Thursday, January 17, 2008

The Militarization of Mayberry

When you dress like a soldier, carry the same equipment as a soldier, talk like a soldier, train like a soldier (and in many cases, alongside a soldier), and you're told that you're fighting a war, then sooner or later you'll feel like a soldier, and then you'll start acting like one.

The problem with that is that the mission of the soldier and that of the cop are fundamentally incompatible. The soldier is there to kill the enemy and break his stuff. The cop is there to impartially enforce the law with the least amount of force necessary for the job.


From Marko

Update from the comments:
[M]ore people need to speak out against such police tactics, or they will continue with the implied consent of the citizenry.

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