imortal
Member
+240|6967|Austin, TX
Now, let us be clear on something.  "Martial Law" simply means that military law prevails.  It is not an automatic evil or something, even if I am against it.  Second, they are talking about calling in the National Guard, which is state run, not the US military.  That means the state govenor would be the man in charge, not the President.  It is legal, and something like this would not even cross the desk of anyone in the federal government.  It is all state level. 

That being said, I have always maintained that the police can not be depended on to protect you.  That you can only depend on yourself and your family to defend themselves.  I do not like it, but I am less than suprised by it.  It is also happening mainly up north, in areas with the most restrictive gun laws.  This kind of thing would be laughed out of our state legislature down here in Texas.  Hell, save the government money; let us protect ourselves.
Diesel_dyk
Object in mirror will feel larger than it appears
+178|6297|Truthistan

usmarine wrote:

Diesel_dyk wrote:

On the Benjamen Franklin equation where an increase in security can cause a decrease in liberty, does this type of system decrease liberty? I think its funny that people will cry up and down about infringing the second amendment but won't bat an eyelash at the idea that Marshall law might be declared in a US city or that other civil rights would be infringed. I say take the bill of rights as a whole, you can't pick and choose.
you have to evolve as a society, and that includes your laws.  its a fine balance sure, but you cant just go by what was said a couple hundred years ago. (women couldnt vote, slaves, the indians, etc)

just going blindly off the constitution and bill of rights is just like countries blindly following the koran.
True enough, life changes, technology changes, but the idea in the quote provides some measure to view todays policies while attempts are made to strike the balance. I look at the quote as a statement of pessimism, a "not-so-rosey" colored glasses to analyse policy. To me marshall law is over kill, I even question the efficacy of underage curfews where the consitutional rationale for permitting curfews is that minors don't have rights. To me that's a joke on all of us and lays the foundation to dare to ask the question of whether marshall law could be applied in this situation. IMO its an ubsurdity, and a slippery slope that's already been rooted in American policy.

Last edited by Diesel_dyk (2009-03-23 16:22:54)

CameronPoe
Member
+2,925|6858
As a taxi driver in Albany once said to me 'We refer to Schenectady as Scumnectady'. It was quite an apt moniker.

Last edited by CameronPoe (2009-03-23 16:22:39)

imortal
Member
+240|6967|Austin, TX
Hey!  Schenectady has an official song!

In Schenectady
Our Schenectady
What a warm and friendly place it is to be
Nestled among plains and hills
With a beautiful river that always gives us thrills
And stores and shops with all that one might need or wish to see
And legends and tales and lots of history
Oh Schenectady
Our Schenectady
Let us now plan and help to make it grow
If we will all do our best
Then others can do the rest
For places to study and learn in
Places to work and earn in
Places to live in happiness
source, you can't make this stuff up!
CameronPoe
Member
+2,925|6858

imortal wrote:

Hey!  Schenectady has an official song!

In Schenectady
Our Schenectady
What a warm and friendly place it is to be
Nestled among plains and hills
With a beautiful river that always gives us thrills
And stores and shops with all that one might need or wish to see
And legends and tales and lots of history
Oh Schenectady
Our Schenectady
Let us now plan and help to make it grow
If we will all do our best
Then others can do the rest
For places to study and learn in
Places to work and earn in
Places to live in happiness
source, you can't make this stuff up!
I have a feeling the person who wrote that song never visited the place... or had indulged in the consumption of numerous hallucinogenic mushrooms...
ghettoperson
Member
+1,943|6952

Hang on a sec... I thought the police were always the good guys and were always right? Someone please post that the police probably had reasons for their actions, or all will not be right with the forum.
Turquoise
O Canada
+1,596|6707|North Carolina

usmarine wrote:

Turquoise wrote:

It looks like Ireland still remembers though.
yes god forbid a pretty much all one race and one religion country get along.  wow.  what a shocker.
You're not familiar with Northern Ireland, are you?
Flecco
iPod is broken.
+1,048|6967|NT, like Mick Dundee

Diesel_dyk wrote:

Turquoise wrote:

Braddock wrote:


You've raised a good point here, it is interesting how vehemently opposed many Americans are to things that Europeans would view as inherently positive (e.g. socialised medicine) and how blase they are towards things that Europeans would view as inherently sinister (e.g. big brother style policing as was seen in the days of the Stasi and the KGB).

Perhaps it is only because we have truly seen the sinister side of such things in our recent past while Americans haven't really, not on any significant scale at least. What do you reckon?
That's a good theory, although Britain apparently forgot those lessons with their camera prevalence.

It looks like Ireland still remembers though.
I think this story should have its own thread, but this thread has turned this way so I'll post it here

What do you guys think of this? Gun Fire Detection system

I'm no fan of big brother and video surveillance but to me this seems like a good use of technology. IMO Why limit the 2nd amendment, instead put in a detection system to alert police to gun fire in an area.

On the Benjamen Franklin equation where an increase in security can cause a decrease in liberty, does this type of system decrease liberty? I think its funny that people will cry up and down about infringing the second amendment but won't bat an eyelash at the idea that Marshall law might be declared in a US city or that other civil rights would be infringed. I say take the bill of rights as a whole, you can't pick and choose.
Holy crap Deus Ex much.


Then again, if it has the same impact as it did in the game, it pretty much just means a skyrocket in the production of sound suppressors for guns on the black market and knife crime.
Whoa... Can't believe these forums are still kicking.
BN
smells like wee wee
+159|7070

imortal wrote:

That being said, I have always maintained that the police can not be depended on to protect you.  That you can only depend on yourself and your family to defend themselves.
How can a society be so bad that you cannot rely on the police?

That shocks me.
Warhammer
Member
+18|5983
People should have the right to carry unconcealed weapons I think the 2nd amendment remains as consistent to this age. That would dramatically minimize gangs and everything else that goes on.
imortal
Member
+240|6967|Austin, TX

BN wrote:

imortal wrote:

That being said, I have always maintained that the police can not be depended on to protect you.  That you can only depend on yourself and your family to defend themselves.
How can a society be so bad that you cannot rely on the police?

That shocks me.
Let's see.... During Hurricane Katrina, half of the New Orleans Police Department did not even show up for work.  Some were filmed in uniform, looting.  They are people, too.  They can be corrupt, just like anyone else.  We hold them to a higher standard, so are more shocked when it happens. We like to think that only paragons of virtue join the ranks of those who swear to protect and care for us, but the sad fact is that it is just not so.

I would love for there to be a world in which I could be perfectly happy to leave my life and welfare to others, but I do not believe I live in that world.  I do not have enough faith in human nature to place that responsibility soley on a power outside myself.  I am happy my local police agency is there.  I respect them and the job they do enourmously.  I follow the laws.  Some of them are even friends.  However, I know they can not be everywhere all the time.  I know that bad things happen, and as much as the cops wish they could be there, they can't.  I can not depend soley on them to safeguard me, so I decide to pick the slack up myself.
Catbox
forgiveness
+505|7018
I wonder how long it will be before there are armed gated communities for wealthy working people... and a barren wasteland of tent cities and apocalyptic conditions surrounding these armed communities...  is that what they meant by change?  lol
Love is the answer
Flecco
iPod is broken.
+1,048|6967|NT, like Mick Dundee

[TUF]Catbox wrote:

I wonder how long it will be before there are armed gated communities for wealthy working people... and a barren wasteland of tent cities and apocalyptic conditions surrounding these armed communities...  is that what they meant by change?  lol
Seriously bro go play Deus Ex.

It's a good game with rubbish graphics but half the posts I see these days look like their content was taken from that game.
Whoa... Can't believe these forums are still kicking.
nickb64
formerly from OC (it's EXACTLY like on tv)[truth]
+77|5913|Greatest Nation on Earth(USA)

Warhammer wrote:

People should have the right to carry unconcealed weapons I think the 2nd amendment remains as consistent to this age. That would dramatically minimize gangs and everything else that goes on.
Study by John Lott/David Mustard of University of Chicago(1997 Journal of Legal Studies) studied impact of Right to Carry Concealed Handgun Laws on Crime rate between 1977 and 1992: Reduced murder 8.5%, reduced rape 5%, and reduced severe assaults 7%. During that time, if right to carry had been common in US, there would have been 1,600 less murders, 4,200 less rapes, and 60,000 less severe assaults.

Vermont 1980(most freedom to carry concealed weapons): murder rate: 22% of National Avg., robbery rate: 15% of National Avg.

Trained Concealed Carry Permit Holders shoot innocents in error 1/3 as many times as Police annually.

Effect of "Shall Issue" Concealed Handgun laws in US: multi-victim public shootings down 84%, death in said shootings down 90%, injury in said shootings down 82%

Dade County, Florida created a tracking system to track the frequency of crimes committed by their 21,000 Concealed Weapon Permit Holders in 1987, between then and 1992, 4 crimes were committed by permit holders, none involving injuries, no innocents were harmed by a permit holder. The program was abandoned in 1992 because there were too few crimes to render it useful. The entire state of Florida recorded a total of 18 crimes by permit holders between 1987 and 1994. As of 1998, there was one incident when a permit holder shot someone after a traffic accident, but the shooter was determined to be acting is self defense. As of 1998, no permit holder had shot a police officer, while there were several cases of permit holders saving the life of an officer.

The Supreme Court and various lower courts have held that "police are not obligated to protect individuals from crime".

I can email all sources to anyone who wishes to dispute this information. (I am doing a research paper on the topic of Gun Control)

Last edited by nickb64 (2009-03-24 23:09:12)

h4hagen
Whats my age again?
+91|6655|Troy, New York
I actually live about 15 minutes from schenectady and spend a fair amount of time there  (know quite a few people who live there) and I would say that to have the National Guard take over while the sort the police department out would be a fantastic move. At the moment the police force is widely corrupt, don't respond to 911 calls, ignore drug deals entirely (literally drive past) and drug dealers etc just deal wherever without worrying. There are a couple who deal in the parking lot of a community center with a bunch of after school programs for kids. I would think this is fine, as long as they just get a police force set up in the mean time.
ATG
Banned
+5,233|6831|Global Command
Nice to hear from a local.
BN
smells like wee wee
+159|7070

h4hagen wrote:

I actually live about 15 minutes from schenectady and spend a fair amount of time there  (know quite a few people who live there) and I would say that to have the National Guard take over while the sort the police department out would be a fantastic move. At the moment the police force is widely corrupt, don't respond to 911 calls, ignore drug deals entirely (literally drive past) and drug dealers etc just deal wherever without worrying. There are a couple who deal in the parking lot of a community center with a bunch of after school programs for kids. I would think this is fine, as long as they just get a police force set up in the mean time.
Bloody hell!!

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