ACLU Launches Nationwide Police Militarization Investigation

[Razgovory]

And that amounts to militarization?

That and the talk of the need to fight the tyranny of the federal government.

[HVC]

I am a Kentucky Colonel.

you make crappy chicken.

[Ed Anger]

I am a Kentucky Colonel.

you make crappy chicken.

Yum brands stole my recipes.

[derspiess]

And that amounts to militarization?

That and the talk of the need to fight the tyranny of the federal government.

Nope, still not militarization.

[Razgovory]

What is "militarization" in your book?

[derspiess]

What is "militarization" in your book?

Organizing and equipping for military action.

[dps]

And that amounts to militarization?

That and the talk of the need to fight the tyranny of the federal government.

Exercising free speech is a component of militarization?  Interesting view.

[DontSayBanana]

Mostly, the local examples that immediately come to mind are Philadelphia (specifically right off Temple campus) and Camden, and I have a hard time faulting the police for militarizing in those areas- they're pretty much literal war zones.  Each one armed itself in the 90s as a response to drug gangs picking up increasingly heavy firepower.

[Martinus]

I love how the Languish m.o. is to deliberately misunderstand/misinterpret what other posters are saying and then come up with idiotic semantic points.

Even if you think that the phenomenon happening among the US civilian populace, mongers was referring to, does not amount to "militarization" but is something else, it is pretty fucking clear what he meant so why don't you fucking address his point (i.e. is the "militarization" of the US police forces an appropriate response to the civilian phenomenon that is real, even if you do not think it is "militarization") and not argue some strawman based on a misinterpretation of his words that is clearly at odds with their intended use.

[Valmy]

Even if you think that the phenomenon mongers was referring to does not amount to "militarization" but is something else, it is pretty fucking clear what he meant so why don't you fucking address his point and not argue some strawmen based on interpretation of his words that is clearly at odds with their intended use.

Ok then.  What is the phenomenon?  Gun violence and gun crime are down, dramatically so in comparison to the 1980s for example.  So what is growing?  And we are talking about literal militarization in the police forces, so using it to mean something besides that is out of context.

And in any case this is not a response to guns in the hands of the American public, it is primarily driven by the drug war.

[Martinus]

He explained this - growing gun ownership, coupled with "we are at war" rhetoric from some quarters of the populace. And while gun violence is down, does it also apply to mass gun violence and gun violence for political reasons?

[Caliga]

I am a Kentucky Colonel.

you make crappy chicken.

You have to go to Claudia Sanders Dinner House in Shelbyville, KY to get the real stuff now.

[Razgovory]

What is "militarization" in your book?

Organizing and equipping for military action.

Oh so like a militia. 

[Valmy]

He explained this - growing gun ownership, coupled with "we are at war" rhetoric from some quarters of the populace. And while gun violence is down, does it also apply to mass gun violence and gun violence for political reasons?

You have an example of political gun violence going on?  I live here, in Texas where supposedly everybody has 50 guns and hates Obama, and I have seen nothing either publicly or privately or statistically to suggest the citizenry is organizing themselves for war against the cops.

But anyway this has nothing to do with what has been going on with the cops, and even if the populace were forming militias to defend themselves from imaginary black helicopters the local cops probably wouldn't have much to do with that. 

But my frustration here is it is not related to the subject at hand.

[derspiess]

What is "militarization" in your book?

Organizing and equipping for military action.

Oh so like a militia. 

Go on.