Seattle Newspaper for the People by the People

Police Armed With Military Gear

Well nightmares really do come true. Have you ever dreamed about tanks rolling down the streets and your peaceful life being turned into a war zone? It may become a reality if homeland security has its way. I have not seen this on any of the nightly news programs I have watched or read about it until this week. I thought we had Police, Sheriffs, Marshalls to uphold the laws in America, and act as peace keepers. If a real calamity happened they call out the National Guard. Then and only then would we see military gear being manned by trained soldiers. The Defense Department started a 1033 program in the late 1990’s. This provides state and local law enforcement agencies with free surplus weapons, body armor, armored vehicles and night vision equipment. Have you ever heard about that 1033 program? I sure hadn’t. I have never seen our President touring in his little Air Force One saying how safe we will be when every police department can keep us safe with surplus army gear. Safe from what?

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution article by Rhonda Cook somehow got printed in the Seattle Times. This is beyond any nightmares you may have had. Metro Atlanta police have armored trucks and and personnel carriers. The tiny town of Bloomingdale is well armed. Carroll County Sheriff’s Office has four grenade launchers that can send canisters of tear gas into a crowd. Sounds to me like all of this military equipment should have been parked overseas by the diplomats headquarters, not in a small town in America. There is a waiting list of agencies who want the armored trucks and grenade launchers. Not one civilian peacekeeper should have these to say nothing of the high powered guns they are getting. Why did this information come out of a tiny town near Atlanta? How come this program didn’t start in Obama’s home town of Chicago? That’s where the high crime is. He knew the population would not stand for a military takeover that seems to be happening. Who is the enemy that the police and sheriff is protecting us from? Why military-grade firepower against law abiding American Citizens? Lets say they pass a gun registration law. Then lets say not very many people registered their gun. It’s bad enough that the police department could perhaps get a warrant for a witch hunt, but if their was an armored car with grenade launchers patrolling your street they would not need a warrant.

Wake up America. They tell us they have to cut military spending. Why does the Department of Defense have a surplus of armored personnel carriers valued at $240,000 each, armored trucks at $65,000 each to say nothing of the guns and grenade launchers they are giving away. Homeland security has 7 of these armored trucks. The Georgia Department of Corrections has one armored truck. God only knows where more of this surplus stuff is. I may not think like a politician would, but why then are we so broke and do we keep having all these expensive surplus things to give to people who should not have them at all. If (and I am using that word very lightly) we felt the need to use our surplus grenade launchers or armored vehicles it seems to me they should be parked along the border between the United Stated and Mexico, not a tiny town (Bloomingdale) outside Atlanta.

I don’t know about you, but if I see military equipment rolling down my street, I want the national guard to be in control of it, not the local Police and Sheriff. Please inquire further into this before its completely out of control.  Who, where, what is my enemy they are protecting me from? Or is this the start of becoming a police state? This would be a good time so watch The Sound of Music and realize what can happen if military can knock on your door and take your food or move their men into your homes. Might seem real far fetched and hope it is, but why has it been kept a secret?

Having lived in Seattle (Georgetown) for over 80 years, Lilly has a passion for the area. A true Seattleite, Lilly has the history & experience to discuss any topic. Being retired, she enjoys visiting with her many grand children, gardening, and writing.

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