When a parent loses a child, it is, from all I have ever read or heard, something one cannot ever overcome or get through, or feel better after any period of time. The loss is deep. I knew someone once who lost her son. He wasn't lost, he was murdered at an ATM. 15 years later I met her, and the loss was as deep and painful. It was evident on her face.
I don't think it matters why or how one loses a child. Whether the child is 7 and dies from cancer or dies from a stray bullet intended for some gang banger ... loss is loss. Whether your child is 20 or 40, if murdered, the loss is the same.
Whether it is losing a mother, father, son, daughter ... loss is unimaginable - even if they aren't a good mother or son or daughter or father ... they could very well be an asshole. It is still a loss and it is immeasurable.
The loss isn't measured by whether the parent, child is or was a valuable member of society - it is family and as family we feel the loss. We want a response, we want justice. When 3000 people, many Americans were killed in New York, we wanted justice. When 1 person is killed, we want justice. It is the same feeling or need - justice.
Sometimes the person is a worthless parent and we wonder how they could have a child or children. Sometimes we wonder and marvel that anyone could love them, but ... that isn't the point. It is about our loss and our need for justice.
And we have a right to justice. Not as Americans, but a basic human right - justice.
Fiat justitia ruat cælum
But there are times when our behavior contributes to what happens.
We are drinking, get in a car, driving along on freeway and another car swerves beside us and we go over the edge. Did their action cause it, yes. Did our being intoxicated play a roll - I believe it did. Should they be punished in the pursuit of justice? Yes, no matter who they may be. But our responsibility cannot be ignored.
However, when a police officer tells you to stop - stop. When they tell you to raise your hands - raise your hands. Not raise them and then put them into your pockets. Don't raise one while the other slides into your coat. When told to stand still, raise your hands above your head - the physics of that seem simple. STOP as in no further movement in any direction; raise your hands above your head means ... the hands must both be visible above the head. Not at the shoulders, but above the head. You should not be yelling at the police officer while he is instructing you to stop. Your wife or girlfriend should not be adding her $3.00 to the conversation, nor should she be giving orders.
When you are told to stop. Stop. Do not move forward. Do not lean into your car, do not put your hands into your coat .... just don't do that. If you do, please be aware, whoever you are - you will be shot. Why? Because police officers want to go home. They don't want to die because some fool reached for a gun and shot them, and they didn't act more quickly. And why the hell should I listen to your wife/girlfriend about you not having a gun. What retard am I suppose to be playing. I will go home. The question is, will you go to jail, or the morgue, or if a mistake, be on your way in a few minutes.
If I ask you to stop and you just walk away from me yelling epithets and telling me you ain't got time for my bullshit ... well, what should I do? Pretend nothing happened. It doesn't work that way and it never will. It hasn't worked that way for the last couple years when black men get shot ... you think somehow you will get to just walk away and no one will notice? It can't work like that. Not if you want justice.
What I want if I am the cop is to have you stop, raise your hands above your head, NOT move, not twitch, not shuffle, not move as in IMMOBILE. Stop. Let me come up, handcuff you, check you for weapons or objects of any danger ... and at that point if you were to walk off, I would not feel a threat. Nor would I be able to argue such.
When a police officer shoots someone, anyone without just cause, they should be terminated from the police department and prosecuted as anyone would be for negligence / manslaughter, or whatever the facts warrant. We cannot know, but if everyone would have just stopped, raised their hands above their heads ... I don't believe most would have been shot. Don't go rummaging around for weapons in the glove box. Don't reach into a car and try to take the police officer's weapon. Don't reach into your car rummaging around for a weapon. In fact, if you are so law abiding and peaceful - why are you carrying a weapon in your car? And yes, if a white guy had a gun in his car, he would be shot as well. And when the police handcuff you, don't punch, spit, bite or resist ... deal with the discriminatory pattern after they are satisfied you are not a threat and you don't get to tell me the police officer you aren't a threat. You don't decide that, neither does your wife or girlfriend.
Once all that occurs, let justice be done. If it was racially discriminatory, the lawyers are available ... but you will live to see your children or parents again. That's what we all want. No one goes to work with the intention of shooting an innocent black man with children. I can't say the same for the individuals who riot.
I don't think it matters why or how one loses a child. Whether the child is 7 and dies from cancer or dies from a stray bullet intended for some gang banger ... loss is loss. Whether your child is 20 or 40, if murdered, the loss is the same.
Whether it is losing a mother, father, son, daughter ... loss is unimaginable - even if they aren't a good mother or son or daughter or father ... they could very well be an asshole. It is still a loss and it is immeasurable.
The loss isn't measured by whether the parent, child is or was a valuable member of society - it is family and as family we feel the loss. We want a response, we want justice. When 3000 people, many Americans were killed in New York, we wanted justice. When 1 person is killed, we want justice. It is the same feeling or need - justice.
Sometimes the person is a worthless parent and we wonder how they could have a child or children. Sometimes we wonder and marvel that anyone could love them, but ... that isn't the point. It is about our loss and our need for justice.
And we have a right to justice. Not as Americans, but a basic human right - justice.
Fiat justitia ruat cælum
But there are times when our behavior contributes to what happens.
We are drinking, get in a car, driving along on freeway and another car swerves beside us and we go over the edge. Did their action cause it, yes. Did our being intoxicated play a roll - I believe it did. Should they be punished in the pursuit of justice? Yes, no matter who they may be. But our responsibility cannot be ignored.
However, when a police officer tells you to stop - stop. When they tell you to raise your hands - raise your hands. Not raise them and then put them into your pockets. Don't raise one while the other slides into your coat. When told to stand still, raise your hands above your head - the physics of that seem simple. STOP as in no further movement in any direction; raise your hands above your head means ... the hands must both be visible above the head. Not at the shoulders, but above the head. You should not be yelling at the police officer while he is instructing you to stop. Your wife or girlfriend should not be adding her $3.00 to the conversation, nor should she be giving orders.
When you are told to stop. Stop. Do not move forward. Do not lean into your car, do not put your hands into your coat .... just don't do that. If you do, please be aware, whoever you are - you will be shot. Why? Because police officers want to go home. They don't want to die because some fool reached for a gun and shot them, and they didn't act more quickly. And why the hell should I listen to your wife/girlfriend about you not having a gun. What retard am I suppose to be playing. I will go home. The question is, will you go to jail, or the morgue, or if a mistake, be on your way in a few minutes.
If I ask you to stop and you just walk away from me yelling epithets and telling me you ain't got time for my bullshit ... well, what should I do? Pretend nothing happened. It doesn't work that way and it never will. It hasn't worked that way for the last couple years when black men get shot ... you think somehow you will get to just walk away and no one will notice? It can't work like that. Not if you want justice.
What I want if I am the cop is to have you stop, raise your hands above your head, NOT move, not twitch, not shuffle, not move as in IMMOBILE. Stop. Let me come up, handcuff you, check you for weapons or objects of any danger ... and at that point if you were to walk off, I would not feel a threat. Nor would I be able to argue such.
When a police officer shoots someone, anyone without just cause, they should be terminated from the police department and prosecuted as anyone would be for negligence / manslaughter, or whatever the facts warrant. We cannot know, but if everyone would have just stopped, raised their hands above their heads ... I don't believe most would have been shot. Don't go rummaging around for weapons in the glove box. Don't reach into a car and try to take the police officer's weapon. Don't reach into your car rummaging around for a weapon. In fact, if you are so law abiding and peaceful - why are you carrying a weapon in your car? And yes, if a white guy had a gun in his car, he would be shot as well. And when the police handcuff you, don't punch, spit, bite or resist ... deal with the discriminatory pattern after they are satisfied you are not a threat and you don't get to tell me the police officer you aren't a threat. You don't decide that, neither does your wife or girlfriend.
Once all that occurs, let justice be done. If it was racially discriminatory, the lawyers are available ... but you will live to see your children or parents again. That's what we all want. No one goes to work with the intention of shooting an innocent black man with children. I can't say the same for the individuals who riot.
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