2 Officers shot in Dallas tonight during police protest rally

[CPanther95]

They're reporting that the DPD killed the suspect using an explosive device delivered by a bomb disposal robot.

I don't think I've ever heard of Police using a robot as a weapon before.

 

[Airship Ariadne]

They're reporting that the DPD killed the suspect using an explosive device delivered by a bomb disposal robot.

I don't think I've ever heard of Police using a robot as a weapon before.

That is going to be another topic for long reflection...while in this case I think it saved lives and was justified, it did break Asimov's First Law of Robotics and could start us on a slippery slope. THIS must be something our lawmakers give long and serious thought to and pass well thought out and measured laws to cover.

 

[CPanther95]

That is going to be another topic for long reflection...while in this case I think it saved lives and was justified, it did break Asimov's First Law of Robotics and could start us on a slippery slope. THIS must be something our lawmakers give long and serious thought to and pass well thought out and measured laws to cover.

Kudos for the Asimov reference , but this probably isn't the kind of "robot" that would fall under Asimov's Laws since it has no ability to act on its own. Plus, Asimov's "Laws" aren't actually laws.

Something made me uneasy about it, but after reflecting on it, I'm not sure it is much different than using any other deadly force.

 

[Airship Ariadne]

True they aren't lower case "laws." But then they are no different than the writings of the Enlightenment thinkers...he said what the goal SHOULD be. Let's take that as our guide for the 21st Century.

I think in this case since it was human operated, much like drones, and not a machine making the call, it might not truly be a case of a robot being the weapon, just the delivery vehicle...Again, I think they made the right call, they determined deadly force was needed. I just never heard of the police using a bomb to kill a suspect, but there may have been others.

 

[TLSnell1981]

So why are you blaming the media? Personally I think it's a complete cop out.

They aren't the only ones I blame , but they also bear some of the responsiblity. It's why I said "too" in my response to a previous post.

 

[sunshinehighway]

So if the reports are this being a lone shooter with a manifesto, bomb making material, arsenal in his house and being well planned are we still, going to go with blaming the media and their attention to the recent police shootings? Are we still going to blame people protesting those shootings? Yeah I guess so. Let's call for sitting back and not rushing to judgement in some cases but definitely rush to judgement in others.

 

[TLSnell1981]

So if the reports are this being a lone shooter with a manifesto, bomb making material, arsenal in his house and being well planned are we still, going to go with blaming the media and their attention to the recent police shootings? Are we still going to blame people protesting those shootings? Yeah I guess so. Let's call for sitting back and not rushing to judgement in some cases but definitely rush to judgement in others.

The media has NEVER sensationalized incidents before? Folks hae NEVER been riled up by our 'so called" leaders? No one has EVER responded by demonstrating?

Planned, prepared or whatever..this guy was waiting for the next opportunity and he wasn't disappointed.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Illinois is one of the states that doesn't allow open carry, so you won't see the rifles in public anyway regardless of the signs.

The signs will actually work to keep out those with a handgun in their pocket - at least the ones with a clean FBI background check that got a permit after receiving formal firearms training. They won't want to put their permits at risk. Of course, as evidenced by all the crime - particularly in Chicago - the signs don't seem to work too well on the people actually interested in committing crimes.

Ahh, I see CP. I don't pay much attention to the actual rules, no need to, but I see where the lack of open carry would make a difference. Hopefully we never go there. As for the shootings in Chicago, probably over 90% occurring in 2 neighborhoods, I would say 95% of those occur outside on the streets, parks, and similar. Signs have no impact. But, in any case, I am sure the gang bangers are not interested in signs anyway.

 

[sunshinehighway]

The media has NEVER sensationalized incidents before? Folks hae NEVER been riled up by our 'so called" leaders? No one has EVER responded by demonstrating?

Planned, prepared or whatever..this guy was waiting for the next opportunity and he wasn't disappointed.

Yes and that's a bit of a different thing that how it's first been portrayed.
I mean guy has whatever issues that make him decide to go on a shooting spree, uses whatever as an excuse to do it. That's about a wacko who wants to kill people just like the rest of them that have gone on shooting sprees for various causes.

You can't blame the media for that. Unless of course you want to blame the media every time. Of course then you'd be saying the press should be censored because anything they report could inspire a wacko to kill.

 

[JimMIA]

They're reporting that the DPD killed the suspect using an explosive device delivered by a bomb disposal robot.

I don't think I've ever heard of Police using a robot as a weapon before.

That is going to be another topic for long reflection...while in this case I think it saved lives and was justified,

Yeah, this aspect of this situation is going to require a LOT more information and a lot of careful thought and discussion. Not in the hypothetical, theoretical, philosophical playground, but within law enforcement. This is a remarkably unusual approach to a barricaded gunman, but I'd want to know a great deal more about the specifics of the situation before I criticize the decision.

 

[Unas]

I'm not sure it's been confirmed, but I "think" he had an SKS.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/suspect-dallas-killings-served-army-reserve/

Leave it to CBS "News" to call that a "semi-automatic assault rifle".

Clueless buffoons.

They throw around terms like "assault rifle" because it fits into a legislative agenda. It isn't an assault rifle by the actual definition and isn't even an assault rifle by the definition the people that know nothing about guns consider to be an "assault rifle". It also doesn't use a high capacity magazine either, it uses a 10 round stripper clip.

But that conflicts with those that try to claim that a 10 round limit and a rifle without a pistol grip is somehow a kinder, gentler and safer weapon.

Speaking of "clueless buffoonery." The second quoted post is full of inaccurate statements . . .

SKS is a Soviet designed and developed assault rifle that was replaced over time by the AK 47. Many versions were produced and a number of these accept high capacity magazines. The shooter apparently employed these magazines. Sadly he demonstrated that the weapon is quite effective at the purpose for which it was designed - killing high numbers of human beings.

 

[KathyTX]

I was at Dallas Police Headquarters last night. There were lots of officers working hard to hang on to their emotions, lots of citizens of all colors gathered for support, a staggering amount of media coverage. There was a lot of hugging going on, a very somber atmosphere.

 

[CPanther95]

Speaking of "clueless buffoonery." The second quoted post is full of inaccurate statements . . .

SKS is a Soviet designed and developed assault rifle that was replaced over time by the AK 47. Many versions were produced and a number of these accept high capacity magazines. The shooter apparently employed these magazines. Sadly he demonstrated that the weapon is quite effective at the purpose for which it was designed - killing high numbers of human beings.

It was never designed as an assault rifle, it was designed as a semi-automatic from the start. There are probably hundreds of variants and I've never seen one that was fully automatic.

I haven't seen anything from the Dallas incident that indicates it was one of the couple variants designed to accept an AK magazine. Not that a high capacity magazine really makes any difference in this case.

The SKS pre-dates the introduction of the first assault rifle.

 

[pat fan]

Many versions were produced and a number of these accept high capacity magazines.

Actually, they are designed for 5 rounds, top loaded. A person may modify it to accept a magazine from the bottom, but they don't "come that way". You need to get a conversion kit.

As for being designed to kill high numbers of humans, it was designed for 5 rounds, so make of that what you will.

 

[Planogirl]

I was at Dallas Police Headquarters last night. There were lots of officers working hard to hang on to their emotions, lots of citizens of all colors gathered for support, a staggering amount of media coverage. There was a lot of hugging going on, a very somber atmosphere.

View attachment 180536 View attachment 180537

Thanks for posting those pictures. I just want to add that one of those killed was an officer with Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART). I hope that people don't forget about that agency too.

 

[disneyjunkie]

He also owned slaves. So should we believe he was right about everything he did and said????

 

[pat fan]

He also owned slaves. So should we believe he was right about everything he did and said????

No human is perfect, it would be silly to say that. He inherited his slaves after his father died. Martha brought slaves as part of her dowry but they were part of a bigger estate, and not completely "theirs". It was the institution of the times, and he did free them at his death (except Martha's, he couldn't do that according to law). It was for sure a complicated time, and no he wasn't perfect, but he did do a heck of a lot of good things for this country. He also knew what it meant to be free and to be enslaved. Freedom was better.

 

[tcufrog]

Webmaster Kathy...

Thanks for the photos. There was also a prayer vigil outside yesterday at the Arlington police HQ. I wanted to go but I had to take my mil to the airport.

 

[disneyjunkie]

No human is perfect, it would be silly to say that. He inherited his slaves after his father died. Martha brought slaves as part of her dowry but they were part of a bigger estate, and not completely "theirs". It was the institution of the times, and he did free them at his death (except Martha's, he couldn't do that according to law). It was for sure a complicated time, and no he wasn't perfect, but he did do a heck of a lot of good things for this country. He also knew what it meant to be free and to be enslaved. Freedom was better.

Yes, he INHERITED other human beings (how sick is that)and instead of doing the right thing and giving them their freedom RIGHT THEN, he kept them. But of course we should applaud the fact that he freed them upon his death-once he no longer needed them. There's nothing complicated about slavery.

I agree that he did great things for our country but he was dead wrong on slavery and guns.

 

[pat fan]

Yes, he INHERITED other human beings (how sick is that)and instead of doing the right thing and giving them their freedom RIGHT THEN, he kept them. But of course we should applaud the fact that he freed them upon his death-once he no longer needed them. There's nothing complicated about slavery.

Yes, it is appalling that he inherited them, but our being appalled certainly can't change how things worked then. And no, it it wasn't as easy as just saying he could set them free when he "got" them. First, he was 11! And there were laws governing "freedom" for slaves. The fact that he did set them free when so many didn't says that he at least TRIED. And one thing has nothing to do with the other. Don't like guns, don't own one.