1
In his mind, Micah Johnson went out in a blaze of glory, having killed five policemen before being blown up. Mr Johnson was deeply troubled, but by no means crazy. He knew what he was doing and that his actions would further drive a wedge between the police and the police. Even the method of his death, being blown up by a robot, has many concerned. It marks a leap forward in the militarization of police forces. The Posse Comitatus Act prevents the army from domestic police action. But it does not stop the police becoming more like the army.
I believe that we have reached a tipping point, the edge of an abyss. Unless disproportionate police violence against people of color stops very quickly we will see some combinations of more attacks on police, widespread violent rioting or, the real nightmare assassinations of the families of police men and women - an act that would mirror the police's attacks on unarmed (or legally armed) people of color. Then the spiral will accelerate: the police will fear the public and the public fear the police even more - both with good cause.
I believe that we have reached a tipping point, the edge of an abyss. Unless disproportionate police violence against people of color stops very quickly we will see some combinations of more attacks on police, widespread violent rioting or, the real nightmare assassinations of the families of police men and women - an act that would mirror the police's attacks on unarmed (or legally armed) people of color. Then the spiral will accelerate: the police will fear the public and the public fear the police even more - both with good cause.
4
"It marks a leap forward in the militarization of police forces. " Nonsense.
It marks a leap forward in the ability of police officers to take out a shooter, without endangering themselves. It's progress.
It marks a leap forward in the ability of police officers to take out a shooter, without endangering themselves. It's progress.
2
I don't see how you can call an accurate and perfectly straightforward observation 'nonsense'.
At the same time, what you say is true too. The interpretation of 'progress' is whats not clear. The atom bomb was 'progress', and yet it represents the potential end of our species. Progress means something different to me than just a bigger gun.
At the same time, what you say is true too. The interpretation of 'progress' is whats not clear. The atom bomb was 'progress', and yet it represents the potential end of our species. Progress means something different to me than just a bigger gun.
1
Taking out the shooter using a robotic explosive was an easy and effective method. It is also cheaper in the long run saving taxpayers the cost of processing the criminal and the expense of a trial.
1
After Chicago, the ill-formed BLM "movement" has been thrown backwards into infinity.
2
If you going to call Micah Johnson "a Disgraced Soldier" what are you going to call White Cops who killed blacks in cold blood?
9
In cold blood? No. This kind of statement is inaccurate and irresponsible.
4
The same. However, it is true in either case that checking psychological histories would be useful in the issuance of guns in ANY capacity and in ALL states. I blame the ludicrous gun laws in Texas as much as the sick individual who harassed a woman sexually and later killed 5 cops who were actually protecting the BLM protesters. Sorry...your anger about Black deaths of innocents by bad cops is shared here, but defense of retaliatory gun violence is also sick....and NOT condoned by BLM or any civilized culture or individual.
1
Calls for violence continue. For example,t he rapper Yung Buck calls for "Riot": "Shoot Back at These Crooked A** Police".
Then we have the Black Panther Party of Mississippi presenting us via Facebook a picture of a white cop having his throat cut by a black male.
No one from the Justice Department even considers putting a stop to this inciting of violence and hate. Why?
Then we have the Black Panther Party of Mississippi presenting us via Facebook a picture of a white cop having his throat cut by a black male.
No one from the Justice Department even considers putting a stop to this inciting of violence and hate. Why?
8
First amendment.
1
We are reaping the benefits of all the great policies that our great leaders have foisted upon us.
We have men trained in war, practiced in shooting, expert marksmen, who went off to fight against countries that never attacked us. They come home with their combat skills only to find there is no place to use those skills.
We have men of color, born innocent, found guilty, by reason of pigment. They may have fought in the war, they may have risked their lives for their country, but they will get killed at a traffic stop or gunned down sitting on their front porch.
We have guns for all, without restriction, without registration, guns that get deadlier and more lethal every year. Our reason for their proliferation is something holy and inarguable called The Second Amendment.
And we have all this under the obscene label of national pride. We take all these ingredients and we put them together in the summer of 2016 and we expect peace and pragmitism and reasonable outcomes.
But we are, instead, on the road to self-destruction.
We have men trained in war, practiced in shooting, expert marksmen, who went off to fight against countries that never attacked us. They come home with their combat skills only to find there is no place to use those skills.
We have men of color, born innocent, found guilty, by reason of pigment. They may have fought in the war, they may have risked their lives for their country, but they will get killed at a traffic stop or gunned down sitting on their front porch.
We have guns for all, without restriction, without registration, guns that get deadlier and more lethal every year. Our reason for their proliferation is something holy and inarguable called The Second Amendment.
And we have all this under the obscene label of national pride. We take all these ingredients and we put them together in the summer of 2016 and we expect peace and pragmitism and reasonable outcomes.
But we are, instead, on the road to self-destruction.
8
A few thoughts:
1) Blacks do not need whites telling them what they need to do. Discuss what your race needs to improve, before lecturing someone else's. Have you never read "Take the beam out of your own eye, before you tell your brother to take the splinter out of his?"
2) We are a "unique" nation, all of us our Immigrants, and along with our Native-American brothers and sister we've grown from 13 colonies to the leaders of the free world. Our nation's beauty and bounty are a wonders to behold, from "purple mountains majesty to amber waves of grain".
And the whole world watches us, they take their cues from us, why? Because we're supposed to be a country that stands for something every soul yearns for, "freedom, liberty and justice".
But we seem to be losing our way. Is it due to the fact that we don't attend church, or believe in God, as much as we use to? Possibly. But, we can so easily turn the tide, by simply RESPECTING one another, respecting our differences and the beauty therein.
3) Hispanics who have lived here all of there lives are Americans, and deserve the dignity of citizenship. Muslim Americans have the right to freedom of religion just as we all do. African Americans have the right "to the pursuit of happiness" in their daily lives. The world, and this country, are not just for Caucasians, we're all God's children.
1) Blacks do not need whites telling them what they need to do. Discuss what your race needs to improve, before lecturing someone else's. Have you never read "Take the beam out of your own eye, before you tell your brother to take the splinter out of his?"
2) We are a "unique" nation, all of us our Immigrants, and along with our Native-American brothers and sister we've grown from 13 colonies to the leaders of the free world. Our nation's beauty and bounty are a wonders to behold, from "purple mountains majesty to amber waves of grain".
And the whole world watches us, they take their cues from us, why? Because we're supposed to be a country that stands for something every soul yearns for, "freedom, liberty and justice".
But we seem to be losing our way. Is it due to the fact that we don't attend church, or believe in God, as much as we use to? Possibly. But, we can so easily turn the tide, by simply RESPECTING one another, respecting our differences and the beauty therein.
3) Hispanics who have lived here all of there lives are Americans, and deserve the dignity of citizenship. Muslim Americans have the right to freedom of religion just as we all do. African Americans have the right "to the pursuit of happiness" in their daily lives. The world, and this country, are not just for Caucasians, we're all God's children.
3
And the NRA promotes "they're going to take our guns away,"
How much longer is our Congress and our legislators going to promote this?
These tragedies do not have anything to do with the second amendment.
It's time to get real. Other countries simply do not allow or condone or encourage this type of gun usage. Wake up, America.
How much longer is our Congress and our legislators going to promote this?
These tragedies do not have anything to do with the second amendment.
It's time to get real. Other countries simply do not allow or condone or encourage this type of gun usage. Wake up, America.
8
Many Americans are deeply distraught and even fearful that collectively we are at a critical point of profound divisiveness on many levels: racially, politically, and economically.
Those misgivings and that apprehension are warranted.
The America of the first decade and a half of the 21st Century is surely transformed, deeply troubled in unsettling and destructive ways that we seem powerless to effectively define, confront, or resolve.
It is not untoward to assert that the horrendous 911 attack was the seminal destabilizing event that thrust America into an era of collective fear, grave economic uncertainty, and a perpetual state of war.
That our entire society would be and has been deeply affected should be utterly obvious.
Add long standing and righteous grievances whether over racial discrimination and oppression, burgeoning and depressive economic inequity, and governance that is seen as intensely partisan, unresponsive to the public will and welfare, and broadly dysfunctional and you have an extraordinarily toxic and destabilizing societal mix.
There is little chance of credible reformation without a candid and comprehensive vision, leadership that is both committed and wise, persistent and massive civil activism and overt action.
The alternative is a certain progression of civil violence and even greater divisiveness.
Those misgivings and that apprehension are warranted.
The America of the first decade and a half of the 21st Century is surely transformed, deeply troubled in unsettling and destructive ways that we seem powerless to effectively define, confront, or resolve.
It is not untoward to assert that the horrendous 911 attack was the seminal destabilizing event that thrust America into an era of collective fear, grave economic uncertainty, and a perpetual state of war.
That our entire society would be and has been deeply affected should be utterly obvious.
Add long standing and righteous grievances whether over racial discrimination and oppression, burgeoning and depressive economic inequity, and governance that is seen as intensely partisan, unresponsive to the public will and welfare, and broadly dysfunctional and you have an extraordinarily toxic and destabilizing societal mix.
There is little chance of credible reformation without a candid and comprehensive vision, leadership that is both committed and wise, persistent and massive civil activism and overt action.
The alternative is a certain progression of civil violence and even greater divisiveness.
6
This is turning the clock back 60 years. All that was gained is now lost. Forced busing doesn't work and frankly nothing works. So what do you do then?
3
So much for the NRA's "good guys with guns" will bring paradise. Couldn't've been any gooder tban the Dallas Police. The NRA leaders are fools or venal; they should be in jail.
All guns should be banned, with one exception. All attenders at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland should be armed. Woohoo!!!
All guns should be banned, with one exception. All attenders at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland should be armed. Woohoo!!!
6
Dear Media,
Please insist that "gun rights" advocates explain how the Texas open carry laws helped make us all safer during this incident. I think its a miracle that none of the idiots open carrying rifles weren't shot by the police.
Please insist that "gun rights" advocates explain how the Texas open carry laws helped make us all safer during this incident. I think its a miracle that none of the idiots open carrying rifles weren't shot by the police.
14
Micah Johnson's life story comes in sharp contrast with that of Omar Mateen, the Orlando shooter. Mr. Johnson presents no prior signs of violent anti-social behavior. He had no run ins with the law and was never on any watch list. Also this crowd was heavily armed, many good guys with guns.
I can make some emotional connection to the concept based on the frontier tradition of Texas that carrying a weapon would make you feel safer. I remember the line from the Charles Bronson film "Death Wish"-- his Arizona friend says, "Around here muggers just plain get their head shot off."
But the current story's objective facts run in total contract to that Wild West emotion. You can't always tell the good guys from the bad guys. NO ONE needs an assault style rifle. The best answer to a bad guy with a gun is for the bad guy not to HAVE a gun.
I can make some emotional connection to the concept based on the frontier tradition of Texas that carrying a weapon would make you feel safer. I remember the line from the Charles Bronson film "Death Wish"-- his Arizona friend says, "Around here muggers just plain get their head shot off."
But the current story's objective facts run in total contract to that Wild West emotion. You can't always tell the good guys from the bad guys. NO ONE needs an assault style rifle. The best answer to a bad guy with a gun is for the bad guy not to HAVE a gun.
35
And if the bad gun can not legally buy a gun I am sure that the Mexican drug lords will be more than happy to sell him one along with his drugs.
2
He was accused of violence towards a woman in the military, as reported in this news story.
Looked and sounded to me like he was firing three round bursts at one point at least from an automatic weapon-not a semiautomatic. But why conceal that if indeed that was the case?
1
A Model 1945 SKS is not capable of either full automatic or three round bursts, it can only fire semiautomatically, one shot for each pull of the trigger.
2
Turns out that it was not an SKS after all, but a "tactical" Saiga AK7-4 with 30-round clips.
https://sofrep.com/58756/dallas-shooter-used-a-saiga-ak-74/?doing_wp_cro...
Gun proponents are much too quick to jump on anything that might minimize a horrific event such as this. Anyone familiar with the sound of an assault type weapon would recognize that sound as recorded during this event. No matter, even an SKS in the right hands can empty it's 10-round zipper clip in seconds.
https://sofrep.com/58756/dallas-shooter-used-a-saiga-ak-74/?doing_wp_cro...
Gun proponents are much too quick to jump on anything that might minimize a horrific event such as this. Anyone familiar with the sound of an assault type weapon would recognize that sound as recorded during this event. No matter, even an SKS in the right hands can empty it's 10-round zipper clip in seconds.
1
"he sought to distance himself and his business from Mr. Johnson."
The gym owner distanced himself before or after the shootings? Did the owner note something that might cause him to re-think taking money from Mr. Johnson?
The gym owner distanced himself before or after the shootings? Did the owner note something that might cause him to re-think taking money from Mr. Johnson?
For all those praying for God to clean up our mess, wake up. We made the mess. Pray that we have the courage, the wisdom, the strength to clean up our own mess. Then get up off your knees and roll up your sleeves.
12
I would like to "congratulate" the NRA, as well as House Republicans. I'm sure this atmosphere of terror they've helped promote will result in recurrent spikes in gun sales. Isn't that the intended result here?
57
Nice try, trying to deflect the blame to the usual suspects - white men. Sorry this is all on the heads of the (only) BLM movement and their supporters in the "progressive" media.
1
Yes. Selling more guns is the only real purpose of today's NRA.
1
"“When the shooting first happened, you had people in the crowd who were carrying long rifles and dressed in camouflage,” Mr. Jenkins said. “And then the shooting happens, and those people begin to disperse and move quickly, and they have guns and they’re not police officers and there’s a shooting..."
This is just insane. Thanks NRA!
This is just insane. Thanks NRA!
31
I see no information on Micah Johnson's having a job after leaving the Army.
8
He was being discriminated in his attempt to get a job. You have to stay on script and follow the victimization theme.
7
“When the shooting first happened, you had people in the crowd who were carrying long rifles and dressed in camouflage,”
People dress in camouflage and carry long rifles to a peaceful demonstration? There is something seriously wrong with an individual who feels compelled to do that.
People dress in camouflage and carry long rifles to a peaceful demonstration? There is something seriously wrong with an individual who feels compelled to do that.
87
Reminds me of the Republicans going to a political rally when President Obama spoke.
There is something seriously wrong with individuals who feel compelled to do that.
There is something seriously wrong with individuals who feel compelled to do that.
3
Texas lawmakers want guns everywhere. They sure give lots of cover to wannabe terrorists.
1
When asked, they said they were "exercising their 2nd Amendment rights." Unfortunately, that is a dangerous thing for a black man to do. Furthermore, there should be NO right to carry such a weapon by ANYONE in public. Anyone who needs to sling an AR15 over his back to do grocery shopping needs a check up from the neck up.
2
The common thread in all these mass killings continues...a 20 something young man with access to guns. We can't blame mental illness as much as we can blame the culture of violence that these you men have grown up on starting with the video games they played growing up and the movies they watch. Add to that the fact that the job prospects and future is pretty bleak for many of them and it is a recipe for tragedy.
25
"culture of violence "? Get real. It's the
Culture of police violence !!! The real recipe for tragedy.
Culture of police violence !!! The real recipe for tragedy.
1
Guns are just gasoline poured onto mental illness. Try to find a gun nut posting here who comes across as sane.
2
This is not black and white.
Has anybody noticed that the law enforcement officer who apparently murdered Philando Castile has an Hispanic name?
Has anybody noticed that one of the law enforcement officers apparently murdered by Micah Johnson has an Hispanic name?
As rates of intermarriage increase, we are only a few generations away from the end of race. In the meantime, we need urging from every politician, every priest, minister, mullah and rabbi and every person with influence to think of ourselves as Americans.
We very obviously also need massive reforms in the recruitment and training of law enforcement personnel.
Dan Kravitz
Has anybody noticed that the law enforcement officer who apparently murdered Philando Castile has an Hispanic name?
Has anybody noticed that one of the law enforcement officers apparently murdered by Micah Johnson has an Hispanic name?
As rates of intermarriage increase, we are only a few generations away from the end of race. In the meantime, we need urging from every politician, every priest, minister, mullah and rabbi and every person with influence to think of ourselves as Americans.
We very obviously also need massive reforms in the recruitment and training of law enforcement personnel.
Dan Kravitz
55
US gun policy deters nonviolent people from applying to become police officers.
No. It's not acknowledged that the police officer who shot Mr. Castile has a Hispanic surname because this would interfere with the narrative.
I absolutely agree that there needs to be a substantial change in how officers are trained. They need to be trained, and tested, under stress conditions, in scenarios where they are challenged to make split second decisions when identifying a threat. This could be done on live action courses where potential threats "pop up" randomly and the officer must distinguish between thug with a gun and papa with a baby carriage. The training in threat identification could also be done via video game like simulation.
This training must be on-going. Officers should be required to log in time EVERY MONTH on a course or via video simulation and have their scores recorded. They also need to undergo a test every year for competency in weapon handling AND capacity to accurately identify potential threats while under stress.
I absolutely agree that there needs to be a substantial change in how officers are trained. They need to be trained, and tested, under stress conditions, in scenarios where they are challenged to make split second decisions when identifying a threat. This could be done on live action courses where potential threats "pop up" randomly and the officer must distinguish between thug with a gun and papa with a baby carriage. The training in threat identification could also be done via video game like simulation.
This training must be on-going. Officers should be required to log in time EVERY MONTH on a course or via video simulation and have their scores recorded. They also need to undergo a test every year for competency in weapon handling AND capacity to accurately identify potential threats while under stress.
2
Good point. We should encourage interracial marriages.
1
The media should be proud of itself today. It has systematically built up the furor to the point where Micah Johnson felt he was justified in using his military skills to 'fight back' against police officers who, according to the media, were systematically killing black people.
If I was him, and I had read all the garbage spewed out over the last year or two, I probably would have felt the same.
The media created this fiasco by treating all white police shootings of black men equally. It has consistently ignored the facts of each case and by doing so, created a public firestorm that should not exist.
The police collectively kill two thousand people a year in this country. Is that a problem? Most definitely. They are under trained, scared and trigger happy. Is it a racist problem? No, most definitely not. Statistically they shoot people by race in direct proportion to the individual race's contribution to crime.
So, we have two distinct issues. The first was created by the media. The Black Lives Matter movement would not even exist if the media had not drummed up this asinine belief that cops were systematically killing blacks. Micah Johnson would not have felt justified in his actions if the media had not CREATED a world where he thought he was in the right.
The second issue is by far the most important. Police believe they have the right to shoot first and ask questions later. (cont.)
If I was him, and I had read all the garbage spewed out over the last year or two, I probably would have felt the same.
The media created this fiasco by treating all white police shootings of black men equally. It has consistently ignored the facts of each case and by doing so, created a public firestorm that should not exist.
The police collectively kill two thousand people a year in this country. Is that a problem? Most definitely. They are under trained, scared and trigger happy. Is it a racist problem? No, most definitely not. Statistically they shoot people by race in direct proportion to the individual race's contribution to crime.
So, we have two distinct issues. The first was created by the media. The Black Lives Matter movement would not even exist if the media had not drummed up this asinine belief that cops were systematically killing blacks. Micah Johnson would not have felt justified in his actions if the media had not CREATED a world where he thought he was in the right.
The second issue is by far the most important. Police believe they have the right to shoot first and ask questions later. (cont.)
23
I don't get what your meaning is. The media decided to stir up racial conflict? Cops want to kill us?
Some good points. But there is much to support the notion that blacks -- even law abiding ones--are treated very badly by too many policemen. It's not as simple as you assert. It's also not as smple as some BLM folks asserts.
2
The sniper lived in a nice large house in a Dallas suburb. His grievances were largely all in his own head and from the misleading images presented by the media. This was not some poor man at his wits end. This was simply a murderer.
20
Simple? Your post is simple. He suffered post traumatic stress in Afghanistan in the midst of a war spanning more than a decade, a war we have lost long ago. The frustration! Role model Obama re collateral damage via drones. The lynching of blacks by police gun, strangulation etc., the documentation by video and the injustice of the perpetrator police people going free. Well that was a trigger. It was bound to happen somewhere at some point.
In that nice house he shared with his Mum, Mum "never noticed" his bombs, bomb and explosives material, ammunition, manuals etc.
I have sympathy for blm, as no one should have to be afraid of the police. However, black people need to recognize that, as a group, they have created the perception with many people that they are violent. I remember meeting my first black classmate in 1971. When I tried to talk to him he pushed me against the wall and tried to take my lunch money. This continued until I pushed back, and then he went to the next person. Follow this with decades of news reports of blacks killing blacks, and how could you expect me not to be wary? This shooting only reinforces the very perception blm is fighting.
10
JK, you comment does not fit the BLM narrative. Working to change perceptions is a lot more work than being a victim.
5
You are confusing your anecdotal experience with evidence. I grew up around a bunch of poor Irish people in Boston and I was and remain much more afraid of Irish people than Black people. But I understand that is an irrational fear not created by "Irish people," but by my own limited experiences.
3
If you are white and a homicide victim, your killer is 84.5% likely to be white
1
Texas allows people to dress in camouflage clothing and openly carry rifles and shotguns to a packed and very emotional public protest? That is armed chaos not freedom.
17
The killer's actions have effectively escalated retaliation to a new level that we should expect to see again, not just by blacks against white police officers but by whites who fear blacks, etc. We've already seen it with the Charleston murders, and it appears some blacks are no longer willing to wait for things to get better by osmosis.
Not only have hundreds of thousands of highly trained traumatized soldiers returned to civilian life (many suffering from severe PTSD), but the proliferation of battle weapons in our culture makes it highly likely there will be copycat attacks in the near future.
Also, we know there are thousands of poorly trained police officers in our nation who were already predisposed to feeling threatened by any black man reaching for a wallet, and those officers are going to become even more likely to shoot preemptively and ask questions later. Meaning, we're going to eventually see more videos of white police officers shooting unarmed or otherwise innocent citizens, and that's going to lead to more distrust in the black community. We should be concerned things are on the way to getting far, far worse before they get better.
It's time for leaders from across the nation to convene a summit in Washington D.C. to examine and discuss the scourge of violence in our culture (including wayward and incompetent police departments). We can not just blithely sit around waiting for the next black man to be murdered by police before taking action.
Not only have hundreds of thousands of highly trained traumatized soldiers returned to civilian life (many suffering from severe PTSD), but the proliferation of battle weapons in our culture makes it highly likely there will be copycat attacks in the near future.
Also, we know there are thousands of poorly trained police officers in our nation who were already predisposed to feeling threatened by any black man reaching for a wallet, and those officers are going to become even more likely to shoot preemptively and ask questions later. Meaning, we're going to eventually see more videos of white police officers shooting unarmed or otherwise innocent citizens, and that's going to lead to more distrust in the black community. We should be concerned things are on the way to getting far, far worse before they get better.
It's time for leaders from across the nation to convene a summit in Washington D.C. to examine and discuss the scourge of violence in our culture (including wayward and incompetent police departments). We can not just blithely sit around waiting for the next black man to be murdered by police before taking action.
7
If you actually want to be shot, get a gun. It will boost your odds tenfold.
2
I'm sure Congress will get around to that just as soon as they wrap up the Clinton e-mail business and eliminate Obamacare. Priorities, dude!
1
The president and BLM have stirred the pot of racial hatred and now the crazies have taken up their cause.
13
Yeah how dare they ask for equal protection under the law. They should just submit to murder by white cops and keep their uppity mouths shut, ammiright?
7
I disagree. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. All men are created equal. Were those people crazy? Here's another good one, do unto others as you would have done to you. Crazy!
2
And this explains white shooters, Sandyhook Elementary
4
"Radicalized" seems to be the new catch word for a single individual who got angry at white police officers and white civilians using black people seemingly for target practice.
Let's use "radicalized" for a real terrorist, not for a guy with a gun filled with righteous anger and indignation.
What this person did was terrible but using a wrong and incorrect term generalizes the fear reaction and isn't necessary. Ironically, the incident shows just how actually helpless even many trained cops with guns are against a nutcase with weapons intended for war.
The NRA and the Congress that aides and supports them are responsible in no small way for the carnage wrought by these "allowable" weapons and the non rules we use to allow their purchase
Let's use "radicalized" for a real terrorist, not for a guy with a gun filled with righteous anger and indignation.
What this person did was terrible but using a wrong and incorrect term generalizes the fear reaction and isn't necessary. Ironically, the incident shows just how actually helpless even many trained cops with guns are against a nutcase with weapons intended for war.
The NRA and the Congress that aides and supports them are responsible in no small way for the carnage wrought by these "allowable" weapons and the non rules we use to allow their purchase
4
"In Texas, gun owners can legally and openly carry what are known as long guns, including shotguns and rifles. The carrying of handguns is regulated in Texas and requires a state-issued permit, whether concealed or openly carried, but the carrying of rifles is largely unregulated and requires no permit. The so-called open carrying of rifles has become common at many demonstrations in Texas in recent years."
Yeehaw! Thank you, NRA. Let's hear it for gun industry profits.
Yeehaw! Thank you, NRA. Let's hear it for gun industry profits.
18
Stop hyperventilating, long guns represent only 3% of all gun murders. You can carry a rifle or shotgun in most states - how do you think people hunt?
4
They don't hunt with an AR15 or AK47 unless they're in it for the thrill of killing anything that moves and are a bad shot.
3
Your every posting only reinforces my opinion of you as a gun pushing psychotic.
2
it's peculiar that the NY Times has all this information as to where mr. johnson worked out, his journal, his military history, neighbor testimony, etc.
but we don't know how he supported himself, where he worked, or what was his occupation.
coworkers are usually witnesses to personality change, but here they are absent.
but we don't know how he supported himself, where he worked, or what was his occupation.
coworkers are usually witnesses to personality change, but here they are absent.
21
Then his mom "didn't notice" all those bombs, bomb and explosive making materials, all that ammunition, manuals, etc.
Like the Orlando massacre perpetrator's Mum.
Like the Orlando massacre perpetrator's Mum.
"...move from senselessness, absurdity that’s like a Camus novel, to something that has redemption and hope in it..."
Wrong. There is a sense to it. Repeating statements like this, and asking for prayers, redemption and hope simply allow us to remain in denial and keep us from doing the societal psychoanalysis needed to get to the bottom of the particular sense that leads us to this place, as twisted as it may be, and rooting it out so that we no longer travel down the well-worn path to this place.
Wrong. There is a sense to it. Repeating statements like this, and asking for prayers, redemption and hope simply allow us to remain in denial and keep us from doing the societal psychoanalysis needed to get to the bottom of the particular sense that leads us to this place, as twisted as it may be, and rooting it out so that we no longer travel down the well-worn path to this place.
26
Open carry of military style weapons and wearing of ballistic armor would have drawn the attention of law enforcement in any place besides Texas or one of the other NRA favorite states. It is time we reassess the true meaning of the 2d Amendment. Even Justice Scalia in Heller noted that the right is not unlimited. I nothing unreasonable about limits on open carry in public areas.
14
If you continue to flood a country with guns, it should not be any kind of surprise when people use them, as intended by the manufacturer, to kill. The USA's great shame deepens with every new victim.
27
I you take away the guns, a good idea, you still have the hate. Dealing with the hate is what is really required here.
5
Let's try to walk and chew gum - tackle both.
3
If people are continued to be mistreated and you take guns then people will just get stabbed, break necks or whatever is necessary. Violence is not limited to a gun. Long before guns were created we had violent wars without them. Its people. A gun can not shoot itself. Angry people will find a way to get back at those who harass them. Its a fact.
1
Why do we require yet another horrible incident to show us that it's the guns stupid! We live in a gun crazed society, unlike any other society in any other modern country.
It all too easily becomes a chain reaction, like in the case in St. Paul; police are way too quick to resort to deadly force because so many of the individuals they confront are carrying guns. We must find a way to reduce the number of such weapons that inundate our society.
Certainly the founding fathers didn't intend the 2nd amendment to mean what the NRA has defined it as being. At the time the amendment was written repeating firearms barely existed & the concern of the drafters of our constitution was to protect citizens' rights to form militia. Not for every person on the street to carry a concealed weapon or every alienated American to have access to assault rifles.
It all too easily becomes a chain reaction, like in the case in St. Paul; police are way too quick to resort to deadly force because so many of the individuals they confront are carrying guns. We must find a way to reduce the number of such weapons that inundate our society.
Certainly the founding fathers didn't intend the 2nd amendment to mean what the NRA has defined it as being. At the time the amendment was written repeating firearms barely existed & the concern of the drafters of our constitution was to protect citizens' rights to form militia. Not for every person on the street to carry a concealed weapon or every alienated American to have access to assault rifles.
39
We are not going to change human nature or reduce racism. We are unable or unwilling to educate white cops to stop the barbaric shooting deaths of innocent blacks. The only objective solution is to make guns illegal.
Why do England, Germany, France, Japan, Australia, Scandanavia, Holland, Italy---not to mention China and Russia-- have civilized gun laws? These countries are not free of racial hatred, discrimination, or violence by any means---but they are free of wild west shootouts and thousands of gun deaths every year by the cops and robbers and their infantile behavior.
I have lived overseas over half of my 67 years, and am frankly eager to spend the rest of my life in a country where the society, media and popular culture is not consumed with violence. And where politics is also not based to a large degree on hatred.
Since we cannot change hideous racism, hard wired into the human species, I'll take it in the more humanisitc and civilized form it exists in in the countries listed above; better British landed gentry antisemitism than new Black Panther Party antisemitism---one does have a choice. America will keep drowning in the blood it continues to spill, acting out irrational hated, until the weapons are ripped from Americans' bloodstained hands---of everyone save an elite corps of protectors. But no, that will never, never happen in America where the trust that holds even the most fragile societies together has been ruptured once and for all.
Why do England, Germany, France, Japan, Australia, Scandanavia, Holland, Italy---not to mention China and Russia-- have civilized gun laws? These countries are not free of racial hatred, discrimination, or violence by any means---but they are free of wild west shootouts and thousands of gun deaths every year by the cops and robbers and their infantile behavior.
I have lived overseas over half of my 67 years, and am frankly eager to spend the rest of my life in a country where the society, media and popular culture is not consumed with violence. And where politics is also not based to a large degree on hatred.
Since we cannot change hideous racism, hard wired into the human species, I'll take it in the more humanisitc and civilized form it exists in in the countries listed above; better British landed gentry antisemitism than new Black Panther Party antisemitism---one does have a choice. America will keep drowning in the blood it continues to spill, acting out irrational hated, until the weapons are ripped from Americans' bloodstained hands---of everyone save an elite corps of protectors. But no, that will never, never happen in America where the trust that holds even the most fragile societies together has been ruptured once and for all.
1
Its not the guns. In other countries where they don't have guns they use knives. Its anger and mistreatment of people. There are many other weapons other than guns. Its the people who pull the trigger. A gun doesn't shoot itself.
1
What nonsense Mr. C! The murder rate in the countries mentioned by Mr. Cohn are orders of magnitude lower than in the US. If people don't have triggers right at hand they can't pull the trigger!
2
All of this is not happening in a vacuum. The level of violence amongst young black males is off the charts. Here in NYC, if you could magically take young black males out of the equation we would have crime stats that would be the envy of a European City. By and Large readers of the NYT avoid black neighborhoods like they were plague infected, not because they are black but because of the violence and crime. Would the white mom and dad living in a two million dollar apartment on 2nd Ave cross 96th to city housing to take their kids trick or treating; you know the answer - not on their lives. Are those white moms and dads racist or wisely avoiding trouble. Are cops fast on the trigger with young black males, absolutely unequivocally yes. Why, because odds are that’s where trouble is. Black, Asian and white cops have each been involved with shootings of young black males; are they all racists?
We need more police training, more community policing and more emphasis on eliminating the root causes of violence in the community of young black males.
We need more police training, more community policing and more emphasis on eliminating the root causes of violence in the community of young black males.
44
There should not be in America such communities of poverty, despair, hopelessness. Forget the young black males for a moment, and consider all the mothers, children, grandparents, all the people who are NOT part of the violence who are trapped there. They are where those young black men come from.
The April 1968 Kerner Commission Report told us all this. The same communities of hopelessness and fear breed the same problems in 2016. That 48 years is two generations, near a full lifetime, and we still see the same thing causing the same problems. There is no excuse.
We are making our own problems, and moaning about what we've done, or rather never done.
The April 1968 Kerner Commission Report told us all this. The same communities of hopelessness and fear breed the same problems in 2016. That 48 years is two generations, near a full lifetime, and we still see the same thing causing the same problems. There is no excuse.
We are making our own problems, and moaning about what we've done, or rather never done.
5
There was an article in todays NY Times that addressed the issue of whether the data support the idea that black people are treated more violently by police (even after accounting for the total number of crimes). It has evidently been taken off from the front page.
At any rate, even after accounting for the number of crimes committed by race, black people are more likely to be injured or killed by police. Also note that most police departments -- people we pay to protect us -- do not release their statistics to the public. Only several handfuls of police departments released their incident statistics to the public. Look for, ask for incident statists by race: how many people stopped, how many people injured, how many killed, how many booked by race.
At any rate, even after accounting for the number of crimes committed by race, black people are more likely to be injured or killed by police. Also note that most police departments -- people we pay to protect us -- do not release their statistics to the public. Only several handfuls of police departments released their incident statistics to the public. Look for, ask for incident statists by race: how many people stopped, how many people injured, how many killed, how many booked by race.
3
MKM
Seems like you need to spend a few million more for a fence around your house, private security guards, and a bullet proof limo before you will feel safe.
Crawl under your bed and turn out the lights. The boogie man is coming tonight at 12:34 AM.
Seems like you need to spend a few million more for a fence around your house, private security guards, and a bullet proof limo before you will feel safe.
Crawl under your bed and turn out the lights. The boogie man is coming tonight at 12:34 AM.
2
It is indeed an act of domestic terrorism. The fact that the motivating ideology in this case is not radical Islam but racial resentment makes a difference in terms of investigation and analysis but not in terms of the damage to the victims and society as a whole. Just as an honest discussion of the terrorist acts in Paris, San Bernardino, Orlando and so on has to take into account the ideological motivation of the terrorists, the same is true in this case. It is unfair to accuse all Muslims of terrorism - but this does not change the fact that ISIS peddles its own deadly version of Islam. It is unfair to accuse all BLM activists of stoking resentment and racial tension. - but it does not change the fact that some do. We should stop trafficking in generalizations and cliches and look at both motivation and opportunity of domestic terrorists in a more granular way.
8
What will it take for the plague of violence, the cult of gun worship, the lack of respect for ALL life, in any form..to end? We surely live in "interesting times", and for any who do not know , that is a curse, extracted from, "May you live in interesting times", ancient Chinese curse.
2
To me Micah Johnson was just another crazy man loaded with weaponry. We have too many guns in this country and the police and black community would be a whole lot better off if we had less.
6
Stop with the "crazy man" talk. How many blacks had to be killed by cops before justifiable anger kicks in?
Justifiable anger does not include murder. Ever.
3
Jim, most terrorists have a cause, sometimes a very compelling cause. When that cause leads to the killing of innocent people as if one has a right to do so, that is terrorism every time. It solves nothing, leading instead to "justifiable" killing on both sides and deaths of myriads of innocent people. So reconsider your own consideration of anything "justifiable" in the context of murder of innocents.
1
Another clearly disturbed young man with a gun massacring innocent people. This time it was the police, but is it really any different than Columbine, Charleston, Aurora, Newtown or Virginia Tech? It's the same pattern over and over again with the only action taken seeming to be making guns even easier to purchase and carry openly as in Texas. If we can't even get a Republican Congress to keep assault-type weapons out of the hands of suspected terrorists, then we are all left being terrorized and feeling that we may be the next victims of a deranged person who should never have a gun if we venture out into "the public square." When the public safety is at risk, we would hope our elected public officials would rush to our defense and work to make us all safer. But all they seem to be saying is, "If you want to be safe, go buy a gun and carry it." Well, we've seen how that worked out for Philando Castile, Alton Sterling and now the "good guys with a gun," the Dallas police. This is insanity! We have a clear "national emergency" caused by an epidemic of guns that are essentially unregulated. Is there a sane person willing to step up and not only say, but act, to stop this madness? How about it, President Obama?
50
The President can't do it without risking being shot every time he's outside. Congress needs to do it but then how would they make up the money the NRA won't be giving them anymore?
1
Near as I can see Obama is doing his best in the face of patholigical institutionaiized insanity.
1
The ONLY problem with this comment is that President Obama has been shouting, for years, for as much gun regulation as the country (and the Republican Supreme Court) will permit. He is not a dictator. Congress has to act.
1
Blacks are per capita 8.5 times more likely than whites to be felons.
If people with purple T-shirts on were 8.5 times more likely to have committed a crime, they too would be treated differently by police.
You can call it profiling, but it reflects the statistical reality.
23
Yes, but it's easier to play the role of an innocent discriminated against victim of society. Dealing with the problem is actually difficult.
3
Cops didn't know the background of the two guys they killed last week and they weren't wearing purple t-shirts.
2
And how much does profiling and inadequate legal defense push that number up? Literal interpretation is inaccurate.
5
Anyone walking around in public carrying a rifle or shotgun, dressed in camouflage clothing or not, is a dangerous individual, and a threat to everone around him/her. It's no wonder they felt compelled to run and hide once the shooting started. Anyone would naturally think they were part of it. Why else would they be carrying a gun at a public gathering? People don't go walking around with guns for no reason. They intend to use them - on other people. These "open carry" people are a threat to public safety.
Let's also take note of the fact that all these people carrying their weapons around, threating the public by their presence, were not able to stop the "bad guy" either, once he started shooting innocent people. All their guns didn't do anything to prevent what happened.
Let's also take note of the fact that all these people carrying their weapons around, threating the public by their presence, were not able to stop the "bad guy" either, once he started shooting innocent people. All their guns didn't do anything to prevent what happened.
122
These "open carry" people were Black Lives Matter demonstrators.
This will be a difficult knot to unravel for Fauxgressives: BLM members are also 2A advocates?
Uh-oh, here comes the pearl clutching and the "for their own good" thoughts!
This will be a difficult knot to unravel for Fauxgressives: BLM members are also 2A advocates?
Uh-oh, here comes the pearl clutching and the "for their own good" thoughts!
2
Again. Why does the general public have access to weapons of war? Why does law enforcement stay silent on this?
66
We trained him to be a killer sending him to Afghanistan a failed futile war where human life is treated as worthless. Then he returns to find police killing blacks with abandon, the nation watches the videos and justice is never done. So he acted out. This was so predictable.
We also taught the 9/11 terrorists how to fly a plane.
We let people on the terrorist watch list buy the weapons of their choosing. We are the victims of the cultur of violence we have created. Obama frequently says" This is not who we are". Well I beg to differ.
We also taught the 9/11 terrorists how to fly a plane.
We let people on the terrorist watch list buy the weapons of their choosing. We are the victims of the cultur of violence we have created. Obama frequently says" This is not who we are". Well I beg to differ.
27
We can't do both, flood the country with guns and treat so many people so badly.
The problem is the way people are treated. If all the guns magically disappeared tomorrow, we'd still be treating all those people badly, and it would still be wrong. We;d just be more insulated from their troubles.
The problem is the way people are treated. If all the guns magically disappeared tomorrow, we'd still be treating all those people badly, and it would still be wrong. We;d just be more insulated from their troubles.
3
@Mark. Agree completely. If you treat people badly they will behave badly. I just wanted to emphasize that we are our own worst enemy. And karma.
2
Police killing blacks with abandon? Out of the millions of police and many tens of millions of black people, you consider the tragic incidents in which black people have been wrongfully harmed and killed "police killing blacks with abandon"? Do you know how many people, of all races, have been helped and protected by police in that same time period? It's talk like yours that makes people who are unbalanced ready to go out and kill the innocent in despair. When they need not to, when this is not hell, when there is hope. You are adding fuel to the fire even as you decry it.
1
Guns do not kill and people do but assault weapon will kill more in the hands of the lone ranger. What is the purpose of Assault Weapon beside killing people en masse? Without comprehensive background check on the weapon permit only stoke and continue the cycle of mass killing, grief, flying flag half mass and more killing.
11
So once again a publicity-seeking assassin gets his whole life publicized and examined, and his mug plastered all over the news and newspapers and history books. It's a tried and true method for avoiding the swift obscurity our own deaths will evoke. Celebrated and admired by some, reviled and hated by the rest, he gets not only his 15 minutes of fame, but a lasting place in history. His name is on everyone's lips.
Sure beats spray-painting your name on a fence next to the 7-11. America has a new celebrity to talk about and pscychoanalyze for the next 3 months, or until a bigger better publicity hound kills even more people, or a more revered class of people. Let's see - we got grade school sudents, high school students, college students, church-goers, police officers.. who's next? Which new batch of corpses will guarantee lasting fame and acclaim?
America worships its mass-killers. We like seeing other people's children or sone or brothers or sisters or moms or dads gunned down. It's the only explanation I can think of.
Sure beats spray-painting your name on a fence next to the 7-11. America has a new celebrity to talk about and pscychoanalyze for the next 3 months, or until a bigger better publicity hound kills even more people, or a more revered class of people. Let's see - we got grade school sudents, high school students, college students, church-goers, police officers.. who's next? Which new batch of corpses will guarantee lasting fame and acclaim?
America worships its mass-killers. We like seeing other people's children or sone or brothers or sisters or moms or dads gunned down. It's the only explanation I can think of.
88
"...a publicity-seeking assassin..."
The guy's dead, so I have a great deal of difficulty agreeing with this. A search for 120 virgins in heaven makes more sense.
The guy's dead, so I have a great deal of difficulty agreeing with this. A search for 120 virgins in heaven makes more sense.
1
It sure sells newspapers and gets clicks and premium ad space filled.
Follow the money, as always. It'll take you to the truth 99.99% of the time.
Follow the money, as always. It'll take you to the truth 99.99% of the time.
2
Your ignorance doesn't help. You miss the whole problem.
2
See the sequence of events.
Police make traffic stop.
Cop sees (maybe) hears (for sure) the word "gun" or "licensed to carry" and even though he tells HER (she was driving!) "license & registration" HE reaches into the area where he had his gun. Who knows... maybe he was going to draw......
Since HE was not the driver, he should have left his hands "where the policeman can see it" ....
We only have film, AFTER the fact... Why didn't she start "livestreaming" as soon as she was pulled over?
Most likely it was an ACCIDENT, a terrible judgement call, but not a "Black Lives Matter" thing.
So this org whips up the passsions of the people and we get a sex abusing , antisemitic, anti white wacko, who was kicked out of the army,a hater who kills truly innnocent people, the ones who keep the peace.
Police make traffic stop.
Cop sees (maybe) hears (for sure) the word "gun" or "licensed to carry" and even though he tells HER (she was driving!) "license & registration" HE reaches into the area where he had his gun. Who knows... maybe he was going to draw......
Since HE was not the driver, he should have left his hands "where the policeman can see it" ....
We only have film, AFTER the fact... Why didn't she start "livestreaming" as soon as she was pulled over?
Most likely it was an ACCIDENT, a terrible judgement call, but not a "Black Lives Matter" thing.
So this org whips up the passsions of the people and we get a sex abusing , antisemitic, anti white wacko, who was kicked out of the army,a hater who kills truly innnocent people, the ones who keep the peace.
18
Ted Klein: You might try rewatching the Castile video. Livestreaming on FB resulted in the livestream image being flipped, but it is clear from the position of the steering wheel that he WAS the driver.
4
"Since HE was not the driver, he should have left his hands "where the policeman can see it" .... Perhaps YOU should get YOUR facts straight before YOU run over at the mouth. The widely circulated video appears to be shot with the phone’s front-facing camera, so the perspective is flipped, as letters would be in a mirror. Because of this, the steering wheel appears to be on the wrong side of the car. But I guess facts don't matter to the bigoted ...
4
I'm an old guy not so good with the new technology, and FYI am not on Facebook, don't know how it works, and don't see a reason to have a FB account. So it seems I was wrong re who the driver was. For that I apologize
However the FB livestreaming should have started as soon as they were pulled over,and then we would have had a clear answer to the burning question: Is the cop a racist murderer; did he see a gun move ; , or did he overreact and make a terrible mistake.
For the record: I am not racist, and in any event people lost their lives, innocent lives, both Mr. Castile and the 5 white policemen, and for that we should all be in mourning.
However the FB livestreaming should have started as soon as they were pulled over,and then we would have had a clear answer to the burning question: Is the cop a racist murderer; did he see a gun move ; , or did he overreact and make a terrible mistake.
For the record: I am not racist, and in any event people lost their lives, innocent lives, both Mr. Castile and the 5 white policemen, and for that we should all be in mourning.
Re: The picture at the top of the article:
What is the population of Dallas?
Why are all three police officers white?
Just wondering, while weeping.
What is the population of Dallas?
Why are all three police officers white?
Just wondering, while weeping.
4
There've been a lot of non-white officers in other photos.
5
JS, All three officers are wearing the uniform of the Dallas Police and a badge...why does the color of their skin matter? Would it make you feel better and stop weeping if one was Black, one Asian and one White so that someone from one of the least diverse US States, Maine, could be sure that Dallas maintained a 'diverse' police force. What percentage of Portland, ME cops are Black? I doubt it is 1%.
6
The flip side of the question is why blacks continue to commit a highly disproportionate percentage of crime in Dallas, and across Texas?
For the past decade Texas crime statistics show that African-Americans, about 12% of the population, are responsible for about 30% of the overall crime rate, including homocides, robbery, aggravated assault, and burglary.
Is it any wonder police are on edgier alert when stopping or questioning black suspects?
For the past decade Texas crime statistics show that African-Americans, about 12% of the population, are responsible for about 30% of the overall crime rate, including homocides, robbery, aggravated assault, and burglary.
Is it any wonder police are on edgier alert when stopping or questioning black suspects?
4
"Mr. Johnson showed an affinity for radical black-power organizations on his Facebook page. Organizers of the Black Lives Matter network and others have denounced Mr. Johnson’s shooting spree. In a news conference on Saturday in Warsaw, President Obama said it was “very hard to untangle the motives” behind the shooting."
Obama apparently has his head as firmly planted in the sand as most of the other political left and other assorted black lives matter types that the violent, vicious, unacceptable if aimed at liberals cop hating rhetoric really has anything at all to do with the Dallas tragedy. Aimed at Trump however, its just dandy according to the NYT.
WAKE UP!
Obama apparently has his head as firmly planted in the sand as most of the other political left and other assorted black lives matter types that the violent, vicious, unacceptable if aimed at liberals cop hating rhetoric really has anything at all to do with the Dallas tragedy. Aimed at Trump however, its just dandy according to the NYT.
WAKE UP!
15
Even this tragedy gives opportunity to jab President Obama. Shame on our Congress not the Chief Executive.
8
Uh, maybe it's you who needs to wake up. Our police are becoming more and more military organizations who kill with impunity. We average 1000 police shootings a year in this country and the police are almost never investigated, much less punished.
We have 'lobbies' which convince Congress to produce more equipment than the military needs so it can 'donate' the material to law enforcement agencies, racking up profits for equipment makers but forcing us to live in war time conditions.
We have privately run prisons that lobby for longer sentences and promote initiatives like 3 strike laws.
We live in a police culture where if you ever questions what a cop says to you you can be sprayed, clubbed, tased or shot.
And I hate to say it but it's true, many cops are just idiots who like power. Some are great people and I have known a few personally but I have also seen and heard cops say and do some of the dumbest things ever.
We have 'lobbies' which convince Congress to produce more equipment than the military needs so it can 'donate' the material to law enforcement agencies, racking up profits for equipment makers but forcing us to live in war time conditions.
We have privately run prisons that lobby for longer sentences and promote initiatives like 3 strike laws.
We live in a police culture where if you ever questions what a cop says to you you can be sprayed, clubbed, tased or shot.
And I hate to say it but it's true, many cops are just idiots who like power. Some are great people and I have known a few personally but I have also seen and heard cops say and do some of the dumbest things ever.
8
This is an act of terror by a self-radicalized person; oddly, it is not referred to as such.
Like an aircraft accident it has many component parts: the fact of blacks and others being killed by law enforcement in indefensible circumstances, the ubiquity of firearms and high capacity magazines, the ability to capture and transmit the imagery of the event with smartphone technology and elected leaders unwilling to face a crisis.
At the heart of it is a law enforcement culture deeply rooted in a proclivity to engage and escalate recklessly.
That culture has no military or emergency response antecedent and has gone unchallenged by elected officials who are cowed by senior police officials who abet a policy that results in mayhem and death.
The policy is an affront to American ideals.
We will heal and change as a nation when we can look at images of the Dallas incident and photos of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile dying and feel the exact same revulsion over all three.
Eric Lamar
Like an aircraft accident it has many component parts: the fact of blacks and others being killed by law enforcement in indefensible circumstances, the ubiquity of firearms and high capacity magazines, the ability to capture and transmit the imagery of the event with smartphone technology and elected leaders unwilling to face a crisis.
At the heart of it is a law enforcement culture deeply rooted in a proclivity to engage and escalate recklessly.
That culture has no military or emergency response antecedent and has gone unchallenged by elected officials who are cowed by senior police officials who abet a policy that results in mayhem and death.
The policy is an affront to American ideals.
We will heal and change as a nation when we can look at images of the Dallas incident and photos of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile dying and feel the exact same revulsion over all three.
Eric Lamar
85
"At the heart of it..." Very well said.
1
As much as Micah Johnson practiced and prepared for this day, how could he have shot 12 cops without the use of a military-grade assault rifle? Could he have done this with a pistol? With a bolt-action rifle? I'm baffled why the police unions and associations continue to stay silent on this issue. As long as we allow civilians to own rifles designed to kill large amounts of people very quickly, we will see more mass shootings of police officers.
388
Why have police organizations loudly taken on the NRA by now? I just don't get it.
3
The fact that he did it with a tired, obsolete Soviet carbine from 70 years ago actually underscores the problem.
His SKS doesn't even fall into the so-called "assault weapon" category.
It is a garden variety, wood stocked, normal magazine semi auto weapon which the Soviets build to kill germans in WW II
It went on to be used by the Chinese Army, the North Vietnamese and many more.
In VN I fought against guys carrying this weapon (which is classified in the US as a curio/antique).
Its heavy, powerful 7.62 round greatly overmatched our American .223 rounds in our M16s.
In the Dallas shooter's hands those steel military 7.62 rounds cut through police ballistic vests like better.
Yet any unhappy kid in America can buy an SKS like the Dallas shooter's for about $100. And for a bit more than that he can buy a case of a thousand rounds of ammunition.
And we are surprised when a retarded loser kills and mains large numbers of policemen? We set the stage for this guy.
His SKS doesn't even fall into the so-called "assault weapon" category.
It is a garden variety, wood stocked, normal magazine semi auto weapon which the Soviets build to kill germans in WW II
It went on to be used by the Chinese Army, the North Vietnamese and many more.
In VN I fought against guys carrying this weapon (which is classified in the US as a curio/antique).
Its heavy, powerful 7.62 round greatly overmatched our American .223 rounds in our M16s.
In the Dallas shooter's hands those steel military 7.62 rounds cut through police ballistic vests like better.
Yet any unhappy kid in America can buy an SKS like the Dallas shooter's for about $100. And for a bit more than that he can buy a case of a thousand rounds of ammunition.
And we are surprised when a retarded loser kills and mains large numbers of policemen? We set the stage for this guy.
32
The gun that this guy used is not an "assault rifle" it's an SKS, a 70 year old relic that fires a round that is ballistically equivalent to what was available in 1895. This round id fired through a mass produced barrel made in eastern europe or china with two-land rifling. To be quite frank, if he had used a bolt action rifle with an optic, the death toll would have been much higher. Those guns use cartridges that have multiple times the power of the round fired by an SKS and they are designed for precision accuracy. The SKS is good for perhaps a 6" area at 100 yards. A typical hunting rifle, we'll under 1". The gun here is another red herring.
7
I have tears at my eyes. Only God knows what really happen to that former Soldier. Only God can take a life!
4
Ponce writes "Only God knows what really happen to that former Soldier"
If you are suggesting that he came home with PTSD or battle fatigue, it is very unlikely.
As a reserve Army engineer (carpenter) in an engineering BN he almost certainly a REMF -- a rear echelon guy. His barracks-mate remembers him for making waffles for the squad on his waffle maker,
REMFs have waffle makers. Combat soldiers do not.
This chap was mentally unhealthy, but I very much doubt that his army stint in Afghanistan is the root cause.
Save your sympathy for those who need and deserve it.
If you are suggesting that he came home with PTSD or battle fatigue, it is very unlikely.
As a reserve Army engineer (carpenter) in an engineering BN he almost certainly a REMF -- a rear echelon guy. His barracks-mate remembers him for making waffles for the squad on his waffle maker,
REMFs have waffle makers. Combat soldiers do not.
This chap was mentally unhealthy, but I very much doubt that his army stint in Afghanistan is the root cause.
Save your sympathy for those who need and deserve it.
26
He decided to spend his life doing this. He decided to take innocents with him. No tears due.
2
Did you say the same thing every time a cop killed someone because he (the cop) was scared?
1
Lost among all the racial vituperation is the fact that Hillary Clinton used the term "white people" and admonished them to reflect on their role in this tragedy.
She may be one of the more flawed candidates in US presidential politics history but that took a kind of political courage that I do not recall ever occurring. Perhaps only a female candidate born in the south could say this.
She may be one of the more flawed candidates in US presidential politics history but that took a kind of political courage that I do not recall ever occurring. Perhaps only a female candidate born in the south could say this.
32
Hillary Clinton was born in Chicago Illionis.
Don't be fooled by her rhetoric. Her goal is the White House so that she can service her corporate clients.
Don't be fooled by her rhetoric. Her goal is the White House so that she can service her corporate clients.
10
In the same sentence, she used the term "African American". Understanding why she made the unusual selection of terms would be interesting.
3
She's from Chicago.
1
This incident gives the lie to one of the most common reasons given for justifying the carrying of guns in public by citizens. There were armed civilians present--- to no effect. And, more tellingly, there were many officers present; highly trained and armed, yet they all were ineffectual in taking down a lone individual who opened fire and continued to fire for minutes.
What is the common factor amongst all these tragedies?
Weapons. In many cases, military-style weapons.
Guns are color-blind. They don't care who owns, shoots, or kills with them.
This is not a black-or-white problem. It is one of controlling lethal technology.
What is the common factor amongst all these tragedies?
Weapons. In many cases, military-style weapons.
Guns are color-blind. They don't care who owns, shoots, or kills with them.
This is not a black-or-white problem. It is one of controlling lethal technology.
221
Amen to these sentiments
I remember Mr Trump lamenting that no one had guns to fight back during the Paris attacks. He was convinced that everything would have been fine if the victims could fight back. In this situation many people in the crowd did have guns and yet it made no difference. In fact the gun carrying observers ran the other way with everyone else as they should have.
198
@Eric
So let me see if I understand you...
There was a single black man with an unloaded weapon at the rally
"Exercising" his right to peacefully carry openly.
When the chaos started (by the shooter - who had bullets) he did NOT do what the Left Wing Gun Grabbers said was the only thing a "Good Guy" with a gun could do which is to start shooting every other innocent person there.
Instead with his brother he found a police officer identified himself to the police officer and turned over his weapon to that officer.
He indicated to the Cop that the weapon was never loaded and had not been fired.
(For you Gun Grabbers who know little about Firearms - you can "smell" if a weapon has been fired recently -which undoubtedly the Cop did.. )
And because he did the one thing which was responsible and correct you find fault with him.
Essentially your "beef" with him is that he did not load the weapon and start firing at a target he could not see and he failed to play "Rambo" which according to the Gun Grabbers is all any person who owns a gun wants to do.
That young man should be commended for his actions, in the heat of a chaotic, tragic situation he did exactly what he should have done.
I understand his actions don't fit the narrative the Gun Grabbing Left Wing Fringe wants - but as the song goes..
The Gun Grabbers can't always get what they want.
So let me see if I understand you...
There was a single black man with an unloaded weapon at the rally
"Exercising" his right to peacefully carry openly.
When the chaos started (by the shooter - who had bullets) he did NOT do what the Left Wing Gun Grabbers said was the only thing a "Good Guy" with a gun could do which is to start shooting every other innocent person there.
Instead with his brother he found a police officer identified himself to the police officer and turned over his weapon to that officer.
He indicated to the Cop that the weapon was never loaded and had not been fired.
(For you Gun Grabbers who know little about Firearms - you can "smell" if a weapon has been fired recently -which undoubtedly the Cop did.. )
And because he did the one thing which was responsible and correct you find fault with him.
Essentially your "beef" with him is that he did not load the weapon and start firing at a target he could not see and he failed to play "Rambo" which according to the Gun Grabbers is all any person who owns a gun wants to do.
That young man should be commended for his actions, in the heat of a chaotic, tragic situation he did exactly what he should have done.
I understand his actions don't fit the narrative the Gun Grabbing Left Wing Fringe wants - but as the song goes..
The Gun Grabbers can't always get what they want.
3
@JavaJunkie
Ummm...I'm not sure if you actually read my comment. Your reply seemingly has little to do with what I wrote.
Ummm...I'm not sure if you actually read my comment. Your reply seemingly has little to do with what I wrote.
1
I think it made a difference that trained police had firearms and cornered the shooter. But an ambush is an ambush, and even the police are subject to a surprise attack.
1
This unspeakable horror repeats itself with a regularity that is beyond sickening. Many societies turn to "strong" right-wing "leaders" as an answer to this kind of unrest and indiscriminate violence. I wonder if the Second Amendment and the NRA and gun manufacturers are worth the loss of freedom?
58
Micah Johnson was the proverbial 'lone wolf' killer just like Dylann Roof, Adam Lanza or Omar Mateen. It is unfair and wrong to blame the Black Lives Matter movement or the entire African American Community for the actions of this individual just as it's unfair to blame white people for Dylann Roof or to blame Muslims for Omar Mateen.
215
We'll just blame Muslims for the hundreds of deaths at the end of Ramadan instead. The "it's just crazy young males" argument only works in a US awash in guns.
7
He was different. Despite claims to the contrary, he did not attack people that posed no threat to him.
1
I'm not hearing a lot of folks blaming BLM for this guy, and of course we shouldn't. We do have to watch out rhetoric, however, as crazies read the news too. See the abortion clinic killer who acted right after Carly Fiorina told the lie about the struggling fetus on the operating table.
4
They are giving this guy way to much credit. In the video showing him shooting, he wasn't very good. Form was all wrong and he was moving away from cover. Trained? Barely. His poor form probably helped save lives.
5
Because the shooter's form is the most important point about a black army vet who shoots up a peaceful protest march to kill officers defending the people who are protesting systemic prejudice in our criminal justice system against black people. Yes, by all means. We need better marksmanship training. Sheesh.
15
Right on here. His shots were very erratic indicative of inexperience. My own experience has been with an AR-15 in service rifle matches. I only heard recordings of the shots. Those shots we extremely erratic.
2
Barry your opinion is refuted by Mr. Jenkins, Dallas County’s chief executive and director of homeland security and emergency management. Johnson ended up shooting 12 people killing five officers. So your critique of his technique is not persuasive.
“When you couple ‘shoot and move’ and other tactics in his writings, his practice in the yard, his interest in weaponry, it seems to me that this was a well-prepared individual,” Mr. Jenkins said.
He added, “It appeared that he was an excellent marksman and was calmly shooting, as opposed to someone who’s just holding a gun up and aiming it and pulling the trigger in the direction of where they think people are.”
“When you couple ‘shoot and move’ and other tactics in his writings, his practice in the yard, his interest in weaponry, it seems to me that this was a well-prepared individual,” Mr. Jenkins said.
He added, “It appeared that he was an excellent marksman and was calmly shooting, as opposed to someone who’s just holding a gun up and aiming it and pulling the trigger in the direction of where they think people are.”
3
From the New Yorker - July 8, 2016
“Last night’s tragedy was also the grotesque reductio ad absurdum of the claim that it takes a good guy with a gun to stop a bad guy with a gun. There were nothing but good guys and they had nothing but guns, and five died anyway, as helpless as the rest of us.“
The NRA and Republican theory is nothing more than empty words.
“Last night’s tragedy was also the grotesque reductio ad absurdum of the claim that it takes a good guy with a gun to stop a bad guy with a gun. There were nothing but good guys and they had nothing but guns, and five died anyway, as helpless as the rest of us.“
The NRA and Republican theory is nothing more than empty words.
360
It's not a theory, it's bowing down to gun makers and a relative few gun owners (who have hated government since 1776.)
40
Rifles in the hands of patriots in 1776 made it possible for you to be able to voice those words no matter how incorrect.
4
Sorry, the bad guy had the superior fire-power and the supreme benefit of surprise and chaos on his side. Don't be so foolish to think that the gun did anything but react to the person pulling the trigger.
3
America needs a new enemy because it's turning on itself....
14
So Micah actions were to verify to the nation that there is much more racist feelings from blacks to whites than vice versa. He probably felt supported by the President's words putting down police officers. Put those things together and this will cause a backlash from Asians, Hispanics and whites against blacks.
So why then do my blm friends think that this shooting of police officers will help their cause? They are making it hard to see them as reasonable. We are sitting on a powder keg.
So why then do my blm friends think that this shooting of police officers will help their cause? They are making it hard to see them as reasonable. We are sitting on a powder keg.
15
Holly,
You are living in your White world with apparent zero capacity to put yourself in the shoes of a Black. You are the personification of one of the reasons race relations will not improve until people like you realize that by virtue of being born white you from day one started in a privileged position in the US. If you open your eyes and mind and see that there are many, many Blacks just like you who are simply trying to live safely with their children in peace.
BAR, a White person
USA
You are living in your White world with apparent zero capacity to put yourself in the shoes of a Black. You are the personification of one of the reasons race relations will not improve until people like you realize that by virtue of being born white you from day one started in a privileged position in the US. If you open your eyes and mind and see that there are many, many Blacks just like you who are simply trying to live safely with their children in peace.
BAR, a White person
USA
4
To even hint about blaming President Obama for Johnson's actions is the height of immaturity...
8
Holly in Laraway,
I challenge you to name the BLM supporters who think this shooting will help their cause.
It is also very illuminating how your hypothetical backlash pits every other ethnic group against blacks.
Your post reads like a wishlist of what you would personally like to see happen. You have betrayed your mindset. That mindset is the festering problem that has led us to this sorry state of affairs.
I challenge you to name the BLM supporters who think this shooting will help their cause.
It is also very illuminating how your hypothetical backlash pits every other ethnic group against blacks.
Your post reads like a wishlist of what you would personally like to see happen. You have betrayed your mindset. That mindset is the festering problem that has led us to this sorry state of affairs.
5
Dear Times,
Please go back to reporting the news, not making it. There's an almost hysterical sensationalism creeping into your editorial decisions. It's as though you *want* the nation to be "torn," "grieving," and "ruptured" and so you're telling us to be that way.
This has nothing to do with my personal opinion of the underlying problems facing this country. I can decide for myself how to mourn these tragic events and how to help rectify them. You need to take a deep breath and remember that your motto used to be "all the news that's fit to print," not "Remember the Maine!"
Please go back to reporting the news, not making it. There's an almost hysterical sensationalism creeping into your editorial decisions. It's as though you *want* the nation to be "torn," "grieving," and "ruptured" and so you're telling us to be that way.
This has nothing to do with my personal opinion of the underlying problems facing this country. I can decide for myself how to mourn these tragic events and how to help rectify them. You need to take a deep breath and remember that your motto used to be "all the news that's fit to print," not "Remember the Maine!"
219
Jordan - I will be voting for Hillary in November, as every sane American should be. Hope that helps.
2
The generally undereducated black community listens to radicalized self-appointed leaders determined to poison their minds with highly exaggerated victimization and discrimination.
Where are the black leaders who can articulate the concern, challenge the black community to also fix their own serious problems, and decry the fascination and glorification of thuggery and homicide in black culture?
The black community is in desperate need of help but it also has to do a much better job of fixing itself from the inside out. I see absolutely no evidence this is occurring or going to be attempted.
Where are the black leaders who can articulate the concern, challenge the black community to also fix their own serious problems, and decry the fascination and glorification of thuggery and homicide in black culture?
The black community is in desperate need of help but it also has to do a much better job of fixing itself from the inside out. I see absolutely no evidence this is occurring or going to be attempted.
97
MK will probably be vilified for his comment, but he is on the money. There was a time when talking back to a police officer, let alone resisting arrest, was virtually unheard of. But it's now often the norm, and most of the tragic deaths of people at the hands of police since and including Ferguson, the genesis of the Black Lives Matter mantra, were the result of people putting their hands on the cop instead of on the dashboard. The African-American community needs to own up to the fact of an urban culture immersed in aggression--for whatever good or bad reasons--and expunge it.
19
Really? You have no clue what "the black community" listens to. Lot of white people writing in here who have fears but no information. You white people live in the same bubble I do. Talk less, listen more.
51
Racial bias exists within the police and justice system. However, one significant and ignored factor that contributes to the dire outcomes and income inequality, joblessness and high incarceration rate in many African-American communities is this: 70% of African-American children are born to young, poor, uneducated single mothers with absent fathers and lacking a stable family environment. As a teacher in a high needs school with kids from these dysfunctional homes, I witness the consequences of this every day on their ability to learn and develop into educated adults that can break the cycle. Structural racism does not force these young teen women to bring children into the world they cannot raise. Nor does it force their fathers to disappear. The education opportunities are there for the taking, even in the "crappiest" schools. But you have to have an adult to inculcate the value of education, discipline and long term goals. Unfortunately, no one wants to address these statistics, especially the Black Lives Matter movement.
11
By tomorrow the Administration and the Media will have deemed the racially motivated killer as 'Radicalized' so that Black Lives Matter can be exonerated just like the 'radicalized' label gives Islam a 'Hillary-Pass' and holds them harmless when these acts of violence and killings occur in Allah's name and in sympathy with ISIS.
26
Jim
Your biases are showing. Thought you might want to know.
ISIS? Hillary-pass?
This is about a guy with a problem and a gun who was shooting and killing police officers. You seem to be in the wrong universe.
Your biases are showing. Thought you might want to know.
ISIS? Hillary-pass?
This is about a guy with a problem and a gun who was shooting and killing police officers. You seem to be in the wrong universe.
9
Sadly and even tragically, you are right that the Administration, mainstream media and PC crowd already mute clearly by racism against whites and white policemen motivated and driven domestic terrorist will be portrayed as not such.
Obama already started this when, instead of "hate crime", "racist crime" he and his AGs normally use when the race of a perpetrator and a victim are reversed, declaring that "it is very hard to establish a motive" and that he will "leave it to psychologists."
Obama already started this when, instead of "hate crime", "racist crime" he and his AGs normally use when the race of a perpetrator and a victim are reversed, declaring that "it is very hard to establish a motive" and that he will "leave it to psychologists."