# Thank you for protecting us... **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 10, 2014, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-for-protecting-us/690479 "2014-06-10T16:12:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![slumtrimpet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@slumtrimpet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slumtrimpet)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-for-protecting-us/690479/1 "2014-06-10T16:12:26Z")
Last week a presumably deranged/stupid/confused/criminal/lunatic/pick your adjective individual decided to go police hunting in a city nearby. He unfortunately had some success. Three RCMP officers are dead and two are injured. There was a two day manhunt for this individual and he was found/caught without any further injuries. The city spent two days in virtual lock-down while police from all over the country searched. My pitting is of the outpouring of gratitude on the part of everyone to the RCMP for ‘keeping us safe’. Errrrmmm, actually, as far as I can tell and as far as the facts support, the public was never in any danger from this individual. [He was only targeting police.](http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2014/06/06/christie-blatchford-justin-bourque-was-on-a-mission-to-kill-police-and-his-neighbours-set-the-trap/)\* I suppose anyone getting caught in the potential crossfire would have been in danger but I’m struggling to see how the police did such a fabulous job of protecting anyone but themselves.\*\* There’s nothing wrong with that, mind you, I just wonder if there would have been such a massive manhunt, and over the top (imho) public mourning if the victims were five random civilians. So… let the flaming begin. :o \*\*\* \*it’s a crap article but it does show what seems to have been the motive of the killer. \*\* there’s the further issue of why exactly this guy had such a hate on for police and if, perhaps, aggressive police behavior creates these sorts of events. That might be another topic altogether. \*\*\* I wouldn’t dare express these thoughts to anyone I know. That’s why I’m posting in the anonymity of the pit. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-for-protecting-us/690479/2 "2014-06-10T16:46:08Z")
This is gonna end in tears. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-for-protecting-us/690479/3 "2014-06-10T16:57:33Z")
At least this time the police didn’t start actively attacking civilians in their search for the cop-killer. That’s always a plus. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-for-protecting-us/690479/4 "2014-06-10T16:59:29Z")
Which do you think is more likely, OP? (a) Guy who is hunting down and killing police officers in cold blood is otherwise harmless and would never hurt a civilian; or (b) guy would have zero problem killing blacks/Jews/women/immigrants/whites/whoever the voices tell him to kill next. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-for-protecting-us/690479/5 "2014-06-10T17:23:01Z")
> [@slumtrimpet](#): > > My pitting is of the outpouring of gratitude on the part of everyone to the RCMP for ‘keeping us safe’. > Errrrmmm, actually, as far as I can tell and as far as the facts support, the public was never in any danger from this individual. [He was only targeting police.](http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2014/06/06/christie-blatchford-justin-bourque-was-on-a-mission-to-kill-police-and-his-neighbours-set-the-trap/)\* I suppose anyone getting caught in the potential crossfire would have been in danger but I’m struggling to see how the police did such a fabulous job of protecting anyone but themselves.\*\* There’s nothing wrong with that, mind you, I just wonder if there would have been such a massive manhunt, and over the top (imho) public mourning if the victims were five random civilians. Law enforcement officers put their lives on the line to protect us, and we are grateful for their sacrifices. Unfortunately, those officers made the ultimate sacrifice. It doesn’t matter whether they were killed while protecting a civilian or whether they were killed because some lunatic had a hard-on for cops. They were killed because they had chosen to protect and serve. That cost them their lives, and we are sad. Here’s to the RCMP, our bad-ass friends to the north. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-for-protecting-us/690479/6 "2014-06-10T17:34:33Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Which do you think is more likely, OP? > (a) Guy who is hunting down and killing police officers in cold blood is otherwise harmless and would never hurt a civilian; > or (b) guy would have zero problem killing blacks/Jews/women/immigrants/whites/whoever the voices tell him to kill next. Well, thanks to those jerks in law enforcement, I guess we’ll never know, will we? ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-for-protecting-us/690479/7 "2014-06-10T18:05:43Z")
> [@slumtrimpet](#): > > Last week a presumably deranged/stupid/confused/criminal/lunatic/pick your adjective individual decided to go police hunting in a city nearby. He unfortunately had some success. Three RCMP officers are dead and two are injured. There was a two day manhunt for this individual and he was found/caught without any further injuries. The city spent two days in virtual lock-down while police from all over the country searched. > > My pitting is of the outpouring of gratitude on the part of everyone to the RCMP for ‘keeping us safe’. > Errrrmmm, actually, as far as I can tell and as far as the facts support, the public was never in any danger from this individual. [He was only targeting police.](http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2014/06/06/christie-blatchford-justin-bourque-was-on-a-mission-to-kill-police-and-his-neighbours-set-the-trap/)\* I suppose anyone getting caught in the potential crossfire would have been in danger but I’m struggling to see how the police did such a fabulous job of protecting anyone but themselves.\*\* There’s nothing wrong with that, mind you, I just wonder if there would have been such a massive manhunt, and over the top (imho) public mourning if the victims were five random civilians. So, your problem isn’t with the fact that the police officers worked hard to catch someone who was murdering police officers, it was with the scale of the manhunt / mourning? What scale would you have preferred? > [@](#): > > \*\*\* I wouldn’t dare express these thoughts to anyone I know. That’s why I’m posting in the anonymity of the pit. Why wouldn’t you dare express these thoughts to people you know? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-for-protecting-us/690479/8 "2014-06-10T18:52:39Z")
> [@slumtrimpet](#): > > Errrrmmm, actually, as far as I can tell and as far as the facts support, the public was never in any danger from this individual. [He was only targeting police.](http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2014/06/06/christie-blatchford-justin-bourque-was-on-a-mission-to-kill-police-and-his-neighbours-set-the-trap/) The public **includes** the police. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-for-protecting-us/690479/9 "2014-06-10T19:29:33Z")
> [@Giraffe](#): > > So, your problem isn’t with the fact that the police officers worked hard to catch someone who was murdering police officers, it was with the scale of the manhunt / mourning? What scale would you have preferred? … I believe this pitting is more along the logic of people who are tired of hearing that all our soldiers are heroes and such. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-for-protecting-us/690479/10 "2014-06-10T19:39:27Z")
> [@Green\_Bean](#): > > Unfortunately, those officers made the ultimate sacrifice. Did they though? I mean, if some guy randomly shoots my Grandma, I’m not going to claim my Grandma is a hero who made the ultimate sacrifice. A cop who gets randomly shot by some guy with random chemicals in his brain is in the exact same boat as my Grandma and isn’t a hero any more than she is, he’s just a guy who died for no reason, and we’re sorry he’s dead. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-for-protecting-us/690479/11 "2014-06-10T19:43:35Z")
> [@slumtrimpet](#): > > …I just wonder if there would have been such a massive manhunt, and over the top (imho) public mourning if the victims were five random civilians. [Yeah,](http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/10/justice/oregon-high-school-shooting/index.html?hpt=hp_t1) [I](http://news.msn.com/crime-justice/sheriff-calif-gunman-killed-3-people-at-home) [wonder.](http://blogs.seattletimes.com/today/2014/06/shooting-on-seattle-pacific-campus-2-victims-reported/) But hey, given sheer number of such shootings these days, one can perhaps forgive a few being missed out in national coverage. Nevertheless, I’m absolutely certain that five random mooks getting shot anywhere else in Canada would get just about as much attention as the Moncton shootings. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-for-protecting-us/690479/12 "2014-06-10T19:49:26Z")
I did the badge and gun thing for a while and I’m not buying into the “serve and protect” bullshit or that any cop who gets killed on duty is automatically a hero. I don’t think I met even one LEO in my whole life who put on the badge out of altruism. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-for-protecting-us/690479/13 "2014-06-10T20:23:14Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > heroes > [@Lemur866](#): > > hero > [@Scumpup](#): > > hero Who said they were heroes? And I don’t care what their motivations for “putting on the badge” are as long as they’re doing the job. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-for-protecting-us/690479/14 "2014-06-10T20:43:15Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > I don’t think I met even one LEO in my whole life who put on the badge out of altruism. Not altruism, but I’ve met many and am friends with several who take their mission to protect and serve extremely seriously. It’s a job, but not all jobs have the same sense of responsibility. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-for-protecting-us/690479/15 "2014-06-10T21:19:55Z")
> [@slumtrimpet](#): > > \*\*\* I wouldn’t dare express these thoughts to anyone I know. That’s why I’m posting in the anonymity of the pit. Doesn’t this tell you something about what you’re saying? How would the people you know respond, and why would you expect us to respond differently? Those cops weren’t gunned down as random citizens, they were killed specifically because they’re cops. They’re the ones who normally protect us from the crazies, and they’re gone now. Think of it this way: There are now three fewer people protecting your precious ass. ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-for-protecting-us/690479/16 "2014-06-10T21:37:22Z")
I don’t know if you realized this, OP, but the officers shot were responding to calls from the public that an “armed individual was roaming their neighbourhood”. So even though the public didn’t realize that they were not the targets (and therefore not in danger), the RCMP were in fact responding and prepared to protect the people from this gunman if necessary. ---
**Author:** ![slumtrimpet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@slumtrimpet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slumtrimpet)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-for-protecting-us/690479/17 "2014-06-11T02:25:15Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > This is gonna end in tears. Yeah, I figured it would. > [@Grumman](#): > > At least this time the police didn’t start actively attacking civilians in their search for the cop-killer. That’s always a plus. I have to admit, I wouldn’t expect the RCMP to do that. Down below the 49th, not so much. > [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Which do you think is more likely, OP? > (a) Guy who is hunting down and killing police officers in cold blood is otherwise harmless and would never hurt a civilian; > or (b) guy would have zero problem killing blacks/Jews/women/immigrants/whites/whoever the voices tell him to kill next. In this case it seems he was specifically targeting the police. He had multiple opportunities to do civilians and didn’t. > [@Green\_Bean](#): > > Law enforcement officers put their lives on the line to protect us, and we are grateful for their sacrifices. Unfortunately, those officers made the ultimate sacrifice. It doesn’t matter whether they were killed while protecting a civilian or whether they were killed because some lunatic had a hard-on for cops. They were killed because they had chosen to protect and serve. That cost them their lives, and we are sad. > > Here’s to the RCMP, our bad-ass friends to the north. I don’t disagree. And I am sad. > [@Giraffe](#): > > So, your problem isn’t with the fact that the police officers worked hard to catch someone who was murdering police officers, it was with the scale of the manhunt / mourning? What scale would you have preferred? Something a little more in keeping with the facts? I’ll even concede that the manhunt would probably have been equally intense if the five victims were random civilians… well, maybe. I sorta doubt they would have hauled out the [super surveillance aircraft](http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/surveillance-aircraft-played-key-role-in-bourque-search/article19059589/). I could be wrong. > [@](#): > > Why wouldn’t you dare express these thoughts to people you know? I’m not a complete idiot. I much prefer being flamed anonymously. > [@BrainGlutton](#): > > The public **includes** the police. Well, no, not really. Most of the public doesn’t get paid to carry guns and arrest people and uphold the law etc. > [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > I believe this pitting is more along the logic of people who are tired of hearing that all our soldiers are heroes and such. Yes, it is. > [@Lemur866](#): > > Did they though? I mean, if some guy randomly shoots my Grandma, I’m not going to claim my Grandma is a hero who made the ultimate sacrifice. A cop who gets randomly shot by some guy with random chemicals in his brain is in the exact same boat as my Grandma and isn’t a hero any more than she is, he’s just a guy who died for no reason, and we’re sorry he’s dead. And I’m sorry these three guys are dead as well. It sucks when anyone is killed for no good reason. > [@El\_Kabong](#): > > [Yeah,](http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/10/justice/oregon-high-school-shooting/index.html?hpt=hp_t1) [I](http://news.msn.com/crime-justice/sheriff-calif-gunman-killed-3-people-at-home) [wonder.](http://blogs.seattletimes.com/today/2014/06/shooting-on-seattle-pacific-campus-2-victims-reported/) > > But hey, given sheer number of such shootings these days, one can perhaps forgive a few being missed out in national coverage. Nevertheless, I’m absolutely certain that five random mooks getting shot anywhere else in Canada would get just about as much attention as the Moncton shootings. Ermm, [no not really](http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/police-worried-toronto-shooting-will-spur-retaliation-1.1141783). Not in the sense of the city being shut down, not only for the manhunt but also for the public mourning and funeral. > [@panache45](#): > > Doesn’t this tell you something about what you’re saying? How would the people you know respond, and why would you expect us to respond differently? Those cops weren’t gunned down as random citizens, they were killed specifically because they’re cops. They’re the ones who normally protect us from the crazies, and they’re gone now. Think of it this way: There are now three fewer people protecting your precious ass. It’s not that precious. > [@Poysyn](#): > > I don’t know if you realized this, OP, but the officers shot were responding to calls from the public that an “armed individual was roaming their neighbourhood”. > > So even though the public didn’t realize that they were not the targets (and therefore not in danger), the RCMP were in fact responding and prepared to protect the people from this gunman if necessary. Yes, they were doing their jobs. And I respect them for that and I’m sad they died. That’s not what I’m complaining about. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-for-protecting-us/690479/18 "2014-06-11T07:37:03Z")
Then what ARE you complaining about? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-for-protecting-us/690479/19 "2014-06-11T07:53:41Z")
Y’know, I’m prepared to give an outpouring of gratitude to _anybody_ who takes a bullet so that I don’t have to. I don’t give a fuck whether they’re cops or civilians, but geez, they deserve a big fucking THANKYOU. Are you a complete moron **slumtrimpit**? Are you pitting those who dodged the bullets that might have hit them in the guts, or the cops who actually got shot? My god, but you’re stupid. Stupid and even fucking _more_ stupid. In all my years here, I reckon this thread would have to take the award for STUPID. Fuck me dead…arghhh. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-for-protecting-us/690479/20 "2014-06-11T08:02:25Z")
Ahhhh, I get it now. You’re being edgy! You’re expressing the diametric so that we get that you’re too cool for words (or cats, or whatever). Tres clever OP! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-for-protecting-us/690479.md?page=2)