The Great Falls Police Department's new armored vehicle sits behind the station ready for deployment!
The very use of the word, deployment, suggests, war, battle, engaging in combat, use of deadly force, a show of power, with that quote coming from the front page of the Great Falls Tribune, the newspaper, responsible for the open discussion, and laying out the two diametrically opposed arguments and responses to the use of military surplus armored vehicles, left over from Iraq and Afghanistan, at a about $400,000 for a stripped down model, and another $50,000 to pimp out the MWrap, or an armored vehicle by any other name, boys and their toys to me, especially reading the police blogger or blotter, the law & disorder monthly report in the Daily Inter Lake, with a daily law enforcement report of what, constitutes crime in Montana! I tend to side with the chicken, homecoming example, of what a Montana town, might use the machine for, I mean, come on!
The Funny, But This is Chicken Shit, Argument
I remember about two years ago, when Helena was debating whether to purchase a BearCat, before, I guess, they were giving them away, through surplus, or by way of grants, through the federal government, and I remember reading the cost, both pimped out and not pimped out, or fully loaded with tough looking headlights, racks, jacked up tires, etc. I thought, don't cities, have better things to spend their limited budgets on? We are cutting funding to youth programs, that might increase the juvenile rate, or cutting spending on senior citizen programs, or those associated with centers of aging, or meals ton wheels, because we don't have the money . . . yet we can turn around and justify, an armored vehicle? Really? You have to be fucking kidding me, $450,000, and that was a few years ago, probably more today, and with everyone just pulling out of the recession and moving toward economic recovery, and we need to be cold-cocked with this? The day, I read about the BearCat, I was traveling between Helena and Missoula, and out of the bushes, appeared an armored vehicle of some sort, based on the royal blue color, it appeared to be something out of a Homeland Security Catalogue, driven by a driver, dressed in full camouflage fatigues, looking like he was ready to drive from the streets of Helena, right into the combat zone, back then and again, in Iraq!
Kalispell and Columbia Falls, was just rated by the FBI, as the safest communities in Montana, yet, I overheard, a shocked citizen, freaking out at seeing an armored vehicle, parked in back of the police station, I would assume, ready to be deployed, to a landlord tenant dispute, or a drunk refusing to get out of the back of a taxi, or the drunk, who would not put on his clothes, therefore, it friend called the cops, or the boyfriend, who got his clothes thrown out of the apartment window, onto the concrete by this girlfriend . . . these are all actual law enforcement reports of the type of issues the cops are dealing with on a daily basis, and sometimes, much more absurd, I would be cursing the advent of the cell phone, making citizens able to bug the hell out of local cops, when ever some lame ass dog, runs into their back yard! Come on, what in the hell are the cops, going to use this for, incite, the citizens, so they get so pissed off, there is actually a riot, so law enforcement can bring out the BearCat!
It is Easier to Ask Forgiveness, Than Permission
In the case of one of the cities, the cops just forgot to put the issue on the city council agenda, and even the mayor didn't know about the, either purchase, or alleged, grant, and he heard about it in the newspaper! But the city council voted 4 to 1 to keep, the totally necessary combat item, because there is such a demanding use for it! Whatever . . . I understand that we want to protect our officers, they do or they are suppose to serve and protect us; however, in all the show of force against the, for the most part, protesters in the Michael Brown shooting, in a confrontation between unarmed, Michael, against Officer Wilson's, unleashed anger, and the kid not jumping to his command, and getting of the street, or daring to actually expect that the officer might use some type of common courtesy, rather than ordering him off, a residential street, where his grandmother lived, but there was no equal urgency, to remove Brown's body? But, several officers were interviewed, when all the riot gear, the tanks, the BearCats, and MWraps, and guns were pointing at the relatively orderly crowd, and one officer stated that they were trained to protect themselves, which makes sense of the ready to deploy, but against the same people they are charged to serve and protect, does that make sense?
I can see, that in LA, or Chicago, or other big cities, where, there were those two foreign guys, who robbed several banks, and walked up and down the streets of LA, with automatic weapons, and the 25 cops, using a Rugar or Lugar, against guys with 10 times the gun power and ammo, a tank or armored vehicle, would have been helpful, and it literally looked like a war zone out there, with about 8 officers, downed by the incident, leaving the street cops, totally unprepared and under-protected; however, now there are SWAT trucks, and officers have riot gear, and are trained in amped up situations on the streets, but, over all, it is just not a big in demand item, something that will be used all the time, unless, this is just to start, getting people, mentally inocculated or numb to seeing, militarized cops, and armored vehicles, cruising up and down the streets of their, American cities, reflecting, more of Russia, China, North Korea, or, well, not Germany of today, under Chancellor Merkel, but more like under Hitler!
MWraps & BearCats, Not Much Help In Normal Cop Deaths
The article mentions the recent death of Officer Joe Dunn, who was, I think, placing a strip of something that was suppose to stop, the guys who killed him, being involved in a high speed chase, if I remember right. Under those circumstances, how, would a BearCat, have changed that incident? There was not a damned thing that anyone could have done, foreseen, anticipated, or done to have stopped what happened to the officer, or at least I can't think what this could have done to stop the death. Many officers have been shot, just approaching a suspicious vehicle they have pulled over, to give a traffic ticket to, or because their tags have expired. Or you have some bizarre, couple, who decides to go nuts, because of their personal ideologies, that may have roots, from their training, their affiliation with anti-government, or anti-cop groups. But, the BearCat is more likely to incite more aggression and resistance from these groups, that it is to ease tension, in fact, the couple who killed the two cops in Las Vegas, had attended the Bundy ranch gatherings, were amped up in this citizen show of force, protecting Bundy, after seeing the attempted cattle roundup, after 200 armed federal agents, storm-trooped the house, stepped on Bundy's son's head, and tasered him, plus killed some of the cattle, leaving many young calves, without mothers . . . but that was in reaction to the feds show of force . . . not the way to handle stuff.
If you live by the sword, you will die by the sword! There are guys, much like the one, who killed, what, about 6 cops, hiding off in the woods, much like the former Marine and cop, who took on a ton of cops, force, male pissing contests, a show of force, bringing in militarized equipment, tanks, etc., will only escalate things, not diffuse it. The BearCats, could not have saved one of those officers, and will not be ready for much, other than a Ferguson style protect, riot, or a staged sit in to express freedom of speech on a subject, like coal trains, using a group demonstration, to make their positions known, and exercising another part of their 1st amendment right, that of redressing grievances, against their government. That is all, and, frankly, I am somewhat bothered by the fact that cops issue citations, or arrest peaceful protesters at all, and I am sure that I could win a civil rights lawsuit, against cops, who arrested protesters, who conducted themselves, with the right to freely associate, and assemble. Police would do better with money, than buying armored vehicles and take anger management classes, or communications, to deal better with people, and engage in more community policing, that investing in vehicles that are ready to be deployed against citizens, making them feel like, enemy combatants!
Control Citizens United & the Advent of Dark Money by Not Voting for People Who Accept It!
I understand the frustration of the United States Supreme Court's ruling in Citizens United, and the followup case, making it legal, not only for people wanting to exercise their free speech, by spending their money, in states that they don't reside in, giving to candidates, that will allegedly to what the money brokers, say, more than their own constituents, but that will only last for awhile, or maybe work for oldie moldies, who have long lost their souls to lobbyists and the money boys; however, at least in Montana, that is not going to go over very well, and they just may get pissed enough, to say, enough it enough! We're not going to take it anymore! I am here at the Shelby, or Toole County Library, and I had a three hour or more delightful conversation with a lady, who is about 70 years old, and a total kindred spirit! Sue was an English major, as I was, she has a master's degree in sociology, with I considered, being a social worker/lawyer, and we had much in common politically, enough to make it really fun, and a rare and celebrated occasion for both of us, especially after the ride I had on the bus, with a closed minded rider, who wanted a legal system, based on the Old Testament, eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, or whatever . . . he would do well with ISIS! LOL!
But his views were totally contrary to any rational man's view, entirely extreme, racist, sexist, bigoted, cruel, ungrateful, and a total bore! Same with this guy who attacked me, or jumped me so to say, as if he had read my blog, and was sent to accost me and give the Republican rebuttle against my blog! He hated Obama, we needed all Republicans, needed to get rid of Senator Harry Reid, and for good, Pelosi, or the thought of her, as if Speaker Bohner, has been a great and marvelous advocate for the American people, or in dealing with the Tea Party crew, who has held any progress in this country back, in a piggish, standoff, shut down, refuse to work, do nothing mess, leaving private businesses and governors to step up and start doing things in their own states, just to get things moving again . . . which is great! But it doesn't say much for Congress! Sue was a gift from God to me! Rational, factual, reasoned, smart, open, shared and wanted me to share, so fun, we hardly got anything done, shorter blog, but worth it, she enlightened me. I dig smart people I can learn from . . .
Who, What, and Who is Paying for the Flier That Dartmouth & Stanford Universities Sent, Making it Look as an Official State Survey, Asking Montana Voters to Rate Their Supreme Court Candidates, on a Scale between President Obama, and Mitt Romney? Mitt Lost, That is Irrelevant!
Or is it . . . is it the Koch Brothers, monstrosity, with 40 different or more, entities, doing, God knows what, and just fucking with politics, a rich man's sport, or is there something more sinister, in and of the fact that Romney was listed, as if he was the anointed, Republican nominee for the 2016 elections? And they seemed to be soooooo, sincere, about really wanting to know if money or ideologies, controlled the candidates, rather than decorum, ethics, non-partisanship, dignity and integrity, acting in good faith and recusing themselves, or conflicting themselves out, of cases, when trial attorneys, have carried their campaigns, which smacks of impropriety, corruption, kickbacks, and bad behavior, meriting expulsion off the bench, if not being disbarred!
I am really uncomfortable with judges pandering for votes, and money! Especially, when trial attorneys, who have just had cases in front of the judges were putting money into the campaign, as if buying their next court win, or getting something for their average of $25,000 contribution for the judge's right to hear their case . . . what about the application of the law, of fidelity to the legislature's role, of preserving, protecting and defending the Constitution, as if that doesn't matter, we just need to get a judge who is favorable to our political views and issues, not right!
And the Dartmouth/Stanford survey or questionnaire is so strange, their mailing it out the way they did, as if it came from the Montana Secretary of State's Office, with the state seal and all? I am sure that other states have judges who are elected as well, as in Nevada, with posters and signs all over the place, so why Montana, what is their interest in this state . . . Sue, thought that is because, they think the state is full of bumpkins, with no idea what devious motives might be behind the survey, or is it to test, if Romney is a ticket item here, or just why? And now, they, the colleges, are sending out a letter, apologizing for sending the survey! What good will that do, put it in the newspaper, and get the fucking hell, out of Montana, and stick to your own politics . . . Citizens United, did not give you unlimited access to the people in Montana, as if there is not boundary between, and your out of state professors, programs and colleges, who seem so interested, should come up with some interesting sociological survey regarding your elections!
Karl Rove, Had $250 Million to Spend on Vetted Candidates Last Election . . . No One of Those Candidates Won! Which is Really Good News!
You don't have to have the most money to win, as Mitt, and the Wall Street Boys! And what a great statement to make. But, just go along with me, humor me, and let's assume, that Montana, who was particularly hurt and mad about the Citizens United ruling, because it overturned 100 years of anti-corruption statutes and laws, that were put into place, after the east coast Copper Kings, bought and sold judges, legislators, governors and congressmen . . . are we attempting to go back in time and recreate the same climate that cause the state so much angst, back in the day? I would think not.
You may not be able, as a citizen to have access to who contributed or donated to a particular candidate, but I have seen statistics, that Zinke and Daines, considered the heavy weights and the favored candidates of their party, who have up to 70% of their campaign money coming from out of state entities, who have, what interest in Montana, or is it to control the Senate, and fuck what the people in Montana need? I think that is the case, it is all about politics, war, winning and they don't give a rat's ass, if the needs of the average Montanan gets met. And, that is not representative, 70%, of Montanans, but representative of what the out of state people want, therefore, should be somewhat suspect to the voters in this state! We don't want elected officials, who right off the bat, owe their donors a ton of favors, playing politics as normal . . . we can get educated without all the ads, or the lawn signs, and just read the newspaper, listen to the debates, or read the letters to the editors of local newspapers, which actually tell us something, rather than impress us with how many ads they have, or how much money!
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