I'm at a loss for words, which is usually a sign that I should say nothing. Oh, well...
I have a strong distaste for this author, developed over the last 5 or 6 years, and I get a foul taste in my mouth reading this essay. His sanctimony is overwhelming. Very quick to call out those on the scene, ascribe cowardice to them as the reason fo…
I'm at a loss for words, which is usually a sign that I should say nothing. Oh, well...
I have a strong distaste for this author, developed over the last 5 or 6 years, and I get a foul taste in my mouth reading this essay. His sanctimony is overwhelming. Very quick to call out those on the scene, ascribe cowardice to them as the reason for their failure to act, and cast that diagnosis on the rest of America as our societal ill. I re-read the essay, several times, just to sort thru those emotions and find what value is in it.
Like many commenters, I believe the feminization of men in our culture is a large part to blame for the lack of bravado on the part of many. I also think the constant sniping and incessant media attacks, the second guessing, lends a paralyzing effect on people who are faced with these difficult situations. The Ferguson Effect? I don't know. Lastly, our institutions are full of liars and opportunists who will not support the actions of the person on the ground. Portland protests v Canadian trucker protests. Both illogical and politically opportune. Both hugely divisive.
One thing that is crystal clear is that our culture and society is in a state of mass confusion. Perhaps, instead of cowardice, we can hypothesize that no one acts because no one knows how to act.
My biggest complaint is that pundits like French want our police to be as capable as our military. I do not. I certainly want our police to be well-trained and equipped, and they, as well as our citizen servants like teachers, administrators, etc, should all be equipped and well trained in responding to these types of situations. Yet, demanding they reach a level of military capability is fraught with potential for huge misuse. Look at the response from police forces to simple Canadian trucker protests.
I'm not willing to call anyone in this event a coward. French is quick to cite Jesus's call to sacrifice, but conveniently leaves out Jesus's caution about judgment. Maybe if he had written his essay as an observation of our need for cultural change and return to American values, I could agree. His decision to cast blame instead and use it as America writ large, makes me cringe.
When people sign up to be police officers they know what they are getting into. They are there to 'protect and serve.' They are well paid because they take some risks, risks that you and I do not want to take. If they are not willing to take these risks they should not be on the force.
I have spoken out many times against police misconduct - abuse of citizens, inappropriate use of force, etc. - and the cowardice and hesitation displayed by these officers is another sort of misconduct - dereliction of duty.
I haven't checked salary numbers but I am a tech worker and I doubt that the officers taking these risks are "well paid" compared to corporate managers.
I agree on the sanctimoniousness of the author. And I too find he leaves a foul taste in my mouth. I also think Bari has every right to feature (I refuse to say “platform” or “center”!) whoever she pleases. (Not saying Dana said that. Others have).
Agreed. I’m disappointed in Bari Weiss giving this idiot another platform. I hope she doesn’t put him in my inbox again. Sanctimonious know-nothings like him are why we have a policing problem. Wasn’t he adamantly against Trump, who had spent years trying to persuade Chicago and other cities to arrest the gangsters who are gradually destroying them? Trump’s right and French is… French?
All he posts is snide responses to other people's thoughtful comments. Demeans the otherwise high quality conversations. Unfortunately there's no way to block/mute such people... yet... I've requested the feature.
Incisive and thoughtful, as always, Dana, but how does one get past the fact that, you have a weapon. Children in the schools are dying and screaming for help. And you do nothing? You don't even try. It's not a matter of military vs police training. It's that they didn't even try. What am I missing?
Yeah, Bruce, I don't know. But, I also don't know what exactly was that specific situation. French talks about officers outside the door, not willing to go in. Did they have the key? He conveniently says later that they unlocked the door and entered, but does anyone really know if they even could have unlocked the door earlier. Does no one want to give them some credit. Should they have had time to make a plan that had some potential for success. What was the mental and physical state of the officers? We don't yet know the whole truth of facts on the ground and it's a bridge to far to point out America's failings from this incident. Why so quick to claim cowardice?
French's appeal to authority starts right at the beginning, when he cites the police training manual which makes very clear certain guidance. But, he's a military veteran and a lawyer, can he not think of any number of reasons that guidance was not followed? Could we question maybe that the officers involved were never even trained on the manual, that their training might have been rudimentary and years out of date. Does anyone question if perhaps the manual had been superseded by oral guidance from above, or by officer experience on the ground. Were there any events in the recent past in which officers were reprimanded for being too quick to run to the sound of the guns? I can think up possible reasons all day, and because of that, I refuse to say cowardice at this early stage of investigation.
His further appeal to authority citing scripture and Jesus reeks of sanctimony and ignores all the possible scriptures we could throw at this situation. One thing I am absolutely certain of is that French does not know what Jesus would do.
Bruce, I learned an very valuable lesson in my first deployment that has stuck with me (and haunted me) for decades. I had gone so long without sleep that I began to hallucinate. I could hear what people were saying to me, but could make no sense of it. I couldn't even spell gun at that point, let alone use one effectively. Thankfully, I was in a relatively safe environment surrounded by my people and all's well that ends well. But, I've known from that point until now that even hero me could very easily be villain me.
Dana, don’t know why clicking the little heart doesn’t work to show my “like” but I have been thinking the same. In crises like this, there is always way too much rush to judge without all facts known. The facts are known can be communicated in such a way as to persuade a view.
That said, so many of the comments are more informative than French’s missive—not concerning the shooting so much as depicting what a mess we are in as a country. I think we truly are in trouble.
If it turns out they couldn't engage due to the door being locked, this whole article and subsequent comments will seem fairly absurd.
But it seems no amount of lessons will teach Americans, "wait for details and don't judge with your emotional reactions"
I agree with your take on Jesus. He intentionally avoided politics and his messages should never be used outside the context of an unyielding dedication to the spiritual pursuit of God.
Exactly. The amount of police worship in the comments is astounding. And I am not a defund the police type - not in the least, but this is too much. People are letting their ideological blinders dictate everything here. The details *are* in - there is no excuse for the cowardice on display.
That's the specific story I was referencing, in which Jesus evaded a question about taxes (a trap by his enemies) by redirecting the conversation toward God.
Your sardonic mockery is especially absurd considering that you're reinforcing my point without knowing it. But that seems consistent of the ignorance and hate that you spew all over this community.
I found a comment on another site referencing Brandon Tatum and I watched it on YouTube. He's a former police officer, and whenever I've heard him speak, he's always been very measured. This time he was blazingly angry, and his version of events is very different from the "cowardly cops" narrative. I wasn't there and don't know the facts, but I have four children and two little grandchildren and can hardly begin to imagine how horrific this massacre must be for the families. Nevertheless, I believe that we should wait until we know what actually happened before rushing to judgement.
I don’t recall Jesus ever putting himself on the line in terms of using force against anyone. He would stand back and speak and people were stopped in their tracks. And, in the end, he allowed himself to be killed and then murdered along with two miscreants. So, I’m not seeing him as a particularly good example of what was needed here, though, like the little children, he was victim of a prosperous world gone bad.
Yes, he experienced violence against him, but he never used it against others. I agree with French’s point. I think policing needs to be completely reformed or done away with. But I don’t get the call to Jesus, except that the border patrol agent who ended up killing the shooter exemplified his heart if not exactly his theology.
Added: yes, John has him using a makeshift whip to clear the area. I don’t think he actually beat anyone, though, but rather swung at the air. (FWIW, John is the youngest gospel and depicts Jesus with a great deal more agency than the earlier synoptic gospels.)
I don’t know, Bruce, but maybe do a ride along with a cop for a day. Put yourself in their shoes, preferably in Baltimore or Chicago on a Saturday night. Then come back and preach about courage and moral clarity. It’s a tough, mostly thankless job. Uvalde is a small town of course, but even there they’re dealing with a population of dysfunctional families and illegals. The relationship between the people and the law is tenuous and fraught. Nothing is as simple as a fairy tale or moral story, sorry.
I'm not disparaging police generally. Just trying to understand how armed men hesitated for so long. Despite illegals and dysfunctional families, there were kids being murdered. Would I have hesitated? Would you? Especially if armed? And not even try?
I would say none of us knows what we would do. Courage and self sacrifice is a hoped for reaction. But we cannot ever be certain it will manifest itself at the right moment.
Yes but we work to ensure the right reaction by teaching respect for our nation's heroes and a deep sense of responsibility. And we guarantee the opposite when we denigrate our nation, its heroes, its culture and its history. This is not difficult.
And still, even when we instill these values you cite, as we should, not one of us has a guarantee that we will do the right thing at the right time.
Many of us, if we’re truly honest, would admit we would have in reality been in the mob shouting “Crucify”.
To think otherwise is to descend to arrogance. Imagining that you are always on the side of “right” because you love your nation its culture and its heroes is just as dangerous as denigrating your nation, its culture and its heroes. The line is a fine one between the two, we must walk it to have balance.
Yes, we don't know until we are tested. And the great temptation is "to go along" as we often sadly do. But the hope is that, every once in awhile, we'll rise to the occasion and say, "no, enough." Maybe it's like Rosa Parks on the bus - not necessarily incredibly brave, just tired, fed up and just over the endless bs.
I'm at a loss for words, which is usually a sign that I should say nothing. Oh, well...
I have a strong distaste for this author, developed over the last 5 or 6 years, and I get a foul taste in my mouth reading this essay. His sanctimony is overwhelming. Very quick to call out those on the scene, ascribe cowardice to them as the reason for their failure to act, and cast that diagnosis on the rest of America as our societal ill. I re-read the essay, several times, just to sort thru those emotions and find what value is in it.
Like many commenters, I believe the feminization of men in our culture is a large part to blame for the lack of bravado on the part of many. I also think the constant sniping and incessant media attacks, the second guessing, lends a paralyzing effect on people who are faced with these difficult situations. The Ferguson Effect? I don't know. Lastly, our institutions are full of liars and opportunists who will not support the actions of the person on the ground. Portland protests v Canadian trucker protests. Both illogical and politically opportune. Both hugely divisive.
One thing that is crystal clear is that our culture and society is in a state of mass confusion. Perhaps, instead of cowardice, we can hypothesize that no one acts because no one knows how to act.
My biggest complaint is that pundits like French want our police to be as capable as our military. I do not. I certainly want our police to be well-trained and equipped, and they, as well as our citizen servants like teachers, administrators, etc, should all be equipped and well trained in responding to these types of situations. Yet, demanding they reach a level of military capability is fraught with potential for huge misuse. Look at the response from police forces to simple Canadian trucker protests.
I'm not willing to call anyone in this event a coward. French is quick to cite Jesus's call to sacrifice, but conveniently leaves out Jesus's caution about judgment. Maybe if he had written his essay as an observation of our need for cultural change and return to American values, I could agree. His decision to cast blame instead and use it as America writ large, makes me cringe.
When people sign up to be police officers they know what they are getting into. They are there to 'protect and serve.' They are well paid because they take some risks, risks that you and I do not want to take. If they are not willing to take these risks they should not be on the force.
I have spoken out many times against police misconduct - abuse of citizens, inappropriate use of force, etc. - and the cowardice and hesitation displayed by these officers is another sort of misconduct - dereliction of duty.
Please, define and factually support "well paid".
Chicago $85,471 average
https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Chicago-Police-Department/salaries/police-officer?from=career
Thank you. I agree completely on all counts. The police failed to hold up their end of the social contract.
Well paid? Uvalde is not your high level, highly paid police department.
I haven't checked salary numbers but I am a tech worker and I doubt that the officers taking these risks are "well paid" compared to corporate managers.
"When people sign up to be police officers they know what they are getting into."
Well, they should know... Experience tells me a different story.
I agree on the sanctimoniousness of the author. And I too find he leaves a foul taste in my mouth. I also think Bari has every right to feature (I refuse to say “platform” or “center”!) whoever she pleases. (Not saying Dana said that. Others have).
Agreed. I’m disappointed in Bari Weiss giving this idiot another platform. I hope she doesn’t put him in my inbox again. Sanctimonious know-nothings like him are why we have a policing problem. Wasn’t he adamantly against Trump, who had spent years trying to persuade Chicago and other cities to arrest the gangsters who are gradually destroying them? Trump’s right and French is… French?
You are a *master* contrarian.
lol.. Mirror good place to apply skepticism. And, yeah, I was wondering what You were *for,* having seeing You're against everything else.
All he posts is snide responses to other people's thoughtful comments. Demeans the otherwise high quality conversations. Unfortunately there's no way to block/mute such people... yet... I've requested the feature.
Incisive and thoughtful, as always, Dana, but how does one get past the fact that, you have a weapon. Children in the schools are dying and screaming for help. And you do nothing? You don't even try. It's not a matter of military vs police training. It's that they didn't even try. What am I missing?
Bruce... the last 2 years...might be.
Yeah, Bruce, I don't know. But, I also don't know what exactly was that specific situation. French talks about officers outside the door, not willing to go in. Did they have the key? He conveniently says later that they unlocked the door and entered, but does anyone really know if they even could have unlocked the door earlier. Does no one want to give them some credit. Should they have had time to make a plan that had some potential for success. What was the mental and physical state of the officers? We don't yet know the whole truth of facts on the ground and it's a bridge to far to point out America's failings from this incident. Why so quick to claim cowardice?
French's appeal to authority starts right at the beginning, when he cites the police training manual which makes very clear certain guidance. But, he's a military veteran and a lawyer, can he not think of any number of reasons that guidance was not followed? Could we question maybe that the officers involved were never even trained on the manual, that their training might have been rudimentary and years out of date. Does anyone question if perhaps the manual had been superseded by oral guidance from above, or by officer experience on the ground. Were there any events in the recent past in which officers were reprimanded for being too quick to run to the sound of the guns? I can think up possible reasons all day, and because of that, I refuse to say cowardice at this early stage of investigation.
His further appeal to authority citing scripture and Jesus reeks of sanctimony and ignores all the possible scriptures we could throw at this situation. One thing I am absolutely certain of is that French does not know what Jesus would do.
Bruce, I learned an very valuable lesson in my first deployment that has stuck with me (and haunted me) for decades. I had gone so long without sleep that I began to hallucinate. I could hear what people were saying to me, but could make no sense of it. I couldn't even spell gun at that point, let alone use one effectively. Thankfully, I was in a relatively safe environment surrounded by my people and all's well that ends well. But, I've known from that point until now that even hero me could very easily be villain me.
Dana, don’t know why clicking the little heart doesn’t work to show my “like” but I have been thinking the same. In crises like this, there is always way too much rush to judge without all facts known. The facts are known can be communicated in such a way as to persuade a view.
That said, so many of the comments are more informative than French’s missive—not concerning the shooting so much as depicting what a mess we are in as a country. I think we truly are in trouble.
If it turns out they couldn't engage due to the door being locked, this whole article and subsequent comments will seem fairly absurd.
But it seems no amount of lessons will teach Americans, "wait for details and don't judge with your emotional reactions"
I agree with your take on Jesus. He intentionally avoided politics and his messages should never be used outside the context of an unyielding dedication to the spiritual pursuit of God.
I do keep wondering, was there factually NO OTHER WAY INTO THAT ROOM?
No windows? No ceiling tiles? I do know, had I children there, wild horses couldn’t have prevented me from trying.
Exactly. The amount of police worship in the comments is astounding. And I am not a defund the police type - not in the least, but this is too much. People are letting their ideological blinders dictate everything here. The details *are* in - there is no excuse for the cowardice on display.
That's the specific story I was referencing, in which Jesus evaded a question about taxes (a trap by his enemies) by redirecting the conversation toward God.
Your sardonic mockery is especially absurd considering that you're reinforcing my point without knowing it. But that seems consistent of the ignorance and hate that you spew all over this community.
But the context was purely of a spiritual nature.
I found a comment on another site referencing Brandon Tatum and I watched it on YouTube. He's a former police officer, and whenever I've heard him speak, he's always been very measured. This time he was blazingly angry, and his version of events is very different from the "cowardly cops" narrative. I wasn't there and don't know the facts, but I have four children and two little grandchildren and can hardly begin to imagine how horrific this massacre must be for the families. Nevertheless, I believe that we should wait until we know what actually happened before rushing to judgement.
Dana, many thanks for that thoughtful and insightful reply. Good alternative perspective, as always.
I don’t recall Jesus ever putting himself on the line in terms of using force against anyone. He would stand back and speak and people were stopped in their tracks. And, in the end, he allowed himself to be killed and then murdered along with two miscreants. So, I’m not seeing him as a particularly good example of what was needed here, though, like the little children, he was victim of a prosperous world gone bad.
Yes, he experienced violence against him, but he never used it against others. I agree with French’s point. I think policing needs to be completely reformed or done away with. But I don’t get the call to Jesus, except that the border patrol agent who ended up killing the shooter exemplified his heart if not exactly his theology.
Added: yes, John has him using a makeshift whip to clear the area. I don’t think he actually beat anyone, though, but rather swung at the air. (FWIW, John is the youngest gospel and depicts Jesus with a great deal more agency than the earlier synoptic gospels.)
Too bad Jesus or anyone like him wasn't on the scene. But then, I've never noticed anyone like him, so there is that.
I don’t know, Bruce, but maybe do a ride along with a cop for a day. Put yourself in their shoes, preferably in Baltimore or Chicago on a Saturday night. Then come back and preach about courage and moral clarity. It’s a tough, mostly thankless job. Uvalde is a small town of course, but even there they’re dealing with a population of dysfunctional families and illegals. The relationship between the people and the law is tenuous and fraught. Nothing is as simple as a fairy tale or moral story, sorry.
I'm not disparaging police generally. Just trying to understand how armed men hesitated for so long. Despite illegals and dysfunctional families, there were kids being murdered. Would I have hesitated? Would you? Especially if armed? And not even try?
One door into the room. The first two officers who attempted entry wounded. A well-prepared shooter.
I would say none of us knows what we would do. Courage and self sacrifice is a hoped for reaction. But we cannot ever be certain it will manifest itself at the right moment.
Yes but we work to ensure the right reaction by teaching respect for our nation's heroes and a deep sense of responsibility. And we guarantee the opposite when we denigrate our nation, its heroes, its culture and its history. This is not difficult.
And still, even when we instill these values you cite, as we should, not one of us has a guarantee that we will do the right thing at the right time.
Many of us, if we’re truly honest, would admit we would have in reality been in the mob shouting “Crucify”.
To think otherwise is to descend to arrogance. Imagining that you are always on the side of “right” because you love your nation its culture and its heroes is just as dangerous as denigrating your nation, its culture and its heroes. The line is a fine one between the two, we must walk it to have balance.
Yes, we don't know until we are tested. And the great temptation is "to go along" as we often sadly do. But the hope is that, every once in awhile, we'll rise to the occasion and say, "no, enough." Maybe it's like Rosa Parks on the bus - not necessarily incredibly brave, just tired, fed up and just over the endless bs.