Baxter
2015-09-02 15:51:37 UTC
In the United States, the perception of truth often means more than truth
itself. While the conservative media lies to blame the Black Lives Matter
movement for the tragic shooting deaths of police officers, the
mainstream media is rushing to cover what appears to be a dramatic
increase in gun violence against police officers.
Except, this isn't true. Our country is on pace to have fewer officers
shot and killed while on duty this year than last year (and almost any
year on record for that matter).
Often, people who are sympathetic to police will quote that 83 police
have died in the line of duty in 2015. And that is true, but what they
aren't telling you is that 13 of those officers had heart attacks or that
19 died in car accidents or that three died because of 9/11-related
illnesses.
A total of 26 police officers have been shot and killed in the line of
duty this year. Each of those is tragic and a reflection of the violence
in our country. This, though, is not some race-based dramatic uptick in
police shooting deaths. Forty-seven officers were shot and killed in 2014
and we are on pace to have fewer than that this year. Comparatively, 662
people have been shot and killed by police in America as of September 1
and a total of 792 people have been killed by police altogether this
year.
Not only that, but as the media attempts to blame black activists for
these deaths, the truth they aren't telling you is that half of all
police who've been shot and killed this year were actually African
Americans. That, though, is inconvenient for their narrative.
We should be able to have the emotional maturity and intellectual honesty
to discuss these issues without misstating or skewing the facts (or
outright lying about them). It only makes matters worse.
Not only that, but far more police are dying by suicide than they are at
the hands of others.
itself. While the conservative media lies to blame the Black Lives Matter
movement for the tragic shooting deaths of police officers, the
mainstream media is rushing to cover what appears to be a dramatic
increase in gun violence against police officers.
Except, this isn't true. Our country is on pace to have fewer officers
shot and killed while on duty this year than last year (and almost any
year on record for that matter).
Often, people who are sympathetic to police will quote that 83 police
have died in the line of duty in 2015. And that is true, but what they
aren't telling you is that 13 of those officers had heart attacks or that
19 died in car accidents or that three died because of 9/11-related
illnesses.
A total of 26 police officers have been shot and killed in the line of
duty this year. Each of those is tragic and a reflection of the violence
in our country. This, though, is not some race-based dramatic uptick in
police shooting deaths. Forty-seven officers were shot and killed in 2014
and we are on pace to have fewer than that this year. Comparatively, 662
people have been shot and killed by police in America as of September 1
and a total of 792 people have been killed by police altogether this
year.
Not only that, but as the media attempts to blame black activists for
these deaths, the truth they aren't telling you is that half of all
police who've been shot and killed this year were actually African
Americans. That, though, is inconvenient for their narrative.
We should be able to have the emotional maturity and intellectual honesty
to discuss these issues without misstating or skewing the facts (or
outright lying about them). It only makes matters worse.
Not only that, but far more police are dying by suicide than they are at
the hands of others.
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Free Software - Baxter Codeworks www.baxcode.com
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Free Software - Baxter Codeworks www.baxcode.com
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