The THIRD - and most angry - letter I ever wrote to The Portland Mercury, which was published on June 9th, under the heading "Blow My Mom's Head Off, Please!"
HEY MERCURY: This is in response to Kelly McKnight's letter, and to some degree Phil Busse's article "No Lessons Learned" [Letters and News, June 2].
What is WRONG with you people? If someone is lunging at people with a knife, of COURSE they should be shot! There doesn't need to be any discussion on this, and it doesn't matter if they're mentally ill, on drugs, or having a bad day. What about my own family, you asked, Kelly? Well, if my Mom is off her meds and trying to stab someone, OF COURSE they should blow her fucking head off. Hell, if I get high and try to hurt someone, I hope they shoot me--better dead than a murderer.
For everyone who gets upset when the cops have to shoot a crazy guy going after people with a knife--where the hell are YOU? You're serving coffee, editing an alternative paper, or raising your kids. YOU aren't going to help, and yet you expect Superman to show up. Cops are regular folks; the only advantage they have against a guy with a knife is a gun.
Then why not tasers, pepper spray, or bean bags? Simple! They don't fucking work! This isn't the movies--people don't even go right down if you shoot them in the head! Cops get tased and pepper sprayed in their training, just so they understand that you can keep on fighting.
A cop is not a soldier or a superhero, he's just a guy who works for the city-- like the meter maid and the tollbooth attendant. No special powers, no duty to "absorb risk" instead of protecting himself. The other guy is the one trying to hurt people--why should he get ANY consideration?
Open fire.
HEY MERCURY: This is in response to Kelly McKnight's letter, and to some degree Phil Busse's article "No Lessons Learned" [Letters and News, June 2].
What is WRONG with you people? If someone is lunging at people with a knife, of COURSE they should be shot! There doesn't need to be any discussion on this, and it doesn't matter if they're mentally ill, on drugs, or having a bad day. What about my own family, you asked, Kelly? Well, if my Mom is off her meds and trying to stab someone, OF COURSE they should blow her fucking head off. Hell, if I get high and try to hurt someone, I hope they shoot me--better dead than a murderer.
For everyone who gets upset when the cops have to shoot a crazy guy going after people with a knife--where the hell are YOU? You're serving coffee, editing an alternative paper, or raising your kids. YOU aren't going to help, and yet you expect Superman to show up. Cops are regular folks; the only advantage they have against a guy with a knife is a gun.
Then why not tasers, pepper spray, or bean bags? Simple! They don't fucking work! This isn't the movies--people don't even go right down if you shoot them in the head! Cops get tased and pepper sprayed in their training, just so they understand that you can keep on fighting.
A cop is not a soldier or a superhero, he's just a guy who works for the city-- like the meter maid and the tollbooth attendant. No special powers, no duty to "absorb risk" instead of protecting himself. The other guy is the one trying to hurt people--why should he get ANY consideration?
Open fire.