Just this past Sunday afternoon, 10-11-2015, an off duty Memphis Police officer, in uniform, "on his to way to work" at his precinct across town, was "gunned down with multiple shots" by his neighbor. So far, Monday midday, he is charged with "felony possession of a firearm". I assume the Memphis Police are making sure he acted alone and crossing all the "t's and dotting the i's" to make their case solid. I hope so. Also, another well liked officer was "gunned down by multiple shots" at a "routine" traffic stop just this past August. The shooter in this case was afraid because he had a "record" and had a couple of drams of pot on him. Senseless. And also Sunday, in Independence Missouri, an on duty officer in uniform was at a "no firearms" restaurant, waiting to meet his family for his birthday lunch. The Hostess insistently told him he had to leave because firearms were not "allowed" there. Go figure? Nothing can be routine anymore in this world now, and I have some scars that prove it. ALL comments welcome.

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Just a shooter

When society turns against those, who have been trusted to protect it. That society is heading for a very rapid decline, and break down of civility as we know it. At 67 Y/O I'm glad that I will not be around to see the total aftermath, of this behavior......

There is not one thing that can be blamed for this. It is a degradation of several things in society.
One ingredient in a bucket of many is the media has portrayed Leo's as the bad guys.

If we would only dust off our Bibles and read a bit we could again realize things like the ten commandments aren't so bad.

I wonder when one of these "no firearms allowed" restaurants is being robbed will feel when the first responders decide honor their no firearms on the premise and stay outside while the place is being ransacked.

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Back to back World War Champs.

I'm not educated enough to speak purty like that, I just know how to work. Retired at 62 in 2013, arthritis in my hands was too painful to handle my tools, couldn't drive my van between call because of laws about pain killers..A little nip of Southern comfort every now and then helps my typing. I have sensible laws in my house. Find an officer and come by for a snort and a bite to eat sometime.

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Just a shooter

There's a saying that goes something like this.

I respect your right not to have or like guns.

But when something goes bump in the darkness of night and you call for help.

You will probaly be praying that ever who comes will have a gun.

Kipling had a thing or two to say about that...

Poems - 'The Gods of the Copybook Headings'

I really have to question whether these awful things are really on the rise, or is it just that the instant availability of the 24hr. news cycle makes everything look like a scary trend.

A quick perusal of the last 20 years up to 2014 does not indicate a statistical trend.
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund: Officer Deaths by Year

Two or three are too many. Maybe not in California??

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Just a shooter

I have no answers to society today, I'm just appalled by the way people think today.
Thats why I live in the mountains with enough survival stuff to keep me going for a long time when things finally fall apart.
I don't believe there are any good answers to solve whats going on today

I really don't think the media has much to do with it. There has always been LEO's killed , but in the line of duty. In today's world they have become targets for no good reason .

One part of this equation is the increased media coverage of so called bad cops. Just like in any other profession, there are bad apples. But every time a shooting ocuurs, or a death in custody, the media reports police brutality. It's HUGE news for awhile ( think Ferguson ), but then it drops off the radar when the truth comes out. Many wanted to hang the cop in Ferguson that shot Brown,but since the truth came out..no word of apology for ruining the life of someone doing his job. Another issue is the slew of videos that have popped up on the internet social media sites. Many from " experts" showing how to put police in their place so they don't violate people's rights. To a one, every one of these videos would be about 15 seconds long if the person just answered the questions truthfully and cooperated. Instead, they refuse to do what is asked, and to police, they seem suspicious. Then it goes downhill from there. Also in question is the youth of today, who seem to think that they are owed something and have no respect for rules and authority.

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1st smiles,lies.Last,gunfire.

"Where are we going and why am I in this hand basket?"

Ed

this is nothing new...these type of "activities" have been happening for decades, against the law or the innocent 8 year old..............

the media continues to fuel the flames of fear and the public cant get enough of drama, hostility and innuendo....

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There's nowt so queer as folk

We are not allowed to delve into certain subjects. I've had my hand slapped and learned from it well.

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Just a shooter

The old timers may remember that things were much the same back in the 1970s. Look for the film "The New Centurions" with Stacey Keach and George C. Scott.

The really old old timers who aren't around any more left records of how things were in the 1860s. Now that was a rough time. Cannibals, scalpers who took real scalpers, hostile Indians, bush whackers, and the doctor was just a guy with pliers and a rusty hacksaw.

At 40, I also remember violence in the 80s and 90s.

I think weird things like this have happened in the past also. I do think the instant media helps to magnify it now.
I also think things have changed to where it WAS unusual for this kind of thing to occur, and now, not so strange.
Their is a " weirdness " in society lately.

WHERE ARE WE HEADED??


By most accounts, some are.....On the Road to Perdition.

Or just a plain ol Reckonin'



.

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"IN GOD WE TRUST"

In 1965, when I graduated from High School, my father, a WWl vet, told me that the "world was going to hell in a handbasket". Wonder what he'd think today?

Don't bet on it! It may overwhelm us while we are still here.

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Richard Gillespie
FBINA 102

I expect this one's headed for a thread lock.

When I was a kid my family and most of the people I knew grew gardens,canned there own food,raised chickens if no other livestock and were much more self sufficient. Most people today are completely dependent and can do very little for themselves and I think perhaps this leaves many not quite in tune with the natural world . Combine that with the decline of organized religion and it leads to behavior that gives us the "crazed gunman" lashing out .

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Hue 68 noli me tangere

Welcome to the reality of the "justification for every violent act" crowd. So many are still playing the "reaction to being oppressed" card.

The increased media coverage and dramatization of widely separated
events can make them seem to be related when in reality they are
completely different scenarios.

He would probably think he made a correct prediction. Larry

I think this type of stuff is worse in liberal states. Here in California the general public is insane and as a response to the legislation coming from major politically correct, progressive sanctuary cities. The more progressive the place, the more crazy the people, the more authoritarian the law enforcement. I witness this every day as an RN Trauma specialist in Oakland.
I remember when I was at My last duty Station in Colorado Springs, Law enforcement were unimposing, friendly and professional; even under unfortunate circumstances. Here in California my experience of law enforcement officers is that they are grossly under trained for the responsibility they have. I shoot almost exclusively at a law enforcement range and some of these Police officers are just as likely to poke their own eye out with their weapon as harm a BG. I have never been in law enforcement, but I have carried and utilized weapons under hostile circumstances in a wartime scenario. I have made split second decisions involving the grave injury or mortality of another human being; some of them were right, some weren't. I think the problem is circular; I take umbrage at the blatant disrespect Heaped on the law enforcement community, however I think the fact that a law enforcement officer has more right and less accountability to gun down an American citizen then I had in Afghanistan to engage an Afghan local national should open a thoughtful discourse on the use of deadly force. This is just my 2 cents.

Very interesting data that some posters have not looked at before commenting. There are several very interesting trends in that dataset.

First, when you look for the violent years, the 1920s quickly rise to the top with over 250 average, LEO fatalities per year. Another bump was in the 1970s, with over 200 average fatalities per year.

Second, when looking at times you would have thought should have been brutal for law enforcement, the numbers are not there. The turmoil of the 1960s actually show less than 200 fatalities per year and the 2010s are perhaps the most interesting, showing less than 150 per year to date. 2015 to date shows only 99.

Now it is clear that any death of anyone is a terrible thing, but the trend seems to not warrant the constant news media coverage.

Before looking at this data, I would have also thought the US is going down the tube . . . well maybe it is, but my opinion has changed about trends in LEO fatalities. Interesting and scary how constant news coverage can shift public opinions.

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Gary
SWCA 2515

I think I'm getting the gist of the old Chinese curse of "may you live in interesting times"!

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Stay safe people!

The loss of one officer is one too many. And the attitude demonstrated by some public officials during the past year towards law enforcement is beyond appalling and should be of concern for all intelligent adults.

As far as the media is concerned... the 24/7 drumbeat can make things seem far from what they actually are. Find the facts. Don't let the media drumbeat brainwash you into a doomsayer.

I vote for public hangings.

You kill a Leo you hang. No court you die pronto. No last meal. Hung in public.

You kill anyone you hang. No court plea. Hung in public.

Then watch how fast this stuff will change.

We're all out of chewing gum it's time to act. Ill be your travelling hangman for free with my own gallows. Appoint me please.

I wrote this because I am concerned about my grandchild's future. I was lucky enough to marry a nice and very intelligent girl from a nice family when I was very(19) young. If not for her I would probably be dead or in prison now. Statistics can be used to prove any point of view, simply by not providing the ones that don't support it. My city is not small but has good standards, and everyone is like minded. We even have large events on the well kept old Town Square often. We have excellent Fire and Police departments that everyone supports. The first responders only get overwhelmed when people fight and disrespect them, instead of supporting, in certain politely unnamed cities elsewhere. Living good is a lot easier than living hard. We even have our own LGS/seniors day care/. We have shopping for just about anything and plenty of places to dine if so desired. You can also bet that many of the people are armed. Most not openly (legal w/CC permit) but they are. But sometimes I have to venture "outside" for various errands and that is where most of my concern is. Everyone needs to be an "Oathkeeper" to the Constitution, I am, anyone can be, all you have to do is believe and live it. Thanks for reading this, if you did at least you want to. I AIN'T SKEERED!!

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Just a shooter

Ain't nothing new happening. I lived 10 miles north of Newark in 1967. Gunfire, arson mayhem of all types left a couple dozen dead. Rioting in Plainfield (about 20 miles away) at the same time. Funny thing is some of the reason for the riots was "redlining." After the riots, the banks left the burned out city for 20 years. I worked down there in the late '70's, a dump. I imagine it is still a dump, just different players. That (change of players) is what always makes the world "dangerous." Joe

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Wisdom chases me; I'm faster

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WWSSD?
What would Skeeter do?

All indications that I see indicate we are heading somewhere bad. I don't recall the wide spread problems with society being anything like this growing up in the '50's and '60's. Of course there were problems, but not nearly to the degree we face today. Actually we got along fairly well back then and didn't have very many of the issues that seem to plague us today. What changed? People changed, and not collectively for the better. We sure are heading somewhere. I guess we can just call it 'the future'. None of us know exactly what shape or color it will be. What disturbs me most is that this is what we are handing off to our children. Our parents didn't hand us the sack-o-poop that we are passing on to our kids. The only hope I have is that we wise up real soon and set a new course for the kids. The whole thing saddens me. Those things for which so many gave their lives to protect seem to be crumbling around us and so few people actually care to do anything about it. It's not for lack of good people being around, but so many are consumed with trying to make a living that they leave it up to others to 'run things' (including issues of parenting).

HA! snuff, just where do you think we are going? When you look around, and you see what you see, everywhere you look, where honestly, do you think we are going?
'Cause that little voice in the back of your head, that knows where we are going... He's right.... And it almost seems like we can't get there fast enough...

If it keeps going the way it is the Police killings are going to be back where they were in the 70's. In '74 there were about 130. They're over half that many now.

Shootings and killings are the norm in the Western most county of Tennessee (Metro Memphis) Four or five more just last night, most done by people who have been let out of the slammer early or many times.

How many times do we hear about killers whose rap sheet is several pages long. These folks don't need parole they need hard labor for long stretches of time.

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LIVE FROM THE DAWGHOUSE

.I believe that nothing stands still, that things get better, or they get worse.
I say a crazy world is closing in on our position.

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Halfway and one more step

As of this evening, our news report on the off duty officers' shooter: arraigned in front of a judge today for the felony gun possession, $100,000 bail, can't pay, will be assigned a public defender. He previously had plead guilty to a felony class charge and had been in trouble before for his violent and erratic disposition. The investigation is still ongoing in the murder investigation. huh? could there be a problem somewhere?

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Just a shooter

I have three places that I take care of and the neighbors just watch bad things happen. Also some of the neighbors are involved. Also the Judicial System is broke and some Judges just give out a slap on the waist.

I was at the window with my camera taking a picture of a kid that was shooting a pellet rifle. He was shooting out the windshield of a pickup in the back yard. He then took a shot at me and hit the window.

The Officer never charged the kid and I had to drive down and press charges. They only paid me $200 for replacing the windshield which was later quoted at $300. They didn't charge him for shooting at me and the Judge made him take an NRA Hunter Safety Course. What a joke.

Also Fairfax County and Loudoun County are bad as well. Some are just too lazy to do their. Presenty, Fairfax County is in the hot seat due to some shootings that were not justified. I don't even call Fairfax any more since I found out they were not filing a report.

Don't get me wrong, I report every thing I see but I also hand out criticism when they don't want to do their job. Some just are in it for their 20 year retirement.