Quote:Besides the Battlestar Galactica quote, how exactly are our police militarized?  Hyperbole and Hollywood fantasies have eroded people's minds into thinking that criminals will listen to the calm reasoning of a police officer and that when the time comes, any officer should be able to disarm criminals with their hand to hand ninja skills learned through a few months of "more training."

 

Your location may be someplace warm and fuzzy, but reality is that the streets aren't a gentle place.  Police need guns and bullet proof vests.

 

If you can't tell the difference between a SWAT team and a Mechanized Infantry detachment upon visual inspection then we have a problem. Police do need guns and vests, however, this poor sap was shot with a military grade assault rifle that you and I cannot legally purchase (in 99% of cases). Not by SWAT, just by Joe Patrolman; we need more Officer Friendly and less Judge Dredd on our streets.

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