This is about as nuts as things can get. To those of you who think NZ is clean and green you're relatively correct, but if you think we're any less screwed up than the rest of the world - think again!
This story has been unfolding over the past 24 hours or more and is nonetheless tragic for the apparently senseless loss of life for yet another Kiwi worker going about his lawful business. Of course, in this case his lawful business was someone-else's UNLAWFUL business. I am wondering what has happened to the other Policeman's dog, which apparently is still trapped inside the police van. Hopefully she has just hunkered down, waiting for rescue.
The usual debate will now rage about whether or not to arm the police yadda yadda which then goes round to the topic of how then the crims will get bigger guns too...and in 12 months time we will have changed nothing. I need to tell you that even though I have an enormous amount fo sympathy for the dead policeman's family, friends and colleagues, I'm admitting being cold on the idea of our Police having guns at the ready. From what I have seen of this in the bigger world, this just leads to more tragedies of Shakespearean magnitude more often than not. I also struggle with the media excitement over this, given that over 100 workers each year in this country loose their lives on the job without the same level of media interest. Some argue that this is because when a Policeman get's shot it is a deliberate act - hence the hysteria. My response to that is well, when an employer flouts the health & safety laws then that too is a deliberate act and in all too many cases a similar outcome - death.
Any senseless death is a tragedy, some of the "heroic" deaths I struggle with too - you still end up dead and is the world really a better place? Not usually.
However, what do you think? This song is for all those fallen in the way of duty for whatever reason, wrong place wrong time, war time, capitalism....
3 comments:
I'm also against arming the police. In the UK they are still by and large unarmed but since the "war on terror" we are seeing more and more armed police at airports and an eagerness to see them deployed. It isn't good. It doesn't help. It just augments the fear and so keeps the bad ball rolling. It's a game of oneupmanship that nobody can win. The "Chicago Way" just leads to more and more senseless death and tragedy.
Yes, me too I am against it and I still stare when I see a policeman with a gun which probably makes me look very suspicious indeed.
I get cross about reporting of deaths over here. Only one person has to die when train has a little wobble for it to make the news and yet people are killed on the road every day and unless there is something exciting about the accident it gets no coverage.
They've really upped the H&S regs here at the Ski Club whilst I've been away.
Sadly, the ouotcome was no different than we expected. Gunman dead. Police 1, Gunman 1. I don't really call that a "draw".
RB - I recall being a right goldfish at Singapore airport in 1992 when I saw the police wearing guns!
I susgest you leave your army fatigues at home when going to your Ski Club!
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