Liberal Media Article and Dumb Comments

**Ole WV Coot** · 06-18-2009, 09:43 AM

Originally Posted by sgtdraino

What year was this? Law enforcement as a field has become more and more structured, with more and more oversight by state and federal goverment. More and more training is required, without which certifications get yanked, and departments get shut down. Besides which:

"Any LEO," you say. That is a really big generalization that is not even close to the truth. Perhaps you have a personal beef with officers? Sure, it's true that there are some idiots in any field. That goes for law enforcement, and it certainly goes for the armed forces as well. But by and large, I believe most are very competant. Being a recent combat vet does not automatically mean someone is cut out for law enforcement. My best buddy in the academy was an ex-marine with combat experience, who harbored a secret fear that once he was an officer, going into a potentially dangerous call his Marine training would override his cop training, and he would just start shooting anything that looked remotely threatening.

Officers are trained to use firearms in a law enforcement setting, maintaining awareness that innocent civilians are around, and that bullets can go through things. A weapon such as an M-16 is just another kind of firearm capable of throwing bullets farther, and maybe a little bit faster. It is not a magic wand that immediately turns a cop into an idiot. It really isn't rocket science. In point of fact, many departments are currently equipped with weapons like these now. Have they yet managed to "kill or wound half the population?"

In fact, can you come up with even a single instance of an innocent civilian being accidentally shot by cops armed with such a weapon?

I didn't mean to wind your watch that tight. I am going by experience over many years to date. Law enforcement in small towns is political. I have been around some and very little impresses me. I have seen "locals" barf at the sight of blood, let their authority go to their head and give folks the "see my gun" stance. I have many friends and relatives in law enforcement, mostly state and federal. One small town, pop 2000 my cousin, a state police detective with 25 yrs was shot at and the man only fined $150.00 nothing else, last year. He taught at the academy for several years. I have seen a couple of "locals" drive out to an accident, pose for the local paper and leave while the trooper did all the work. We have few men in the Appalachian chain that aren't vets and men my age were drafted before we were 20. You are making a bad mistake equating age with lack of present day knowledge of our society and ability to use or improvise weapons. My experiences are personal and remain so. Bad shootings are few and far between and not everyone has the temperament to become a LEO. I write from what I personally know and as for my participation or lack thereof is not public information so you can believe what you will and I won't site personal situations I have been involved in. Simply learn and listen, I for one don't like to see any untrained or unstable person armed. My opinion based on experience so think what you will we are entitled to our own opinions, I can respect yours but can't agree.

**Chris** · 06-18-2009, 10:42 AM

"Is this a war zone?" said Kevin M. Mullins, 25, who works at a Belmont bookshop. "For what logical purpose do they need semiautomatic rifles in Belmont?"

Priceless.

Of course, clerks are a bookstore, are always the most enlightened people about firearms. But yes... semiautomatic weapons, that fire a bullet (in the words of Rosie O'donnel) every time you pull the trigger are so uncommon and dangerous. It isn't as if all the officers have a semiautomatic weapon on their belt already, or that most people hunt with semiautomatic rifles. No, it is too much. We need a gun that fires a bullet every-other time you pull the trigger...

**sgtdraino** · 06-18-2009, 12:53 PM

Originally Posted by Ole WV Coot

Law enforcement in small towns is political.

It's not so much that law enforcement is political, moreso that the towns themselves are political, with the cops powerless to do very much about it. I myself work in a small town, so believe me I know where you're coming from. The politics are actually not that different from bigger cities, just more visible in a small town setting.

Originally Posted by Ole WV Coot

I have been around some and very little impresses me. I have seen "locals" barf at the sight of blood, let their authority go to their head and give folks the "see my gun" stance.

Again, there are idiots in every field, every profession, and at every level. Individual examples are not good enough to make generalizations from about all of law enforcement, or even all of small town law enforcement. You would need statistical evidence of their incompetence, which you don't have, because it doesn't exist.

Originally Posted by Ole WV Coot

I have many friends and relatives in law enforcement, mostly state and federal.

There are dumbasses there too. Heck, have you seen the recent video of that state trooper pulling over that ambulance? That guy used poor judgement... but he does not reflect the sensibilities of state troopers everywhere.

Originally Posted by Ole WV Coot

One small town, pop 2000 my cousin, a state police detective with 25 yrs was shot at and the man only fined $150.00 nothing else, last year.

Fined by who? A local cop? Generally punishment is determined by the court, not some local law enforcement officer. At that point, it is out of his hands.

Originally Posted by Ole WV Coot

I have seen a couple of "locals" drive out to an accident, pose for the local paper and leave while the trooper did all the work.

Whose jurisdiction was the accident? If the accident is in our jurisdiction, we do it. State never even hears about it. Often times if the accident is near our jurisdiction, we'll do it anyway for State so they don't have to send a trooper all the way out. We don't have to, we just do it as a courtesy. But if the accident is in State's jurisdiction, and they are there to do it, then they do it. It is their jurisdiction, they are the ones who may ultimately have to testify under oath as to what was done. We might show up to assist, but for something like an accident, that is normally nothing more than standing around and directing traffic. Most cops I know don't like dealing with the media or having their picture taken, so if you saw a local dealing with the newspaper while the trooper did his job, that trooper was probably glad not to have the media bothering him.

Originally Posted by Ole WV Coot

We have few men in the Appalachian chain that aren't vets and men my age were drafted before we were 20. You are making a bad mistake equating age with lack of present day knowledge of our society and ability to use or improvise weapons.

??? That is not what I'm doing. When I asked you about what year it was, I was assessing the field of law enforcement, which is constantly evolving and changing. Law enforcement was a different world even just ten years ago. Standards were not the same, cops could get away with things much more easily than they can now. The system is much tighter nowadays. Cops must jump through many more hoops, and it becomes easier and easier to screw up in such a way that you will lose your certification and can't be a cop anymore.

Originally Posted by Ole WV Coot

Simply learn and listen, I for one don't like to see any untrained or unstable person armed.

I agree, absolutely. But you made a generalization about the training and judgement of "any LEO that is not a recent combat vet." Since I can be reasonably certain that, no matter how vast your experience, there is no way you can be familiar with the training and judgement of "any LEO that is not a recent combat vet," that particular opinion carries very little weight.

Originally Posted by Chris

It isn't as if all the officers have a semiautomatic weapon on their belt already, or that most people hunt with semiautomatic rifles. No, it is too much. We need a gun that fires a bullet every-other time you pull the trigger...

lol. Yes, that was priceless.

**Ole WV Coot** · 06-18-2009, 01:07 PM

Well now, since you don't know my background, experience up too and including today and never will, that's it, I GIVE UP you're the winner. Just hope you don't meet up with someone like me and rub them the wrong way. They won't impress easily either. Good Luck

**sgtdraino** · 06-18-2009, 06:30 PM

Originally Posted by Ole WV Coot

Well now, since you don't know my background, experience up too and including today and never will,

No single person is qualified to assess the training and judgement of every single law enforcment officer out there, because no matter what that person's background and experience, that background and experience does not encompass every officer of every department in all 50 of these United States. You can only speak to what you have observed, which might be interesting, but cannot really be generalized from to apply to all law enforcement officers everywhere, unless you are God, and omniscient. I'm pretty sure you are not.

Originally Posted by Ole WV Coot

Just hope you don't meet up with someone like me and rub them the wrong way. They won't impress easily either.

As a professional, I could not care less how "impressed" you or anyone else is, or whether or not I "rub them the wrong way." I do my job by-the-book. What happens to the people I "meet up with" is dependent on what they do, not what I do.

lol. If I cared about impressing people, I wouldn't ride a moped to work!

**Rick** · 06-18-2009, 07:55 PM

Wait! Coot isn't God?! Well....What are those PMs Trax was sending me telling me he was?! Now I'M confused.

**Ole WV Coot** · 06-18-2009, 09:56 PM

Originally Posted by Rick

Wait! Coot isn't God?! Well....What are those PMs Trax was sending me telling me he was?! Now I'M confused.

Trax is next in line for the #1 position so the man is in training. I think he is doing well and I'm proud of him. Don't be confused, it should be a smooth transition. I may just step down and bask in his wisdom myself since he's ready now, just needs a little more confidence. The Master can sometimes learn from the student.

Guess I just don't handle boundless wisdom well, maybe I'm just