Cops in FL now carry assault rifles...

[Reaver]

Quote from hapaboy:

Well okay, things are clearer with your post. I don't think you're a moonbat loonie, but I don't see how you go from defenseless civilians to arguing that cops shouldn't have the assault rifles that the criminals do unless a part of you fears that so arming the cops is part of a hidden agenda of some kind to control the populace at large. And I just don't buy that.

I do not see us becoming a police state at all. 9/11 has required increased surveillance, certainly, in order to protect us, but I don't think we are anywhere near the point where we are in danger of becoming a police state. I mean, who would head this dictatorship? Bush?!? Is he going to suddenly suspend the Constitution before November or something and declare himself king?!? I don't think so, but I'm sure there are a lot of moonbats who are certain Bush will attack his own country (again) on the pretext of declaring martial law so he can do exactly that.

I should have cleared up my original wording. It was late for me last night.

Man there has just been some weird shit go down over the past few years, and who knows how far it could go.

Not saying it would or is going to happen, but the stage is being set in the event someone does finally decide to do something totally ignorant. Every step like this that is taken makes it that much easier to happen if someone ever decides to try.

The way they fearmonger these days it wouldn't be that much of a stretch. Hell, all it took was a little subprime meltdown and everyone is running to the gummint with outstretched arms for socialization of losses, etc....capitalism be damned we want help from the gummint! Just gotta wonder what would happen if something similar could be cooked up with terrorism, etc. You get enough of these moron sheeple out there scared, and they will give up all their liberties at the drop of a hat for "protection".

 

[AAAintheBeltway]

Quote from achilles28:

My thoughts exactly.

Cops should never possess assault weapons.

Someone please name one contemporary instance where traditional firepower (shotguns, handguns and overwhelming force) was insufficient to take down a criminal enterprise in the United States.

The only instance I can think of is the border war with Mexican Military & Drug Cartels. This is a military matter, anyway. Not law enforcement.

Posse Comitatus is toast. No help there.

You are right. The police are becoming Militarized. Helicopters, tanks, APC's, swat teams, assault rifles, black masks, tazers, random 'checkpoints', pain compliance.

This is not what the Founders intended for the reason you expressly gave.

The Country has lost its way. Granted, there are plenty of good Cops.

But how many of those "Good Cops" will follow orders when it comes time to confiscate firearms, run check points or round up citizens to internment camps?

Lots of them. You can bet on it.

I am no bleeding heart, but I have to agree with this. There are way too many of these SWAT type units. Every federal agency, including some you would never dream of, have them, plus every police force and county sheriff. When you have a hammer, you look for excuses to use it. What used to be a simple arrest or warrant service becomes a full-scale break down the door, terrorize everyone, etc. Sometimes they get the wrong house and people die needlessly.

I see no evidence that the police are being outgunned. There are far bigger problems in law enforcement, beginning with the catch and release juvenile system, endless probation and parole for violent predators and way too many non-violent drug cases clogging up the system.

The thought that every DC cop car has an AR-15 is not comforting. They routinely lose guns, radios, body armor, etc. Dc is a small jurisdiction, with numerous federal police forces in addition to the DC Metropolitan police. If they find themselves in a situation where they need more firepower, it is easy to call it in. High power assault rifles should be reserved for highly trained officers. In an urban environment, it is not a weapon for street cops.

 

[achilles28]

Quote from AAAintheBeltway:

High power assault rifles should be reserved for highly trained officers. In an urban environment, it is not a weapon for street cops.

Agree 110% with every point you made.

And you're right. Officers *do have* high power assault rifles. Its called SWAT.

Oh yeah.

The Department of Energy has a SWAT Team. And if I'm not mistaken, I've seen pictures of IRS Agents in full battle garb, guns and all, preparing to take-down a big bad tax evader. The horror.

 

[hapaboy]

Quote from achilles28:

But how many of those "Good Cops" will follow orders when it comes time to confiscate firearms, run check points or round up citizens to internment camps?

Lots of them. You can bet on it.

Not surprising you are opposed to police officers being able to defend themselves against criminals with assault rifles when you are this paranoid.

 

[hapaboy]

Quote from AAAintheBeltway:

I am no bleeding heart, but I have to agree with this. There are way too many of these SWAT type units. Every federal agency, including some you would never dream of, have them, plus every police force and county sheriff. When you have a hammer, you look for excuses to use it. What used to be a simple arrest or warrant service becomes a full-scale break down the door, terrorize everyone, etc. Sometimes they get the wrong house and people die needlessly.

I see no evidence that the police are being outgunned. There are far bigger problems in law enforcement, beginning with the catch and release juvenile system, endless probation and parole for violent predators and way too many non-violent drug cases clogging up the system.

The thought that every DC cop car has an AR-15 is not comforting. They routinely lose guns, radios, body armor, etc. Dc is a small jurisdiction, with numerous federal police forces in addition to the DC Metropolitan police. If they find themselves in a situation where they need more firepower, it is easy to call it in. High power assault rifles should be reserved for highly trained officers. In an urban environment, it is not a weapon for street cops.

You see no evidence that police are being out-gunned? What about the video in the OP? I hear about it all the time, complaints from cops in major urban areas who face criminals armed with assault rifles versus their pistols.

Cops are dying nationwide because they're outgunned.

Yeah, there are SWAT teams available that may be called in, but tell that to the patrol officer who finds him or herself on a call and ends up being shot at with assault rifles. They do not have the luxury of calling up SWAT. They need more firepower then and there.

 

[ratboy88]

Quote from hapaboy:

Not surprising you are opposed to police officers being able to defend themselves against criminals with assault rifles when you are this paranoid.

SHUT UP SLAVE... DRINK YOUR FLUORIDE SLAVE !!!!

 

[achilles28]

Quote from hapaboy:

Not surprising you are opposed to police officers being able to defend themselves against criminals with assault rifles when you are this paranoid.

You live in Fantasy Land, Hapaboy.

Police run checkpoints, all the time.

Cops and Military rounded up guns in New Orleans.

And KBR was awarded a 350 Million Dollar Contract with the Federal Government to build citizen internment camps in the event of an unnamed national 'emergency'.

You Neocons are a peculiar sort. Every bump in the night emboldens your resolve to bomb every Tin Pot Dictator back to the Stone Age. Yet you give no afterthought to 'what if' these night terrors manage another attack on our soil. What happens to the Country then?

Your answer, of course, is 'who cares?!' You're a good Neocon. Only Political Dissidents and Government critics get rounded up.

Thats what makes you a piss poor American.

You have No Idea what it means to be an American, or a Patriot.

 

[ZZZzzzzzzz]

Do we ever hear the paranoid, fear driven reactionary types like hapless talk of going after those who sell weapons to the wrong folks?

Nope...

The answer is always more and more guns...as if more guns are the solution to the problem.

The only question that really matters is, one that the gun nuts never want to ask or answer:

Why is it so easy for the criminal element to buy assault weapons and ammunition?

Follow the money....

Quote from achilles28:

You live in Fantasy Land, Hapaboy.

Police run checkpoints, all the time.

Cops and Military rounded up guns in New Orleans.

And KBR was awarded a 350 Million Dollar Contract with the Federal Government to build citizen internment camps in the event of an unnamed national 'emergency'.

You Neocons are a peculiar sort. Every bump in the night emboldens your resolve to bomb every Tin Pot Dictator back to the Stone Age. Yet you give no afterthought to 'what if' these night terrors manage another attack on our soil. What happens to the Country then?

Your answer, of course, is 'who cares?!' You're a good Neocon. Only Political Dissidents and Government critics get rounded up.

Thats what makes you a piss poor American.

You have No Idea what it means to be an American, or a Patriot.

 

[achilles28]

Well, I'm a strong supporter of the 2nd Amendment. The only 'reasonable restriction' should be criminal history. History of felonies, nope. You're denied.

So if career criminals get guns through a black-market supplier - and we can only assume they do (or how else do they get firearms?) - than yea, go after the blackmarket dealers, too.

 

[ZZZzzzzzzz]

We don't have a real "war on drugs" and we don't have a real "war on illegal weapons sales."

So follow the money to figure out why...

Legalizing drugs and going after the black market sales of weapons makes too much sense....so neither one is likely to happen.

Quote from achilles28:

Well, I'm a strong supporter of the 2nd Amendment. The only 'reasonable restriction' should be criminal history. History of felonies, nope. You're denied.

So if career criminals get guns through a black-market supplier - and we can only assume they do (or how else do they get firearms?) - than yea, go after the blackmarket dealers, too.