"That don't mean nuthin' to me."

The whole situation is bad.
I am not getting into whose wrong or right in the beginning,
but in the end when the citizen is apparently subdue.

The non professional officer whom was cursing and intimidating the now
subdue yet not arrested person is way out of line.

The cussing in public like that if it were a citzen, they would be arrested for the profanity and possible verbal assault. at the very least disturbing the peace or creating a public nuisance, but since it was the officer whom was creating such an intimidating spectacle nothing at all will be done.

You cant justify this behavior by saying they deal with the scum of the earth. If you cant handle the job then find a different profession.

I feel sorry for the citizen, since this is more than likely lead to future harassment. I wonder if his c&c been pulled by now?

Of coarse this is cowardly of me to think but does it really help any one to draw any attention to ones self. Blending into the crowd is perhaps the smartest thing.

 

Here is some relevant data for Philly:



A couple things that I draw from this data:
1) I would not live in Philly
2) I would carry in Philly
3) Some Philly cops probably see more action than entire units did deployed in support of OIF

It reminds me of a friend I had that was a recruiter. He, unfortunately, had the Detroit area. Momma didn't want her Baby to have to go to Iraq and face war. Of course statistically, he was more likely to be killed in downtown Detroit than Iraq. Not to mention how poverty, unemployment, and no education would affect his life if he didn't get shot first.

Source:
Violence - philly.com

 

Here is a really interesting piece I saw last night on News Channel 5 in Nashville on some not-so-legal stops that Dickson Co is doing:
Questionable Traffic Stops Caught On Camera - NewsChannel5.com | Nashville News, Weather & Sports

The purpose is clear- to try to talk drivers into waving 4th amendment and allow a search for drugs / money. My solution, legalize marijuana, would end this sort of intrusion and allow for regulation.

 

Let us not forget that ALL important Tax revenue.

 

No real opinion on the vid as, without sounding unfriendly, i don't care about how America handles it's firearms.


Must bring you to point on this though.
Over here in Greece and the UK we don't need a firearms license to carry a pistol, simply because it's illegal for any civilian to own any pistol.

With that in mind i can honestly put my hand on my heart and i say i've not lived in fear for 1 day in my 42 years.

I am confident that i am able to provide security for myself and my family without owning a firearm over here.

Also must point out neither are fascist countries, and i'm 100% happy with the fact that civilians are not allowed pistols, and i know not 1 person that isn't in agreement with the law.

 

Besides that, you greeks are a bunch of pussies. Come over here and walk around Elasian Fields for an evening stroll and tell me if you feel the same about owning a pistol.

 

^^^ hahaha...Ditto...Try walking around New Orlean's....

 

Since the early 90s, there has been a trend in policing that is commonly referred to as the "militarization of the police." In short, the police have been adopting military attributes--especially training and tactics (not to mention haircuts). During this same time, forces all over the country have had to lower standards to avoid minority lawsuits. In some instances, officers have been later shown to have had criminal records prior to their entry into the academy.

What this all boils down to is a large cohort of officers that aren't qualified intellectually or mentally to have the type of power they have over their fellow citizens.

 

I've spent a fair bit of time over there with you guys, and had many many a "discussion" over guns and gun control.
I don't see any real point in going into the same "discussion" again as:
a/ It's not really on topic
b/ No matter how good a case i put forward or how many statistics i produce in my experience they are just discounted.
c/ I'm not going to change your mind and your not going to change my mind.

It's a completely different mindset, i'm comfortable walking around my mates house in Oakland or visiting my ex forces buddy in Compton without a firearm.
I've been in some extremely tricky situations but i've always got myself out without a firearm.
I can honestly put my hand on my heart and say that in every tricky situation i've been in (in civilian life), i've not once wished i had a firearm at that time.

This is from a over weight 5'8 bloke, the mate who lives in Oakland is 6'4 120kgs and minimal fat, he was a hand to hand combat trainer in the forces and as strong as an ox.
Yet when he comes over here it's no exaggeration to say he his shitting his pants because he's not carrying.
Obviously me being me i use this as an excuse to rip the piss out of him, saying stuff like "don't worry mate if any bogeymen come i'll protect you"



Must as this stage point out i'm no anti-gun person.
I love guns, i target shoot as often as i can and i've hunted regularly since i was big enough to lift a rifle.
As pistols are outlawed in many European countries it's mainly shotgun shooting and air-rifle target of hunting i did.
Now days i just tend to visit a few ranges when i'm over there to shoot pistols.

The fact remains though i'm extremely happy that the vast majority of civilians are not allowed to carry pistols over here.
I've witnessed first hand what carrying and a drunken argument can cause, as most us Brits are pissed from a Friday evening onwards believe me it'd be a blood bath if even 1/4 of Brits were carrying.

[rofllmao][rofllmao][rofllmao]

Thanks for that, i'm laughing THAT loud the Mrs just came into to the office to see what i'm laughing about.

1/ I'm not Greek i'm simply a guest here
2/ I'll take a shot in the dark here and say that you've never visited Greece.
3/ And the reason for my laughing is the name Elysium actually comes from Greece [rofllmao]

In Greek mythology Elysium or Ηλύσια Πεδία in Greek would be the section of the underworld where the souls of the bravest, most virtuous and heroic would rest.

In all seriousness as i said above i have been in and around the US including some real dodgy areas in times when they were even more dodgy, all without a firearm and i'm still in 1 piece

 

I telling you Cdr6fs...You have got to visit New Orlean's...
and if you run into trouble..There is a local guy by the name of Troy Landry...
If you need him just yell..CHOOT EM' T-BOY CHOOT EM'...He will save your bacon.!!!

 

As i say i am NOT going to be drawn into a gun control argument, what Americans do to each other is entirely up to them.

I will say this though, i do not and have never known 1 civilian living in the UK that has ever owned a hand gun, not one.

Yet we still all seem to provide safety to and for our families.

Have i been burgled/mugged = Yes
Did i protect myself/ my family = Yes
Did i need or want a hand gun during that defence = No

If the laws were dramatically changed and we were allowed to open/concealed carry tomorrow, i still wouldn't carry a hand gun, for the same reason as i do not carry a knife, Kubaton, Tazer, mace or anything else.

Personally i am secure enough in myself and my preparations, common sense and street smarts that i can get myself out of pretty much and civilian situation without a firearm.

If other people in other countries are not that secure in themselves then that is entirely their choice, as long as they are not injuring innocent people and are abiding by local laws then good on em.

As for Ms Suzanna Gratia's testimony, what a shocking and terrible thing she had to go through, my thoughts go out to everyone that lost a loved one the day of the Luby's massacre.

Couple of things i will say though.

1/ If ALL hand guns were illegal then George Pierre Hennard would not have had his legally purchased and registered Glock 17 and P89.

2/ No doubt if he wasn't carrying legally obtained hand guns he would have still killed several people when he drove through the shop window.
I am curious as to how your concealed carry would protect you from that?

3/ I have witnessed with my own 2 eyes a fair few instances where in a life or death situation trained individuals were unable to pull the trigger and knowingly shoot to kill another human being.

This from trained individuals, the percentage amongst typical civilians and housewives would be a LOT higher.
If an individual is faced with an intruder with a knife, they then draw on them but are unable to fire, that intruder then has a knife and a gun.
Nothing good is going to come out of that situation.

Lastly, if your using that video to put your point across it's an extremely weak point.

The ONLY thing you can find is 1 off video of an extremely shocking event from 1991.
Having experienced being under fire i can tell you even if every single person in there had a handgun the vast majority would be THAT much in shock they wouldn't think to use it.

I can't find the report now, but i'm sure i read that 3 or 4 of the murdered victims were found with handguns they did not discharge.

As i say if you need to carry a gun to feel secure then (laws permitting) that's entirely your choice, if we met over a beer no doubt i'd ask for a go at the local range

Me personally i'm confident and secure enough without needing to walk around with a handgun.

Each to their own

 

I love New Orleans, out of everywhere i've been in the US it's right at the top of my list

I love the food, the buildings, the people, and even the accent.
Broke my heart to watch it being torn apart in 05

BTW
We have History channel over here to you know, "Swamp People" FTW!!!11111

 

Ok look, you want to talk about the US ok, i have travelled the US extensively and regularly.

But you talking about the UK is screaming ignorance.
Sorry if that come across a bit harsh but it's completely obvious that you have absolutely no idea what you talking about and certainly no experience of it.

As a result you post a video of a demonstration for keeping fox hunting in the UK.
A video of an extremely minuscule portion of the UK public that still wants this barbaric practice to continue.
Just so we're clear here, that demonstration HAS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH GUN CONTROL.

With regard to CCTV yes you are correct in London and to a smaller degree some of the larger crime ridden cities.
When i come from though you'll struggle to find 1 CCTV camera within a 50 mile radius.
So again a point that's completely irrelevant and taken completely out of context.


Yes the government in the UK has some serious serious failings, absolutely no doubt at all.
But i fail to see how.
a/ That has any relevance to me needing to carry a handgun to feel secure.
b/ That is any different than any other country or society in the world.

You ask any person in the world if they're 100% happy with their governments and i'll give you $1000 for every (informed) person that says yes.


Going from that to "being a slave" is a jump of such epic proportions it's faintly ridiculous to the point of being funny.

How you reach the conclusion that i'm trolling when all along i've said, first i won't be drawn into a + or a - on gun control and secondly i specifically stated i do not care how you handle your gun control in the US, is beyond me.
It also amazes me that you choose to read and get outraged by the points you want, at the same time completely ignoring the context, logic and the clear concise way i state.

My only intention was to call BS on your rhetoric regarding.

It's an incorrect, offensive and sweeping statement.

You feel insecure without carrying a gun, that's 100% your choice in your country.
Personally i'm secure enough in myself not to need to walk around with a gun, knife, tazer, mace etc, that's 100% my choice.

It does not make me a slave, it just means i have more confidence in my common sense, street smarts and my ability to defend and look after myself without needing a firearm.

That philosophy has survived me while cycling across the US at 17 years old, backpacking across eastern Europe, motorbiking down Africa and living and travelling in some areas that make Washington state seem like a kindergarten.
I've experienced problems from being mugged by 6 guys in a Lada wielding AK447's, to be held hostage in a shite hole little African dictatorship airport.
Not once did i ever wish i had a firearm.

In every case i got out alive and with the case of the 6 guys in the Lada they ended up giving me a lift into town.

Maybe i just have a winning personality huh

 

I'm Telling ya..If you get beyond the 700 block of Bourbon and The Cat's Meow...Your going to need Troy with you...

 

That one would choose to be a victim is beyond my comprehension? I cannot justify allowing my fate to be placed in the hands of a bandit or other miscreant. When you are looking down their AK barrel, your life or not is their choice wholly, you don't get a vote in it. If that is your choice, you won't last long in many places that I have to go. And don't waste your time saying I haven't been somewhere because 35 years as an international salvagemaster with Resolve, Titan, Smitt, Boscalis, and Szitzer has sent me more places than I can remember. I have been robbed in places where I couldn't carry a gun and I felt defenseless. I have defended my life and the life of others with lethal force and felt wholly justified in doing so and this has been in the UK, as well as other places. I have been injured while defending my life and I may have avoided injury had I not resisted, but then again,I might have been made a bitch or killed; I wasn't given a vote. When it is my choice, I will carry a rifle or machine gun, a shotgun, or a pistol, a knife, a club, steel-toed shoes, a fricking hand-full of rocks; I will defend myself, I just prefer my .45 ACP to a handfull of rocks.