America's Police Problem Started Decades Ago
by Laissez Faire
Sometimes you just don't want to tell the rest of the world, "I told you so."
If you've been worried about the militarization of the police departments across the country, then you're probably not surprised about the police response in Ferguson, MO. Unless you've been living in a cave for the last ten days, then you already know what's going on. Protests and riots have broken out in the St. Louis suburb over the killing of an unarmed teenager.
What happened that day is still up for debate. There are a lot of rumors and reports being thrown around from both sides, but we're not going to bother with them right now. What you should focus on, however, is how the police responded.
Remember in the months following the tragedy in Newtown, CT? President Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and all the other gun grabbers in Congress started a crusade to get dangerous (looking) guns out of the hands of Americans.
Speaking in front of a packed room of reporters, the president said, "Weapons designed for the theater of war have no place in a movie theater." He was referring to the Aurora shooting.
If he's really worried about these weapons of war, the maybe someone should show him some photos of what's going on at ground zero. What's the first thing that pops into your head when you look at this picture:
Source: Jeff Roberson/Associated Press
Photograph: Scott Olson/Getty
Sadly, the St. Louis Police Department isn't the exception to the rule. For close to three decades now, law enforcements are scooping up whatever surplus military equipment or guns they can find. The end result, the guys who patrol the streets in America are just as armed as the guys who patrolled the streets in Iraq.
But there's a difference. In the military, they're trained not to point guns at civilians unless directly threatened. If you've been watching the protests on TV, then you already know the guys keeping the peace haven't had the same training.
One police officer with one of those "weapons designed for the theater of war" was filmed pointing it directly at peaceful protesters. When they told the officer to put his gun down, his reply was curt and to the point: "I'll f***ing kill you."
Seriously.
When they asked for his name and badge number, he responded with even more profanity.
Your tax dollars at work... and yes, that's not an exaggeration. Most of the equipment they're using was once bought and paid with taxes by the federal government, then handed over to your local law enforcement.
Negative sentiment towards police is boiling over all across the country. Last month, a man in New York died after an altercation with police over loose untaxed cigarettes. Before that, a Georgia SWAT team threw a flash bang into the crib of a sleeping 19-month old baby.
And then there's this little gem by Sanil Dutta, a professor of homeland security and a Los Angeles police officer of 17 years. In an article published in The Washington Post, he gives you some free advice on how to survive your next altercation with the police. He writes:
"Even though it might sound harsh and impolitic, here is the bottom line: if you don't want to get shot, tased, pepper-sprayed, struck with a baton or thrown to the ground, just do what I tell you. Don't argue with me, don't call me names, don't tell me that I can't stop you, don't say I'm a racist pig, don't threaten that you'll sue me and take away my badge. Don't scream at me that you pay my salary, and don't even think of aggressively walking towards me..." (emphasis added).
Seriously, police departments have tanks now.
Photo by: Bilgin Sasmaz/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
It's a good thing gun grabbers are working hard to remove this military equipment out of Americans… right?