What Should Have Happened In Dallas?

Consider what would have happened to you, if you and your combat veteran buddy had grabbed your weapons and walked up to the Dallas Police pictured here, and said, "Hi! we're good guys. We're here to help!"

This post from MountainGuerilla motivated me to post my thoughts.

There is a problem with being one of the one's who'll "Mount up and ride to the sound of the guns!"

In 1967 at the University of Texas tower shooting. Charles Whitman met resistance from citizens who grabbed their rifles from their trucks and returned fire. That allowed one policeman and one citizen the opportunity to go up the tower and end the shooter's rampage.

Such a thing shall not happen today, even though more citizens are bearing arms than ever before. More citizens now own appropriate rifles and a substantial amount of ammunition and magazines that their great grandparents would have dreamt of.

Let us say a group of citizens, say two to four, would have grabbed their rifles, located the shooter and returned fire. What do you believe the outcome of that would have been? What if that group of citizens, actually maneuvered on the shooter, using suppressive fire and maneuver tactics just as they had done in the infantry? What do you think Officer Friendly's reaction would have been?

I'll tell you what I believe, firmly, would have happened.

They would have been cut down by the police as soon as they coalesced into an effective fire team. The mere sight of a man with a gun who is NOT a policeman, would be enough to engage them. The police have been trained and indoctrinated to believe that anyone, who is not them, who is armed, is a threat to them. In an ongoing shooting situation, these "good guys with guns" would not be seen as good guys.

It doesn't matter that the good citizens would say to the policemen, "Hey, we're good guys, we're here to help!" If not shot immediately, they would be forced to the ground at gun point and disarmed and probably charged with some "crime" after the fact.

Lets say Joe the veteran sees the location of the bad guy / shooter. He analyzes the situation, recognizes that with some fire and movement he would be able to get to the shooter and put him down. He grabs his rifle and a couple of mags from the trunk of his car and begins to move. He whistles to the nearest policeman, and shouts, "I see the shooter! Follow me and lets put this guy down!' Do you think the policemen in the vicinity will be inspired by his actions, as infantrymen in combat would? I don't. I think the policemen would see him as "...one of the shooters!" and act out of fear and indoctrination.

The public has been cowed by similar indoctrination. "The police don't know if you're a good guy or a bad guy. The police MUST get control of the situation. Citizens should just let the police handle it. If you are carrying your weapon and encounter a policeman, behave submissively, and everything should be fine." Etc, etc, etc...

Peele's Principles:  “The ability of the police to perform their duties is dependent upon public approval of police actions.”

and,

“Police, at all times, should maintain a relationship with the public that gives reality to the historic tradition that the police are the public and the public are the police; the police being only members of the public who are paid to give full-time attention to duties which are incumbent on every citizen in the interests of community welfare and existence.”

How often do policemen refer to their fellow citizens as "civilians".

and,

“The test of police efficiency is the absence of crime and disorder, not the visible evidence of police action in dealing with it.”

Think about the use of SWAT to serve simple warrants these days. Think about the public display of military hardware and equipage, etc.

No matter how trained, prepared, and willing a person, or percentage of persons might be, the police, in a tense situation such as Dallas, will see an armed citizen as a threat. THIS is what MUST change.

Think of the infamous North Hollywood Shootout for a moment. What if (God forbid) one citizen had grabbed with fine Wetherby .300 Magnum hunting rifle and simply taken a couple shots on the bank robbers? One wouldn't have needed to be a military trained sniper to do the work. A simple huntsman possessing proficiency with his rifle at hunting distances would sufficed. Not one citizen armed himself and took action. Why? Indoctrination, or one might call it, counter-indoctrination. Citizens now doubt their own natural right to defend themselves and their neighbors and their property. One even must consider the possibility of being charged with a crime after the fact if he does take action.

In October of 1892, at Coffeyville, Kansas, the Dalton Gang made their last bank robbery attempt. Citizens, seeing what was happening, grabbed their privately owned weapons and engaged the Daltons as they emerged fro the banks just robbed.

The citizens of Coffeyville DIDN'T cower in fear. They didn't shelter in place and hope for the best. They screech like a bunch of helpless women, "Police! Police! Help!" They took action and protected their property and their fellow citizens. The citizens of Coffeyville ended the Dalton Gang.

This is what must happen today in situations such as we just had in Dallas.