And the police do not have the right to shoot anyone just because they have a record. You're right that its irrelevant...as far as him being shot in concerned. My point is that people and the media tend to leave facts like the victim being a criminal out of the equation and pretend they're completely innocent, upstanding citizens.

Oh, and my stance on gun control? I'm sick of the NRA and the media making excuses. They've even tried blaming gun violence on video games, completely ignoring that video games are far more popular in South Korea and Japan, but those countries don't have shootings because both countries have gun control laws. 

I believe that to own a gun you should have to take and successfully complete a gun safety course. I also believe that stupid laws like the one they passed here a couple of years ago allowing concealed carry in bars - as long as you don't drink. Yeah, right - should be done away with. And I also believe that no one outside the military or police SWAT teams should be allowed to own assault weapons. Gun shows should either be outlawed, or require the same background checks and waiting periods that gun stores have to follow, with severe consequences for the seller if they don't, the gun is used in a crime, then traced back to them. But I don't believe guns should be outlawed.

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I'd ask that if you don't have all the facts (coroner's report, all witness statements, officer statements, video evidence broken down frame by frame, all collected CSI evidence, police radio communications, scene photographs, etc) and specific training in analyzing these encounters you reserve your comments.  They are complex and rapidly unfolding and taking what you gathered as entrance and exit wounds at face value and asserting what you think happens is the ongoing issue with how these situations are perceived.  I was a use of force expert for our department and these scenarios are very involved and numerous government bodies analyze and investigate (including a civilian body) and lay charges accordingly.

I might if there were just a sudden spate of rapes and abuse that involved men. And your comment could be interpreted as saying that males don't matter so much because women are the main victims of violence and rape.

But since there was just an occurrence of twelve police being shot at - and five dying - is that the time to reemphasize "Black Lives Matter"? Yes, I understand that some could infer that the Dallas shootings were a retaliation to black deaths recently.

Is it appropriate to "wave the flag" for every individual group that gets attacked and killed? "Blue lives matter." "Black lives matter." "Children lives matter." I'm just thinking that "All lives matter" identifies the situation that must be addressed. 

I know that there are a high percentage of blacks being killed, seemingly pretty high right now ("seemingly" because I do not have statistics right in front of me - not to diminish the number of murders.) 

And there is no question that these shootings are not good for blacks and not good for whites, nor anyone else. Maybe more focus on the cause rather than the result might be appropriate. Stars above, it's as if someone wants to start civil rights riots all over again.

You wrote, "Is it appropriate to "wave the flag" for every individual group that gets attacked and killed? "Blue lives matter." "Black lives matter." "Children lives matter." I'm just thinking that "All lives matter" identifies the situation that must be addressed."

At this point, you are working very hard to miss the point.

You are appropriating the "Black Lives Matter" line, something you and other non-black people shouting "All Live Matter" did not come up with, for your own purposes, one of which very much appears to be diminishing the basic idea being presented. "No, no, we're INCLUDING black lives!" you might argue, "Even after they DIDN'T include US!" but you're not. You're reducing their argument, stamping it out, by "me, too-ing" it to death.

"Black Lives Matter" is specific. It is meant to be. "All Lives Matter" is asinine in it's non-specific, let's-all-hold-hands-and-not-listen-to-the-black-people, happy, humdrum do-nothingness. 

The issue raised by "Black Lives Matter" is gun deaths by the police, a very real concern of a very large number of people. I know a man graduating college soon and about to get married. He's about to set up a medical practice. It's the whole "everything in front of him" scenario you've heard so many times. He still feels it necessary to do everything he can to make the front seat area and interior of his car as non-threatening and safe in case of being pulled over as he possibly can. He knows he will likely face a more confrontational police officer than a white traffic offender would and he's likely to face them more often. When you pop into the car to pick up groceries or go to work, do you specifically think, "I could get shot making this trip." He does. Every time. That's not paranoia. That's a very real concern he has to deal with and you don't have to face.

"All Lives" purpose, whether you perceive it as you promulgate it or not, is to negate the intent of "Black Lives Matter." Stop doing so.

At the very least, try to prove that the lives of black men matter as much to you as everyone else's by taking up their cause now, at a time when the number of violent deaths at the hands of the police is so disproportionate. Later, perhaps, we can deal with the deaths of your hypothetical "blue people." If the "Children's Lives Matter" part of your flaccid, all-inclusive, nonsensical variant is of more importance to you, fine. Deal with that aspect of it. We're going to have to get specific at some point to deal with these issues. I do find it interesting that the one point at which a great many Americans absolutely will NOT allow for specificity is in the case of Black Lives. Hm... Funny that, no?

The recent outrage, in my opinion, is because the police acted carelessly.

Where are the statistics for how often THAT'S been the case?

-C!