American Cops Just Killed More People in March than the UK Did in the Entire 20th Century

Posted by Zenphamy 9 years, 7 months ago to Government
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I'd decided to not post every Police killing this last month. I'll just do monthly rates now.

One of my earlier posts on the subject showed that police during the first part of the year were killing Americans at a rate of 3 per day, but during March, they out did themselves again. They're now up to nearly 4 per day.
This travesty has to stop. Arrest us, give us our trials--we don't deserve the Police State's Death Penalty.

"Just last month, in the 31 days of March, police in the United States killed more people than the UK did in the entire 20th century. In fact, it was twice as many; police in the UK only killed 52 people during that 100 year period.

According to the report by ThinkProgess, in March alone, 111 people died during police encounters — 36 more than the previous month. As in the past, numerous incidents were spurred by violent threats from suspects, and two officers were shot in Ferguson during a peaceful protest. However, the deaths follow a national pattern: suspects were mostly people of color, mentally ill, or both.

This high number in March increased the average for police killings from every 8.5 hours, to nearly 1 police killing every 6.5 hours in the US."


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  • Posted by $ MichaelAarethun 9 years, 6 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Nothing wrong with that but much of human history is based on writings in the various good books of the various religions.







































    nothing wrong with that attitude as long as you match it to the context of the times and who or whom is doing the interpreting.

    The Bible and other good books of other religions are always a good source of background to explain how things came to be. Another example is 'afraid of the dark syndrome.'
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  • Posted by $ jdg 9 years, 6 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Overcriminalization generally has the same effect. Including low level stuff like the practice of funding a city by writing tickets, as in Ferguson. The law needs to be cut back to the point where only aggressors need fear it, before we can expect police departments to adopt ROEs that don't put them at war with the people.
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  • Posted by $ jdg 9 years, 6 months ago in reply to this comment.
    If that were true, the abuses wouldn't still be going on. I submit that more is needed.
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  • Posted by kevinw 9 years, 6 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Due process does not override self defense, and cops have that right too. But too many laws put them in too many situations that become altercations that become statistics. And we are asked to choose a side.
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  • Posted by kevinw 9 years, 6 months ago in reply to this comment.
    My biggest fear is that you may be right. But that would mean that our only option to regain (achieve is probably the better word) our freedom is through bloodshed. That bothers me because I will soon be too old to be worth much in any kind of battle so the sooner it happened the better and that means giving up on any other options sooner, rather than later.
    But then what? We lose, history is recorded by the winners. We win, what then? I believe it was Ayn Rand that wrote (though I haven't been able to find it again to verify) that the constitution could not have been written at any other time in history. Not prior to nor since then have all the conditions been right to accomplish what the founders did. The opportunity, the geography, but most importantly the philosophy. And that is what doesn't exist now, at least not in great enough numbers. Yet. If we had a war now, and we managed to survive, we would not even be able to rebuild what we have much less the free country that we so desire. There are just not enough people that can agree upon how it should be rebuilt.
    But I think we have another option. And we're, in a way, doing it right now. Or we should be. Discussing the ideas, educating ourselves and others in the philosopy that is the root of the freedom that I think most people want (can't say all) but so many don't understand it's cause. This is the movement that must grow in order to save the good ol USA. It's the only way. And if there were enough people with the proper philosophy to rebuild the country after a war then there wouldn't need to be a war in the first place.
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  • Posted by $ jdg 9 years, 6 months ago in reply to this comment.
    The US only got to be as free as it was at the Founding because ordinary people had the army outgunned, much less the police. If we are to be free again, that will have to become true again. Which means we either need to stop police getting this hardware, or get more of it ourselves than they do.
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  • Posted by smichael9 9 years, 6 months ago
    At what point does a police force become more than a "serve and protect" component of a local community? It seems to me that as police armament begins to include military type firepower, armored vehicles, sophisticated crowd control devices and tactical teams, something has dramatically changed. It's almost as if the police force is being placed in the position of protecting a community from its citizenry, not for its citizens. Why do protective agencies (police, homeland security, TSA, etc) need to stockpile billions of rounds of ammunition? I like to take my guns to the range several times each year but have found it difficult to find ammunition and when available more expensive due to the scarcity of supply.

    I'm no proponent of conspiracy theories but the societal changes over the past decade have begun to mirror "Atlas Shrugged" in so many ways that I have begun to have fear for my children and grandchildren. What kind of world are we leaving them? There was a time when each generation could feel that their children would be better off than they were. i worry that this is no longer the case.
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  • Posted by tdechaine 9 years, 6 months ago in reply to this comment.
    So you take 1 or a few examples and condemn the entire police force? I already agreed that those who are excessive have to be dealt with; but place significant restrictions on the cops and see how much crime rises and cops are killed.
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  • Posted by $ jdg 9 years, 6 months ago in reply to this comment.
    The evidence appears regularly in Reason, an average of about once a week. If you're not prepared to accept it, FOAD.
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  • Posted by tdechaine 9 years, 6 months ago in reply to this comment.
    But where is the explanation for your harse judgment of them? Absent! "Ceased to be more trustworthy" - nonsense.
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  • Posted by $ jdg 9 years, 6 months ago in reply to this comment.
    No, one doesn't have to assume the killings are justified until proven otherwise. Cops have ceased to be more trustworthy than other people, if they ever were. They must be judged the same as you or I would be if we performed the same actions. No one is entitled to a different standard.

    It is the cop who has the duty to assume that people he meets are entitled to be left alone until proven otherwise. This is called Due Process. The cop swore an oath to uphold it. If he thinks he is too important to live by that oath, he should quit and get a job he's willing to do honorably.
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  • Posted by 9 years, 6 months ago in reply to this comment.
    I don't care much for Bible commandments from some mystical superbeing from some unidentifiable dimension. I've had to kill to protect myself and I have no problem if I have to do it again.
    Stike 3
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  • Posted by waytodude 9 years, 6 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Yeah where I live it's a minimum of 30 minutes before law enforcement can get to my house. Also the way things are going all law enforcement are going to be able to do is make a report of fear of being prosecuted for hurting a criminal or heaven forbid shoot one.
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  • Posted by 9 years, 6 months ago in reply to this comment.
    An Objectivist is absolutely responsible for their own choices and actions, and proudly so. But I reject the idea of assigning responsibility to citizens in general to straighten out this problem. I think it's definitely our responsibility to let the world know that we've had enough. But we've been past the point of being able to actually do anything to change the course of this country since 1913, until enough of us are ready to stand up and say a resounding NO.

    Any person working for the government in any position has one and only one over-riding responsibility, and that is to protect the natural, individual rights of every citizen they encounter.

    I learned to salute way too many years ago, and I'll be damned if I'll ever salute again much less 'serve the party'.
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  • Posted by $ MichaelAarethun 9 years, 6 months ago in reply to this comment.
    If not citizen responsibility then whose responsibility? Are you saying you aren't sure that citizens are responsible or unsure enough to not support the notion that citizens should have responsibility. As you'll read in one of the other posted threads neither am I. Since most of you let the Constitution and Bill of Rights get trashed by the Patriot Act. I tend to agree that the majority are not responsible so on that issue I stand with you shoulder to shoulder and I am not unsure. Which brings us back to whats left of recall and initiative or learning to salute and say We serve the party." Of that I am very sure.l
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  • Posted by $ MichaelAarethun 9 years, 6 months ago
    Where are the UK figures? England had zero police with weapons for some of and only special units for most of the last 100 plus years. Neither did their citizens. Apple and bedposts. In both countries the police have formed military style units. Happens when the public allows the bad guys to arm themselves any which way but keeps the police and military equipped with ecologically friendly and non-lethal weapons.I hear no outcry against the true government of South Central and it's home grown militia commonly referred to as Crips and Bloods nor the race oriented gangs of East Los Angeles.

    Nor did I hear much comment when Jackboot Janet Von Flamethrower Reno turned a simple arrest into a case of mass child murder. Beyond that their claim of automatic weapons does not agree with the commonly published photos. Most of which were semi-automatic.

    Where was citizen responsibility when the bullies of Columbine were getting away with assault and battery?

    Or Springfield Oregon

    Or......
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  • Posted by 9 years, 6 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Good idea on the permit. By the time a cop gets to your problem, its all over except writing the report.
    I think respect is something that has to be earned. At least in my life, that's been true.
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  • Posted by 9 years, 6 months ago in reply to this comment.
    I don't know when Bobbies started being armed. As to punish criminals, the US has more of it's citizens per capita and total in prison than any other nation on earth and is one of the very few that still practices the death penalty, all while the crime rate in every category has been steadily declining since sometime in the 90's.
    I'm not sure I get your item #4.
    For your PS, arming yourself against a cop is sure to get you killed.
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