The Philando Castile debacle - what can we learn?

Knoxville Police Motorcycle
photo by Liston Matthews

There's nothing you or I can do for Philando Castile. But what can we do to minimize the chances of our suffering the same fate he did?

So, here's some food for thought. Please chime in with your ideas.

The police officer on patrol is analogous to the Apex Predator in the wild.
His job includes many duties, such as catching criminals, catching drunk drivers, and so forth. One of those jobs is to catch those of us who violate traffic laws. He may very well be on an adrenaline rush when pulls you or me over. He may be agitated because of something he has just experienced. . .
Our job is to help him complete the traffic stop, without the benign traffic stop advancing to the point that we get killed.

A tale of two lawsuits

Chilhowee Park photo by Liston Matthews

This narrative begins in the year ought-nine, although there is a history that goes back (should one care to look) five score years, or so.

For the purposes of brevity, flash back to the turbulent decade of the sixties, to the year sixty-two, in the Borough of Noxingham. At that time, the local burgesses, fearing a serf uprising, saw fit to disarm serfs who entered parks. Thus they outlawed muskets, blunderbusses, pepperboxes, pistols, dirks, Bowie knives, revolvers, &ca., from all areas that were generally known as parks.

In ought-nine, the lawgivers in Nashtown issued a decree, duly signed by the Governor-General, that pistols and revolvers would no longer be outlawed in state parks, provided the citizenry carried a permission slip issued by the chief constabulary of the state. But those lawgivers gave local boroughs, parishes, villages and counties permission to continue outlawing all such weaponry in local parks.

Guns now legal on KAT buses

WATE reports that the City of Knoxville has quietly changed its position regarding guns on KAT (Knoxville Area Transit) buses. A new law that went into effect July 1, 2017 requires bus stations, etc., to either provide certain security measures, including such things as metal detectors and controlled access if they are going to have a wholesale prohibition of weapons. The City decided to not spend the money. After all, even if they could control access in the bus terminals, they certainly can't control access at every bus stop.

This means that if you have a valid handgun carry permit, signs such as this in Tennessee don't apply to you. In spite of permit holders being the most law-abiding group or citizens, bar none, officials can't seem to comprehend this is not the same hoodlum group that keeps robbing, raping, and murdering in our cities.

Seems there are only two ways to get bull-headed potentates to see the light.

1. Legislate them into compliance
2. Litigate them into compliance

They don't seem to be able to comprehend that the individuals that need to be prohibited from carrying onto KAT buses, and into other venues are already prohibited by Federal law from having a single Barney Fife bullet in their pocket.

Keep calm and carry!