Release Us!

[twopass]

Sickening, saddening. Why?????????

[Matt J]

Police state. We live in an occupied country but few know the difference.

[freeheelwilly]

Police state. We live in an occupied country but few know the difference.

[twopass]

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/09/us/war-gear-flows-to-police-departments.html?hp&_r=0

[airinwrite]

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/09/us...s.html?hp&_r=0

It's really quite pathetic. At our Apple Blossom parade this year the county sheriff's dept had an entry that included a APC like the one pictured in the NYT article and an MRAP. My 12 yo daughter asked why we needed vehicles like that for police.

[airinwrite]

While I wouldn't call it a police state, there is nothing funny about the militarization of our police forces and the increased use of excessive force and SWAT deployment.

[freeheelwilly]

While I wouldn't call it a police state, there is nothing funny about the militarization of our police forces and the increased use of excessive force and SWAT deployment.

Oh please. What are they supposed to do with the stuff, junk it? This isn't a "story" - it's just something for idiots like twopass and lil' matty to express insincere concern over. It makes them feel like they're important citizen activists, diligently "watching the watchers". Twopass drives a cab. Lil' matty lives in a box - these guys need to spew in order to feel relevant.

As a practical matter, all of this stuff is going to be deteriorated or functionally obsolete before your daughter's eighteenth birthday. Worry about real things, like how you're going to cover her college tuition, not fake "stories" fabricated by the Left Wing media during a slow news cycle.

[airinwrite]

The video was sensationalistic, but at a base level there is truth about the increase in militarization of our police forces. And yes the stuff should be junked. I'm not really worried about these things where I live, but even a 12 yo girls can see the absurdity of a sheriff's dept in rural WA having APCs and MRAPs.

Why do our local police forces need armored cars? Why do the police need SWAT teams to serve warrants on people? These things do make people afraid, it makes people think their world is more dangerous than it is.

[freeheelwilly]

Meh. They'll get over it. This is a serious non-story. And BTW, I can think of plenty of reasons why a local police force may need or at least want an armored vehicle. Actually, there is almost certainly NO TRUTH "about the increase in the militarization" of our police forces. I'm not going to let little dickless wonders like twopass second guess the police on equipment decisions, are you? Do you realize who you're throwing in with? I'm not worried about drones(!!!!!) either. It's all just a bunch of bullsh*t. Stand down.

[Laura]

Meh. They'll get over it. This is a serious non-story. And BTW, I can think of plenty of reasons why a local police force may need or at least want an armored vehicle. Actually, there is almost certainly NO TRUTH "about the increase in the militarization" of our police forces. I'm not going to let little dickless wonders like twopass second guess the police on equipment decisions, are you? Do you realize who you're throwing in with? I'm not worried about drones(!!!!!) either. It's all just a bunch of bullsh*t. Stand down.

[Dostie]

Me thinks Aaron's more right than wrong on this one.

... there is almost certainly NO TRUTH "about the increase in the militarization" of our police forces. ... I'm not worried about drones(!!!!!) either. It's all just a bunch of bullsh*t. Stand down.

Consider this example of A Former Hammer's Lament.

Do you realize who you're throwing in with?

It's why I don't ascribe to labels, especially w.r.t. politically left or right.

BTW - nice imagery Laura.

[freeheelwilly]

What does any of that have to do with surplus military equipment? Honestly, I already know that there are few of you in here that think the "Guv'mint" is out to get you. This is where the Far Left and the Far Right reach alllllllll the way around the back and shake hands. The truth is much more pedestrian - nobody's watching you and nobody wants to kick down your door. You're just not that interesting.

[MattB]

Yeah, if some wanted to hear me criticize the current administration for something it's for letting stuff like this continue relatively unchecked.

The companies that make weapons and military equipment as well and the private prison industry have a lot of money to make from militarized police and making criminals out of as much of the population as possible. Those companies are also often the ones benefiting the most from unlimited anonymous campaign contributions and shady Super PACs spreading misinformation. The system is broken. I hope someone with the balls to truly fix this stuff can get themselves elected, but I'm not counting on it.

[Laura]

I'm not worried about drones(!!!!!) either. It's all just a bunch of bullsh*t. Stand down.

The truth is much more pedestrian - nobody's watching you and nobody wants to kick down your door. You're just not that interesting.

So if you're not that interesting, than you wouldn't object to being chipped. Am I right Mr. I-Don't-Question-Authority FHW?

[freeheelwilly]

So if you're not that interesting, than you wouldn't object to being chipped. Am I right Mr. I-Don't-Question-Authority FHW?

Where do you come up with this crap? Who's proposing to "chip" people? Are you all so bored with your dreary, mundane little lives that you need to think that all of this nefarious crap is going on?