War Gear Flows to Police Departments (FC)

 http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/09/us/war-gear-flows-to-police-departments.html?hp&_r=0

                 
 The New York Times did a report on local police departments across the nation being armed with military style weapons; this is because of the whining down of the Afghanistan war and the ending of the Iraq war. I came up with two different views of my own, and how I really feel about  the situation. 


                


Point 1. No way is such heavy duty weaponry needed by a police department, unless the police across our nation are declaring war on its citizens. Furthermore, many small town police departments have either minimally-trained or untrained locals in a uniform who haven't a clue about the use of such weapons. Like so many other outmoded or disused weapons of war, they need to be safely destroyed by the military.

Point 2- I don't see the problem if police departments want to recycle unused military gear. Better that it has a second life than it gets turned into scrap metal. Taxpayers should remember that they paid for all this stuff. Plus, you can't expect the bad guys to follow the rules - you have to be prepared for anything. As the saying goes: better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it. Gear is in itself not evil, its just a tool bag. As long as police officers always keep the constitution front and center when they do their jobs, I don't see the harm.

Point 3- While I believe the current intentions of the vast majority of police departments in this country remains to be protect and serve the community, it is impossible not to be alarmed by the rapid armament. While I admit that what I have to say in the coming sentences is purely speculative, I also believe that skepticism now is something so desperately needed in many aspects of the way we are currently conducting ourselves as a society. The amount of special interest money flowing through Washington is incomprehensible. Election to office now goes to the highest bidder. The concentration of wealth to a select small percentage made them have tremendous legislative power. The media in this country is continuing to do a tremendous job of not only keeping the vast majority of the populace uninformed, but also the gross, delusional "political divide". All the while this country evolves into something which I fear will be completely unrecognizable. We need better education. We need the re-introduction of science. We need unity, common ground, rational debate and discussion. We need skepticism, questioning, and analyzing. Who is going to question those in power when faced with tanks, tear gas, and M-16s? MY VIEW