[XR7]

Frickin' Forest Service is like law enforcement everywhere: too big for their damned britches. All decked out in S.W.A.T. riot gear. What for? Let em' go back to Smokey Bear hats and friendly smiles. Sure, no one wants smelly aging hippies and their kids converging for a weekend of partying. But is having an armed to the teeth police state the answer?

And, it's not just the Forest Service. Every tin-pot local police and sheriffs department is now armed to the teeth. Watch what happens when they come after law-abiding citizens: http://www.nra.org/Multimedia/MMPlayer_Set.aspx?ID=105

[underground]

I think if we just enforced every currently existing law we’d need prison space for another ~60 million.

[AppyPappy]

Note: The Rainbow hippies rioted when confronted with the law. It seems the SWAT tactics were justified.

The hippies made the Forest Service’s case for them.

[carcraft]

If the Forrest Service hadn't been decked out in SWAT gear ready for crowd control this situation could have really been bad for everybody involved. Surrounding and intimidating law enforcement personnel is not a good deal. And of course it was just a bunch of peaceful folks out there throwing stones, damaging cars and trying to intimidate law enforcement etc the cops should have just let it happen. (sarcasm off)

[Mygirlsmom]

Every tin-pot local police and sheriffs department is now armed to the teeth. Watch what happens when they come after law-abiding citizens

Speaking of which, might there be any Milwaukee-area Freepers with a law or law enforcement background who would be willing to advise on a matter that happened last night?

My 18 yr old daughter came home with the most unbelieveable story about a friend of hers who had a run in with the local police yesterday (suburb of Milwaukee, not Milwaukee proper).

[Natchez Hawk]

Dead right, friend. Glorified bureaucrats with an attitude.

[wastedyears]

Stamford, CT has an APC. I saw it when I was walking down High Ridge Road; it was following the lead of a marked car.

I stopped walking and just stared at it as it went by.

[Grizzled Bear]

We need to relocate a few hundred dirty hippies (redundant, I know). Can we send them to your place?

[Mister Da]

“And, it's not just the Forest Service. Every tin-pot local police and sheriffs department is now armed to the teeth.”

Right! The Marine Police race up to your boat like a bomb went off, the beach patrol whizzes around on ATVs, even the campground patrols have a “danger” feel about them.

The LEOs, by their actions & attitudes, are alienating the people of this country. LEOs are no longer seen as solutions, but as problems to be avoided.

Though this article is short on facts & long on emotion, the idea that LEOs would point or shoot ANY weapons in the direction of children is appalling! Was the search for violations so important that the presence of children &/or the possibility of an angry crowd was ignored?

This article reminds me of the ATF & the Branch Davidians.