posted by gut
Whatever happened to stay inside and practice social distancing?
I mean that half-seriously. Literally a week ago [some] people were losing their shit about people being allowed to go back to work. It's very strange to be pissed off and empathetic at the same time.
This is a horrible tragedy. And I certainly respect the right to protest. But isn't there something, at least in the media coverage, a little bit fraudulent about it all?
The "stay inside" part, taken literally, has never made sense, no matter how much or little you respect the general sentiment from the medical and scientific communities. Anyone who has gotten out of sorts because people were on their porches is an ACTUAL case of irrational paranoia.
posted by gut
But is that not ultimately the source of all this? Gangs shoot at cops, and then cops shoot back. Mistakes are made. Wash rinse repeat.
Except in your scenario, the gangs shoot first. In my example, shooting is in defense, not as an act of aggression. The police were the aggressors, as the private citizens were on their own property.
posted by Laley23
Only problem is you’re dead if you do that. Police have been given to much power by our government, but mostly courts. That’s a topic for a different time, though it’s certainly being utilized and weaponized by the police at times in these riots.
I certainly wouldn't suggest doing so from the porch, as you're right. And that's absurd. The police can initiate force, firing at civilians who are on their own property, and there's not a thing the property owners can do in defense of themselves in the moment. Their options are to do as they're told on their own property or continue to be shot at.
I'm sure hoping I see more outrage about this.