Dear o sung wu,

Good topic.

The National Rifle Association is very quick to back the rights of citizens to carry weapons. There is an outcry if those rights are deemed to have been transgressed. There is little doubt if Philando Castile had been white they would have been front and center, but there is nothing on their website.

What they do talk about is the need for an armed citizenry to protect communities against tyranny from government.

“What does it say about a political culture in which the law has become a weapon wielded against ordinary citizens by those in power? How can good, decent Americans be expected to have faith in law and order if the law is selectively enforced? If the law is changed at the whims of the powerful? If the law is used for the advantage of the political elites and at the disadvantage of the rest of us? How can citizens respect laws in a nation in which those laws are so unequally and arbitrarily applied?”

“Take the freedom that comes through the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution—to live without fear and tyranny as responsible, good people who exercise our individual right to keep and bear arms to defend our families, our communities and our nation.”

https://www.nraila.org/articles/20140829/reclaiming-america

Surely the police forces of America are arms of government. Should the latest deaths of two more of the black community be regarded as 'tyrannical behavior by government', (which is an NRA catchcry), if so it begs the question how do the Dallas shootings fit such a narrative?

SteelRedux, "if so it begs the question how do the Dallas shootings fit such a narrative?"

All of those words to end in the logical fallacy of begging the question.

The answer is NO, there is no such conspiracy. Get a life.

There are deep social problems that should be the subject of independent, national research for one or more of those prestigious universities though. However Obama and Clinton are content to play political games and the other side is doing the same I guess. It ia all in the 'too hard' basket.

How can good, decent Americans be expected to have faith in law and order if the law is 'selectively enforced'. So opined STEELEREDUX ? Unfortunately I believe he's right, especially within the smaller Departments where some Chief's of Police have prejudicial baggage themselves.

I met one such Chief who managed to shock me to my bootstraps when he inquired of me as to whether we had much trouble with our 'blacks' in Australia, and how he instructed his 130 odd 'sworn' staff to deal with them, together with his multitude of reason(s) why he 'hated' them so !

A little known fact concerning the National Rifle Association of America. The FBI provide specialist training for small Departments who because of their size, don't have either the resources or specialist trainers to mount certain specialised in-service courses or schools as they call them there. Many of these 'schools' are funded by none other than the mighty NRA ! They have a large, dedicated arm for law-enforcement training. In fact when I was there, the NRA training Director was, Lt Col.James DAUGHERTY. A well credentialed trainer, with years of law-enforcement experience, in a certain State Patrol.

The NRA are not alone in this funding venture, so is Smith and Wesson, in fact S&W have an entire dedicated Training Academy, situated in Springfield MA. They're committed to training sworn Officers in all manner of regular, and specialised F/A use and tactics, and some allied strategic activities. As does H & K, Sturm Ruger, and Remington Arms who offer an armourers school, for sworn police armourers.

Firearms, accessibility, NRA, in fact corporate America all play an integral part in this murky business ? No doubt racism is entrenched, the blame game abounds. That aside, I'm totally confident there are many really competent, honourable police officers performing duty in America today. Police of all colours, and of all ethnicities.

Regrettably though, racism will occasionally emerge and manage to raise it's ugly head above the parapet. Whenever it does, let us hope the frequency and repercussions of such, diminishes significantly, as time goes on ?

In any organisation there will always be the rare cowboy who lets the side down and is a management problem. One swallow doth not a summer make. As well, maybe there is some prejudging going on. Better to wait for advice from the Court and based on critical examination of facts.

However if there is one certainty it is that there is no simple explanation, "It is guns", It is white cops", It is all a plot" and so on.

The social problems in the US are complex. Many are trying hard and are achieving improvements. Reducing complex problems to simple, stupid statements such as 'police discriminate against blacks', devalues and can overturn the hard work and positive results of committed professionals and citizens.

More research is needed and cooperation, not endless point-scoring among politicians - politicians who should know better, including President Obama. But alas, there is always political gamesmanship, especially while an election is underway.

Dear o sung wu,

Thank you for your perspective of the attitudes among smaller police forces in the US.

I suspect and hope things have improved to a degree from when you were there, but obviously huge problems still exist.

That black communities feel under siege at the moment is evident in the protests that are widespread across the nation. On another forum I have asked for an American perspective on whom they consider as the body from which the threat of tyranny requires that the citizenry to be armed. The answer is the Federal government. The Waco siege by DEA agents is often referred to as an example.

The NRA words, given a different source, would no doubt have resonance in black communities. I get a sense the reaction to police shootings will escalate as more within these communities identify police over-reach as tyrannical and deserving of an armed response.

You all do realise that BLM were chanting "What do we want? Dead Cops - When do we want it? Now" just prior to the shooting attack right?

http://www.infowars.com/video-the-truth-about-the-dallas-sniper-attack/

SteeleRedux,
Several towns in Georgia made it a requirement for citizens to own a firearm, Kennesaw in 1982 and Nelson in 2013.
US citizens do consider the Federal Government the greatest threat of tyranny, and I don't blame them.
Look at the IRS scandal where Obama used the IRS to attack political groups he considered unfavorable.
This is why they fight so hard for the Second Amendment which is considered the ultimate check and balance between the government and the people.
It all goes back to when they fought the British for independence.

"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

The constitution isn't there to tell government what it can do.
It's there to tell it what it can't do.

Waco was another cover up.
One of the BATF agents shot David Koresh in the family jewels as he opened the door for the raid and it all went south from there.
I think another officer shot himself while trying to enter during the raid as well, maybe on a ladder or something.
Branch Davidians bought, sold and fixed guns they bought from gun shows and most of their guns weren't even their on the day of the raid.
BATF was under pressure from above to get results at the time.

With all this stuff going on in America it would drive the average person to want to be armed for their own safety.