Afghanistan: America’s ‘Sovietnam’
In Central Asia, The Great Game, the longest-running game the world ahs ever seen, rumbles through the boneyard. World of Warcraft, indeed…Sovietnam is where America goes to die…Air Cascadia rarely reports on it. What can you say about an insurgency that has been going on since 695 AD? Other than ‘Good-bye’.
The City Audit says it well: Portland police policy should at least think about limiting officers’ use of Tasers – given what they do know about Tasers and what they don’t know about a “suspect’s” intentions or physical condition. But Kindergarten says it best: Use your words! Currently Portland's policy on Tasers is more permissive than model guidelines in two areas: that it allows Taser use when the subject shows only the intent to resist police, and doesn't require medical response for each use. More troubling still is this: Since the use of the weapon is prohibited on people known to be over 60, under age 12, pregnant women or medically fragile people, how is a cop to know (Short of asking) if the intended victim is likely to be killed? Portland’s Finest have already shown abundant inability to read situations and an even greater failure of nerve and intellect in stressful circumstances. Do we really expect them to handle a weapon appropriately when they seem unable to handle themselves. Put a weapon in a man’s hand and the boy takes over his brain. Never fails…
- KBOO