Militarized Police

Militarized Police:

In response to the protests and civil unrest in the wake of the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown by a Fergusen, MO police officer last Saturday, local authorities have employed armored vehicles, noise based crowd control devices, shotguns, M4 rifles, rubber-coated metal pellets and tear gas.   For 4 straight nights police deployed on Florissant Avenue wearing camouflage, black helmets, and vests with "POLICE" stamped on the back.  Their adversaries were a ragtag group of mostly unarmed neighborhood residents, hundreds of African Americans  whose pent up fury at the police sent them pouring into the streets demanding justice for Michael Brown.

This is an example of the use and miss-use of what has become known as  "militarized police".   The militarization of our police began when then President Reagan intensified the "war on drugs".   The post 9-11 "war on terror" has added fuel to the fire.  

As reported in the New York Times, "police departments have received tens of thousands of machine guns; nearly 200,000 ammunition magazines, thousands of pieces of camouflage and night vision equipment; hundreds of silencers, armored cars, and aircraft.  The result is that police around the nation posses military grade equipment turning officers who are supposed to fight crime and protect communities into what looks like an invading army".  Military style police raids have increased in recent years.  One recent count puts the number at 80,000 such raids this year.  

In June the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) issued a report based on public records that concludes that police militarization "unfairly impacts people of color and undermines individual liberties, and it has been allowed to happen in the absence of any meaningful public discussion.  Here are 11 things you should know about the militarization of police:

1. It harms and sometimes kills innocent people. - Heavily armed police using flash-bang grenades and armored personnel carries are bound to hurt someone.
2. Children are impacted. - Police conduct their break-ins and gun fights regardless of the presence of children.
3. The use of SWAT teams is often unnecessary. - The ACLU reports that the vast majority of cases  where SWAT teams are deployed are in situations where a search warrant is being executed to look for drugs.  These situations are not why SWAT was created. 
4. The "war-on-terror" is fueling militarization - The DOD (Dept. of Defense) "1033" program provides "surplus military equipment" left over from US military programs in Iraq and Afghanistan, and elsewhere largely cost free to police agencies. 
5. Its a boon to contractor profits. - It is another market for military contractors selling to agencies  with Dept. of Homeland Security grants. 
6. Border militarization and police militarization go hand in hand. - This is also the war on undocumented immigrants.
7. Police are cracking down on dissent. - The use of paramilitary tactics often cause police to over react and so escalate and prolong a conflict.
8. Asset forfeitures are funding police militarization. - Asset forfeitures bring in millions of dollars to police agencies, who spend it for their own uses.  For some police departments it goes to militarizing their personnel. 
9. Dubious informants are used for raids. - In up to 80% of drug cases in America CI's (Confidential Informants) are used.  Some of the information they gather leads to military style police raids.  Unfortunately CI's are quite unreliable and the wrong information can lead to tragic consequences.
10. There's been little debate or oversight.
11. Communities of color bear the brunt. - Across the country communities of color are the people most targeted by police practices.

In my opinion militarizing our police is the wrong way to go.  At the very least we need to insure that there is openness, debate and oversight with regard to militarized police practices.   As is attributed to Thomas Jefferson,  "Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty."

What do you think?

Ebola Virus Outbreak

Ebola Virus Outbreak:

The current 2014 outbreak of the West Africa Ebola virus is the deadliest in history.  According to  the WHO (World Health Organization) the virus has led to 1711 suspected and confirmed cases and 932 deaths.  The WHO has started ist 2 day emergency committee meeting to discuss the outbreak.   The IHR (International Health Regulation) Emergency committee, a panel of 20, will determine whether to recommend a PHEIC (Public Health Emergency of International Concern) meaning the outbreak could spread internationally and require a coordinated international response.

The EVD (Ebola Virus Disease) spreads through contact with an infected person's bodily fluids, and it can take up to 3 weeks for symptoms to appear.   The symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, and often bleeding.  Health workers are the most likely to encounter infected blood, vomit, or feces, and they are using gowns and gloves. 

I don't know about you, but I find this pretty disturbing.   The fatality rate for those who are infected is up to 90%.   Two American aid workers in Liberia have been infected.  They have been tansported back to the U.S. for treatment  and seem to be doing better.  An experimental drug called ZMapp is being used.  It remains to be seen if they will fully recover. The drug is created with tobacco plants, and heretofor has only been tested on Primates.   Health officials are discouraging Americans from traveling to areas where the outbreak is ongoing.  The CDC (Centers for Disease Control) is telling people to avoid non-essential trips to Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. 

Every time we turn on the TV, we hear about the story and more possible cases.  True to form, reality  TV stars express their fears of an outbreak in the U.S.   Just in case you don't have enough to worry about.   The truth is  that infectious disease experts have said that there is no actual danger facing the American people.  Again and again these experts point out that the risk faced by people in the U.S. is incredibly low.   

So, what I think is that we don't have to be so concerned about an outbreak in this country, but it is perfectly fine to be concerned and say a prayer for those in  Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.  

What do you think?