The Militarization of American Police By Steven Greenhut

[Joanne98]

Steven Greenhut ([e-mail]) is senior editorial writer and a columnist for the Orange County Register in Santa Ana, California.

In the summer of 2006 a frail, troubled 18-year-old girl named Ashley MacDonald ran through a nearly empty Huntington Beach, California, city park in the early morning holding a small knife. An onlooker called the police and soon two large male officers showed up. They shot the girl to death with 18 bullets, claiming she had lunged toward them and put their lives in danger. It was just another day for law enforcement in suburban Orange County, where—despite low crime rates—police have become increasingly aggressive and militaristic.

The MacDonald killing sparked an unusual amount of public outrage. This shooting, in particular, was hard to grasp. An empty park and a tiny teenager hardly make for a life-threatening situation for the officers. Couldn’t they just have backed away and used nonlethal alternatives such as pepper spray? The police admitted that they were readying a beanbag gun in the parking lot when the officers claimed that “time ran out.”

Angry that anyone would question their “split-second decisions,” the law enforcement “community” said it was wrong to jump to conclusions before the details of the investigation were complete. The sheriff defended the police publicly before any investigation even started, so he apparently was jumping to conclusions, but never mind. The consensus: calm down and wait for the department to see what happened.

…continued
http://dandelionsalad.wordpress.com/2008/05/17/the-militarization-of-american-police-by-steven-greenhut/

The thugs are going to make judges an issue again this year. We need to 'brand' their judges as 'police state'. The Libertarians hate the police state and we could cause a divide in their party by bringing this up. Just a thought.

[virginia mountainman]

1. YEP...Thank god for the 2nd Amendment.. N/T

[Chulanowa]

3. That always makes me laugh

Whenever I hear a right-winger claim that they need the 2nd amendment to protect them from the government. They honestly, truly think that their handguns and hunting rifles and shooting range practice are going to stand up in a fight against military-grade weaponry and training.

Funny thing is, with the same breath, they deny military abuse and police brutality even exist.

The bottom line is that the police forces of America are nothing but the wealthiest, most organized gang in the country, funded by taxpayer money to kill, mangle, and terrorize taxpayers, falsify evidence, and reap the rewards of confiscated property.

[Doctor_J]

5. Yes, and the world's loosest gun laws haven't done a damn thing

to protect us from fascist takeover. when are the armed-to-the-teeth "patriots" going to do something about the galloping police state?

[rdenney]

8. The second amendment means nothing to gun owners. They prance around telling us that the 2nd ...

amendment gave them the right to overthrow tyranny, but most of them are rethuglycan police supporters who get down on their knees to spend their money to get a concealed carry permit to pack their guns around.......from the police !

Cowards, each and every one of them. :puke:

[matt007]

14. I still havent heard one say how they intend to overthrow tyranny

or protect themselves from a " evil govt" . They make it sound like they will make some glorious stand against a swat team or something. Its pigheaded.

[Zodiak]

2. I do not trust cops

Sad, but in my experiences, that has become inescapable conclusion.

I know a few good cops, so if I need one, I'll call them.

[rdenney]

10. Nor should you. n/t

[matt007]

16. I'm a good judge of character

you can tell when you have a good cop. If you are pulled over on a lonely stretch of highway for five miles over and a seatbelt what you have is a petty asshole.

[colonel odis]

4. the friendly, avuncular neighborhood cop who knew the community has been replaced

by the steroid-taking, weight-lifting, head-shaving, wraparound-wearing thug who watched too many reruns of SWAT growing up.

[matt007]

6. Its Ironic

Suburb cops are militarized pumped up and trigger happy for the most part. City cops do more than be bored all day and write speeding tickets.

City cops come off as more professional acting. I see some suburb/rural cops and i just thing " god damn" wtf?

[rdenney]

9. I have observed the same behaviors. I find it odd that the taxpayers put up with these police ....

officers, but I guess that they are too scared to do or say anything.

Todays police are like a pack of wolves, yet not a thing is said or done about it.

[matt007]

12. Police..

Police in major cities just deal with REAL crime. Violent crime, hard drugs etc. Suburb/rural cops are overcompensating and seem so gung- ho about everything. As a general rule of thumb, the more dense the population the more professional the cops will be.

Other than setting up speed traps i dont know what rural/suburb cops do besides burning gas in their V8's

[rdenney]

13. Pull drivers over for minor infractions has been my observation. How much longer will the taxpayers

drive those big V8 Crown Victoria's at 10 miles per gallon, just to give out seat belt tickets?

Most Americans are sheep and the cops and criminals are the wolves who fleece them. :-(

[matt007]

15. Nothing is worse than a bored suburb/rural cop

[rdenney]

11. SWAT teams would be banned if this were still a free country, IMO.

I cant imagine anyone from the WW II generation being transported through time from the 1940's to present day America.

They would have thought the Nazi's had won the war !!!

[CanonRay]

7. "Police State Judges" I like that...

Scalia, Thomas, Alito, etc.