Today's LEO's seem to forget that they too are ordinary citizens that need to follow the law, no matter how silly, unfortunately, we live in this brave new world where Homeland Security has twisted their minds and provided them with the means and attitude that they are all paramilitary forces.
True to a degree, and all too often. I've lived long enough to have accumulated some stories about this, but won't drag them out here. There definitely needs to be more attention on the constitutionality of police operations. All too often, department policy and custom evolves into "the law" as it is actually practiced on the street. Not good, for all involved.
Its just the gradual militarization of the police brought to you by the war on some drugs , the war on terror, and the fun of playing Ninja soldier with cool toys bought by federal grants.
You see most police departments dont need a swat team but maybe once in 10 years or so. But they spend lots of money on the training and equipment.
The bean counters ask how often to you really need SWAT? The answer everyday so we can serve ordinary warrants. Thats how you keep the funding and all the cool toys...
Besides many of our fellow Americans love living in a police state:
Here is a train ninja at my local train station, and the SS asking for a passengers papers:
I remember a time when there weren't cops and security guards in schools and malls, because they weren't needed. I remember a time when foreign terrorists weren't blowing up our buildings and people, or planes, or trains, or anything else. I remember when an event like Charles Whitman climbing up in a tower and sniping dozens of people was an astounding, incredible event that tied up TV for days on end.
Today, it's just another school massacre, just another mall massacre, just another church massacre, just another post office massacre, just another loony spraying bullets around his neighborhood. Ho hum, business as usual. Who's going to deal with all that? You?
Then there's the
thousands of suicide bombers and commandos from sand land, and their activities aren't confined to sand land. They're all over the world blowing up folks who are only guilty of being Different From Them, guilty of Being Infidel On A Sunny Day. Who's going to deal with them? You?
In this country we've escaped the worst of it so far, only had several thousand murdered by terrorists, only lost a few billion dollars worth of property. Why do you think that is? Maybe, just maybe, it's because there's a lot of people with uniforms and badges eyeballing folks and occasionally checking out suspicious packages and behavior.
I agree it is ashamed the policeman got killed, but using no-knock tactics on a 100 pound guy with no criminal record seems excessive and shows a serious lack of judgement on their part.
Probably. Most likely a serious lack of judgment on their part.
This appears to be a case where the thrill of humiliating another human being got the best of law enforcement.
Bull****.
I think SWAT teams should be completely disbanded. They are of no value in a free society.
Man oh man. How to even begin ......
cut & paste
I remember a time when there weren't cops and security guards in schools and malls, because they weren't needed. I remember a time when foreign terrorists weren't blowing up our buildings and people, or planes, or trains, or anything else. I remember when an event like Charles Whitman climbing up in a tower and sniping dozens of people was an astounding, incredible event that tied up TV for days on end.
Today, it's just another school massacre, just another mall massacre, just another church massacre, just another post office massacre, just another loony spraying bullets around his neighborhood. Ho hum, business as usual.
Who's going to deal with all that? You?
Then there's the
thousands of suicide bombers and commandos from sand land, and their activities aren't confined to sand land. They're all over the world blowing up folks who are only guilty of being Different From Them, guilty of Being Infidel On A Sunny Day.
Who's going to deal with them? You?
In this country we've escaped the worst of it so far, only had several thousand murdered by terrorists, only lost a few billion dollars worth of property. Why do you think that is? Maybe, just maybe, it's because there's a lot of people with uniforms and badges eyeballing folks and occasionally checking out suspicious packages and behavior.
