The
Vision Thing
One of the first things police academies
teach potential officers is "Come home safe." This
translates in contemporary America as "Shoot
to kill at the slightest provocation".
And I don't blame them. This crazy, wonderful country
in which we all live has far too many guns in the hands
of far too many irrational people. Sometimes
the police die as a result of that combination but
way more frequently it is us, the public, which suffers
while
simply reaching
for
our identification. Particularly if you're a non-white.
The
police department is so afraid of its men dying in
the
field they
now
wear
bullet-proof
armor and train like a military force. This is lunacy.
There's a simple solution to this: Get rid of the guns.
And there would be no more powerful voice for the recoding
of
the Second Amendment, to make it suitable for the 21st
century, than the police unions in this country.
Imagine. No more "I thought he had a gun!"
No more "I was reaching
for my taser."
No more
"It accidentally went off."
No more "You see this gun on my hip, dontcha, punk?
This is why I will make you regret ever being born
for making that turn against the light."
But their unions won't do it. Their members like guns
and the authority to wield it as they choose.
It also means they'll continue to be targets of
people like Micah Johnson.
Guns vs. no guns. Seems like a no-brainer to me.
So, yes, it's comforting to share phrases like "Back
the Blue" in these horrific times, but guess what?
It's the same as saying "I'll pray for you." And we
all
know
how effective THAT is.
You want change? Make change, otherwise quit grieving
when people die like they did in Dallas because changing
the status quo is too harrrrd.
-----------
How would altering the Second Amendment
work? Simple. No more handguns, for anyone. Shotguns
and
single-shot
rifles are legitimate
sporting weapons and could be still owned by those
with hunting licenses, training, and insurance. Law
authorities
could
have shotguns and rifles available for
emergencies, in their squad cars or at their stations,
but would carry no guns on their persons.
The attack in Dallas has clearly showed that "Open
carry" and "A good guy with a gun can stop a bad
guy with a gun" is a joke. The death of Trayvon Martin
has shown us that "Stand
your ground" is
an open invitation to
murder. It's time to change an amendment meant for
controlling slaves to one that has more relevance to
the 21st century and the rest of the civilized world.
And for those who like their guns because they go
Boom!", thanks for nothing.
=Lefty=
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