Iceland grieves after police kill a man for the first time in its history

originally posted by: loveguy
Just a side note.

I've been watching the krona since I learned the '08 story. It's been slowly climbing this past few weeks.
I wish my bank would offer an exchange of currency, that's something I would invest in if I could.

Look at her climb!

Are the people of Iceland truly at the helm of their own administrative policies?

Nope.

originally posted by: Rainbowresidue
a reply to: purplemer

Maybe it's because the police in Iceland actually work to serve and protect.

Thanks for sharing this news.
S&F

That's exactly it. Our cops have long forgotten the old motto "to protect and to serve." The vast majority only serve themselves now.

originally posted by: purplemer

I'm moving to Iceland.

originally posted by: purplemer

After witnessing what is happening in the US at the moment and the arming of police in scotland you have to wonder if we are doing something very wrong..

purp..

Iceland. Population: 300 thousand.
America. Population 300 million.

Gun violence in Iceland is rare. The reason police don't shoot people in iceland is because noone tries to shoot them. Police were following protocol in Iceland. They shot a man that was shooting at them. America has the same protocol.

America has a lot more problems with its civilian population, as far as defiant lawlessness goes, than does Iceland.

Are we doing something very wrong? Probably, but its not the police. It's the criminals, thugs, gangs, and degenerate, uneducated youth who are to blame. Police are just doing their job. There are exceptions, of course. But, the way police are trained to respond to situations is the right way of responding. They may not respond exactly the same as other countries, but police in America don't have to deal with the amount of violent criminals as these other more peaceful places. So, for America, police protocol is as it should be.

Michael Brown may have not deserved to be shot, but he surely wasn't innocent or respectable. He was a problem for society- a criminal. I surely don't feel sorry for him. I'm not saying he got what he deserved, but when you live the kind of lifestyle he lived, and you do bad things, you don't deserve sympathy when something bad happens to you.

a reply to: purplemer

Welcome to the club.

a reply to: smithjustinb

ridiculous, the population may not be compatible to the entire united states, as the US doesn't run the country from a single point. Their country size is no different to running a town or city.
I was in Iceland for 12 weeks last year, you could walk up to the mayor and have a chat or knock on the prime minister Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson's door.

The reason for that is their attitude is different, they raise their kids fundamentally adverse to how kids are raised here. They have a sense of community, pride in their history, secular with a touch of religion ( no where like the fundamentalist religious factions of the US and the middle east.) They reject corporate corruption and the police are not militarised, instead they are community representatives that are paid to keep the peace....weird huh?

If you are comparing population figures, Ferguson has 20 k and that is far more manageable than 300k. Perhaps you should pop over there, spend some time getting to know the culture that is kinda socialist and highly moral.. it may kill you though to spend time with happy people that think your way of thinking is well weird and miserable.

Its hard to admit the way our country raises kids and the communities we form no longer form the ideal free society. The USA of 1946 does not exist. Instead fears are pounded into citizenry from all angles; in education, religion, and media to name a few, that serve to imprison thought and has turned this great country from the land of the free to the land of the Free to be Fearful.

a reply to: purplemer

"A part of the great thing of living in this country is that you can enter parliament and the only thing they ask you to do is to turn off your cellphone, so you don't disturb the parliamentarians while they're talking. We do not have armed guards following our prime minister or president. That's a part of the great thing of living in a peaceful society. We do not want to change that. "

Update, August 20, 2014: We checked back in with the Icelandic Police to get an update on this shooting in December. The superintendent says the police have not used firearms since.

So, in other words, if you treat responsible adult human beings like responsible adult human beings, life goes on pretty damned well. Golly gee, what a interesting concept.

originally posted by: zazzafrazz
a reply to: smithjustinb
They reject corporate corruption and the police are not militarised, instead they are community representatives that are paid to keep the peace....weird huh?

Yeah. And my point is that they are that way because the citizens are like:

The reason for that is their attitude is different, they raise their kids fundamentally adverse to how kids are raised here. They have a sense of community, pride in their history, secular with a touch of religion ( no where like the fundamentalist religious factions of the US and the middle east.)

And in the USA the citizens aren't like that so the police can't be like that. So thanks for reiterating my point.

a reply to: zazzafrazz


Zazz I was in Iceland as well, if I didn't have my family, business ties and life in the USA I swear I would have moved there without a second thought.

Icelandic people, society and culture is one that should be mimic'd everywhere in the civilized world. Lot's of personal integrity there.

originally posted by: smithjustinb

So thanks for reiterating my point.

Ahhh gotcha! shame you weren't so eloquent then perhaps?

a reply to: Realtruth

Hey RT yep pretty awesome place right? I have pics from there somewhere on ATS I'll u2u them

originally posted by: zazzafrazz

originally posted by: smithjustinb

So thanks for reiterating my point.

Ahhh gotcha! shame you weren't so eloquent then perhaps?

You got it.

Compare the US to a country like Finland.

Nearly everyone in Finland has a machine gun (which they keep after doing standard army service)

How much gun crime has Finland got? Practically none. Proving that simply having weapons does not cause the problems, its the people, if they didnt have guns they would be running around with bows and swords and stuff.

originally posted by: purplemer
I think in the light of recent events this may prove a little food for thought for some.

"The nation was in shock. This does not happen in our country," said Thora Arnorsdottir, news editor at RUV, the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service. She was referring to a 59-year old man who was shot by police on Monday. The man, who started shooting at police when they entered his building, had a history of mental illness

www.pri.org...

When I read this I was like wow.. It shows a very different attitude the police have in different cultures. Even though the man was armed and shooting at police they apologised to the family of the deceased.

After witnessing what is happening in the US at the moment and the arming of police in scotland you have to wonder if we are doing something very wrong..

purp..

And the people did not riot either I bet ...

The police are not the only problem in America.

a reply to: Biigs

I'm an American who lives in Finland. I have not met anyone who owns a machine gun. Are you sure you're not thinking of Switzerland? My husband served in the Finnish forces just like every other Finnish dude. None of the Finnish dudes I know have machine guns.

a reply to: Biigs

Your facts are wrong.

Military service guns are stored by the Finnish Defence Forces, and are only given out during reservist training or mobilization. At present, a strong political consensus exists that military weapons should not be stored by individuals, even if they are reservists in first-line, quick response units.[5]

You might have been thinking Swiss, although even then your facts would be wrong/partially wrong. Everybody who goes to military there has to keep their gun until the age 31, although the ammo has to be sealed and is not allowed to be opened without orders from it coming from the military and these are checked after every certain period.

I do not say these nations do not have more guns per capita than average advanced nation (although significantly nearly 3 times less than USA). Although it has to be considered that these countries have strong requirements in case someone wants to obtain a gun - from strong background checks, including psychiatrical checks (it is not even uncommon to hear your neighbours being questioned about your lifestyle, when you want to obtain a gun) to being required to keep the gun in a safe. For even obtaining a gun, one needs to have valid reasons for it and self-defense is not considered valid reason, at least not in Finland. Majority of these guns are simply there due to strong hunting (as well as target shooting) cultures, no other reason. Using/getting a gun for self-defense is not considered okay in these nations.

a reply to: Cabin

They have the guns, they have the ammo, they don't use them. Guns are not the problem, culture is.

originally posted by: Biigs


if they didnt have guns they would be running around with bows and swords and stuff.

There isn't much murder here. But incidentally, my husband tells me most murders here are committed via axe. I think I'd rather be shot than axed to death.

they have bjork!



but iceland has a different mindset than the USA/UK.

i'm sure one would be hard pressed to find someone on gov relief that is able to work, which is a big cause of police strife vs community.

originally posted by: purplemer

After witnessing what is happening in the US at the moment and the arming of police in scotland you have to wonder if we are doing something very wrong..

purp..

Arming of police in Scotland? When did that happen apart from police that like in many UK cities carry arms?