I have had the wrong opinion of this man. According to the interview he seems like a really down to Earth dude.
quote:
Shaquille O'Neal is a longtime friend of the police. He's running for sheriff in Georgia in 2020, he was named an honorary officer after completing an unofficial police academy program in 2016 and he's remained outspoken on police rights. With that in mind, it should come as no surprise that Shaq's answer to school shootings is to make schools safer by placing cops around them, not by banning guns.
"The government should give law enforcement more money," he said on WABC Radio on Wednesday, via ESPN. "Give more money, you recruit more people, and the guys that are not ready to go on the streets, you put them in front of the schools. You put 'em in front of the schools, you put 'em behind the schools, you put 'em inside the schools, and we need to pass information. ... I would like to see police officers in schools, inner cities, private schools."
O'Neal points out that the prevalence of weapons already on the street would make a ban counterproductive, and allow the black market to thrive.
"There's a lot of those weapons already on the streets," O'Neal said. "So it's not like, if you say, 'OK, these weapons are banned,' people are gonna go, 'Oh man, let me turn it in.' That's definitely not going to happen. [Because] once you ban 'em, now they're going to become a collector's item and you're going to have people underground, and they were $2,000. ... I'll give you $9,000 for that gun. So, you know, we just need to keep our eyes open."
The ban of semi-automatic weapons is one that has largely been supported by law enforcement, particularly after the shooting in Parkland, Florida on Valentine's Day. O'Neal, who lives in Fort Lauderdale, said that the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School -- which resulted in 17 deaths -- touched him close to home.
"You know it was a very, very sad incident," he said, per ESPN. "Close to my heart. I actually live in Fort Lauderdale. I actually knew the sheriff, called him and told him he did a wonderful job."
Students staged a walkout of schools on Wednesday to protest violence in schools, which O'Neal also supported.
"I wish I could join 'em, but you know, hopefully it sends a message to the powers that be," he said. "[Because] we have to stop this. ... I would like to see tougher background checks. If you can't protect our children in school, where are they safe?"
In response to the shooting, Florida Governor Rick Scott passed a bill that would lead to sweeping reform of gun laws, including banning sales to anyone under 21, a three-day waiting period for purchases, the ban of bump stocks, the confiscation of weapons by police and the arming of certain personnel in schools. It's a massive move from the Florida legislature.
O'Neal may not believe it's the right direction. For him, the guns aren't the problem. The wrong people carrying them are. NBA Scores and News
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Most of us are a lot downer to earth, about a foot and a half, than Shaq at 7’1”.
Luckily, I have enough willpower to control the driving ambition that rages within me.
When you had the votes, we did things your way. Now, we have the votes and you will be doing things our way. This lesson in political reality from Lyndon B. Johnson
"Some things are apparent. Where government moves in, community retreats, civil society disintegrates and our ability to control our own destiny atrophies. The result is: families under siege; war in the streets; unapologetic expropriation of property; the precipitous decline of the rule of law; the rapid rise of corruption; the loss of civility and the triumph of deceit. The result is a debased, debauched culture which finds moral depravity entertaining and virtue contemptible." - Justice Janice Rogers Brown
Posts: 48369 | Location: Texas hill country | Registered: July 04, 2005
He's a flat earther but loves the popo. There was a nice video of a policeman in georgia who got a complaint about kids playing basketball in the street "too loud" He showed up and played ball with them. Then the police came back to play a game with the kids and also brought shaq. Was a cool video.
What man is a man that does not make the world better. -Balian of Ibelin
Originally posted by Deqlyn: He's a flat earther but loves the popo. There was a nice video of a policeman in georgia who got a complaint about kids playing basketball in the street "too loud" He showed up and played ball with them. Then the police came back to play a game with the kids and also brought shaq. Was a cool video.
Similar story. He handed out $100 bills or something to the kids for making free throws, even if they missed. Before that he gave them a little talking to about school, responsibility, respect their parents, etc.
Posts: 4010 | Location: North Carolina | Registered: August 16, 2003
I met Shaq at an Orlando gun store in ‘99. I was an Orange County Deputy, in uniform, and he walked right up and shook my hand. I’m 6’6” and this man made me feel tiny. He said something about all of the shit I put up with for $50k a year. I told him that I wouldn’t know, because I make $31k. He shook his head in disbelief and we chatted for another minute or two. Nice guy.
Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL: Churchill is out and Sam Houston is in? Reference JALLEN avatar.
Good for you for recognizing our former General/President/Senator/Governor.
I’ve wanted to get that done for many months when I abandoned my tuba avatar, but never did anything to capture the photo and get it avatarized, until now. So the stock Churchill was a fill in. Tip of the hat to our avatar maker Woodman who got it done in no time.
Luckily, I have enough willpower to control the driving ambition that rages within me.
When you had the votes, we did things your way. Now, we have the votes and you will be doing things our way. This lesson in political reality from Lyndon B. Johnson
"Some things are apparent. Where government moves in, community retreats, civil society disintegrates and our ability to control our own destiny atrophies. The result is: families under siege; war in the streets; unapologetic expropriation of property; the precipitous decline of the rule of law; the rapid rise of corruption; the loss of civility and the triumph of deceit. The result is a debased, debauched culture which finds moral depravity entertaining and virtue contemptible." - Justice Janice Rogers Brown
Posts: 48369 | Location: Texas hill country | Registered: July 04, 2005
I met him at a shooting range here in Broward County. He saw that I had NFA weapons and asked me about them and where are good places to look to buy them. I invited him to go shoot some with me, but he was leaving and I had just arrived.
He shook my hand and my hand also got lost in his giant of a hand. He seemed like a real nice guy.
I love it here!
My Gun collection: Too many to list. Lets just say that the zombies should look elsewhere.
Posts: 1671 | Location: Back in the good 'ol U.S.A. (South Fla) | Registered: April 08, 2006
The article is a little off. Shaq O'Neal was named an honorary US Deputy Marshall. He was also sworn in as a Reserve Deputy in Clayton County Georgia. This was back in Dec. 2016. https://www.policeone.com/poli...orn-in-as-Ga-deputy/
I don't know what county he's running for sheriff in, but it could be that same county.
Posts: 245 | Location: Northern California | Registered: June 30, 2017
Shaq is a good guy, and as others have said, he's just joking about the flat earth stuff. I've done a little business with him off and on since his days at LSU, and he definitely likes to joke around.
O'Neal is a good guy. His step father (who he views as his father) was military, I think. O'Neal has been a vocal supporter of the police for years. He helps kids, and is generally a good guy. I can't remember him ever being anything other than an upstanding guy.
The fish is mute, expressionless. The fish doesn't think because the fish knows everything.
Posts: 53122 | Location: Texas | Registered: February 10, 2004
