Written by Josie Wales; Originally appeared at TheAntiMedia.org
On Monday, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced a new executive order that will lift a ban on the distribution of certain types of military-style equipment to local law enforcement agencies. The ban reverses a previous executive order issued during the Obama administration in response to widespread criticism after a paramilitary-like show of force by police during protests in Ferguson, Missouri, in 2015.
“We’ve seen how militarized gear can sometimes give people a feeling like there’s an occupying force as opposed to a force that’s part of the community that’s protecting them and serving them,” Obama said at the time. “It can alienate and intimidate local residents and send the wrong message.”
Civil rights experts are voicing the same concerns now that the Trump administration has announced a rollback on Obama’s ban. “We’re very worried that this signals to law enforcement that they can operate more as a militarized force and they are really going to ignore some of the gains we’ve made over the past couple years,” said political director for the ACLU of Michigan Shelli Weisberg.“We’re very concerned about it. We think it’s a bad step.”
Janai Nelson, associate director of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, said:
“It is both exceptionally dangerous and irresponsible for the administration to lift the ban on the transfer of certain surplus military equipment to state and local law enforcement organizations.”
Nelson also said the timing of president’s decision in the wake of the events in Charlottesville, VA, “reflects this administration’s now open effort to escalate racial tensions in our country.”
Sessions announced the decision on Monday morning at the Fraternal Order of Police convention in Nashville, telling the FOP:
“We will not put superficial concerns above public safety…The executive order the president will sign today will ensure that you can get the lifesaving gear that you need to do your job and send a strong message that we will not allow criminal activity, violence, and lawlessness to become the new normal. And we will save taxpayer money in the meantime.”
The executive order, effective immediately, will permit state and local law enforcement agencies to receive military supplies, including “vehicles (land, air and sea), weapons, computer equipment, fingerprint equipment, night vision equipment, radios and televisions, first aid equipment, tents and sleeping bags, photographic equipment and more,” the Justice Technology Information Center summarized.
It is implemented through the Department of Defense’s 1033 program, which was previously Section 1208 of the National Defense Authorization Act of 1990. The provision, which was intended to help wage the war on drugs, became Section 1033 in 1996 and was signed into law by President Bill Clinton. After 9/11, the program’s function expanded to ostensibly support counter-terrorism activities.
A recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) undercover investigation found the Department of Defense issues these weapons of war wantonly, often failing to verify the qualifications of the recipients. The department was caught issuing $1.2 million worth of weapons to a fake police department.
That is not a sign of anything good.
Except a Civil War in the US :)
This might avert a civil war but unlikely since the left has been known to get access to police and law enforcement only equipment ,grenades and such.
Welcome to an brave new world.
I have NO sympathy with the Yankikes, non what so ever, even the latest Color revolution, glaringly obvious, expect to the morons whom is living inside Ameristan, blind sheep’s, keept in an state of perpetual fear, paranoia is their mantra of whatever they persive, and a politics witch nobody knows what it is, since all we get is conflicting bullshit, feed from every direction and you dont get anything what so ever you can in fact trust. And when the director of their FeD, dont even know what kicked of the last crash, the one that gave the European lands an sudden explosion in debt, like Belgium (just one ex.) where I dont think the Belgians fully knows the scope of this, witch the Gov. made to be helped to deal with, even when its originate in the uISISa, with Austerity’s, the real economical issue, whom is and still are ravaging Europa, is because of the sub-prime collapse in 08, where MBS, and CDS where forced upon European banks and there by the people. Do you drooling idiots know anything, this is the reason for our problems, and the rest is by all means covered with wars, the second wave of Austerity’s, where cheep labor is flooding the land and the social sec. is to handle the rest, all to drive workers right out of the equation. This is their policy, the globalists, and you sit there and do nothing, do you understand now what I mean with consequences, at all. I could in fact tel you more, this “crash” have been in the books for decades, nothing new, the Euro was to be crashed first, not the Dollar, but circumstances have changed that, and this latest attacks economically on Russia is just that, it huts Europa as well, and forces them to comply to whatever the insane Yankikes wants us to do, our Politicians are rotten to their core. Are you blind, Europa.
its an historical moment, to behold an empire implode, arrogance and ignorance/incompetence the twins of destruction, the best tool the Devil have invented, is this two pillars of idiocy, where nonsense is becoming the new norm, just spew it out, and the rest, is controlled by the Ministry of Truth, the Goolag and Fakebook, yeah, cant be any “better” than this. Why do you think AntiFa came along, and our right-winged to, both the same part of our problem, but this scums controls the events, where the MSM uses everything they can find and if not, they simply invent something, to then hype it up to new and unprecedented heights of shear idiocy and bullshit, and people believes them, thats what scares me more than anything, the collective stupidity, since are believed thru out, and how do you think, decades of moronic narratives, raped and f…. beyond recognition, where words have no meaning, its the propaganda that matters, and the MSM have no shame, and our politicians whom feeds upon this MSM for personal gains, have no shame either, and now, we get the Military Ind, complex into their streets for, of course, their own security.
All roads to hell is usually paved with gooooooood intentions. Works every time, dont it. And by the way, 1984 was in 84, thats over 30 years ago, I am more into the one that shocked me when I was an child, the one whom since then, I knew was true, the Lord of the Flies. We are just an shoot away, and thats what I await, the big one, false of course, but never the less, r eal for the victims.
In fact, popcorn and drinks, and watch the Impisses ruin their own land, its an event of the millennium. I am looking forward, the shot storm is going home. Yeehaa. Buckle up and have an nice flight to the bottom of the pit, and awake to a New Palestine.
peace
It is a good thing, in my opinion. First of all, when you don’t know where your leader is, just look in the direction of the enemy fire. If all the left is yelling because of this, it means they know something and they have a reason. And the reason is not so hard to understand. Correct me if I’m wrong, the benefit of these equipments is the local state police, practically, the community police. Those people usually very close to the average american citizen, living there all their life, most of the time working to protect them. Obama wanted to assure that these local law enforcement institutions cannot hold against the federal government, in case of… Those dots can point to anything. Imagine if the central government wants to crack down the US population for a high governmental reason but an unconstitutional one. Who will stand for the average american citizen? Those with guns. Local police. Exactly those categories most hunted down during Obama presidency. Weakening the community and powering up the state is the left policy and is meant against the ordinary citizen. Empowering the local community and thinning the central government is the right (wing) policy. This is what Trump does now.
So when can I/we expect my/our rocket launchers?
I’m pretty sure this thing is not about rocket launchers, tanks, carriers, jets and ICBMs…
Sounds like you are going overboard just a little with your wisecracks, blame the left for deciding to equip the Fascist left with police equipment the blame lies squarely on their shoulders. Local politicians should never be part of any party since these positions should be held by non partisan politicians.
The regular US military cannot be counted on to protect US government leaders from US citizens. Gathering up all the local cops and placing them (ultimately) under a ‘federal’ authority – the Department of Homeland Security Stazi – means those cops are now expected to defend and protect the US ruling elite from the little people when ordered to do so. What the Stazi lacks in numbers, it needs to make up for in armor and weaponry. Certain ‘loyal’ military assets the Stazi needs are already designated as such. The 160th Special Ops black helicopters should be practicing their urban ops in major US cities about now. Those ops are about ‘rescuing’ (evacuating) the ruling elite, not helping the little people.
Any American that thinks this is about protecting the little people from scary terrorists is delusional. The US military is suppose to do that – why does the US government need to coordinate another domestic armed force to do that?
Put simply, these local police forces are less under the control of the deep state than the US military and FBI is.
This weakens the power of the deep state, even if just a little.
I am African An Caribbean female/aetheist who is pro environmental and anti American Empire/ and pro people power; I am a direct democracy person. I know it’s fashionable to throw out meaning less names; Facts not mine; 1. Failed businesses; more debt that profits 2. Any kind of political base still gives you a base from which you can return to; He has none; his whole philosophy is to AVOID? make up/embellish/ 100% CRETIN. Donald in wonderland; Give me Jill Stein or Senator Ron Paul any day; Stick with FACTS instead of name calling, which does not even describe me 1% of me or my thoughts!
$Chumpinstein is the front man of the Military Junta Of the USA; He has no authentic political ideas/failed businessman/ fake tan/ crude/rude/reckless/no public speaking skills/feckless/spineless/tax dodger/draft dodger/greedy/intellectually dull; Total Neanderthal and puppet of money/military and the markets!
Trump unfortunately isn’t a tax dodger and has paid more taxes than legally allowed , they all use the same tax loopholes some will only pay minimum tax. Congress is the Front man for the military junta . The US is full of Draft dodgers in politics , believe he was excluded as an only son since you can’t be drafted for that and he would have had to enlist. Problem with all politicians past and present they have no authentic political ideas, just head nodding yes men. The ones truly tied to the markets money and the military are your Military Industrial Congress and the Senate and are as tied to them as any other as other politicians at state and local level.
Besides you can’t fault him for not being a politician since this is his first position in politics.
“He is not a real politican, reeeee!” That´s the point, you cultural-trotskist zikahead!
“Trump z FAILUD businessman!” Dats how he turned a few millions into billions, right?
“puppet of money/military and the markets!” Must be why you supported Hillary Clinton? -)
The Jew world order may try to collapse the economy and start a civil war in the US. Under those circumstances the police having some apc’s and heavier infantry weapons as a bridge until the national guard can deploy is probably a good idea.
America needs to get its evil Jew problem corrected.
”probably a good idea” – LOL this guy!
A bandit country is always a bandit country even at home soil.