SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
from the articles-that-are-plotlines-to-movies dept.
Jeremy Bender reports that eight different law enforcement agencies in Indiana have purchased massive Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles (MRAPs) that were formerly used in Iraq and Afghanistan. The MRAP is a bulletproof, 60,000-pound, six-wheeled behemoth with heavy armor, a gunner's turret and the word "SHERIFF" emblazoned on its flank.
Pulaski County, home to 13,124 people, is one of the counties that have purchased an MRAP from military surplus. When asked to justify the purchase of a former military vehicle, Pulaski County Sheriff Michael Gayer told the Indy Star:
"The United States of America has become a war zone. There's violence in the workplace, there's violence in schools and there's violence in the streets. You are seeing police departments going to a semi-military format because of the threats we have to counteract. If driving a military vehicle is going to protect officers, then that's what I'm going to do."
(Score: 3, Interesting) by edIII on Thursday June 12 2014, @02:46AM
I'm going to speak up for the Sheriff here for a second.
I live in Las Vegas. Two young officers AND a citizen with a concealed carry were shot dead on Saturday. A married couple, who had gone somewhat insane and obsessed with fascism and law enforcement, went on a shooting spree that thankfully ended real early.
That citizen was dead anyways. He didn't figure on the woman (wife) behind him being part of it. Hesitated for just a moment and got one in the back of the head from a threat he couldn't even identify. That's not sitting real well with guys out here. Had the assailant dead to rights with his handgun and failed to do anything about it. What's worse is that the two officers died in their seats eating pizza at a restaurant. Makes people feel afraid and powerless.
What frightens him is how fast violence seems to be escalating, and not just in the US. You can't tell me there isn't a wave of extreme dissatisfaction with government and their respective oligarchies across the whole planet and strife nearly everywhere. Venezuela, Brazil, Mexico, Sudan, Nigeria, Iraq, Syria, Crimea/Ukraine, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Libya are particularly hot right now.
Even Canada in a place with 1 murder on average per year just had somebody go nuts and kill a bunch of Mounties.
The sheriff is doing his job just fine probably. Nothing really major going on. I don't blame him for being afraid, and since he can't actually address the underlying cause, he's left with preparing for the worse. Probably watches Fox News, which after 10 minutes of that, I can understand feeling like this is a country at war. It's an almost 1 or 2 events per week now. I've counted 5 in the last two weeks alone, and more friends than I care to count are going for concealed carry permits now. We're arming ourselves to go to the grocery stores. I went to lunch with 2 handguns, and they weren't mine.
So don't think it's not just for the sheriff. He may be making the citizens in his jurisdiction feel safer, regardless of the fact it doesn't bring any measurable increase in security for them.
While we both may have an idea of the underlying causes, it seems pretty bleak and hopeless for either of us to change government, fix the economy, and reign in the elites who've gone way too far. The revolution might have started a little while ago with the whole Clive Bundy ranch deal which happened about 30 minutes away from me. Militants came in scores by the hour looking to help, or just go against the government, from multiple states away.
The world is becoming more crazy by the day. I can't find fault with the sheriff's statements, only his conclusion that a military vehicle helps.
Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
(Score: 2) by aristarchus on Thursday June 12 2014, @02:53AM
Well, if you eat the pizza in the MRAP, . . . .
(Score: 1) by GmanTerry on Thursday June 12 2014, @07:07AM
I believe you mean donuts, not pizza.
Since when is "public safety" the root password to the Constitution?
(Score: 3, Informative) by TheGratefulNet on Thursday June 12 2014, @03:00AM
I'll take the opposite view, then.
I don't condone shooting random people (not even cops) but I UNDERSTAND the frustration of the people and we are not getting any improvement in the cops' war on america. and yes, they did declare war on us, just not in so many words.
the feeling I have is VERY common and more and more, its being expressed online in various forums. people would rather deal with problems themselves than call the cops. calling the cops is too risky, now. it should not be that way, but it is.
what do cops have over us? power and fear and control.
what that couple was probably trying to do is to give them a taste of their own medicine.
it won't work, cops are not the smartest people out there and they are stubborn as hell, so they won't see this as any kind of wake-up call. but they should.
I understand the frustration. I don't understand shooting people, but I do understand feeling powerless and in fear of authority figures who could end your life (and get away with it!) any time they feel like it.
there's a famous cartoon about that, it has a title "I'm going to kick your ass; and get away with it!". that pretty much explains this whole idea.
"It is now safe to switch off your computer."
(Score: 2) by edIII on Thursday June 12 2014, @03:58AM
Not so much the opposite view really.
I defended his statements of us being practically at war with each right now. His fears are not unjustified, and he may be doing his job protecting people just fine is what I was trying to convey.
Most certainly, I do disagree with his conclusion that a military vehicle helps, for those reasons of fear and control. I thought I said as much.
It's not just him either. Regular people are trying to figure out how to arm and defend themselves better at this point.
Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
(Score: 2) by FakeBeldin on Thursday June 12 2014, @09:17AM
I'm going to speak up for the Sheriff here for a second. I live in Las Vegas.
The one with a population of 13,124? Or the one with over 500,000 [wikipedia.org]?
Me, I live in a village of 5,2640. The municipality as a whole comprises about 15k inhabitants.
If your experience relates to the sheriff's, mine should relate as well, no?
There's hardly any violent crime happening as far as I know. Or read in the news. When I write "hardly", I mean "intentional homicide rate < 1.0 [wikipedia.org]".
Actually, I mean that I tend to forget to lock my bike/windows/doors and that's usually okay.
My town doesn't have a SWAT team, and doesn't need one. My sheriff does not need any army vehicles.
Sure, I don't live in the USA - but I don't see how that excuses needing army vehicles for police.
Note: I'm not saying the USA police doesn't need it - I'm saying I live somewhere where the police doesn't need it. If you don't: what can you do about it?
(Score: 3, Interesting) by velex on Thursday June 12 2014, @01:03PM
Here's a suggestion. I haven't read the thread and of course didn't break tradition by RTAing. Maybe, just maybe, we should improve our handling of mental illness.
Here's a hint: 3 sessions of talk therapy isn't going to fix shit.
Change our perspective about psychedelics. I hear one LSD trip can do a world more in treating alcoholism than years of AA and talk therapy. Wouldn't it be nice if you were having a bad day and there were something you could smoke that would just brighten things up?
Who knows. I don't know. This species is failed. Improve care for mental illness and you'll see less people snapping.
It's a problem. Don't get angry, just fucking fix it. And you're done.