Thanks for the personal attack!!! :bigtup: (Super professional!)
I agree with the above statement, the problem is it isn’t just certain situations that force is being brought out for; it’s being brought out for everything! Bring a bigger bat to the fight than your opponent and subdue them with force; when it used to be have the bigger stick ready, but talk the situations down and keep them from escalating instead of having to show the bigger stick.
Low level pot dealer that maybe has 1 oz and no history of violence and no known weapons and known children in the house - bring a tank, full body armor, and 20 SWAT officers all with assault weapons and shotguns; then throw a flash-bang into a baby’s crib! That’s not overkill at all!
Now if it was high-level offender with a history of violence, gang member, and known weapons, sure bring everything.
I’ve come to notice most things in life are cyclical…social volatility leads to more social volatility, violence begets more violence etc… Understanding this does not permit us to conclude the opposite of more will be none, that would be utopian. Will a decrease in violent acts eventually lead to the absence of violence, almost certainly not. But will an increase in violent acts entice further violence, I’d have to say most certainly.
Much of our 'Murican problem can be tied to the distrust of fellow citizens, everyone is suspect. The media and powers that be have done a great job dividing us into polarizing groups, we are an overly dichotomic society. Black/White, Republican/Democrat, Atheist/Religious, LEO/citizen, a totally subjective Poor/Rich and the list goes on. I often ponder the final outcome of our growing police state given its divisive nature, I keep coming back to an Orwellian 1984 like scenario. When you tether a nation’s economic health/growth to the pursuit of “bad guys” (aka “terrorists”) and war machines everyone is at risk of being considered a “terrorist”. As the LEO/DHS payrolls grow our freedom is most likely going to contract, it’s the push/pull nature of the beast.
“A suburban St. Louis cop who was suspended for pointing his semi-automatic rifle and threatening protesters in Ferguson, Missouri, has resigned, the police chief told the Associated Press. Lt. Ray Albers, who was put on indefinite leave from the St. Ann Police Department after being caught on a cellphone video that went viral, quit the job he had held since 1994 on Thursday. Albers could not be reached for comment.The video showed the officer pointing his gun at a demonstrator who apparently had his hands up. He cursed and appeared to say, “I will … kill you” before a sergeant made him lower his weapon and walk away. Albers was among the officers called in from neighboring towns to deal with unrest after a Ferguson police officer shot and killed an unarmed 18-year-old, Michael Brown on Aug. 9.”
