When residents took to the streets to protest the recent killing of unarmed 18-year-old Michael Brown by local police in the small town of Ferguson, Missouri, we get a clear look at today’s law enforcement – not exactly persons you would feel comfortable calling should you need to be protected or served.
Instead of showing up to help serve citizens exercising their rights to protest against an injustice, these law enforcement officers show up in full military gear, flaunting an ‘us vs them’ mentality.
This is the new USA.
“Why do these cops need MARPAT camo pants again,” I asked on Twitter this morning. One of the most interesting responses came from a follower who says he served in the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division: “We rolled lighter than that in an actual warzone,” writes Paul Szoldra from Business Insider, who wrote an penned an article questioning the recent change in our law enforcement.
There can be no doubt that American citizens are the new ‘insurgents’. The state is obviously preparing for a coming event. Are you aware of this? Are you prepared?
We looked intimidating, but all of our vehicles and equipment had a clear purpose for combat against enemy forces. So why is this same gear being used on our city streets?
On Saturday, a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, shot and killed 18-year-old Michael Brown, an unarmed black man. In the days that have followed, the town with a population of about 21,000 has seen massive protests in response to the shooting, as some witnesses said Brown had his hands up when he was killed.
Putting aside what started the protests for a moment, it’s worth discussing the police response to the outrage. In photos taken Monday, we are shown a heavily armed SWAT team.
They have short-barreled 5.56-mm rifles based on the military M4 carbine, with scopes that can accurately hit a target out to 500 meters. On their side they carry pistols. On their front, over their body armor, they carry at least four to six extra magazines, loaded with 30 rounds each.
AP Photo/Jeff Roberson
Police officers try to disperse a crowd Monday in Ferguson, Missouri.
Their uniform would be mistaken for a soldier’s if it weren’t for their “Police” patches. They wear green tops, and pants fashioned after the U.S. Marine Corps MARPAT camouflage pattern. And they stand in front of a massive uparmored truck called a Bearcat, similar in look to a mine-resistant ambush protected vehicle, or as the troops who rode in them call it, the MRAP.
When did this become OK? When did “protect and serve” turn into “us versus them”?
“Why do these cops need MARPAT camo pants again,” I asked on Twitter this morning. One of the most interesting responses came from a follower who says he served in the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division: “We rolled lighter than that in an actual warzone.”
AP/Jeff Roberson
The police point their weapons at a car as it pulls away after tear gas was used by authorities Monday in Ferguson, Missouri.
Let’s be clear: This is not a war zone — even if the FAA banned flights under 3,000 feet. This is a city outside of St. Louis where people on both sides are angry. Protesters have looted and torched a gas station, and shots were fired at police, according to The Washington Post.
The scene is tense, but the presence of what looks like a military force doesn’t seem to be helping.
“Bring it. You fucking animals, bring it,” one police officer was caught on video telling protesters. In Ferguson and beyond, it seems that some police officers have shed the blue uniform and have put on the uniform and gear of the military, bringing the attitude along with it.
Matt Ford, the social-media editor at The Atlantic, summed it up well:
And here’s journalist Radley Balko, author of “Rise of the Warrior Cop“:
In Afghanistan, we patrolled in big, armored trucks. We wore uniforms that conveyed the message, “We are a military force, and we are in control right now.” Many Afghans saw us as occupiers.
And now we see some of our police officers in this same way. “The militarization of law enforcement is counter-productive to domestic policing and needs to stop,” tweeted Andrew Exum, a former Army infantry officer.
If there’s one thing I learned in Afghanistan, it’s this: You can’t win a person’s heart and mind when you are pointing a rifle at his or her chest.
The Police wouldn’t have to do this if the people demonstrated peacefully, but they use any excuse to loot. They are looting and destroying things that belong to innocent people. The criminals are getting more powerful weapons and the police need to stay ahead of the criminals.
This is why Martial Law is coming!!!
Show us a picture of the Protesters, as they might have been dressed the same way.
Stupid, they look ridiculous and real troops don’t wear that much tactical gear. It would slow them down, maybe they have to learn the hard way!
This is not acceptable for this to happen instead of serve and protect its becoming us agains them if taxes and ownership of our property keep going like it is this will become more n more common
you started out by saying ‘When residents took to the streets’. Please understand, as someone who lives about 35 miles away, we have been totally SHOCKED to find out that it is not only the residents who are doing the protesting it is OUTSIDERS. The residents have been protesting peaceable for the most part. But we are having people from chicago, an out of town muslim group, and others come and attempt to stir things up. There has been lots of gunfire by these thugs and the police have HAD to amp things up with snipers, SWAT trucks, etc to protect themselves and the residents. The police ask everyone to protest peaceably during the day, but come 9 pm they are giving everyone warning that they need to go home – this is to prevent the looting and fires that happened the first night. Come 9 pm, after they have repeatedly told people to disperse and go home, anyone still there is subject to tear gas and arrest, which the police have had to do. I am seeing the mainstream press trying to stir things up by interviewing the people who have refused to leave and making them look victimized by the police. I stand with the police, and, despite the fact that they have people spitting on them, cussing them, shooting at the, throwing bricks at them, they are doing an outstanding job.
if you call for help they shoot you
This is what is taking place all over the Nation because of the obama administrations either input or instructors or something. Congress is trying to stop this massive swat team in agencies like Homeland Security, police departments…. that should not be armed like this. The National Guard, the military are the only ones who should be dressed like this with the weapons and amo, not agencies who are NOT used to protect this Nation. We don’t want this to continue and the US to become a police state, no reason for it. The amo and so on bought up, shortages for American Citizens is anti-American. Something is very wrong here and we need to go back. This stuff should be ready and avaible for emergencies, like ISIS and other terrorists that many of us fear because of the president’s unwillingness to secure our borders, enforce the laws, Constitution, Bill of Rights…. and refuses to assist other countries when asked to (millions and millions have died due to his refusal to lead) and cutting back our military forces to make us weak and unable to defend our Nation and others if needed like right now. Of course, he has caused our Nation to decline economically so that has weaked us also. The underlying problems like this unrest is because of all the problems have been thousands of times greater than any time in history. This is a dangerous time and this mob may have not needed the riot/swat team gear or maybe they did. They are concerned because the Panthers have or are traveling to that area, not good at all.
Teresa Whitmore…… This coming from somebody that has allowed thier state to be invaded by illegals? Come on up here to Detroit and then run your mouth about a city you know nothing about.
Teresa Whitmore, you are a racist.