Time to DEMAND that our cops give their military hardware to the National Guard

[elehhhhna]

Why not? They've proven they can't handle it.

They WON'T use it when threatened with real weapons (Cliven Bundy) but they sure whip that shit out for peaceful protests.

WTF do we need to do? A peaceful OPEN CARRY DEMONSTRATION against police brutality and militarization?

also, put a GoPro on every cop.

Finally, Ferguson demos need more white people. Can't hurt. I'd be there if I could.

[Dawson Leery]

1. k/r

[LuvNewcastle]

2. I agree with all of that.

I don't understand why there aren't more white people at the protests, either. Although minorities bear the brunt of police brutality, they attack plenty of white people as well. But even if they didn't attack whites, their actions are deplorable, and we all need to stand in solidarity against it.

[LiberalElite]

3. Does any entity but the military really

need military equipment? I dont' know that I'd feel better with the National Guard having that stuff.
P.S. As a white person, I'd be there too if I could - I attended a rally for Abner Louima where there were maybe six caucasians in attendance out of a couple thousand. re: Louima see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abner_Louima
I attended the Louima rally because I grew up during the civil rights struggles (albeit in the Northeast) and it made an impression - I was not raised to be prejudiced. I was at the Louima rally because I believed that it was important that white people be in attendance so they (African Americans) could see we're not all the same.

[randome]

4. There are more than half a million law enforcement agencies in the country. Who is 'our cops'?

Define military hardware. Define which agencies actually need it and which do not.

I agree there has been too much militarization of the police but someone needs to set some definitions. I don't know much about the recent bill in Congress to reduce the hardware given out to local agencies but it's probably a step in the right direction.

However, none of this will stop an unbalanced cop from causing harm or killing someone.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]The truth doesn’t always set you free.
Sometimes it builds a bigger cage around the one you’re already in.[/center][/font][hr]

[Bragi]

5. Maybe it's more than just the equipment

I agree that the military equipment now used in U.S domestic policing is ridiculous, but I'm more concerned about the attitude and the approach to policing that wanting this kit implies. Since when was it thought that serving and protecting American citizens at home involved the same kind of approaches, tactics, etc. as, say, establishing and maintaining a military occupation of a hostile population. That a very badly distorted view, yet it seems to be the dominant one guiding much of current U.S policing practices.

[elehhhhna]

6. they need some serious discipline

[randome]

8. You can't force discipline on unbalanced individuals.

They need to hire only the best and brightest. Like we do for our educational system.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]The truth doesn’t always set you free.
Sometimes it builds a bigger cage around the one you’re already in.[/center][/font][hr]

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

7. Today on MSNBC I heard a guest mention that the money to buy this police military hardware

is often coming from drug asset forfeitures. Apparently under the current law, the police can come in and take your car, your home, your land, and anything else they want on the mere suspicion you are engaged in illegal drug dealing. Apparently, innocent until proven guilty doesn't apply to this area; if you are innocent you have to prove your innocence (instead of the state having to prove your guilt) and many people simply can't finance that kind of affirmative defense.