No way. I never said otherwise, I have a lot of respect for those guys. My whole thinking was if they went in sooner, more students might have been saved. The only problem here is that we would need a time machine to find out. We will never know. I was thinking that these postings have started to turn ugly, and they do not have to. Just understand that this is my opinion, nothing more.
You really do not have to belittle me, just post your own view.
Ok, this whole part is wrong. I never claimed to have more knowlege about SWAT procedure than the actual SWAT team. My criticism is just as valid as yours, only my view we will never know if that would come true. I say this because you do not need actual “expierence” to voice your opinion. I am not a clergyman, but I can say I do not believe in God and no one else would tell me that because I have no “expierence” in religion, I am not qualified to voice my religious beliefs. Thats just plain crazy. I mean, just because I am not a mechanic, does not mean I cannot fix my own car. I am a friendly person, and I would never purposely start an argument, but when others tell me that I dont know my own opinion,(sounds like an oxymoronic statement)I have to explain where I am coming from.
One last time: My comments on this subject is based on an “IF” and its IMHO. Just because you do not agree does not make it wrong. Much in the same way I will not criticize you in your views, beliefs, or opinions. This topic is not worth getting into a fight over, so will make no further posts on this thread. All I was asking for (and I probably could have worded it better)
was for you to just recognize that its my opinion.
BTW- Contrary to what you might think, I would not hesitate to save the life of another, even at great personal risk.
Neo, the statement"my critisism is just as valid as yours…" is false. In spite of the fact that All Men(and Women)Are Created Equal, an informed and well thought out opinion or criticism trumps the uninformed opinion or criticism every time. It has been pointed out to you already that most of the damage was done before the police could do anything, but you still say the police should have burst in un-informed of the situation.
What the HELL do you think they could have done different?
“When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.”
Hunter Thompson
Do you know what I have not yet seen? A good chronology of the event. There were at least four chronologies published by various news organizations within a day of the shootings. They generally were no more detailed than half-hour (or hour!) increments and they contradicted each other on several points.
Everyone comments on how long the cops waited before they went in. When were the last (suicide) shots fired by the kids? The descriptions of events that I have read (without having times assigned to them) portrayed the kids shooting their way into the school, charging up and down a few hallways, ducking into and out of the cafeteria, and then heading directly to the library. With the events described that way, I can easily picture the kids’ suicide coinciding with the S.W.A.T. team’s arrival. At that point, the cops are deciding where to go first, they are interrogating whoever seems coherent among several hundred panicked kids trying to determine anassault plan. Meanwhile, there are no more shots ringing out. Thus, they do not know whether they are facing rabid shooters or a potential hostage situation. If the shooting has stopped, what is the point of rushing in?
I have no idea whether there was shooting going on when the police arrived or whether it continued after they arrived. However, if there was not active shooting, they had no business going in until they knew that they were not going to trigger another episode of shooting. If there was continuous firing after they arrived, I would be more inclined to question their tactics. If the firing had stopped, they acted correctly, regardless how hard it was to watch the building on TV.