Maybe it's hard for some of the younger folks to appreciate how far back this problem goes, and how deeply engrained the problem has become.
I was in high school during Wounded Knee but remember my sense of shock with that and with the Philadelphia Police Department's assault on the MOVE compound in 1985, and I remember thinking that the development of SWAT teams (these began in the 1960s, grew through the 1970s) was very concerning.
Some members of this community have claimed that the militarization of local agencies is a result of the 1997 North Hollywood Bank of America shootout.
No, I'm afraid it goes back much further than that and it's a far deeper problem that will take considerable effort to cure.
Thanks for the education and wisdom.
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