I just scrolled down and noticed the debate between Edith and Dave which I missed before, and I have to add something.

My dad was a cop for some time, and I’m afraid that between his experience and my own common sense I’m 100% with Dave on this one.

For one thing, cops, as a general rule, are not sadists who simply decide who lives and who dies at the toss of the dice and shoot for the hell of it, darlin. Cops are people in uniforms, and they deal with emergencies. They are not mind readers because they wear badges, nor are they supermen or wonder women. They are humans with decisions to make. People don’t call 911 to say “everything is great, send a cop to make a report!” They call because there is trouble. Police are authority figures hired to excercise that authority in line of what we call LAW ENFORCEMENT.

Police have families, homes and hobbies, and are no more ready to leave it behind over some idiot with no better sense than to waste his time getting drunk and threatening people than anyone else. When a person makes the irresponsible decision to alter their mind on chemicals, they make a choice to do something stupid, and they forfeit their rights! When an officer commands them to put down a device which can kill or maim and they will not obey, they have no excuse!

I’ve heard it before and it makes me so mad, “shoot em in the leg or arm”. Yeah, right! Pump someone up on adrenaline and make them make a split second decision and aim straight! I dont think so, folks. I did what he told me, ran flat out 200 yards, grabbed my gun and tried to shoot accurately. I did okay, but would never win medals.

From a civilian perspective, I refuse to find someone in my living room breaking in to steal what I’ve worked hard to earn, then respond by wounding him so the b—– can hire a stuffed shirt lawyer and take my house away and everything in it, thereby scoring a major victory, getting more than he may have came for to beegin with, while I gamble the life and health of my family. How irresponsible would I be??

I also refuse to take the chance that I could wound the shmuck who violated my home and either have him manage to get to my family while I’m playing 911 roulette, or come back later with his buddies and exact revenge.

Criminals who know right from wrong make a choice, and they know what they are doing. I don’t buy the leniency idea. That’s why they sneak, because they know they are wrong. They deserve no more mercy than they show to their victims.

I heard the same load of crap three years back when a 22 year old policeman shot a drunk who got out of his truck and came after him with a tire tool, if I recall correctly. “He was so drunk!” His mother wailed. “The cop had no right!”

Ah, but did this drunk have the right to get in his truck and risk the lives of innocent people with his driving?? Did he have the right to threaten to beat the policeman to death? NO!

No wonder the english have problems, with that pacifist mentality. It takes somebody who’s been there to know what reality is. Of course some nutcase got onto me the other day because of my NRA belt buckle, wailing about how guns arent the solution, use words, fists, blah blah.

Wait till you are there, then you find out.