New Zealand was rocked yesterday by the cowardly shooting of
two members of the police force, one of whom has since died. They stopped a car for a routine traffic
offence, but it sped off and caused an accident.
When the police arrived the driver stepped forward with a
gun and shot at the unarmed unprotected officers. He and his accomplice then sped away in a
stolen car knocking down and seriously injuring an innocent pedestrian in the
process.
It was a relief this morning to see a man has been arrested
and charged with murder (along with other things).
My deepest sympathy goes out to the victim’s family at this
distressing time. It is never easy to
lose a loved family member, but is worse when it is a needless tragedy.
 |
| Our beautiful Millie, who, like all animals, follows the Laws of Nature |
Police are receiving a bad rap at the moment in different
parts of the world, but they are simply people doing a job. Their families expect them to come home again
after their work shift. And I, for one,
would not like to live in the anarchy that would be created if we had no police
to put a brake on crime and civil disorder.
Our societies need laws.
I know some laws are wrong or stupid, but many of them are good and seek the
wellbeing of the general public. And, if
we have laws, then someone must be employed to enforce them.
I have known a few police officers over the years (I’ve
known some criminals as well!) and they are no different to other groups in
society – there are good ones and bad ones, just like doctors and lawyers and
politicians and road workers and farmers and bus drivers and any other
occupation you could name.
“At his best, man is
the noblest of all animals; separated
from law and justice he is the worst.” ~ Aristotle.
Margaret.
It has been an eventful week, what with the Covid 19 fiasco and now this. Thankfully they have now arrested the woman they were seeking, and the police are now unarmed again
ReplyDeleteStay safe
Blessings
Maxine
It's a sad day for NZ
ReplyDeleteThat is horrible! Were those idiots on drugs?
ReplyDeleteHere some dumbheads spray "ACAB" everywhere but I just bet when in danger they do want the police for help.
How come you know criminals, is there a story behind?
Oh, what a weird world! Ix
No story with the criminals LOL. They have just been people I have come to know. I don't condone their crimes, but have found that most of them are just ordinary people like you and me who have made bad decisions in their lives.
DeleteCanada had a mass shooter recently, picking his victims over two days, one of whom was an officer trying to stop him on her own. It was a sad time for the country so I can imagine how it feels in NZ today.
ReplyDeleteHello, I am sorry for the victim and their family. I agree, most police are good people, there may be a few bad ones. But, we need law and order..enjoy your day!
ReplyDeleteI am stunned, Eileen, that you say, there "may" be a few bad ones. If you look at the history of your country at least as far back as the race riots of the sixties and southern cops with snarling dogs, right up events last week, it is clearly more than "may" be. We need law and order (what a canned phrase that is) but we need to have it applied fairly and equally, and so far that just doesn't happen.
DeleteI am always a little puzzled by the use of the term "senseless tragedy" or "needless tragedy" which seems to imply that some tragedies are neither. Surely "tragedy" alone describes the situation. As for your views about the police, I can see that they are influenced by dealings with a benign agency such as you have in New Zealand, and dealing from the perspective of a white woman, with all the inherent benefits that confers. Try telling a black person in the US that the police are kind, agreeable folks just doing their job, try telling a journalist in The Philippines languishing in jail for reporting the truth that police are lovely, well-meaning concerned chaps, try being part of a dissenting group in China, and viewing the police as your friend and neighbour. I am abysmally ignorant of race relations in New Zealand, but based on the experience of indigenous people in most parts of the world, I suspect that the view of your Maori citizens might be quite different from yours,
ReplyDeleteF has always been proud to come from a country where police are not routinely armed, and the population generally likewise. These events are devastating, destructive, and not at all what any community wants to have headlining their news. Quite apart from the 'cops n robbers' version of what police do, their role in our communities is as a kind of glue, people we can rely on in times of need. Mr B's son-in-law is a policeman in UK and we'd hate to to think our grandchildren might be fatherless as easily as in the case you report. Our hearts go out to the families.
ReplyDeleteHow incredibly sad. I agree that most of the police are good people but I have to admit that David has a point too.
ReplyDeleteIt was a sad day for New Zealand. One of Doug's grandsons applied to join the Police in January and is going through the application process which has been slowed by Covid 19.
ReplyDeleteI know there is good and bad in all walks of life, and i know it is the same with police. But not many people go to work knowing they could be shot at...and maybe killed. I could go on with more but to time consuming when i don't have my computer.
ReplyDeleteSo sad. Yes we need law and order.
ReplyDelete