Why do Ferguson’s police officers look like soldiers?

[ivwshane]

http://www.factcheck.org/2008/11/obamas-national-security-force/
Foreign service is definitely a code name for saint louis county sheriff department. You just gotta read between the lines. Like stewox does.

He was talking about expanding the Peace Corps and Americorps, not militarized police forces. Here, let's take a look at the entire speech in context:



No one reading the entirety of that would assume that Obama meant "militarize the police."

-EDIT- BEATEN BY THEB! DAMN YOU!

We cannot continue to rely only on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives that we've set. We've got to have a civilian national security force that's just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded. - Barack Obama

Many of you voted for this - twice. And given the opportunity, I'm sure you'd vote for it again.

Oops! Looks like someone got bitch slapped! Lol! Keep reading those right wing sources dumb ass!

 

[CZroe]

Lol! Do you find black people scary? The reporter/photographer who took those pictures didn't but I guess reporters/photographers aren't bitches😉

Between the two groups, reporters and police, one was the direct target of the rioters' aggression. Don't delude yourself into thinking you have a point.

Where is the message saying "the only good reporter is a dead reporter?"

 

[bradly1101]

No, we were warned in 1961 by Eisenhower, big brother would be the next step😉

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8y06NSBBRtY

Yes we had multiple warnings which no one seemed to heed. The intersection of "we can be easily terrorized" and "profit at all costs" produces trouble beyond belief.

I still think this militarization is partly due to the fact that there are 200+ million guns in this country, many in the hands of unstable, irrational people. Reacting to fear with weaponry is what we do best.

 

[hal2kilo]

Yes we had multiple warnings which no one seemed to heed. The intersection of "we can be easily terrorized" and "profit at all costs" produces trouble beyond belief.

I still think this militarization is partly due to the fact that there are 200+ million guns in this country, many in the hands of unstable, irrational people. Reacting to fear with weaponry is what we do best.

I wonder why it's illegal to do a study to find out why that is?

 

[Babbles]

Here is another link of comparisons between the police response and the US military:

Ferguson or Iraq? Photos Unmask the Militarization of America's Police

I think in several cases the combat military troops look less aggressive.

 

[bradly1101]

I don't know if this has been mentioned, but the government gives cities the cost of an MRAP as a grant, and 100% of the time that grant is used to 'buy' an MRAP.

Also 20% of returning vets apply for law enforcement jobs, so there are ex-soldiers to man the hardware. Is the militarization partly due to more military men in the police?

That hardware means a lot of money to a lot of people (from congress to contractors to local municipalities), and no one's going to give that up. So I think we should expect a lot more of this.

To all this my brother's girlfriend would roll her eyes and say, "Boys and their toys..."

 

[ivwshane]

Between the two groups, reporters and police, one was the direct target of the rioters' aggression. Don't delude yourself into thinking you have a point.

Where is the message saying "the only good reporter is a dead reporter?"

The police were targeted? I'm calling bullshit.

 

[Fenixgoon]

Yes we had multiple warnings which no one seemed to heed. The intersection of "we can be easily terrorized" and "profit at all costs" produces trouble beyond belief.

I still think this militarization is partly due to the fact that there are 200+ million guns in this country, many in the hands of unstable, irrational people. Reacting to fear with weaponry is what we do best.

define "many"

let's assume every firearm death is the result of an "unstable person with a gun"

that's 33,000 out of 200,000,000 or 0.0165%. that's an incredibly low rate of "instability".

so 16 out of every 100,000 people you meet might be off kilter in some horrible way.

 

[CZroe]

The police were targeted? I'm calling bullshit.

Did you COMPLETELY IGNORE the image that said "the only good cop is a dead cop?" Are you even pretending that the crouds were not upset with the police SPECIFICALLY? There is just no excuse for that level of ignorance. This isn't even a debate. Did you reply in your sleep or something?! I am disgusted.


News flash: They weren't mad at QuikTrip.

 

[cubby1223]

The police were targeted? I'm calling bullshit.

If you say the police were not targeted by those who used this opportunity to commit violence, then there is every reason to believe all that scary looking equipment did its primary job of protecting the officers from being targeted.

 

[Thebobo]

Did you COMPLETELY IGNORE the image that said "the only good cop is a dead cop?" Are you even pretending that the crouds were not upset with the police SPECIFICALLY? There is just no excuse for that level of ignorance. This isn't even a debate. Did you reply in your sleep or something?! I am disgusted.

News flash: They weren't mad at QuikTrip.

So one guys ramblings on a wall reflect what everyone is thinking?

 

[Pocatello]

So one guys ramblings on a wall reflect what everyone is thinking?

Not everyone, but many people would agree with him.

 

[CZroe]

So one guys ramblings on a wall reflect what everyone is thinking?

So, they weren't upset with the police at all then. You really made your case. Congratulations!

Even the rioters who were just taking advantage of the situation are STILL in conflict with the police because *gasp* what they are doing is flagrantly illegal!

 

[schneiderguy]

Do you have brain damage?

That's the only explanation I can think of.

As far as I can tell, his line of reasoning is this:

"For those that own guns because they fear an oppressive government, you don't need to own these guns because your government is oppressive."

 

[bradly1101]

define "many"

let's assume every firearm death is the result of an "unstable person with a gun"

that's 33,000 out of 200,000,000 or 0.0165%. that's an incredibly low rate of "instability".

so 16 out of every 100,000 people you meet might be off kilter in some horrible way.

If you ask anyone in law enforcement (I've seen and read many interviews on this), the reason they militarized was because they've been outgunned before.

So you think this has nothing to do with the 'American gun culture'?

 

[CZroe]

If you ask anyone in law enforcement (I've seen and read many interviews on this), the reason they militarized was because they've been outgunned before.

So you think this has nothing to do with the 'American gun culture'?

That's still reaching. "Outgunned" by foreign drug cartels, "outgunned" by foreign terrorists (a major reason), etc. Heck, they were "outgunned" when Machine-gun Kelly was running around, so why didn't it start then?

 

[ivwshane]

So one guys ramblings on a wall reflect what everyone is thinking?

Apparently a sign is all it takes. I'll remember that the next time the right wing hate machine marches.

 

[ivwshane]

So, they weren't upset with the police at all then. You really made your case. Congratulations!

Even the rioters who were just taking advantage of the situation are STILL in conflict with the police because *gasp* what they are doing is flagrantly illegal!

So being upset and frustrated now equals targeting? Hmm...I guess I need to pick up one of those nutter dictionaries.

 

[ivwshane]

If you say the police were not targeted by those who used this opportunity to commit violence, then there is every reason to believe all that scary looking equipment did its primary job of protecting the officers from being targeted.

Gotta love the circular logic!


Brown just robbed a store but the officer didn't know that, but it's ok that he shot him because he just robbed a store!

 

[CZroe]

Gotta love the circular logic!


Brown just robbed a store but the officer didn't know that, but it's ok that he shot him because he just robbed a store!

That's not what they were saying. They are saying that Brown was likely to act unexpectedly in the context of the situation the officer was familiar with, like struggling for the officer's weapon, which happened.

 

[CZroe]

So being upset and frustrated now equals targeting? Hmm...I guess I need to pick up one of those nutter dictionaries.

The rioters were upset with the police. The police were the target of their displeasure. Get it? They had to take out their aggression on other things but it was a direct response to their displeasure with the police. It's infantile to argue that ANY of the rioters were upset at anyone else instead of the police.

 

[bradly1101]

The police feel that they need to be better armed than civilians. That's logical. So the more you arm the citizenry, the more you must arm the constabulary.

Do you not see how promoting gun ownership here caused this? The NRA's Wayne LaPierre said, "The only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun." They are laughing all the way to the bank as the manufacturers they represent (and are in the pockets of) get to sell to both sides. The more one has, the more the other will need. Sales!!!

Americans are so easily duped.

 

[schneiderguy]

The police feel that they need to be better armed than civilians. That's logical.

It's logical for police to feel that they need to be better armed than civilians, but not logical for civilians to feel they need to be be better armed than criminals?

All police need to be armed with is a double barreled shotgun. They can fire a blast to scare away the criminals.

 

[bradly1101]

One causes the other, therefore I believe it's hypocritical and illogical to be 'pro-gun' and 'anti-militarization'.

 

[Sattern]

When my brother bought an iPhone from a Facebook Group and tried to sell it the cops showed up to my door thinking they can just openly force you to respond.

I waited like 20 minutes before waking my brother up to see if he'd leave but he was still standing there.

After my brother told the cop he mistakenly bought stolen goods, the cop didn't believe him so I got involved and said everything in my yard was bought online through groups and Craigslist deals.

It's surprising they can make false claims against you.

I don't like where they are going with their brigades, but I have never and will never trust any government entity.