Open Carry? Open Season? Strange Fruit, indeed.

[johnny9fingers]

I'm so glad I'm not a black chap in the USA.

On August 5th this year a chap called John Crawford walked into a Wal-Mart while talking on his cellphone, took down an air rifle on display, and wandered around looking at other stuff, maybe to purchase, whilst still talking on his cellphone, before being gunned down by the local policeforce. This in

Comments

[policraticus]

I'm so glad I'm not a adolescent girl in Rotherham, Sheffield, Oxford, Derby, Telford...

[telemann]

[policraticus]

I'm making a point about glass houses, which is, I think, legitimate given the OP's morally superior tone.

[telemann]

Oh ok. We have tone argument.

[policraticus]

The notion that this was an argument is a non-starter. I'm not saying he's wrong about the injustice committed against John Crawford, nor am I saying he is wrong to question why no disciplinary action was taken against the officers involved. I'd need to know a lot more about the whole affair to do that. However, he goes on to make a rather amusing bit of Swift-like hyperbole about how black folks should "seek asylum in a nearby nation," as if the US was uniquely imperfect in its relationship to minorities. Far be it from me to claim the US was in any way perfect, but our manifold imperfections are shared in some measure with every other manifestly imperfect nation, the UK included. That is an extension of his argument beyond its natural limits.

[telemann]

Oh right.

The notion that this was an argument is a non-starter.

then

that is an extension of his argument beyond its natural limits.

[luvdovz]

Tone argument is my fave. It's so adorable in its simplicity, especially when there's nothing left to be used as an actual argument.

My second fave: the tu quoque argument. With a single masterstroke, you've employed them both within the same comment. Kudos, Sir! You win one Internets today.

[johnny9fingers]

I think you'll find that I stated that it reminded me of racism in my own country too, albeit using an historical comedic example.

[fizzyland]

Brilliant graphic.

[johnny9fingers]

The difference being, of course, that the criminals involved have gone to prison for their crimes, and the police and social services have been censured.

But apart from that....

[policraticus]

And how many years did that take? Even after the abuse was truly brought to light?

John Crawford was shot in August.

[johnny9fingers]

It took years. But in the end, justice has been done.

However, unless you're telling me that you expect a federal investigation to overturn the grand jury's verdict, how exactly will justice be done in this case?

That apart from the apples and oranges differences in the cases, of course.

[the_rukh]

Well golly, if there are other problems in the world than this one is a-ok!