posted on December 9, 2005 07:37:54 AM new
She's blonde, liberal, and works for the alphabet channels.
Katie 'Oakley'? Couric Suggests Air Marshals Shoot at Specific Body Parts
Posted by Mark Finkelstein on December 8, 2005 - 07:56.
Has Katie Couric watched too many westerns? You know, the kind where the sheriff shoots the gun out of the bad guy's hand?
You'd think so, given the repeated questions she posed to a former air marshal in the wake of yesterday's shooting of a frantic passenger claiming to have a bomb aboard an American Airlines flight .
Katie's guest was former air marshal Tony Kuklinski, who stated that "by all accounts I've seen, what [the air marshals] did was necessary."
Katie wasn't so sure:
"Do they always shoot to kill, Tony? In other words, I guess the average person hearing this [on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, Katie?] might think: isn't there a way where they could have shot this person and not killed him? Wounded him or incapacitated him in some way without killing him?"
As Kuklinksi patiently and professionally explained:
"law enforcement officials aren't trained to shoot to kill; they're trained to shoot to prevent the action from taking place. We're not trained to precision-shoot in the knee or in the arm or in the finger to prevent something from taking place. Your accuracy goes down, the potential for a stray bullet or a missed shot hitting a bystander goes up tremendously."
That wasn't enough to satisfy Katie:
"I know that last July, London police shot and killed a Brazilian electrician because they'd mistaken him for a terror suspect. It raises the question: should there be further training? Do you think that air marshals should be taught to shoot at a specific location on a body?"
One sensed Kuklinski's rising frustration. Yet he remained patient and polite, and gave what is really the key answer:
"Federal air marshals have one of the best training programs anywhere in the country. [Precision shooting creates] too much potential for secondary casualties. There's no time to sit there and take precision aim. [Attempting a more precise shot] - to shoot him in the shoulder, shoot him in the leg - it may not prevent the crime from being committed.
It makes you wonder: what questions do you think Katie might pose if an air marshal, following her recommendations, shot a terrorist in the hand, who as a result was capable of detonating his bomb that in turn brought down a jumbo jet filled with passengers?
"Dear Lord, if you can't make me a better man, don't worry about it. I'm having a real good time like I am.".
posted on December 9, 2005 07:55:29 AM new
Katie is a complete idiot. She is perhaps the worst interviewer in media today. The fact that she actually allowed this guy to answer a question floors me. If you listen to her you'll realize that she consistantly answers her own questions before allowing the interview subject to speak. The fact that anyone would consider this substance challenged Perk-olator for the job as evening new anchor says much about the state of news in this country.
~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~
An intelligent deaf-mute is better than an ignorant person who can speak.
posted on December 9, 2005 07:57:32 AM new
Oh.. and BTW - Katie is not liberal. I don't know if she is a democrat or a republican but she is not liberal.
~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~
An intelligent deaf-mute is better than an ignorant person who can speak.
posted on December 9, 2005 08:29:52 AM newKatie is a complete idiot
I dont think so, fenix. I'd like to be an idiot of her caliber. Saw some blip on my homepage they are considering her for replacement of Peter Jennings. Like a 20 Mil + something contract. Now, thats what I call an idiot allright! lol!
btw, I also wondered why they didnt shoot him in the leg or something.
.
[ edited by dblfugger9 on Dec 9, 2005 08:36 AM ]
posted on December 9, 2005 08:49:12 AM new
Dbl - as to why they did not shoot him in the leg.... He claimed to be carrying a bomb and was reaching into the bag he claimed it was in. A bulllet in the leg would not have stopped him from activating a bomb.
As for Curic being an idiot... have you watched some of her interviews? Or her ad libs? She's a horrible interviewer and half her ad libs make me wonder if she is channeling a high school chearleader. The fact that CBS is considering her for their evening anchor job is just sad. Clearly shows that network news is becoming more about the personality than the news.
~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~
An intelligent deaf-mute is better than an ignorant person who can speak.
[ edited by fenix03 on Dec 9, 2005 08:49 AM ]
posted on December 9, 2005 09:06:09 AM new
When you look at the situation as an outsider (one who wasn't there), I can understand Katie's comments. You wouldn't have been subjected to the terror so it would be difficult to be objective. The trick is to put yourself there. IF you were at the airport or on the jetway at the time, would you still feel the same way Katie does? IF your life or the lives of your family members seemed threatened, would you have reacted the same way the Air Marshall did? I think a majority of us would have done what the Air Marshall did. It would be nice, of course, if there was a another way; a way in which no one is killed. But, until we have a better way I think the Air Marshall did the only thing he could as sad as that is.
Katie is simply reacting as someone who wasn't there and who hadn't experienced a potentially life-threatening situation. I don't think it has much to do with her being a liberal. I'm a liberal and I think what the AM did was the right thing at that particular moment. My brother, on the other hand, is a conservative (and a Mormon, to boot) and he made basically the same comments Katie did until I reminded him that he wasn't there so he shouldn't judge.
Cheryl
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." - Martin Luther King, Jr.
posted on December 9, 2005 09:09:13 AM newShoot him in the leg
Law enforcement officers and soldiers are all trained to fire in 3 round bursts at center mass or the largest presented target to immediately stop the threat.
"Dear Lord, if you can't make me a better man, don't worry about it. I'm having a real good time like I am.".
posted on December 9, 2005 09:10:35 AM newhave you watched some of her interviews?
Fenix, no. I hardly watch that show. Once in a while I will catch it. Like I had it on when Bette Midler did rock center and a few other times. I really dont watch much of anything (but have the news on in the am - only sit and watch if I am packing,though).
'
I didnt even follow that particular story much either. I dont even know if they were close enough to shoot him and then rush him, but I guess thats what I was thinking. Everybody is non-plussed about shooting him dead. It just seems weird.
posted on December 9, 2005 09:15:02 AM newLaw enforcement officers and soldiers are all trained to fire in 3 round bursts at center mass or the largest presented target
Well bear, they dont always do - what they are trained to do. Some of them think and act on their own. But of course, it would never work out if, and when, they did, to somebody's benefit instead of somebody's demise.
posted on December 9, 2005 09:17:22 AM new
I like Katie but can understand her questions.
I too grew up with the Lone Ranger, Roy Rogers and Hopalong Cassidy and watched them "wing" the bad guy or shoot the weapon out of their hand.
Of course since that time I've had/have several fire arms and know. "Shoot to kill", Shoot for the upper torso because it's the largest area with the most vital organs.
If you want to take someone out and give them a lot of pain and have them suffer a while, shoot them in the stomach.
posted on December 9, 2005 09:22:15 AM new
Sounds like she was asking questions.
Questions that lots of people
(like Dble and MANY others) DO have and they gave the air marshall a chance to explain what the procedures were.
I didn't see where Katie said he SHOULD have been wounded ?????
I can't see where that makes her a liberal???
?????
I'm a liberal and given what was reported about the situation I think killing him was the only option.
posted on December 9, 2005 09:49:08 AM newI can't see where that makes her a liberal???
Aren't all the talking heads in MSM liberals? Name a conservative that is in MSM.
DBL, I know several cops that have been involved in the use of deadly force that have been reprimanded for not following procedure for the 3 shot rule to center mass.
"Dear Lord, if you can't make me a better man, don't worry about it. I'm having a real good time like I am.".
posted on December 9, 2005 10:07:26 AM new
Bear, did you see that video some cops did in SF (I think?) They are all in hot water for it. hahaha! Looked to me like a Colin/Pi/Classic inspired video
posted on December 9, 2005 10:10:50 AM new
Colin, I dont think she's that cute or that perky. But she has that real puppy dog looking face when she does grave and sad stories. And she kinda cocks her head in just the right concerned way.
In NY a few years back, howard stern did a thing on her and said she had short piano legs! lol! She was really mad at him but after awhile she got over it.
.
[ edited by dblfugger9 on Dec 9, 2005 10:12 AM ]
posted on December 9, 2005 10:15:39 AM new
Dbl,
I think of her as I do Martha Stewart,
Bent over the kitchen table with her head slamming into the toaster, her arms flailing in ecstasy, knocking the cloth napkins and good silver to the floor.
posted on December 9, 2005 10:17:06 AM new
LOL Colin,...You're awful!
IF your life or the lives of your family members seemed threatened, would you have reacted the same way the Air Marshall did? I think a majority of us would have done what the Air Marshall did.
Cheryl, they're trained with hours and hours of simulated scenarios and live experience with the adrenilin flowing in such situations. I dont think you can really compare it to what t 'anyone' else would do is. It's funny you think this was all well and fine...but when they shot the guy in England, I seem to remember you had a totally different take on it. {?}
.
[ edited by dblfugger9 on Dec 9, 2005 10:25 AM ]
posted on December 9, 2005 10:17:42 AM new
""Aren't all the talking heads in MSM liberals?"""
bear, why don't YOU watch and listen to them and see for yourself instead of just believing everything the right tells you to believe.
I just showed you that Couric gave no indication of being either liberal or conservative, she just asked questions, questions lots of different people asked .
