When Did Americans Become the Enemy? New Video Explores Decades Of Police Militarization

[xchrom]

http://www.alternet.org/civil-liberties/when-did-americans-become-enemy-new-video-explores-decades-police-militarization



As the U.S. Senate prepares to hold a hearing Tuesday on the militarization of local police—not just in Ferguson, Missouri, but across America—a short new video from Brave New Films underscores that the problem of trigger-happy, armed-for-warfare cops is more widespread and disturbing than we think.

“Why in the world do police in Ferguson, Missouri, look like this? Why are they driving a $300,000 armored vehicle through the suburbs?” the video asks, in opening scenes taken from television news reports. The narrator goes on to explain that the transformation of departments into combat-ready forces, especially in rural America, is hardly new.

“It’s not just Ferguson. Police are being militarized all through the country,” the narrator says, showing weaponry that have been sent to overseas war zones and then brought back to Main Street. “Does Keene, New Hampshire, population 23,000, also need that ballistic engineered armored response counterattack truck? How about Cullman County, Alabama, population 14,000; Do they need a mine-resistant ambush protected vehicle? Does Montgomery County, Texas sheriff’s department need a $300,000 drone? Why do the Fargo, North Dakota police look more like soldiers fighting overseas?"

“How did local police all over America become hostile military forces?” the narrator continues, before providing the answer. “Because the federal government has been spending billions of dollars making them that way.”

[blkmusclmachine]

1. 9/11. Our corrupt politicians promised 9/11 would "change everything."

[WinkyDink]

2. I'd say ca. 1932, when police shot and killed war veterans:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonus_Army

[FiveGoodMen]

3. On TV cop shows, I think it started in the '70s

Good cop/Bad cop

"Sometimes you have to break the rules..."

blah, blah, blah

One show like that won't change a person, but several years in a row probably does.

[Liberal_in_LA]

4. LAPD in the 80s. lead the nation in developing the SWAT mentality

[marmar]

5. K/R

[Earth_First]

6. It's all part of 'The Plan' nt