6 ms·

It's striking in the photos coming out of Ferguson to see municipal police in full military gear. They have even brought out armored vehicles, and there are mul

It's striking in the photos coming out of Ferguson to see municipal police in full military gear. They have even brought out armored vehicles, and there are multiple reports of police pointing automatic weapons at journalists and protestors. These cops seem out of their depth. They should not have access to this kind of firepower.

zorpner 12y ago
The Atlantic had a good (if somewhat understated) article on the phenomenon of militarizing police back in 2011 that's worth a re-read in the current context: http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2011/11/how-the-war-on-terror-has-militarized-the-police/248047/?single_page=true http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2011/11/how-the-... EDIT: And a excerpt from the book "Rise of the Warrior Cop" from last summer: http://www.salon.com/2013/07/07/%E2%80%9Cwhy_did_you_shoot_me_i_was_reading_a_book_the_new_warrior_cop_is_out_of_control/ http://www.salon.com/2013/07/07/%E2%80%9Cwhy_did_you_shoot_m... And Slate has a current piece on the phenomenon specifically in reference to Ferguson: http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2014/08/police_in_ferguson_military_weapons_threaten_protesters.html http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/201...
mikeyouse 12y ago
This is my 'favorite' picture so far.. I can't even imagine what's going through this kid's head. http://i.imgur.com/YBPeneA.jpg http://i.imgur.com/YBPeneA.jpg
- jonknee 12y ago
  Or through the head of the goons.
- mcfunley 12y ago
  Here's one that doesn't crop out the graffiti on the mailbox: http://cdn1.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/36894460/453505316.0_cinema_1200.0.jpg http://cdn1.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/36894460/...
  - bdevani 12y ago
    and the amazing discordant 'reaction' by the police, armed with a variety of fringe all provided no doubt by the US military which probably had an excess.
  - thaumasiotes 12y ago
    Granted, the graffiti seems like an important element of the picture. But when the reaction of the police to spraying "Fuck the police" on a mailbox is that six of them charge you with rifles aimed at you, that seems like a pretty clear justification of the sentiment.
- deleted 12y ago
  [deleted]
- icpmacdo 12y ago
  I bet the cop on the second left is such an asshole he is punished with the camera on the helmet.
- DanBC 12y ago
  Can he hear what they're ordering him to do through the gas masks? Police: "Umff flumfff urgffff fruffu hufff froof!" Youth: "I want to comply with your orders. I am not violent. I am not resisting. I can't hear y..." Police: "UMFF FLUMFF URGFFFF FRUFFU HUFFF FROOF!!"
- a3n 12y ago
  Nice desert combat boots.
us0r 12y ago
Vice did a good bit on Swatting which covers this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ziLjOPCQwg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ziLjOPCQwg
rodgerd 12y ago
There have been a lot of Twitter photos of US veterans contrasting pictures of their time in theatres of war (Iraq etc) with press pictures of the police. The police usually appear more heavily armed.

zorpner 12y ago

The Atlantic had a good (if somewhat understated) article on the phenomenon of militarizing police back in 2011 that's worth a re-read in the current context: http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2011/11/how-the-war-on-terror-has-militarized-the-police/248047/?single_page=true http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2011/11/how-the-... EDIT: And a excerpt from the book "Rise of the Warrior Cop" from last summer: http://www.salon.com/2013/07/07/%E2%80%9Cwhy_did_you_shoot_me_i_was_reading_a_book_the_new_warrior_cop_is_out_of_control/ http://www.salon.com/2013/07/07/%E2%80%9Cwhy_did_you_shoot_m... And Slate has a current piece on the phenomenon specifically in reference to Ferguson: http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2014/08/police_in_ferguson_military_weapons_threaten_protesters.html http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/201...

mikeyouse 12y ago

This is my 'favorite' picture so far.. I can't even imagine what's going through this kid's head. http://i.imgur.com/YBPeneA.jpg http://i.imgur.com/YBPeneA.jpg

jonknee 12y ago
Or through the head of the goons.
mcfunley 12y ago
Here's one that doesn't crop out the graffiti on the mailbox: http://cdn1.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/36894460/453505316.0_cinema_1200.0.jpg http://cdn1.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/36894460/...
- bdevani 12y ago
  and the amazing discordant 'reaction' by the police, armed with a variety of fringe all provided no doubt by the US military which probably had an excess.
- thaumasiotes 12y ago
  Granted, the graffiti seems like an important element of the picture. But when the reaction of the police to spraying "Fuck the police" on a mailbox is that six of them charge you with rifles aimed at you, that seems like a pretty clear justification of the sentiment.
deleted 12y ago
[deleted]
icpmacdo 12y ago
I bet the cop on the second left is such an asshole he is punished with the camera on the helmet.
DanBC 12y ago
Can he hear what they're ordering him to do through the gas masks? Police: "Umff flumfff urgffff fruffu hufff froof!" Youth: "I want to comply with your orders. I am not violent. I am not resisting. I can't hear y..." Police: "UMFF FLUMFF URGFFFF FRUFFU HUFFF FROOF!!"
a3n 12y ago
Nice desert combat boots.

us0r 12y ago

Vice did a good bit on Swatting which covers this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ziLjOPCQwg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ziLjOPCQwg

rodgerd 12y ago

There have been a lot of Twitter photos of US veterans contrasting pictures of their time in theatres of war (Iraq etc) with press pictures of the police. The police usually appear more heavily armed.