SavannahMann
Platinum Member
- Nov 16, 2016
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Actually, I wouldn’t mind that one damned bit. Now, I know, that isn’t the answer you expect from me, when I’ve written so much about inexcusable police misconduct, and called the shooting of many by police outright murder. So why would I like it if the cops were like “Dirty Harry”?
First, Dirty Harry never once shot an unarmed person. Not one. Go back through his movies again. It was never a guy holding a wallet, or someone surrendering. Harry never once blew a hole in someone who was not a baddie. The worst he ever did was draw his pistol on a guy who wanted an autograph. Even then he didn’t shoot and swear he was afeared for his life.
I could live with that standard. Roughly speaking, almost half of the police shootings would not happen if the Dirty Harry standard was used. Most of the time, Harry didn’t fire first. He returned fire. Harry didn’t shoot hostages, he shot past them to get the baddies. He hit the target he was shooting at.
Yes, I know. Movies are not real life. But the standards that Clint Eastwood used in his movies should be the standards in real life. Corrupt Cops were not ignored, they were pursued, and eventually dealt with. The baddies died, trying to kill Harry was their last mistake.
Harry was the modern embodiment of the Old West code that was the beginning of Clint’s career. The Spagetti Westerns. Where the man with no name was faster on the draw, and accurate with his shots.
Again, I know, it isn’t real life. But the standard should be. Let’s say I am in town, doing my thing. A man approaches me, I don’t get to shoot him just because. He has to present a clear danger to myself. I can’t afford to make a mistake, and either draw my weapon, brandishing, or fire just because I am uncertain. I need to be certain.
Gene Kranz the Flight Director of NASA fame and legend is often quoted. We need to work the problem, and not make it worse by guessing.That is the root of our problems today. We allow guesses, wrong guesses, to be acceptable. The argument is that if the cop takes the chance, and waits, he could die. Well if the cop doesn’t take the chance and doesn’t wait, others die. How many corpses from your mistakes are too many? In Georgia, a study clearly showed that half of the police shootings were of people who unarmed, or shot in the back. Often both.
Harry shot a man in the back who was fleeing before. But he was armed. There was no doubt he was a bad guy, no he could be. Harry never said he didn’t know. Harry never had a situation where there was any doubt. Harry didn’t guess. Harry knew with certainty.
Taking your best guess is a desperation move, one you go with when you have no other option. Where there is no way to get more information, no way to refine the situation, or your understanding of it. Until you shoot, you have time, you have options, and you don’t have to rush the situation.
Yeah, I could live with the cops being Dirty Harry in reality, instead of just fiction. The problem is that the cop lovers would not like it. They would not like the restraint that was shown. They would not like the intolerance of corruption that the Dirty Harry type cop would have. There would be right and wrong, and both would be clearly evident.
Daniel Shaver would be alive if the cop had been like Dirty Harry. But unfortunately for Shaver’s family. The cop wasn’t like Dirty Harry. He was a trigger happy little twit who was looking forward to a kill. That is not Dirty Harry. That is not even Death Wish. That is Training day. Bad cops on a rampage. Those bad cops aren’t stopped in time. Not before they slaughter an innocent. Then the system rushes in to defend that bad cop, because all cops stick together.
Dirty Harry did not do that. Not even once.
First, Dirty Harry never once shot an unarmed person. Not one. Go back through his movies again. It was never a guy holding a wallet, or someone surrendering. Harry never once blew a hole in someone who was not a baddie. The worst he ever did was draw his pistol on a guy who wanted an autograph. Even then he didn’t shoot and swear he was afeared for his life.
I could live with that standard. Roughly speaking, almost half of the police shootings would not happen if the Dirty Harry standard was used. Most of the time, Harry didn’t fire first. He returned fire. Harry didn’t shoot hostages, he shot past them to get the baddies. He hit the target he was shooting at.
Yes, I know. Movies are not real life. But the standards that Clint Eastwood used in his movies should be the standards in real life. Corrupt Cops were not ignored, they were pursued, and eventually dealt with. The baddies died, trying to kill Harry was their last mistake.
Harry was the modern embodiment of the Old West code that was the beginning of Clint’s career. The Spagetti Westerns. Where the man with no name was faster on the draw, and accurate with his shots.
Again, I know, it isn’t real life. But the standard should be. Let’s say I am in town, doing my thing. A man approaches me, I don’t get to shoot him just because. He has to present a clear danger to myself. I can’t afford to make a mistake, and either draw my weapon, brandishing, or fire just because I am uncertain. I need to be certain.
Gene Kranz the Flight Director of NASA fame and legend is often quoted. We need to work the problem, and not make it worse by guessing.That is the root of our problems today. We allow guesses, wrong guesses, to be acceptable. The argument is that if the cop takes the chance, and waits, he could die. Well if the cop doesn’t take the chance and doesn’t wait, others die. How many corpses from your mistakes are too many? In Georgia, a study clearly showed that half of the police shootings were of people who unarmed, or shot in the back. Often both.
Harry shot a man in the back who was fleeing before. But he was armed. There was no doubt he was a bad guy, no he could be. Harry never said he didn’t know. Harry never had a situation where there was any doubt. Harry didn’t guess. Harry knew with certainty.
Taking your best guess is a desperation move, one you go with when you have no other option. Where there is no way to get more information, no way to refine the situation, or your understanding of it. Until you shoot, you have time, you have options, and you don’t have to rush the situation.
Yeah, I could live with the cops being Dirty Harry in reality, instead of just fiction. The problem is that the cop lovers would not like it. They would not like the restraint that was shown. They would not like the intolerance of corruption that the Dirty Harry type cop would have. There would be right and wrong, and both would be clearly evident.
Daniel Shaver would be alive if the cop had been like Dirty Harry. But unfortunately for Shaver’s family. The cop wasn’t like Dirty Harry. He was a trigger happy little twit who was looking forward to a kill. That is not Dirty Harry. That is not even Death Wish. That is Training day. Bad cops on a rampage. Those bad cops aren’t stopped in time. Not before they slaughter an innocent. Then the system rushes in to defend that bad cop, because all cops stick together.
Dirty Harry did not do that. Not even once.
