The King has an opinion!
Kelly Slater is many things, but if there’s one thing he’s definitely not, it’s afraid to share his opinion on the internet.
By soaking up yesterday’s headlines with a crook foot, Kelly had fulfilled his weekly attention quota. Not bad for a Monday’s work.
That’s why, when he left a controversial comment on a lesser-known (internationally) Aussie slab-hunter’s Instagram, I find it unlikely Slater was seeking further notice.
Nevertheless, by some stroke of misfortune, Kelly happened to comment on the Instagram of a lesser-known (internationally) Aussie slab-hunter who is my friend. So attention he will get!
First, some back story.
Justine Ruszczyck, AKA Justine Damond, was an Australian-born woman living in the States. By trade Justine was a spiritual healer, but according to friends and family, she spent much of her time volunteering at animal shelters and making people laugh.
The other day, Justine called the cops to report a sexual assault — something she believed was happening in an alley behind her Minneapolis home. When the cops arrived, Justine, wearing pajamas, reportedly ran to the cop car to speak with the policemen. She was then shot — not by the cop she approached, but by the cop sitting on the farside of the vehicle — right in the abdomen. Dead.
Australians are furious and confused. Americans are furious but slightly less confused. Nobody seems to know much of anything.
Now the post, from lesser-known (internationally) Aussie slab-hunter @benjserrano:
For those who don’t enjoy reading the fine print, @kellyslater commented:
American cops are poorly trained psychologically and end up trigger happy out of fear or control. They escalate situations and overreact. I was so sad to hear this news. Police have killed over 543 people in the states this year in the US. I wonder how many in oz? Sorry, Benny.
One study found that, in 2010, Australian police fired six fatal shots. I can’t find any recent data on the subject.
On the other hand, there are multiple sites with a running tally of cop-on-civilian killings in America for 2017. One lists a number as high as 664, while the Washington Post says 543. Somehow, and I say this with no disrespect to the dead, the effective difference between those two numbers is zero.
Because whether the body count is 543 or 664 or 1902309128390218 it’s absolutely appalling. Especially when, in the age of modern tech, we’re able to witness many of these atrocities with our own eyes. And you’d be brainwashed to believe these cops are always acting in a legal or ethical fashion.
Now, I won’t sit here and attempt to intellectualize the monolithic chasm, in regards to cop-on-civilian killings, between the United States and other developed, democratic nations. But if I were to attempt such a thing, I would certainly consider our Constitutional traditions of bearing arms and marginalizing people based on skin tone, not neglecting the compounding effects those practices have on a society. But again, I won’t do that.
What I will do is agree with Kelly. American cops are poorly trained and trigger happy, the latter probably related to fear, which lends itself back to the former.
Some people won’t like that assertion, but the way I see it, it’s either that or cops just like killing people. Or it’s the guns/race thing. Or some combination of it all. Take your pick.
Surely I won’t have to pacify with a “Cops have a very difficult job and I can’t possibly understand the stressors they endure on a daily basis” disclaimer, right? I’d hope we’re beyond that.
Kelly is 100% correct. I partly blame juries because if they would start convicting, this would end. Jail time and no pension = no more excessive force. I thought cameras would end it, but juries still acquit. Fullerton cops beat a man to death who was screaming for his dad & were acquitted. Fear? B.S. And require a 4-yr degree instead of a GED.
I dunno, maybe years of negative gearing x overpriced leasing investment properties to military personnel sent them off the deep end
Now that Kelly has been injured (allegedly), plan on many more rants and questionable opinions being lobbed on IG. Its a great time to be a surf jurno slinging mud!
It’s very simple- too many guns.. it’s not rocket surgery
America is still in the post 9/11 mentality that the police and firemen are “heros”. I consider a hero to be someone who risks their own life to save another person but what we have are cops who are so afraid to do their jobs that they overreact and kill innocents. I am old school. Fuck the police and the firemen should not get paid to sit around all day and watch tv and eat.
firemen work out and fuck chicks on the taxpayer’s dime too
the current standard for using deadly force when you’re a cop is essentially “no big deal as long as you were scared by the situation”. there is no requirement that the fear be reasonable, only that the officer felt it.
combine that standard with hiring practices that reward military training/service, police unions that have never seen an unjustified shooting, and the fact that the city/municipality will pick up the bill for wrongful death lawsuit from the victim’s family and the union will handle the officer’s attorney’s fees and you have five or six hundred dead people per year.
these cops are allowed to assume that anything you’re holding is a weapon and they can find juries that sympathize with the idea that “i had to make a split decision” and fear a situation where cops can’t do their job if they’re worried about being sued. its a true shitshow but wouldn’t be that hard to change if the political will was there. not really a 2nd amendment issue in my eyes.
cops are trigger happy, they seek employment where shooting people does not land them in jail. other than the military, you can’t find jobs like that and I think its silly to be surprised when ex-military guys bring a battlefield mentality to the job. they are involved in a culture (police unions) that sees itself at war with the people paying their salaries.
Many police officers are paranoid that their next encounter will be their last; heightened alert equals higher cortisol levels; cortisol restricts cognitive ability. On a larger level, our (USA) entire society has been placed into a cognitive deficit, i.e., the news is constant “you’re fucked, everything is fucked, holy shit, everything sucks, bla bla” but the reality is that it’s not that bad and we can continue to make it better (except for most poor/middle class people; and the environment). People are stressed and only feel better when they check their instagram, email, Facebook, newsfeed, etc. Technology and news has increased our national cortisol levels and led to cognitive paralysis. How else is our current situation explained? The country has gone down a wackjob rabbit hole while the sane people are dragged along for the ride and the rich continue to stack their coins.
KS is right… too much power, with a gun, poor training, most with not much more than a high school degree, which is fine. but couple these with never leaving the country let alone their own town and a serious case of mistaken identity for ‘Real Dolls’ as actual girlfriends, and you have a serious problem…….
I would love to hear Kelly’s suggestions how you effectively train psychologically.
Well…….I’m waiting Kelly. Enlighten us. Don’t tell me your busy. We know that’s a broken record that’s broken.
A good start would be to require a 4-year college degree instead of a GED.
What are you talking about Michael? America is better, safer etc. than anywhere on the planet! Any “facts” or “data” you present in the contrary are clearly liberal propaganda designed to destroy our great nation!
right on dude , now all those muslim terrorists , have been put on notice that the Don will deal with them , where the hell’s that wall to stop all those mad Mexicans from destroying the Greatest nation on earth , so what only 500 shot dead , the question we all should be asking is can Merica crack the 1000 shot dead by the police in one year , and as there are more than 46,000 mericans who also shoot each other a year , lets get that to 50K , and Merica will be more safe!!
right on dude , now all those muslim terrorists , have been put on notice that the Don will deal with them , where the hell’s that wall to stop all those mad Mexicans from destroying the Greatest nation on earth , so what only 500 shot dead , the question we all should be asking is can Merica crack the 1000 shot dead by the police in one year , and as there are more than 46,000 mericans who also shoot each other a year , lets get that to 50K , and Merica will be more safe!!
right on dude , now all those muslim terrorists , have been put on notice that the Don will deal with them , where the hell’s that wall to stop all those mad Mexicans from destroying the Greatest nation on earth , so what only 500 shot dead , the question we all should be asking is can Merica crack the 1000 shot dead by the police in one year , and as there are more than 46,000 mericans who also shoot each other a year , lets get that to 50K , and Merica will be more safe!!
You can say that again!
I haven’t taken The King’s side in a while, but even a broken clock is right twice a day.
they don’t get drug tested… all of em in the US are on steroids.
Slater needs to stay off of IG for a while. Maybe forever. That shit last week was absolutely ridiculous, especially for a dude who is nearing 50.
everybody knows that being a good surfer makes you an authority on everything else too. From chemtrails to GMOs to police training, Slater’s never met a guy he’s not smarter than.
Don’t forget that one of Beachgrits own writers is part of that 543 (and counting).
Ok,I live in Florida. In other words, “everybody has a gun likely two, so don’t make eye contact reference to Bernie Sanders or say you read” state, I was in Orlando during the one incident and it’s not long until there is a riot down here I’m calling it. I’m also waiting a few more weeks before I buy I grill and flat screen because anarchy is settling in slowly but surely. The cops need to update their training, non lethal bullets etc 2017.
Why cause the cop was Somalian?
Generally affirmative action/diversity hires are less qualified based on lowered standards. Training isn’t necessarily the problem because no matter how much you try and train an idiot…they are still an idiot.
You substantiate the latter part of your theory.
I’ll help things kick off, shall I?
Right, the first thing you do is you take the second amendment: “the right to bear arms”
and make it “the right to bare arms”. Either that or you roll it up really tight and then stick it up the arse of the nearest NRA member.
No I’ve wanted bear arms for years and can’t get them, but I can buy an AR15 and all the ammo from an 85yo woman about two blocks away. 54 years in business.
God, me too. Mine are starting to get hairier but generally still noodle arms.
The writer of the constitution was dyslexic. He meant to say “the right to arm bears”. You know so it would be an equal fight between hunter and hunted.
Or a secret British sympathiser with shit spelling who meant to say “the right to warm beers”?
That would have made the revenant more interesting.
What is there to fear in a white aussie female in pyjamas?
She appeared Mexican in the light.
A scorpion asks a frog for a ride on his back across a river. The frog is hesitant, as he is worried the scorpion will sting him. The scorpion assures him he won’t, since stinging the frog will cause him to sink and kill them both. The frog agrees. Half way across the river the scorpion stings the frog, and as he is dying and sinking into the water he asks the scorpion, “Why would you sting me, now we will both die?” The scorpion replies, “For it is my nature.”
We may never catch the US with cop-on-civilian killings, but today (18 July 2017) the Aussie government passed law to allow our military to shoot Australian civilians, on Australian soil.
And remember Australian civilians are mostly unarmed…