This crap about drug users being responsible for this woman's death because they're outside the law is just too much to take. For all the logic in that, you might as well say the airline industry is really the responsible party in the September 11 attacks.
What about personal responsibility for the cops making the raid? Why couldn't they have done a little leg work and research before the dog and pony show began? That's supposed to be their job, you know.
I realize drug addicts know nothing of personal responsibility and self-discipline, but that does not excuse the cops from the absence of same. We pay them to defend our society by acting responsibly, by acting like cops. If we wanted them to act like the druggies they were purportedly looking for, we'd hire the druggies themselves, and save a bundle. However, we don't. We have higher expectations for them, and rightly so.
Following your line of reasoning to it's logical conclusion:
It's the fault of the drug addicts she's dead. If they'd stop using drugs, this wouldn't have happened.
If only people didn't smoke, there'd be no lung cancer, and everyone could breathe correctly, and these people would live a long, long time.
If only people didn't waste their time and money at McDonald's, we wouldn't have an obesity problem in the country, and we'd all be healthier.
If only everyone in school really, really applied themselves, we'd have no unemployment, and the economy would always be humming right along.
If only poor people would listen to their betters, the world would be a much better place, and most all of our problems would be solved.
If only other people thought like me, there'd be no problems at all in the world, and we could all live happily ever after!
I simply cannot swallow this crap. Those cops are responsible - there is simply no other way to look at it. It did, after all, happen on their watch. They made the forced entry, not the addicts. They utilized the techniques involved, including the flash grenade, not the addicts. They subdued the woman and effected the arrest, not the addicts. They were the ones who were supposed to do their homework on the raid beforehand, not the addicts.
She's dead, without recourse. The cops will be back after a brief hiatus to play Rambo again, without penalty. The addicts will continue to smoke, swallow and shoot the drugs of their choice, meaning this woman's demise as a WoD vignette essentially makes her passing meaningless and worthless.
To argue that police misbehavior is caused by Joe Blow smoking a reefer in the privacy of his own home is disingenius, to say the least. We have police because there are bad guys out there, and we want the police to protect us from their depredations. We certainly don't want them acting like the vermin we expect them to protect us from. If you're going to say, "if only druggies would stop giving in to their addictions, stuff like this would never happen", you can also say, "If only bank robbers didn't rob banks, we wouldn't need police or security there", or "if only we didn't have bad guys, none of this Pandora's Box stuff would've happened".
This is supposed to be a free society, and those societies come with a terrific price tag. If you find that price too steep, go find another society, preferrably one that controls every aspect of a people's thoughts, movements and actions, to live in. You obviously are not comfortable here, and likewise don't belong here.
I am saddened, shocked and appalled by this story, but I'm even more dismayed by your attitude here. You display no intellectual prowress - you're just being plain mean, and it's not a pretty sight.
CA....