A violent place
A flip through Portland's headlines this week reveals it to be a place in which human life is easily taken by others. We have the dead police chief in Rainier, a fatal hit-and-run (and another pedestrian mowed down just up the road), more insights on the New Year's bouncer murder, no apparent clues on the New Year's Eve Old Town beating that left a fellow close to death, the names of the police who killed the crazed homeless guy in the abandoned car wash, and more reaction to two other shootings by police, one fatal... Am I leaving anything out? Condolences to all the victims' families.
| Posted at 6:41 AM | Permalink |
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Comments (7)
"A new state audit says the "earned time" early release program for Oregon prison inmates saved an estimated $25 million in the 2009 fiscal year" (Salem - Statesman Journal).
One has to wonder if this, or any other similar programs attempting to "save" costs in our criminal justice system, have any direct or indirect correlation.
Posted by Gibby | January 6, 2011 7:26 AM
This time the cop got killed before the bad guy. In the horrific scheme of things, is this a relative improvement? Seriously (no snark), just asking.
Posted by G Joubert | January 6, 2011 7:37 AM
Is it really Leland Gaunt behind those glasses?
Will the Needful Things sign be going up @ City Hall?
This could explain the twit blockage.
Posted by msmith | January 6, 2011 8:50 AM
I've come to terms with the fact that our city is basically a shooting gallery. But the running after the hitting is something I just can't fathom.
Posted by Allan L. | January 6, 2011 8:53 AM
Joubert - Your post may have no intent for snarkiness, but it is over the top to suggest that somehow a cop dying in the line of duty is in any way a "relative improvement".
Ideas, beliefs, or suggestions such as these may well be the leading contibuting factor to our social ills.
Posted by Gibby | January 6, 2011 8:56 AM
I've known three cops who died in the line of duty, the third of which was a police officer (in Southern California) who was trying to arrest a tweaker without backup: the meth-head took the cops gun and shot him in the head, then he murdered his mother with the duty weapon.
It's helped me to view these "shootings" in very stark terms: if the cop dies, it's a tragedy; if the perp dies, it could have been much worse (especially when he/she had a weapon).
I don't see much nuance most of the time.
Posted by Mister Tee | January 6, 2011 9:55 AM
Easy, folks.
I'm starting to love our police state, our big prison system, and the fact that we function.
All I have to do is have a big cup of coffee, open the NYT, catch up on a coupla blogs, and I love America.
Like yesterday. Pakistani politician says that the death penalty for blasphemy, um, needs to be rolled back now, after all, we ARE in 2011. Killed by bodyguard, who says he would give his own life to save the honor of the prophet. The largest group of clerics in the country applaud, tell people if they mourn publicly, they could be next. Lawyers shower rose petals on this vermin at the court hearing today.
And we give billions to this religion-enslaved country. That part, is hard to feel good about.
Posted by gaye | January 6, 2011 10:08 AM