Hey, now, Adam Sandler was on the Cosby Show, and....oh...wait...
Posted on 04/07/2012 12:30:01 PM PDT by Free ThinkerNY
“The gun.”
Those two simple words flowed easily from the mouth of social commentator Bill Cosby during an exclusive interview Friday regarding the Trayvon Martin case, arguably the most high-profile, citizen-on-citizen U.S. slaying facing the Obama administration.
Trayvon was killed Feb. 26 in Sanford, Fla., by neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman, who told police that a “confrontation” with the unarmed 17-year-old led him to shoot in self-defense.
Mr. Cosby, a Navy veteran, said “the gun” empowered Mr. Zimmerman, whose actions have stirred a firestorm of debate, protests and remarks from President Obama.
“We’ve got to get the gun out of the hands of people who are supposed to be on neighborhood watch,” said Mr. Cosby, whose remarks were the first he has made publicly about the case.
“Without a gun, I don’t see Mr. Zimmerman approaching Trayvon by himself,” Mr. Cosby explained. “The power-of-the-gun mentality had him unafraid to confront someone. Even police call for backup in similar situations.
“When you carry a gun, you mean to harm somebody, kill somebody,” he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Cosby has a point, but is still wrong.
His point is that for some people, guns are equated with machismo. They think that a gun empowers them, and makes them dominant in a confrontation. This is not true, and can get you in a lot of trouble.
Ask any police officer, and they will say that a gun does no such thing. You can only do three things with a gun: keep it in its holster, brandish it, and shoot someone with it. But most situations are far more complex than that.
This is why many police *adore* Tasers. They fill the huge gap between the three “gun modes”, and as such are an invaluable tool in confrontations.
But at the same time, Cosby is wrong, because he is *assuming* that Zimmerman confronted Martin. Evidence points to just the opposite, that Zimmerman backed away from confrontation, and Martin returned to confront him, attacked him, and finally, on seeing Zimmerman’s gun, tried to grab it, making Martin entirely at fault for getting shot.
In a typical situation, *especially* if you are armed, in almost all cases, it is best if you act like you did not have a gun. A concealed carry weapon is an excellent “reactive” and “thoughtful” weapon. It can give you the grace to think first and plan its use, or decide to not use it.
And you lose a huge advantage if you draw it early and brandish it. If it stays hidden, you *do* have a lot of control in a situation, even if it doesn’t appear so.
According to accounts, Zimmerman’s worst failure was that he lost “situational awareness” of Martin, that allowed Martin to “close the gap” and punch Zimmerman on the face.
This makes sense, because Martin’s football training used rushing for both defense and offense. When in such a situation, it is common for them to charge. The “knock ‘em down and start punching them”, technique.
The forensic evidence in this case will likely be conclusive. If Martin was shot on the level, while standing up, with little residue on his clothing, Zimmerman is guilty of voluntary homicide. If Martin was straddling Zimmerman and the bullet hit him vertically, with considerable residue on his clothes, Zimmerman was defending himself.
A lot of people are scared of guns, but don’t understand that just about anything can be a lethal weapon.
This man should have had a gun handy for self defense before the home invasion. I recently visited an old man in his home and he showed me that he had a loaded gun in every room for self defense. Home invasions would cease if more people protcted themselves like this.
“When you carry a gun, you mean to harm somebody, kill somebody,” he said.” - Bill Cosby, black comedian
Americans carry guns because they know “it is their right and duty to be at all times armed” - Thomas Jefferson, Founder
Easy choice, IMHO.
He’s come out as a lefty racist before. I’m not surprised.
“When you carry a gun, you mean to harm somebody, kill somebody,” he said.”
Of course. I intend to kill attackers. So, what?
“we do not carry guns in Australia”
Too right! You gave them up, willingly.
Not meaning to harsh, but Aussies came from a different cultural history than Americans.
We are citizens, and you are subjects, until a moment ago.
Bull****! When you carry a gun, you prevent someone else from harming, killing you. Sorry Billy.
Bill Cosby changed his stance on gun control after his son was killed by a thug wielding a gun. Personally I give the guy a lot of respect to have gone through what he has. Just like the Brady Bill, Bill Cosby’s opinion came because of being a victim of a thug who illegally shot another.
In the time since the American Revolution, the powers of the Monarch have steadily decreased. It's largely a ceremonial and symbolic position now. Parliament is supreme.
OTOH, in the last few years, your Head of State (and Head of Government) has increasingly taken on the trappings of an absolute ruler. Congress has been diminished. The SCOTUS was recently attacked.
The logic is extremely flawed though. Taking guns away from law abiding citizens just puts more power in the hands of criminals. It’s hard to respect muddled thinking like that.
I guess I misread him all along.
Even the little fat kid was a joke.
Hey, now, Adam Sandler was on the Cosby Show, and....oh...wait...
How do you know what Cosby’s views on gun control prior to his Son’s murder?
Are you and Cosby close friends?
How do you know what Cosby’s views on gun control prior to his Son’s murder?
Are you and Cosby close friends?
Mr. Cosby: “When you carry a gun, you mean to harm somebody, kill somebody,” he said.
Yup... If you try to hurt, maim, rape, or kill me or my family.... You’re room temp.
In only reading the snip..Cosby has a point. Fair enough that maybe Mr Zimmerman may not been brave enough to approach Trayvon Martin. But the bottom line here is that Trayvon had chosen the path of a drug dealer...that he is dead is not unexpected. It is just the shooter and the location. Had he been in ‘da hood, there wouldn’t have been a peep from the media
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