Posted on 04/20/2013 1:15:39 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
The unprecedented manhunt in Boston that concluded successfully Friday night earned law enforcement authorities the gratitude of the nation.
But as relief replaces fear, the debate about what this episode means for the future is already beginning. And one of the most unsettling questions is whether the violence-related lockdown of a major U.S. city — an extraordinary moment in American history — sets a life-altering precedent.
There are already worries that the effort to protect the people of Boston contained an element of overreaction. Local authorities told the city and nearby suburbs to “shelter in place” throughout the day and into the evening. They closed businesses, shuttered government buildings and suspended all public transportation in the metro area.
That decision concerned some political leaders and policy experts.
Former Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) said it is “hard to imagine what could justify directing the entire population of the city to ‘shelter in place.’”
Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger of Maryland, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, stopped short of directly criticizing the decision, but he lamented the development as a win of sorts for terrorists....
(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...
Chechens on the loose with bombs, guns, and grenades.
We’ve all seen the video tapes. On three different occasions Friday there were FUSILLADES heard. What happened to all the rounds that missed their mark?
One 19 year old such on the final day.
Chechens on the loose with bombs, guns, and grenades.
Chechens on the loose with bombs, guns, and grenades among an unarmed populace.
One huge thing that was missing from the wall-to-wall coverage of the bombing was an explanation of the “shelter in place” order.
Was it a lawful order? Did it require executive action from the governor? Was it just a polite request with no legal ramifications? Inquiring minds want to know.
The pretty conservative guys I work with saw no problem with the lock down. I did.
>>There are already worries that the effort to protect the people of Boston contained an element of overreaction.<<
I dunno — do you think the Titanic suffered “an element” of damage?
The shutdown of Boston was one of the dumbest things I have ever seen.
/johnny
Did George Zimmerman have to comply with the dispatcher’s suggestions?
I stand corrected. Thank you.
I have seen reports that the police were systematically searching homes with no search warrant. That, to me, is very troubling.
>>The pretty conservative guys I work with saw no problem with the lock down. <<
What did the ugly ones think? ;)
See post #14.
Someone else suggested, and I was thinking the same thing, that many of those reports were blanks (not all) or rubber bullets, etc. They were trying to get him to surrender and didn’t want to set off explosives. My only question is regarding the action on semi-autos — it isn’t going to cycle with blanks, is it?
http://mynorthwest.com/
I recall reading (I think in David Hackett Fischer’s “Paul Revere’s Ride”) about the estimated total weight of bullets fired on April 19, 1775 on the nearby Battle Road from Concord back to Boston. It was staggering...several tons. Of course, those were modestly-trained Minutemen, not modern highly-trained police.
It was like, "We disarmed all you pansies, so hide under your bed until we tell you its safe to come out again."
Nobody was obligated to obey, but very few chose not to.
It wouldn't work in many cities besides Boston.
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