Houston police chief hits out at politicians and NRA after officer death

[DaleCooper]

I found this police chief's address very moving and remarkable for someone in his position to speak out so strongly against politicians.

Houston's police chief Art Acevedo criticised politicians for not standing up to the National Rifle Association after the fatal shooting of an officer. 'The NRA doesn't like the fact that we want to take firearms out of the hands of boyfriends that abuse their girlfriends. And who killed our sergeant? A boyfriend abusing his girlfriend,

 

[DerekC]

Good for him. The sad thing is that it won't make any difference. It's hard to see what could.

 

[DarloRich]

Good for him. The sad thing is that it won't make any difference. It's hard to see what could.

Thoughts and prayers?

 

[Jordan Adam]

Good for him. The sad thing is that it won't make any difference. It's hard to see what could.

I agree, the US seem stuck in their ways when it comes to civilians owning unnecessary weapons of war...

 

[DaleCooper]

What I found really depressing were some of the comments of the "They ent gonna tek mah guns away frum me" type.

 

[The_Train]

Don't see American police chiefs making such statements after their officers have shot and killed innocent people without any justification do we?

 

[DerekC]

Thoughts and prayers?

That's what Trump offers every time as an alternative to actually doing anything (but probably that's why you said it).

Don't see American police chiefs making such statements after their officers have shot and killed innocent people without any justification do we?

It's all part of the same problem. The universal presence of guns means that police have to carry and sometimes they make mistakes (and occasionally you get rogues).

 

[DaleCooper]

It's all part of the same problem. The universal presence of guns means that police have to carry and sometimes they make mistakes (and occasionally you get rogues).

...and scared cops because they never know when they're going to encounter someone with a gun.

 

[DerekC]

It really is an extraordinary culture to us. When working in Pennsylvania (a pretty civilised bit) I was given a lift in an (equally civilised) colleague's car to discover that he had a gun and didn't need a licence for it as long as it wasn't concealed. He was astonished at my surprise and even more astonished when I said I had never fired a hand gun and didn't want to start. "What would you do if someone breaks into your house?" was the question he kept asking.

 

[The_Train]

"What would you do if someone breaks into your house?" was the question he kept asking.

Did you explain that offering them a cup of tea is the British way?

 

[Kingspanner]

It really is an extraordinary culture to us. When working in Pennsylvania (a pretty civilised bit) I was given a lift in an (equally civilised) colleague's car to discover that he had a gun and didn't need a licence for it as long as it wasn't concealed. He was astonished at my surprise and even more astonished when I said I had never fired a hand gun and didn't want to start. "What would you do if someone breaks into your house?" was the question he kept asking.

Well, I wouldn't shoot them and they wouldn't shoot me, which would be start.

 

[DaleCooper]

Well, I wouldn't shoot them and they wouldn't shoot me, which would be start.

That's the civilised way. Of course in America the burglar probably has a bigger gun than the homeowner.

 

[edwin_m]

When this topic came up before, someone pointed out that Switzerland has a similar high rate of gun ownership but hardly any gun crime, and that got me thinking. I wonder if the problem is actually more in the American folk memory of the Wild West, reinforced by movies and translating to any number of current day cop shows, where the happy ending nearly always involves the good guy shooting somebody.

 

[DerekC]

When this topic came up before, someone pointed out that Switzerland has a similar high rate of gun ownership but hardly any gun crime, and that got me thinking. I wonder if the problem is actually more in the American folk memory of the Wild West, reinforced by movies and translating to any number of current day cop shows, where the happy ending nearly always involves the good guy shooting somebody.

There's an interesting article here which discusses the differences between Switzerland and the US:

https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Eur...-its-gun-culture-takes-different-path-from-US

In summary, guns in Switzerland are mostly held by members of the national citizen militia who have been trained by the army in their use and their possession is seen as part of the defence of Switzerland rather than defence of the individual. They now have a fairly strict licensing system and it's illegal to carry a loaded weapon in the street.

Big differences from the US, I think, although probably fairly close to what the writers of the Second Amendment had in mind. I do agree there is a big cultural factor. Many people in the US see guns as a symbol of individual freedom against authority.

 

[edwin_m]

There's an interesting article here which discusses the differences between Switzerland and the US:

https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Eur...-its-gun-culture-takes-different-path-from-US

In summary, guns in Switzerland are mostly held by members of the national citizen militia who have been trained by the army in their use and their possession is seen as part of the defence of Switzerland rather than defence of the individual. They now have a fairly strict licensing system and it's illegal to carry a loaded weapon in the street.

Big differences from the US, I think, although probably fairly close to what the writers of the Second Amendment had in mind. I do agree there is a big cultural factor. Many people in the US see guns as a symbol of individual freedom against authority.

Thanks for that, very interesting.