Where Jim Schutze Went Wrong on Guns

[Elderberry]

Dmagazine by By Eric Celeste 10/18/2019

Where Jim Schutze Went Wrong on Guns

With this post, we are definitely stepping on his lawn.

Dallas Observer columnist Jim Schutze had a provocative post yesterday about the Atatiana Jefferson killing by a Fort Worth cop. The column has a very sound premise but ultimately misses the mark.

The premise is: “If a cop comes to my house and I meet him with a gun in my hand, I stand a really good chance of getting shot dead.” This, Jim says, is due to “the dismal algorithm of guns. Things will go wrong.”

This is true. Too many guns, in the hands of too many people, leads to tragic deaths.

Jim’s analysis goes astray, though, when he game-films the events that led to the Jefferson’s death. Based on the body cam video and subsequent information released by Fort Worth police, Jim seems to conclude that the officer’s actions were understandable, given his premise.

I disagree. I believe this tragedy shows that a pervasive culture of fear, coupled with too-easy access to guns, means the need for proper, continuous training of both cops and gun-owning civilians is apparent.

More: https://www.dmagazine.com/frontburner/2019/10/where-jim-schutze-went-wrong-on-guns/?ref=mpw