General Discussion

markpkessinger

(8,392 posts) Mon Dec 8, 2014, 09:27 PM Dec 2014

Responding to the "If he couldn't breathe, he wouldn't be able to talk" argument

One of the most common arguments I've heard with respect to Eric Garner by those wishing to defend his killers is that if he really couldn't breathe, then he wouldn't have been able to say, "I can't breathe." But this is a bogus argument. As any classically-trained singer can attest, the vocal folds actually require an astonishingly small amount of air to pass through them to be able to produce enough sound to utter a few short words. That doesn't mean one is able to inhale enough air to provide sufficient oxygen for the body's need, particularly since oxygen only comprises about 21% of the air we breathe anyway -- and it's the oxygen, not the other stuff, that the human body requires.

12 replies

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Responding to the "If he couldn't breathe, he wouldn't be able to talk" argument (Original Post) markpkessinger Dec 2014 OP

My response would be - TBF Dec 2014 #1

He was choked to death, the Coroner's report says so. Motown_Johnny Dec 2014 #2

That's a standard response on "Cops." Suich Dec 2014 #3

It's a pointless argument - Was he asphyxiated to death? Yes jberryhill Dec 2014 #4

It's the Tough Love Approach Tsiyu Dec 2014 #5

The argument is "bogus" because he's dead. QED delrem Dec 2014 #6

Of course it is . . . markpkessinger Dec 2014 #8

Isn't this a lot like the Witch trial-by-ordeal? 99th_Monkey Dec 2014 #7

We all know he meant "I'm having a hard time breathing" which comes right before not breathing freeplessinseattle Dec 2014 #9

Yeah... he was only "mostly dead" jberryhill Dec 2014 #10

People having trouble breathing call 911 every damned day. Orsino Dec 2014 #11

Hold your breath and say "I can't breathe" 10 times...but don't LeftinOH Dec 2014 #12

TBF

(32,003 posts)

1. My response would be -

Reply to markpkessinger (Original post)

Mon Dec 8, 2014, 09:29 PM

Dec 2014

Shut up stupid racist.

Motown_Johnny

(22,308 posts)

2. He was choked to death, the Coroner's report says so.

Reply to markpkessinger (Original post)

Mon Dec 8, 2014, 09:31 PM

Dec 2014

Anyone arguing that he could breathe is clearly full of shit.

If he could breathe, he would not have died.

Suich

(10,642 posts)

3. That's a standard response on "Cops."

Reply to markpkessinger (Original post)

Mon Dec 8, 2014, 09:34 PM

Dec 2014

I've heard it a hundred times...person gets tazed, or tackled, then handcuffed. Sometimes they're still face-down on the ground, sometimes they're sitting up. 100% of the time, if they say "I can't breathe," the standard response is, "If you can talk, you can breathe."

jberryhill

(62,444 posts)

4. It's a pointless argument - Was he asphyxiated to death? Yes

Reply to markpkessinger (Original post)

Mon Dec 8, 2014, 09:35 PM

Dec 2014

It blows my mind that people hang up on him saying "I can't breathe" as some sort of argument for... what?

The guy died as a consequence of not being able to breathe. Why anyone wants to debate whether he could or could not breathe when he uttered "I can't breathe" is an exercise in failure to see the forest for the trees.

Tsiyu

(18,186 posts)

5. It's the Tough Love Approach

Reply to jberryhill (Reply #4)

Mon Dec 8, 2014, 09:38 PM

Dec 2014

to being choked to death.

Garner didn't die right. His technique was off, and he will be penalized.

delrem

(9,688 posts)

6. The argument is "bogus" because he's dead. QED

Reply to markpkessinger (Original post)

Mon Dec 8, 2014, 09:51 PM

Dec 2014

markpkessinger

(8,392 posts)

8. Of course it is . . .

Reply to delrem (Reply #6)

Mon Dec 8, 2014, 09:59 PM

Dec 2014

. . I was merely pointing out that irrespective of the outcome, the premise of the argument is faulty.

99th_Monkey

(19,326 posts)

7. Isn't this a lot like the Witch trial-by-ordeal?

Reply to markpkessinger (Original post)

Mon Dec 8, 2014, 09:56 PM

Dec 2014

"In medieval Europe ... trial by ordeal was considered a judicium Dei: a procedure based on the premise that God would help the innocent by performing a miracle on their behalf." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trial_by_ordeal

It also reminds me of the coin-toss pun, "heads I win, tails you lose"