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No-knock raids kill police. They kill civilians. They kill animals and babies. They are the worst, most dangerous way to serve a warrant, according to police th
by mnm1 10y ago
No-knock raids kill police. They kill civilians. They kill animals and babies. They are the worst, most dangerous way to serve a warrant, according to police themselves. Yet these same police continue to use them because preventing someone flushing their weed down the toilet is more important than killing a baby in a crib. As long as our society accepts this justification, babies, people of all kinds, and animals will be killed and property destroyed. Police will get richer. Meanwhile, in WA, OR, CO, AK, etc. people go to the store and buy their weed peacefully without incident in a nice, safe, comfortable environment that is a tax boon to the states and better for all of society.
So the difference is just exactly how you want to make that extra money, and who in society makes it. As a society we can choose to go with the status quo, empowering police departments across the country while they shoot and kill more and more innocent people to enrich themselves, or we can finally legalize something that people are going to do anyway and use that money to fund our schools and hospitals to better society. The sad part is that most people are so closed-minded on the subject, they only see the first option. Then they get mad when babies get killed when that's a direct result of a policy they supported and voted for.
- in_cahoots 10y agoI don't think this is about weed. It's about a structure that's set up with all the wrong incentives. Police departments get to seize assets related to drug offenses with no due process. Departments are being flooded with money to buy military resources, with the provision that they use them within the year. And once they have the resources there's a whole industry of ex-military businesses designed to train departments in SWAT-like techniques. When your local police department trains on equipment meant for executing urban warfare, is it any wonder that the wars come to our cities?
- mnm1 10y agoOh, without a doubt weed is just an excuse to feed the rubes. I should've been more clear. I agree with your thoughts on armaments buildup in police departments. It's no wonder at all.
- bradbatt 10y agoRadley Balko's book "Rise of the Warrior Cop" goes into these issues in depth. He looks at the history of how the war on drugs, among other things, has contributed to the rise in military equipment and tactics being used at the local level. There are a shocking number of no-knock raids which have resulted in death of not only officers and some offenders, but innocent people who's homes were raided based on wrong information and in some cases the police literally getting the address wrong. http://amzn.to/2mlNWxj http://amzn.to/2mlNWxj