The Daily Dose/June 15, 2020
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy
Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.
USA! USA! Atlanta is being hailed for their prompt response to the fatal shooting of a black man by a white cop, but why did it even happen in the first place? Why was a fleeing drunk shot in the back to begin with? OK, the man had failed a sobriety test and had taken an officer’s taser. We decry this lack of decorum as much as you do, but did he need to be shot to death? The officer’s life was hardly at risk and it is not reasonable to believe the entire resources of the Atlanta Police Department would not have rounded the suspect up in short enough order.
Let’s Get Right To The Point, Shall We?: Since 2015 the Washington Post has tallied how many people have been shot and killed by police. The figure, as of June 7, stood at 5,400, a number we found surprisingly high, just like you might, too. That’s 2.7 people shot to death every day by police.
Running The Numbers: The figures have been consistent, too, ranging from 962 in 2016 to 1,004 last year. 2020 has kept pace as well, despite parts of the country being locked down and through June 7 463 people have been shot to death by the police.
FunFact(s): 70% of those shot and killed by police were armed, which means 30% were unarmed. 45% were white, 23% were black, 16% Hispanic and the remainder could not have their races confirmed.
Dry, Technical Matter: And we don’t want to hear any whining about how we’re anti-law enforcement here. We’re modestly familiar with the risks police take: we’ve worked private security and have taken people into custody and know what it’s like to knock on a door not knowing what’s on the other side. As long as citizens are armed, it’s reasonable to expect the police to be armed, because there are a lot of guns in this country and officers seldom know when they are going to encounter one.
Get Your Official Daily Dose Policy Right Here: Still, though, 2.7 civilians being shot to death by police every day is a lot, even in a country of 330 million people.
The Bottom Line: We realize that armed citizens require armed police, but the culture where officers think it’s OK to keep a knee on a man’s throat for nine minutes or shoot a fleeing drunk in the back must change.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody: Sparrow considers gearing up for his shifts at the hotel. Today’s Diary.
I think I am going to start bringing my new pocket knife to the hotel…I found myself needing it from time time, like last week when I was required to open a box of muffins and tonight, when someone brought a new box of coffee to the back coffee room, but declined to open it…Now, there are cutters available but what fun is that???…What’s the use of blowing good dough on top-quality gear if it’s not there when you need it???…And as long as I’m bringing the knife, I might as well bring the flashlight I used working security years ago…It’s a first-class light, small enough to unobtrusively clip on your belt…Now, I need a flashlight at the hotel even less than I need a blade, but once you start thinking in these terms it’s tuff to stop…Heck, with bloody guests wandering around like it’s the apocalypse, I should probably dig out the bulletproof vest from when I worked for the Doily Delivery Company up here and wore exactly once.
Backstairs at the Monte Carlo: Gaylon discloses exactly how taxing working the hotel is.
To show just how effective the scanner system is after we turn them in we retire to the 12th-floor maid’s room where we sit and fuck off for the rest of the shift. This is not a state secret, either. The dispatchers were once Henry units themselves and know what’s going on, too…
Click here get in on the laffs: The Diary of a Nobody, Backstairs at the Monte Carlo, The Bottom Ten, the funniest books you’ve ever read. We offer 4Ever and Ever access, or cheapskates can purchase books and columns individually.
On This Date
History’s long march to today.
In 1215 – King John of England puts his seal on the Magna Carta at Runnymeade, about 20 miles west of London. The document, still revered as a symbol of liberty in both Britain and America, was, in essence, a peace treaty between the monarch and his barons that guaranteed, among other things, church freedoms, freedom from illegal imprisonment and limits on payments to the crown. The agreement was more or less ignored by both sides and lost most of its practical significance. Magna Carta is Latin for Great Charter.
In 2003 – Reed Johnson of the Toronto Blue Jays becomes the fourth major league player to start and end a game with a home run in 5-4 win over the Chicago Cubs. Johnson led off the bottom of the first with a home run against Shawn Estes and won it in the 10th inning with a home run off of Mark Guthrie. The feat was first accomplished in 1893 by Billy Hamilton of the Philadelphia Phillies and has been accomplished a total of six times, the last in 2010 by Chris Young of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
In 1974 – Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods are at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the first of two consecutive weeks with Billy Don’t Be a Hero. The song spent 12 weeks in the Top 40 and seven weeks in the Top 10, was the first of three Top 40 hits for the group and remains their only #1 song. The song also went to #1 in Canada and this version did not chart in Great Britain. Earlier in the year, a version by Paper Lace had gone to #1 in Great Britain, Australia, and Ireland, and peaked at #96 on the Hot 100.
Quotebook
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
Older voters who had lived through the Depression and two world wars fretted that America had somehow lost its grit and will to sacrifice. – Evan Thomas, Ike’s Bluff
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
It’s not who you know, but what you know.
The last author to have works placed on the Vatican’s List of Prohibited Books was Frenchwoman Simone de Beauvoir, who had two books banned in 1956.
Today’s Stumper
Cheaper than Trivia Night at the bar.
How long was King John’s reign over England? – Answer next time!
