You do NOT want the National Guard showing up. Kent State?
that is not a transport vehicle....
you don't need tanks for every disturbance.... but the ones you do.... you need to call in the guard.... not just give cops tanks...
as far as repurposing... absolutely.... give them to the Gaurd
This is not a slight against them, they are the wrong wrong wrong tool. Police aren't "militarized". If anything, the police have gotten far less "militarized" in the past 20 years. Do they have different equipment? Yes.
So if the shit hits the fan, isn't that when an APC should be used?Yeah... I could see that, too. I just hate to think that, under the guise of "parade vehicles" until shit hits the fan, then all of a sudden, those parade vehicles come out for real.
What is the issue with them being used at the riot? Because they are scary? Has anyone seen any Tiananmen Square type stuff? No.
1) They are intimidating looking.
2) The windshield and shit won't be smashed by rocks, and the people inside won't get hurt, which would likely result in force being used against people.
3) It can't get flipped over and burned
4) They're usually free to local governments.
That said, this is not what APC's are designed for. Example: Loonytoon in a shed at the back of his yard is out there with a gun popping random rounds off. Cops needed to get the neighbors out, as he fired several shots at their house, which zipped through the walls of said house which contained a family including a small child. APC was used to drive up, shield the family allowing them to be removed to safety. That's what they are used for on a regular basis.
Maybe this once incident the officer was justified shooting the guy- maybe- but the history of police violence to blacks has been building up- this violence isn't over once incident- it was merely the straw that broke the camel's back... and it was made worse and worse by police brass that just don't get it. From the chief talking about the number of bullets fired to the idiot that decided releasing a video of him robbing a store was to be packaged with the officers name. They are completely separate - release them apart - because it does not matter if he robbed a store or not.
That picture with 6 police in full riot gear with big "assault" rifles all pointed at that single black woman 15+ feet away. WHY? You shouldn't be aiming such weapons at a citizen to begin with, not unless you intend to shoot.
1) So the police can't use mild spin (the video released at the same time of the officer's name) like Rev. Al can?
2) Photo of 6 cops pointing guns at a single black woman (your description, not mine): what was the context? Oh...you don't have any idea so the cops must be wrong.
This isn't oppression. It's lawless savages destroying a city for no valid reason.Cops think they'll oppress the people back into submission- If they can it won't be easy.
Remember all the violence at the pro-gun rallies? No? Because they're wasn't any because they assembled and protested peacefully.
Short sighted... that military equipment are what the police is going to be using to oppress us when Obama tells them to go door to door to confiscate your guns. The police should not have the power to oppress the citizens they are there to protect.
This is why you don't use the national guard.Kind of hard to resist tyranny when the police are the military. It can be done but it wasn't supposed to be like this.
I agree. That's not its designed role however it's better than a Crown Vic or a horse.APC should be used with caution. It's designed to assault quickly and with agility. It's not designed to sit in a spot and control riots. It's designed to go into an area, **** it up and get the fawk out. Don't blow smoke up your own asses.
What should they have done? They "stood there like a lump of shit" but "confronted a mob" but "should have protected the community"?Don't really give a shit about that right now. What I saw from the LEO's was very disappointing, they should have done some protecting, in stead they stood there like a lump of shit and confronted a mob. Again, they should have protected the community. I don't see where that took place.
Explain to me what they should have done.The focus should have been on protecting the community. They didn't do that, they pulled out all of their mil-surp bullshit and confronted a mob with it. Meanwhile tax paying businesses that employ people are looted and now unable to do business. Nothing got solved, just escalated.