So we really ARE talking about scary clothing.
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The problem lies when concerns for officer safety morph into an attitude of "us vs. them" instead of community policing. That's when the MRAPs, ACUs, and face masks become the marks of an occupying force instead of a group of people trying to help their local community.
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Whenever the police develop an "us vs them" attitude, it is a problem. But it's not a function of the clothes they wear. It has happened in the past when cops walked the beat with a night stick and a 38 revolver.
The "marks" of an occupying force are the actual actions of the occupying force and the oppression that ensues. It is not the clothing and gear. And let's bring the conversation back to reality... Any casual study of 20th century history will enlighten us on what TRUE oppression looks like. There are countless examples of authoritarian governments that brutally ruled their people. Talk to an immigrant from Russia, or Croatia, or Nicaragua, or just about any African nation. There is just no way a person can talk about US police as an "occupying force" if they are familiar with true oppression.
So I am sorry that the Cop's scary black clothing frightens and offends some folks. I am sure that my AR-15 frightens and offends some folks too.
Certainly there are examples where the police used tactical gear and weapons when it was unnecessary. Certainly there are examples of the police using absolutely poor judgment. But it is not the gear that is the problem, it is a lack of competence. Competence problems can be solved by selectively firing the poor performers. Don't blame the tools which 99% of cops use appropriately.
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In Afghanistan, we were specifically forbidden from wearing bacalavas, covering our mouths with our ever present Keffiyehs unless the wind or sand was really bad. In dealings with local leaders, we doffed our kevlar. Just saying.
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In Afghanistan, you were dealing with a population that was largely illiterate, tribal, and in many ways primitive. I am not surprised that this population was overly sensitive to appearances. But American Citizens are above that, or they should be...
Jim