The police in the Dallas shooting at yesterday's rally were wearing short sleeves and no Kevlar in order not to be intimidating.
Just saw this song on BBC4 (and it's one of my favourites) and thought it is appropriate in light of the crazy and tragic events in the USA atm.....
I don't think that there is any doubt that there is systemic racism throughout the US police services, the stats of how many Afro-Americans shot by the police is appalling. But going out and indesciminately shooting innocent people is not the answer and will cause a chasm between black and whites in the country and will only end in a race war. Worrying times indeed.
I have to say that if I lived in the US, in a rural area with plenty of delicious wildlife around, I'd happily own a gun. But what it wouldn't be is a semi automatic rifle, and certainly not a handgun. Any other reason to own a gun is just ludicrous in our modern world with full time armies but gun ownership is so entrenched in the American psyche that any number of mass shootings won't change the desire to own guns. Its not about the guns at all, its about the right to legally own said guns. And guns that exist just to prove a point are ultimately pointless.
When I talk to my colleagues I mentioned above, it is not about owning a gun, but how many. I would guess from those I have spoken to about it the lowest number is 4 guns and one has 12. They range from shooting pistols to shot guns.
Great lap for pole by Lewis. For the sake of the race though I hope he gets a couple of cars ahead of him at the start to keep it interesting!
