Post by Suzie on Mar 20, 2009 17:57:21 GMT 12
Yet again this week, this young man's name has been in the news, despite his passing some years ago.
I struggle with this one for many reasons.
Steven was someone's son, and clearly, from his family's continued fight with the police, they loved him very much.
It's so easy to sit back and criticise the family. "They should have controlled their son", "he was nothing but a druggie", "he got what he asked for" etc etc. It's so easy to be hard and critical in situations like this. But, as a mother of five, I know how hard it is to keep your kids on 'the straight and narrow'. I have been so lucky, mine, despite being full of personaility, and pushing life to the limits, have mostly avoided the attention with 'the boys in blue'. I'm not naive enough to think they've never tried illicit drugs, or even driven whilst under the influence. I'm sure they have, just as many of us did when we were younger.
Steven clearly had problems. He was well known to the police but did he deserve to die? There is no way you can answer yes to that. He was far too young.
This is where I struggle, as mother I can only imagine the nightmare his family have lived and are living. But, I can also imagine how it must feel, to have a 'seemingly' mad youth, belting towards you, hell bent on causing havoc and harm. I know if it was me in the line of fire, and if I had weapon in my hand, I would have done the same as that policeman did, and fired.
However, I'm not a policeman, and I'm not trained for such circumstances. As a PO we were frequently locked in confined spaces with dangerous offenders. In response to questions regarding our safetly we were told "you have the job, and accept the wage because you are expected to have the skills necessary to diffuse any conflictual behaviour".
I guess what I'm trying to say is, that policeman was paid a wage to do a job many of us couldn't do. He was paid not to lose his cool, to protect the lives of others, including Steven Wallace. He should have had the skills to keep his cool and fire to disable, not to kill.
I can understand the Wallace families on-going anguish. I do think they need to move on, but never forget. But I don't believe the story of Steven Wallace should be buried. He was too young to die, he shouldn't have died. Let the whole sad saga be a lesson to all those involved, and to other young people who think it's ok to use illicit substances until they 'don't know what they are doing'. Most of all, let the people that hold the guns learn how to use them, in the situations they are employed to be in, in a manner that will not take another mother's child away from them.
I struggle with this one for many reasons.
Steven was someone's son, and clearly, from his family's continued fight with the police, they loved him very much.
It's so easy to sit back and criticise the family. "They should have controlled their son", "he was nothing but a druggie", "he got what he asked for" etc etc. It's so easy to be hard and critical in situations like this. But, as a mother of five, I know how hard it is to keep your kids on 'the straight and narrow'. I have been so lucky, mine, despite being full of personaility, and pushing life to the limits, have mostly avoided the attention with 'the boys in blue'. I'm not naive enough to think they've never tried illicit drugs, or even driven whilst under the influence. I'm sure they have, just as many of us did when we were younger.
Steven clearly had problems. He was well known to the police but did he deserve to die? There is no way you can answer yes to that. He was far too young.
This is where I struggle, as mother I can only imagine the nightmare his family have lived and are living. But, I can also imagine how it must feel, to have a 'seemingly' mad youth, belting towards you, hell bent on causing havoc and harm. I know if it was me in the line of fire, and if I had weapon in my hand, I would have done the same as that policeman did, and fired.
However, I'm not a policeman, and I'm not trained for such circumstances. As a PO we were frequently locked in confined spaces with dangerous offenders. In response to questions regarding our safetly we were told "you have the job, and accept the wage because you are expected to have the skills necessary to diffuse any conflictual behaviour".
I guess what I'm trying to say is, that policeman was paid a wage to do a job many of us couldn't do. He was paid not to lose his cool, to protect the lives of others, including Steven Wallace. He should have had the skills to keep his cool and fire to disable, not to kill.
I can understand the Wallace families on-going anguish. I do think they need to move on, but never forget. But I don't believe the story of Steven Wallace should be buried. He was too young to die, he shouldn't have died. Let the whole sad saga be a lesson to all those involved, and to other young people who think it's ok to use illicit substances until they 'don't know what they are doing'. Most of all, let the people that hold the guns learn how to use them, in the situations they are employed to be in, in a manner that will not take another mother's child away from them.