It's Time To Demilitarize the Police
Reason.com,
by
Rand Paul
Original Article
Posted By: Mauigirl,
7/21/2020 6:50:48 PM
In a free society, citizens should be able to easily distinguish between civilian law enforcement tasked with keeping the peace in our communities and the armed forces tasked with protecting our country from foreign adversaries.
Unfortunately, thanks to the federal government flooding our neighborhoods with billions of dollars of military equipment and property over the years, the line between peace officer and soldier of war has become increasingly blurry.
Police officers have an incredibly difficult and often thankless job where they lay their lives on the line every day. Without the rule of law, a civilized society cannot exist, and our officers deserve our gratitude.
Reply 1 - Posted by:
Italiano 7/21/2020 6:53:09 PM (No. 486281)
No, it's time to "demilitarize" BLM and Antifa. One way or another.
46 people like this.
Reply 2 - Posted by:
Noj15 7/21/2020 6:55:49 PM (No. 486285)
Our police deserve the latest technology. Our small, rural county can get by with just a few officers, but if you live in downtown Chicago, you need more serious equipment.
28 people like this.
Didn't that build up of selling surplus military gear start during Obama administration?
And, does Rand Paul think those folks confronting the police will simply reduce their level of armor that they use?
23 people like this.
Would you take the word of a man with a hairdo like Paul's? Senator Jheri Curl.
10 people like this.
WHAT THE..........? It’s time to duct tape his mouth shut
10 people like this.
Reply 6 - Posted by:
snakeoil 7/21/2020 7:41:20 PM (No. 486325)
Runt, the problem is Our Police aren't using the military weapons they have. When thugs are burning, looting, destroying, and attacking people they should be dealt with whatever force is necessary. Not coddled.
23 people like this.
Reply 7 - Posted by:
DVC 7/21/2020 7:47:37 PM (No. 486327)
Ten years ago, maybe.
Now, no way. They are under continuous attack.
17 people like this.
Delusional... Dangerously so.
15 people like this.
Reply 9 - Posted by:
edgar 7/21/2020 8:15:25 PM (No. 486346)
Agree with #1, demilitarize the gangs and mobs. Then we can talk about demilitarizing the fuzz. Priorities. Just sayin.
20 people like this.
Reply 10 - Posted by:
clipped wings 7/21/2020 9:00:55 PM (No. 486380)
A few years ago, I think it was in CA, the cops answered an armed robbery call and quickly discovered they were outgunned. Had to call for backup. Not a good scene. Arm them and back them!
12 people like this.
I'd like to ask Rand if he was wishing for better defensive assets when his neighbor started pummeling away at his midsection. No cop can be expected to confront these violent mobs while wearing a blue short-sleeved shirt with a badge, combination cap, and carrying a nightstick.
12 people like this.
Reply 12 - Posted by:
chumley 7/21/2020 9:05:27 PM (No. 486382)
I agree with him completely. Policemen and soldiers are different things, and the lines should not be blurred. The cops get all this military hardware and the first thing they want to do is use it. Innocent people get killed because the wrong address is on the warrant, but the APC sure works good. Before all these riots happened we commented on that frequently here. Now they could use that equipment and they refuse to. Take it away.
11 people like this.
Reply 13 - Posted by:
Shmowry1 7/21/2020 9:24:33 PM (No. 486390)
It’s time to defund these cities. No more federal dollars.
5 people like this.
Reply 14 - Posted by:
Mauigirl 7/21/2020 9:36:56 PM (No. 486395)
Rand's nutty daddy and loser Judge Nap would certainly agree with #12.
5 people like this.
#10 - As I recall that incident, one of the perps was wounded early in the shoot-out and subsequently successfully sued the city because none of the cops crawled through the crossfire to render medical assistance. Why would ANYone want to wear a badge?
3 people like this.
Reply 16 - Posted by:
red1066 7/21/2020 9:57:32 PM (No. 486403)
Stop harping on the police. The police aren't the problem. It's people who commit crimes and then don't obey the police who are the problem. Of course if the politicians don't allow the police to do their jobs, all the military equipment in the world is useless. Sending the police out to be nothing but targets for Marxists to throw things at them without any REAL protection is just stupid. No one with any intelligence would want to be in that situation. Let the cops treat the Marxists the same way the Marxists treat cops.
8 people like this.
Reply 17 - Posted by:
Chicagoan 7/21/2020 10:01:05 PM (No. 486405)
Apparently Rand doesn't understand the armament level of the criminals.
The reason police (and the FBI) carry semiautomatic pistols is because they were "outgunned" back in the 1930s, when many criminals had Thompson machine guns. There was a story of several FBI agents (Miami as I recall) who were armed with revolvers confronting bank robbers with machine guns.
3 people like this.
Reply 18 - Posted by:
Strike3 7/21/2020 10:07:22 PM (No. 486409)
Stupid man, he's as nutty as his father. Our enemies are internal but they are no less dangerous and un-American as foreign terrorists. I don't care what type of police are used, just stop them with adequate force and get these stupid know-nothing politicians out of the way.
4 people like this.
Reply 19 - Posted by:
Safari Man 7/21/2020 10:25:30 PM (No. 486425)
#10 that was North Hollywood and I was in an office building 4 blocks away. Wild and wooly.
1 person likes this.
Reply 20 - Posted by:
anniebc 7/21/2020 10:36:52 PM (No. 486435)
A lot of good all that equipment is doing currently. Maybe it's in storage for the war against the good people. Shut up, Rand!
2 people like this.
Reply 21 - Posted by:
4Justice 7/21/2020 10:46:06 PM (No. 486446)
I agree. There are times when special units may be required, but too often the police do sweep in like stormtroopers for things that used to be routine. I can think of very little reason to use SWAT teams to serve a warrant, but they do it more than you think. Police should not be soldiers at war against the public. I would also like to see police in their regular uniforms including the officer's hat like they used to wear. It makes it easier to identify them
It also is less intimidating than how many if them dress now. Yes, neighborhood police should not be loaded up like soldiers in a war unless there is an exceptional need for it.
7 people like this.
Reply 22 - Posted by:
gramma b 7/22/2020 12:34:54 AM (No. 486494)
When, as now, criminals are heavily armed, the police need to be better armed.
5 people like this.
Reply 23 - Posted by:
Chuzzles 7/22/2020 3:03:34 AM (No. 486535)
It was North Hollywood #10. They showed a recreation of it when the movie SWAT was made several years ago. The cops had to go to the nearest gun shop and get some heavier fire power from the gun shop owner, who gladly complied. Until it is illegal in this nation for civilians to obtain body armor like those robbers had, the police need to be able to keep up. Rand Paul is an idiot, has always been an idiot. I would never consider him conservative, just an opportunistic politician out for whatever suits his personal agenda.
2 people like this.
Reply 24 - Posted by:
Trigger2 7/22/2020 3:09:58 AM (No. 486538)
Oh sure, get rid of the cops so demonrats can replace them with BLM, Antifa, and jihadi thugs. That's the ticket.
2 people like this.
Reply 25 - Posted by:
Goose 7/22/2020 7:36:14 AM (No. 486650)
Golly, #15. If only the police had an armored personnel carrier, they might have been able to rescue the wounded perp. /S/ directed at Mr Paul, not #15)
0 people like this.
Reply 26 - Posted by:
ussjimmycarter 7/22/2020 7:59:02 AM (No. 486674)
I have said his for 20 years. Gone are the days of a black and white...replaced with menacing all black cars! I love
Our police and 99% of them are kind hardworking people willing to run at danger while we flee! I just hope they can get back to being officers of the law. Right now I would gladly give them Abrams M1A1’Tanks to deal with the losers infecting our cities!
1 person likes this.
Reply 27 - Posted by:
Hermoine 7/22/2020 8:39:38 AM (No. 486735)
Leave it to Rand Paul to completely "f" up the argument.
0 people like this.
Reply 28 - Posted by:
MDConservative 7/22/2020 10:37:35 AM (No. 486893)
In 1968 Brezhnev rolled tanks into Prague. In 1989 the Chinese People's Republic rolled tanks into Tiananmen Square. The immediate problem was solved. Long term...
Mayors and governors have police and military assets at their command to restore public order. Have at it, if they dare.
0 people like this.
Reply 29 - Posted by:
ROLFNader 7/22/2020 10:57:32 AM (No. 486922)
I'm convinced that Rand Paul throws a random dart at his calendar about three times a year as a reminder to tick off real Americans .
0 people like this.
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