Have been gunned down in St. Pete which is only about 50 miles from me. The most recent was last night. Please be in prayer for the agency and the families involved! Hard and scary times for them
There has been 16 officer deaths due to violence this year. I say make killing a police officer a federal crime punishable by death.
I Have the utmost respect for most cops, but I'm curious as to why we should place an extra value on their life over say a civilian on the street? Prayers sent for the families of the murdered officers, I could only imagine the times they are going through.
No "extra" value Tembry. But, some states have the death penalty and others do not. There is no way we can force some states to enact the death penalty universally, but maybe we could for police officers who are gunned down by scumbags. In fact, it needs to be done.
Because in some places, they put their lives in harms way everyday to protect the civilians. I don't think its "extra value", as much is it is a harsher punishment to try and deter it from happening.
Again, what is the difference in a cop being shot by a robber, and a mom buying groceries shot by a robber? Because he was doing his job while he was murdered? Why should one warrant a harsher penalty? Slippery slope. Again, Cops do a job I couldn't/wouldn't do. Many of them for all the right reasons, and they are extremely brave. I just don't agree with valuing their life over a firefighter, grocery store clerk, soldier, pharmacist, trashman, single mother, etc...
I agree with you Tembry. On they same token if you kill someone who isn't harming your property, you, your family or anyone else you should get stoned to death. If people have q stronger fear of the punishment they won't break the law. My thoughts and prayers go out to anyone who has had to deal with a death from violence.
I'm not saying the mom's life was less valuable. Police purposely go where violent criminals are, on a daily basis in some areas. I would assume the less likely it is that they would be killed, the better they can do their job. Thats all I'm saying. Its not this life is more valuable than that life. I also think there should be harsher penalties for anyone resisting arrest or refusing to pullover.
Why just limited to cops ? In that case, START by making is a Federal Offense to kill a MILITARY VETERAN !! Military Vets make sacrifices and engage enemies on a totally different scale. Agreed !
Guys, I made a comment about making killing a Cop a federal crime. Please do not read anything else into it in regards to me not valuing the lives of other persons. I am a pretty black and white guy with not much hidden shades of gray when I speak. SO, I think it should be a federal crime to kill a police officer and the penalty should be death. That being said, I am proponent of the death penalty for all murders who fit a certain parameters. It would be enacted in all fifty states if it were up to me. In the meanwhile, I will settle for what I posted above. A cops life is no more valuable than that of other people. Tembry, saying it is a slippery slope in regards to my belief in the penalties to Cop killers really is not slippery...it should just be slippery with the blood of the scumbags that kill cops. AGAIN, I believe any thug that murders another for no reason should be put down. Not just Cop killers. In the meanwhile, I will settle for a "Cop Killer Law" and the death penalty to those idiots who murder Cops.
Shadow, I can appreciate your feelings, on this topic. I think, maybe, our locations dictate our "views" on police officers. It's a pretty standard and shared feeling, where I live, that MOST cops are former high school lunch money victims, getting a badge to try and prove something. They are not respected, abuse their self proclaimed "power", and, are more backwards than most of the people they lock up. Just something to laugh at. As far as hunting is concerned, time and time again, it's local cops that hunters are having issues with; trespassing, trying to get hunters kicked off of land they LEGALLY hunt, poaching, shot-gun driving private land, whenever they want, etc, etc. These are not my personal claims, they are stories I hear, daily. My friends who work in hunting/fishing stores, hear them, constantly. Now, don't get me wrong, there are cops in our area that became cops because they want to make a difference, and, I know a few of these guys. They operate with honor and integrity, and, no matter the career, those qualities deserve respect. Those guys, I respect. It's actually a shame. It's a shame that so many people have only negative stories and interactions with the PD, in our area. There are more than a few cops in my family, and, they don't deny these issues, either, when we speak of the topic. Too many bad seeds. As I said above, these are not the opinions of an individual, yet, the opinions of many. I live in a little bit of a "ritzy" area, though. There are a lot of professionals, Doctors, CEOs, high end Corporate Lawyers, etc, etc- not many cops could afford to live here, so, there is little interaction between these people, and, cops. Needless to say, these people feel superior to cops, and, I'm sure this adds to their negative opinions. Forgot to add. My point is that...................there are many "contributing" factors that lead to our questioning any "new addition" favoring cops. Just thought I'd list some background info on the nature of frequent stories involving local pd, here.
Droptine, I can assure you the Police where I live and work are anything but lunch money victims. The Police in this county are widely respected throughout the community. The Police Chief hires officers that work with the community, not living in shadows. They have a six month nationally accredited training academy new officers go through. It is rigorous. I work with Police all the time at my current job. They come in professionally dressed and are pleasant to be around on a daily basis. I would say the county police where I live are one of the best local pds in the state of VA. I live and work in the fastest growing county in the state of VA and a county that consistently lands itself in the top ten nationally in terms of median household income. We have around 550 police officers in my county and they hardly ever make any noise in terms of getting into any type of trouble.
Good stuff. As I said, not all of what I stated is my own personal experience, rather, that of many others, whom have shared their stories with people I know. Some of the PDs in my area are squared away, and, from a Marine Corps standpoint, I notice and appreciate that. I dont like to let a few bad seeds spoil the bunch, but, where I live, we're constantly hearing negative stories. I'm sure this isn't the case, everywhere.
