Diary (August 26, 2020)
Online diary of Karl Jones for Wednesday August 26, 2020.
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Diary
Gnomon Chronicles: August 26, 2020
Gnomon Chronicles: August 26, 2020
Why shoot-to-wound is a bad idea
Here is the reasoning:
Instead of “shooting to kill” they are allowed to “shoot to wound”. The threshold for justifying a “shoot to wound” would be even lower than the current “shoot to kill”. For example someone running away is just shot in the leg to keep them from escaping.
We can see this with things like taser use. Taser are considered much safer and we have many many examples of where they have been employed for minor infractions where such force was not justified. Or worse, we see their use as punishment or retribution against people in custody - even out right torture with repeated use.
If “shoot to wound” was an allowed tactic, you would see more people getting shot, because if it is already this frequent and they are already this well protected against murder, they would even more protected against, “I was just trying to wound them to make them stop.” How many cops get in trouble for excess force other less lethal tactics? And while aiming for a non vital spot, each bullet wound has a chance to be fatal, leading to more deaths.
The other reasons that “shoot to wound” is not a good policy:
It is much harder to hit a moving limb, endangering others nearby.
If there was not an immediate threat to warrant lethal force, then one would rightly argue in court that there was not enough of a threat to warrant maiming through a non-lethal gunshot would. Other lower force tactics should have been employed.
“Shoot to wound” is a Hollywood trope that existed to make shows less violent. The Lone Ranger would shoot the bad guys hand. It isn’t a tactic we want in reality.
- Comment by user Mister44 @ Boing Boing
Violence in Kenosha
Violence in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
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Spork, Spork
Spork Spork, the Magic Utensil /
It's kind of stiff yet quite Prehensile ...
- Comment @ Facebook
Runcible Cache
I am burying a cache of gold-plated Runcible Spoons next to John Widgett Robinson's cache of Sporks.
Update — *formerly* gold-plated; the duck and the frog seem to have eaten the gold plating. But no harm done, the spoons remain fully Runcible.
Update 2 — found gilt duck poop, and a clutch of golden frog eggs. Hoping for golden tadpoles.
- Comment @ Facebook