The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - The Militarization of Police...A good thing?

Madcap_Magician · July 3, 2014, 09:20 AM

On the unrelated topic- the A-10s being retired and surplused out is a Damn Shame, and one I think we will come to regret when we finally realize that the F-35 cannot do the same thing.

I want to separate this militarization-of-the-police thing into two separate categories.

If you want to argue about military-style tactics being used by law enforcement, then feel free. I'm not going to participate in that argument anymore.

But I think it's pretty dumb to argue about military-style equipment being used by law enforcement agencies.

Those arguments typically go like this:

Poster 1: "Why do the police need body armor, military-style assault rifles, and armored Humvees? Nobody needs that stuff! If they get military-style equipment, they'll start acting like soldiers!"

That SAME poster will find no cognitive dissonance in posting in another thread:

Poster 1: "Michael Bloomberg has no right to tell me what kind of rifle I need RAWR the difference between an AR-15 and a Mini-14 is only cosmetic anyway military-style assault rifle is a made-up term by rabid Communist antigunners RAAAAAAAAGE my AK-47 has never killed anybody my modern sporting rifles don't make me some frothing mercenary commando killer WHIIIINE."

Seriously.

Is there military equipment for which there is no law enforcement use? Sure. But 99.9% of what gets surplused out from DoD to local law enforcement agencies has a valid law enforcement purpose. Why are the same people who complain about their guns being judged solely on their cosmetic appearance moaning about police using equipment that differs from non-military law enforcement equipment solely by provenance and cosmetic appearance?

Will you see armored Humvees on patrol in your neighborhood? I doubt it. For one, they accelerate like dying cows, and I've never been able to get one to go much more than 60 mph even with my foot mashed on the accelerator.

Did your local PD get a surplus UH-1? So what? They'll find they don't have the funds or expertise to maintain it, and it'll become a relatively minor example of government waste and inefficiency, not the first step to the blue-helmeted jackboots going door to door asking for your papers.

July 3, 2014, 09:20 AM	#92
Madcap_Magician Senior Member Join Date: August 13, 2009 Location: MN Posts: 668	On the unrelated topic- the A-10s being retired and surplused out is a Damn Shame, and one I think we will come to regret when we finally realize that the F-35 cannot do the same thing. I want to separate this militarization-of-the-police thing into two separate categories. If you want to argue about military-style tactics being used by law enforcement, then feel free. I'm not going to participate in that argument anymore. But I think it's pretty dumb to argue about military-style equipment being used by law enforcement agencies. Those arguments typically go like this: Poster 1: "Why do the police need body armor, military-style assault rifles, and armored Humvees? Nobody needs that stuff! If they get military-style equipment, they'll start acting like soldiers!" That SAME poster will find no cognitive dissonance in posting in another thread: Poster 1: "Michael Bloomberg has no right to tell me what kind of rifle I need RAWR the difference between an AR-15 and a Mini-14 is only cosmetic anyway military-style assault rifle is a made-up term by rabid Communist antigunners RAAAAAAAAGE my AK-47 has never killed anybody my modern sporting rifles don't make me some frothing mercenary commando killer WHIIIINE." Seriously. Is there military equipment for which there is no law enforcement use? Sure. But 99.9% of what gets surplused out from DoD to local law enforcement agencies has a valid law enforcement purpose. Why are the same people who complain about their guns being judged solely on their cosmetic appearance moaning about police using equipment that differs from non-military law enforcement equipment solely by provenance and cosmetic appearance? Will you see armored Humvees on patrol in your neighborhood? I doubt it. For one, they accelerate like dying cows, and I've never been able to get one to go much more than 60 mph even with my foot mashed on the accelerator. Did your local PD get a surplus UH-1? So what? They'll find they don't have the funds or expertise to maintain it, and it'll become a relatively minor example of government waste and inefficiency, not the first step to the blue-helmeted jackboots going door to door asking for your papers.