Woodsman wrote:So the only question I have to ask you is when are you going to start carrying a fucking flashlight?
my pops didnt really say anything the whole time as he was sittin a bit further down the train, and while i know he was pleased that he didnt have to get down there with his 2 fake knees, im pretty sure that was the significant expressive component (sans the cursing) of his overall mildly entertained but temporarily concerned and leveled takeaway look (i think he went back to sleep about the same time the guy stopped clenching and spasming and went back to sleep). hes the type that carries the extra flashlight, jacket or two (and/or emergency blanket), pair of gloves, as well as other assorted tools most places he goes...along with his accessorized-for-potential-obstacles-on-the-journey walking cane (maybe all of the above stored inside?)
regarding cops with no guns, while performing in that capacity might be a personally stupid decision to make, overall since police are essentially an illegitimate, unnecessary, and ineffective force for most purposes, its nice to see them begin to acknowledge these shortcomings and their therefore limited-scope responsiiblity/rights in daily practice. It's sorta like admitting you're probably gonna fuck something up when you get involved so its better if you dont have a gun when you do (acknowledging fallibility/mistakes/negative consequences), but the expectation is that you still have to get involved and pretend like you should be listened to/respected (acknowledging some amount of responsibility and obligation towards citizen needs and safety). if any police force could ever evolve into a legitimate body properly performing needed functions in different communities, they would need to continue down this path of confrontation without physical coercion towards control or violence - instead, witnessing and obstructing crime and injustice yet with an intimate, persistent, and ultimately unarmed and pacifist approach. violence, vengeance, and justice would be the purview of armed individuals and families (and perhaps groups of families, such as the blocks that comprise a community), while investigation, protection, and ultimately witnessing and attesting would be performed by an unarmed force (living locally) tasked with occasionally dangerous yet meaningful, useful, and well-specified, non-violent missions among the citizens. in this way, we can enter the singularity with our only true accomplishments as a species - namely our concepts of unalienable rights, the responsibility that comes along with voluntary yet binding obligations, and our freedom to express all thought and speech - intact and ready to flourish and concomitantly drive our eternal success and multiverse dominance under our new borg consciousness.
of course that will probably never happen and i imagine humanity will end before we see too many legitimate policing forces, esp in the industrialized world. but yeah, its fun/funny to see them play around with this stuff.