There seems to possibly be an effort to nationalize America's
police force. At the moment it sounds remarkably like a conspiracy
theory, but it is a topic that can be and should be discussed. Let us
begin.
Where this theory comes from:
1) Free military surplus: The police
are getting free military surplus with the expectation that they use it within
the first year that they get it. This is the reason why we have been
seeing our police with heavy armor vehicles including bomb resistant MRAPs
which are being used in Iraq and Afghanistan.
2) Police raids: Laws on the books
have police conducting raids on homes for even the most minor of drug offense,
this including small bags of "pot". However, with thousands of
raids being conducted, there have been mistakes with the wrong houses being
raided and people being killed. This at the same time endangers the
officers as now the person being raided (whether guilty or not) may retaliate
due to the amount of force being used thinking that they are under attack.
As such, this will lead to more injuries and even deaths as the American
population questions police tactics.
3) Rising racial tensions: The flame of
racism is ignited once more as riots break out in Ferguson, in Baltimore with
respect to the death of Freddie Gray, amongst others. However, racism may
not have been involved, the fact that it was typically a white officer
conducting the arrest allowed for race baiters to make their move. As
such the media harped on these stories, and thus police tactics and fears of
police brutality have caused every officer of the law to be put under the
microscope.
4) Politicians and activists: During
the Ferguson riots, President Obama said for the rioters to stay the course,
thus showing support for the lawless criminals destroying the city rather than
police. In Baltimore, police were held back while in riot gear as if they
were meant to look menacing rather than break up the looting mob. And
finally, we have powerful activists like Al Sharpton calling for the
nationalization of police. It no longer matters if the cops are white
like in the case of the death of Freddie Gray in Baltimore as three of the
officers including the ones driving where black police officers. As such,
the narrative is shifting to a police versus black person story as opposed to a
white versus black one.
Conclusion: Taken together, and if these trends
continue, we may see an actual true movement to nationalize the police in some
shape or form. As to whether this is good or bad will be for you to
decide (and I'll be discussing it in tomorrow's issue). But just these
trends alone do not bode well with our sensationalist media, and Americans now
feeling it is ok to riot to get their point across rather than follow Dr. King's
nonviolent principles.
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