Seattle police officer shot dead on Halloween; Possible connection with arson

I wasn't going to re-post this article initially until I read the comments going back and forth on my Facebook news feed. I thought I would post the article and then re-post the comments. I am not openly taking a position on this issue just yet. I just wanted to post this for documentation's sake so that others could read the stands others are taking.

Here is the article: http://action.anarchistnews.org/?q=node/95

And here are the comments:

Drew LeVanviolence: brings more violence

Dylan Petrohilos: pacifism is a privileged position, to only those who can afford to not fight back against capital and the state.

Also really? This is probably someone who was fucked over by the state and went crazy...who feels extremely isolated by society.

And you get pissed off at the person? Seriously dude? The person who is probably up against a wall who is turning social relationships upside down who is probably more than likely to bring about anarchy before anarchists could?

Drew LeVanit: seems that the officer was a random target, whats the justification in that? it may be a little different if that particular officer wronged that person in anyways, but I still do not see the justification of taking ones life, cop or not.

that officer also has a family, a mother, a father, maybe a wife and children.

about an hour ago

Chris Siennick: It's too bad he didn't organize. Although I'm not about directly killing police officers until they actively and blatantly kill activists(Like Fred Hampton in the 70's). I support the Arson.

The killing though, brought too much attention to what he was doing, and also brought VERY VERY bad media. I think we're lucky that he didn't give the press any statement at all.

Police are violent agents of the state. They carry weapons where normal people do not. They enforce rules that were set upon us with no input of our own. But in the perception of it all, they believe they're just helping out. Violence against the police is to be expected. They will be the first enemies, and probably the only ones that die loyally to the rich during class war.

Collin De Laval: haahaha, "violence brings more violence'?! What the fuck are you talking about. Take a look around you. Any attack against agents of the state is self defense, and should be supported.

Dylan Petrohilos: what do you mean drew? Cops do shit all the fucking time, have you ever been harassed by cops? And i dont mean getting your skate board taken away or something? Like has your family ever needed police when they were usable and they did nothing but enforce patriarchy or traditional social roles?

That is the roles of cops.

I dont know the person and i dont know their justification but it's an extremely privileged view to be like eh not all cops are bad. And are usually brought up by people who have never faced or lived in communities that face police violence every day.

Drew LeVan: So killing a random cop to make a statement is okay?

Im not saying all cops are good or bad, yeah they're fucked up, but to disagree with the death penalty and be ok with a person killing a cop, is a little hypocritical to me.

Im not saying the cops havn't wronged anyone. The torching of the cop cars is fine by me, but killing a cop is not. And sure cops kill people all the time, and they do deserve justice, but to pick on off at random? no that's not okay.

It is beyond me how you guys can justify the killing of anyone.

could you be anymore condescending with the skateboard shit? Yes I have been harassed, not to the extent that you are suggesting however. I've been pulled over and had my car searched front to back, inside and out, only because the officer thought I was on drugs, no other reason at all.. and those of you who know me, ive never done drugs.

A cop forced his way into our apartment when someone pulled the fire alarm, targeting Jen as a weaker person and more willing to allow him inside, and even though he already knew who pulled it, and it wasn't any of us, he still tried to make us admit to something we didn't do. of course this is not as extreme of harassment you are talking about, but it has happened.

Dylan Petrohilos: sorry i didnt mean to be an asshole, Im just not gonna get pissed off when a cop is murdered cause of how much fucked up shit they do every day.

It's shitty to kill someone but i imagine that this cop didnt use that same thought process when he probably arrested some kid for dealing drugs who might have had a family and was using the money from drugs.

(this is why argueing about possibilities is a logical fallacy)

I just think your position is inherently comes from some sort of privileged place.

Collin De Laval: Youth are attacked or killed everyday by the police in my neighborhood, and when they attack back, it would never cross my mind to tell them that there actions are not OK. I agree with any expression of rage from oppressed peoples, regardless if it lines up with some sort-of anarcho-liberal ideology.

The death penalty and the killing of a cop are certainly not the same thing. the death penalty has its roots within the prison-industrial complex, where as a disenfranchised person attacking (or killing) a cop does not. We need to begin to make the distinction between logical acts of rage and insurrection, and the actions of the state, who uses violence to consolidate power.

"To revolt is a natural tendency of life. Even a worm turns against the foot that crushes it. In general, the vitality and relative dignity of an animal can be measured by the intensity of its instinct to revolt. "

Alec LoCurzio: Dylan, those who advocate violence on your level also take a fairly privileged position, just as pacifism is privileged. Insurrectionist Anarchism is war mongering at it's finest.

The cop did not deserve that, agent of the state or not it was a random killing. Associating yourself and our political cause with that is the reason Anarchism has such limited political influence in the world.

Take a step back, Propaganda By Deed is fucking dead and good riddance.