I guess I'll insert my mini rant as well... First of all, I am a member of the US Military and I have lots of friends earning a living as police officers. I do not think our guns should be taken away plain and simple. It would be ignorant to do so. I will always support my men in blue all the way to the grave, but that doesn't mean I don't think sometimes a cop will make a bad decision sometimes. Now that I have the basics of my stance out of the way... There is no sense in trying to justify whether or not the lives cops have taken were wrong or right. None of us are in their shoes at the time of the incidents. If I'm a cop and I'm attempting to apprehend an individual who fails to comply or is acting suspicious, I'm shooting the moment I see a weapon drawn. White, black, yellow, or purple it does not matter to me, they are getting a bullet coming their way. What I don't like seeing is cops firing 5, 6, 7 and even more shots at near point blank range. I understand the philosophy behind "if you are going to shoot, shoot to kill or don't shoot at all" but guns in the hands of police should be used as a defensive weapon only to stop a violent or potentially violent person. On the other side, wanting to kill police officers just because they wear a badge is ignorant and irrational. It is [b]INHUMANE[/b]! If you are being detained by a cop, there is probably a reason they are doing what they are doing. at the very least, you have given them some sort of suspicion worth looking into. If this happens, all you have to do is comply with them and make it an easy process. If you know you are innocent, you will be justified and released once proven innocent. But refusing to get out of your car when asked or resisting arrest and cursing and yelling... there is no sense in that. Respect the badge! The law is set for a reason and that is to keep citizens safe and the streets clean. There was one video in particular that really pressed my buttons. There was a black male that decided to walk up to a group of cops while recording it on his phone. He threw every cure word in the book at them calling them cowards and power-hungry racists. But the part that really got me was when he called out the black officer and called him a "traitor".... A [b]TRAITOR[/b]! Are you kidding me? For making a career out of protecting and improving his community. By no means am I racist, not a single strand of that runs in my DNA whatsoever. But Black Lives Matter has turned into a hate-group and it destroying our already fragile society as is. People see media and grasp onto it and allow it to fuel a flame that does nothing but burn down bonds nd communities and creates walls and divides. If you think the police are wrong, then join the force and make a difference! Get into the local politics of your town, write letters, spread the word of showing respect instead of hate. Don't go blocking off interstates, yelling and cursing at people, rocking peoples cars, and creating riots. That solves NOTHING. If attention is what you want, you've got it. And I know that not all protestors are extreme or crossing those lines, but what you see in the media is how things are depicted to be nowadays. Now here is where my military rhetoric comes out... Don't go killing the people who are going to protect you when ISIS is right here in your own backyard and those same cops you wanna kill will be the first ones to put their lives in the line of fire while you are running away from the explosions and bombs and terror. I know this is old and stale and I doubt anyone actually takes it seriously, but as Americans we need to rise together, put these dumb conflict aside, and unite as one. A lot easier said than done, I know. Especially with the mess of a government we currently have. But that is a whole different conversation for a different day.