Houston police chief: It's time to ask 'God's forgiveness for our inaction' on gun violence

[DonViejo]

Source: The Hill




BY LUIS SANCHEZ - 05/19/18 01:34 PM EDT

Houston police chief Art Acevedo said on Friday night that it’s time to ask God for forgiveness for not acting to prevent school shootings after a shooter in a nearby Santa Fe, Texas, high school left 10 dead.

“This isn’t a time for prayers, and study and inaction, it’s a time for prayers, action and the asking of God’s forgiveness for our inaction (especially the elected officials that ran to the cameras today, acted in a solemn manner, called for prayers, and will once again do absolutely nothing),” Acevedo said in a Facebook post.

The police chief asked people not to post about how “guns aren't the problem and there’s little we can do.” He noted that he will continue to speak out and wrote that he doesn’t believe God bestowed gun rights.

“The hatred being spewed in our country and the new norms we, so-called people of faith are accepting, is as much to blame for so much of the violence in our once pragmatic Nation,” Acevedo said.

Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/388461-houston-police-chief-its-time-to-pray-asking-gods-forgiveness-for

[Voltaire2]

1. It's a start.

If more people speak up against the insanity things could change.

[Liberalagogo]

2. "it's a time for prayers, action and the asking of God's forgiveness for our inaction"

Well, one out of three (i.e. action) ain't too bad. The other two.....meaningless.

[pecosbob]

3. I grew up in Houston

If police are called, there's a good chance somebody's going to die. Clean up your back yard Acevedo. Demiltarize HPD. Return police to community patrols instead of wannabee seal teams. You're a big part of the problem.

[summer_in_TX]

4. Wow! I was already a fan of Art Acevedo's!

“The hatred being spewed in our country and the new norms we, so-called people of faith are accepting, is as much to blame for so much of the violence in our once pragmatic Nation,” Acevedo said.

It's unusual for a police chief of a major city in the South to be so outspoken on matters that are a flashpoint for many. He was police chief in my hometown, Austin, for many years and I appreciated his nuanced leadership. Not perfect, but heads and shoulders above the majority of police chiefs in the country - at least the ones I've heard of.

[flibbitygiblets]

5. Why is it that some people only see the light when it happens in their own backyard?

People who hate gays, until they realize they have a gay sister. People who are racist, until their child's life is saved by a doctor who happens to be a person of color. People who demonize immigrants, until they learn that the person who's been caring for their children for the past 15 years just had their parents deported. People who are vehemently pro-gun, until it literally hits home.

A few years ago, there was a mass shooting at a shopping mall near where I live in Oregon. Some of my out-of-state "friends" were posting ignorant "let's not talk about gun control" shit on FB until I informed them that I park my car at that same mall every single work day, where I then wait to catch the train. I often go into the same mall to shop, pick up dinner, etc on the way home, around the same time as the shooting. I could have, would have been there when it happened, but I happened to have called in sick that day. One of the victims was a hospice nurse who works for the same company that I do. When I mentioned all this, suddenly crickets from the FB friends. Real people, people they knew, and friends of people they knew, were real or potential shooting victims, and that was the only thing that caused them to pause and consider their stance.

Why is it so hard to have empathy without being personally involved? There is a real sickness in this country, and it's not lack of forced prayer in school or any of the other ridiculous reasons posited by some. It's lack of empathy. They don't care that 45% of Americans are unable to pay for food, rent and healthcare. They don't care that human beings are being ripped from their families and deported to countries they've never set foot in. They don't care that children are being slaughtered in school.

Until it impacts THEM.

[Maxheader]

6. The gun toadys

won't even talk about the successes other country's have had with
strict gun laws...Won't even consider really studying those plans
and maybe using them as a baseline for americu. The nra puts
that bean in their ears..."first its more strict and restrictive
applications and next no applications!!"

[Jedi Guy]

7. It's not really a surprising attitude, unfortunately.

All those things you mentioned are thought of (when they're thought of at all) as things that happen to someone else. Unfortunately, we're all "someone else" to someone else, but this attitude helps people sleep at night.

It's very easy to become numb to the bad things that happen in the world since we frequently see them on TV or the Internet, which creates emotional distance. And with the world so connected, we're bombarded daily with news of awful events. It's insidious in how those events become background noise, just part of life.

As an example, early on in my career as a police dispatcher, I had a call about a toddler who'd fallen into a pool. The officer reported no pulse and the kid was blue and cold as he started CPR. I could hear the parents in the background screaming and crying. Very fortunately, the child survived.

But at the time, I felt nothing. No emotional reaction. I just did my job while the officer did his and coordinated with the ambulance service. I still don't really have an emotional response, because I wasn't there. I perceived that event at a significant distance, so it wasn't "real" to me.

Or maybe I'm just cold. Some people have thought so when I've told that story. But I can understand, but not condone, the "someone else" attitude and general emotional distance regarding tragic events.

[GeorgeGist]

8. I predict that will be about as useful as ...

thoughts and prayers.

[old guy]

9. More useless rhetoric.

[Firestorm49]

10. Prayer? You bet.

Inasmuch as I think I’m a fairly nice guy, I’ll apologize to those who may be offended by what I have to say. Prayer isn’t going to do jack squat to solve the dilemma of gun violence in this country, or anything else for that matter. Wishful thinking is just that, no more, no less. Odds are you have a 50/50 chance that you may see some sort of result (George Carlin).
It’s people, plain and simple, who have to asses the situation relative to both sides, and come to a consensus about what to do. It may be a very small step, but anything is better than nothing.
We were gifted with a beautiful planet, by specialized life forms, many of which are still undiscovered, nature, humanity, clouds, modernization. We were handed all of the tools to make our lives sustainable not only for ourselves but for generations to come. And, we blew it. We’ve polluted our air and water, we’ve murdered millions through our history on Earth by acts of war and currently, senseless gun violence, we’ve decided that some races have beneficial treatment over others, and the list goes on. Not too good of a performance chart, but, we are still here.
It’s up to mankind with its evolved intelligence, reasoning, and prehensile thumbs to make change. The Lord may have given us the tools for survival, we just haven’t figured out how to do it well enough. It’s not up to him/her/it, it’s up to us.

[Downtown Hound]

11. How about for once leave God out of it?

And instead ask for the children's forgiveness and those of the families who have been murdered?

[flibbitygiblets]

12. Personally I agree with you. But if it helps appeal to the religious, hey, whatever it takes to get

this shit under control.

Hey Christians! Maybe you might want to consider actual ways to protect those children you're so keen on ensuring every woman is FORCED to have? Just a thought. Here's another one: What say we provide those children with excellent education, proper food, and healthcare? I believe that person(s) you pray to all the time would give you extra brownie points. You know, in case you really believe in heaven and actually want to go there; if so, I'd get right on it. Sincerely, the so-called heathens.

[Enoki33]

14. Entirely possible so called Christians will pray, claim they have been

forgiven, and move on once again to supporting the murderous NRA agenda.

[Initech]

13. Shut up!!!! Do something!!!!

[malthaussen]

15. Didn't know societies had souls.

If Mr Acevado is concerned about his personal salvation, it is not an appropriate subject for public display. "Forgiveness" by some putative White-Bearded Man (or Bearded White Man) in the sky is of no utility or concern for our society, nor relevant to the questions of violence and the slaughter of school children.

-- Mal

[nolabels]

16. Just one more reason not to be religious

What foolish organization would harbor groups of people that believe some grand being would partners in their posse with the gun nuts and that would somehow keep them safe from bad things happening. The only thing guns are made for is killing (and nowadays mostly just people).

We are animals that can exist while eating a diet of mostly meat, there is no guesswork on how we have become what we are.

Educated cavemen, who would have thought

[YOHABLO]

17. I'm a little over ''thoughts and prayers" get rid of the NRA and the Republicans that feed off them

[gyroscope]

18. Thoughts and prayers

have done nothing to stem the epidemic of school shootings, which are more frequent than ever, despite all the praying.

OTOH, the police chief should be commended for speaking out in a way that may appeal to religious sentiment in the bible belt.