The most shocking part of the stories out of Ferguson is the photos and realization that the Ferguson and state police are armed to the teeth. If this doesn’t seem like an overreaction to the situation at hand I don’t know what does. Most telling is the fact that the law enforcement in the state feel like they need to bring out all of their “war toys”.
Since 1997 the DoD has been shuffling through the Department of Homeland Security all of their excess hardware such as armored vehicles, assault weapons and even helicopters. So is it any wonder that the cops are now acting like the military? And how far do we need to go before losing our liberty is more important than our perceived security? I know if I live in Ferguson, MO I don’t feel real secure right now and it’s not because of the people looting and robbing although that is a story unto itself, it’s because the police seem to be violating every Constitutional right on the books.
If you look in to the 1033 Program which is what the purveyance of the military grade equipment is called you find that every state in the “union” has been given weapons of some sort. The New York Times did a great job with an interactive map showing you who got what. And yes I said given. Although one must assume it is up to the departments to pay for upkeep of such weapons of mass destruction as grenade launchers and mine deflecting vehicles. Los Angeles County alone received from the 1033 program,
3,408 assault rifles,
1,696 pieces of body armor,
827 pieces of night vision equipment,
44 Pistols,
15 helicopters, Fifteen, one five, helicopters!!!
4 Other vehicles, who knows what that means
3 mine resistant vehicles, is there much call for that in LA?
And last but not least- 1 plane.
And a partridge in a pear tree. Really?
We know that Los Angles is a sanctuary city with Special Order 40 being their policy, which is the illegal alien catch and release program so why are they armed for war?
I don’t know about you all but I am far from feeling safe, I am terrified that the very people who believe my civil , Constitutional and inalienable rights mean nothing are armed unlike even the Taliban.
Why have we allowed this to go unnoticed until Ferguson? Well, I guess they are test driving the equipment now on the citizens of Ferguson who are doing nothing more than executing their 1st Amendment Rights. And I mean those that are peacefully assembling and bringing grievances to their elected. The response by the law enforcement and Governor are to turn weapons of war on the citizens? We have a bigger problem than we thought.
While watching the movie Braveheart one night , one scene got my attention, its where the English lord slits the throat of the William Wallace’s wife , but before he does he talks about how they have all lived together in relative peace and harmony and then he kills the woman. Is this where we are in the country, in “relative peace and harmony” but not real peace and harmony? After all the law enforcement and those that have signed off on the militarization of our police forces and others seem to be about to slit our throats, relatively speaking.
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