[Tom Thumbs]

I want to watch the NOPD take the assault rifles away from the Blackwater Security guys and other mercenaries that have been hired to protect private property.

---

I want to see that, AND, I want to see people HERE stop DEFENDING that abomination, AND, I want to see them also stop getting all pissy about "they're NOT 'mercenaries'!"

They ARE mercs. They're a merc outfit. It's WHAT THEY DO.

If THEY'RE not mercs, then we might as well delete the word from the dictionary.

[Knitebane]

The problem is that the wishy-washy hand-wringing left has redefined the term "mercenary" to mean "hired killer."

Mercenaries have only been considered across-the-board bad in recent times. Of course, American history has a lot of bad things to say about the Hessians in the Revolutionary War, but 18th century conflict typically had mercenaries on both sides. Indeed, issuing a letter of marque (which our Constitution explicity allows for) is issued to a person for the purpose of fighting an enemy in exchange for allowing the person to profit from it.

Until recent times, there were only two kinds of militaries. Impressed troops and volunteer troops. Paid, professional troops, like the ones that we have serving right now, and also including police forces, would have been considered mercenaries.

Just another one of those words and phrases that the left has hijacked.