Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Shoot with video.. keep ‘em honest!


I’m always a bit ambivalent about the fixated eyes of cameras most everywhere most breathing moments of daily life. For the most part we all overshoot – that’s the world of technology – and it is a blast. In time, people will roll along to another distraction and devour with the same gusto.

For the moment I’m glad people stay close to conflicts and video - the... case of Sammy Yatim a prime example. Police have a job to do but too often buy into advances in gun technology and react savagely. Honestly, in my opinion there was no cause or need for this boy to die. There was no cause to draw weaponry more suited for armed conflict. This called for brain power the ability to outwit a soul in personal crisis.

I was thinking back to the movie based on a real life event, ‘Dog Day Afternoon’ where crisis negotiators were called in. Talk and time can diffuse bad situations; the person straddling the edge of an open window ready to jump to death; the crazed man running down streets screaming violent offensive words at passersby’s. Many of us have been confronted by drunken fools wanting to fight or scratch.

Years ago I had a guy come at me with a broken bottle trying to cut me – I cooled him down and we both walked away. I didn’t play Stallone on him – I moved back and gave him space. Today he'd be shot dead!

I celebrate those who video police in these situations. Video for the most part is spot on. Without the three public documents we would never get to where we are at this moment.

Talk is a more powerful conflict resolving weapon than brute force. Put the guns away and be a man not an enactment of made for television fake police drama. They’re just bullshit violent cartoons!
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