Posted on 08/15/2014 2:41:30 AM PDT by Olog-hai
A Democratic congressman plans to introduce a bill to restrict a Defense Department program that provides machine guns and other surplus military equipment for free to local law enforcement agencies across the country.
Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., said Thursday that the death of an unarmed teenager who was shot by a police officer in a St. Louis suburb highlights the need for the legislation, which has been in the works for months.
The bill comes as members of Congress have called for the Justice Department to investigate the shooting of a black teen by a police officer in Ferguson, Mo.
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Congress isn’t really interested in the local police. This isn’t a program to arm them. Arming them is the result of manufacturer’s lobbyists expanding their businesses by moving the limited military demand for their product down market to the police at the expense of the taxpayers. The military has a relatively small need of only x machine guns and armored vehicles. But there’s a police agency at every level of every government. That market is HUGE.
Follow the money.
If the military hardware is already bought and paid for by “We the people”, why are they selling it back to us?
What the hell does this small tourist area need with a vehicle (weapon) like that?
I am a County Commissioner in a small county with approx. 24,000 full time residents, during tourist season the population jumps to 40,000. recently our county “inheritied” a military type “assulat vehicle” equipped with everything short of the machine gun in the turret. (At least that is what we have been told, perhaps the machine gun is somewhere unknown to us.) The vehicle just showed up one day with nobody aware it was coming.
What the hell does this small tourist area need with a vehicle (weapon) like that?
What did you do with it? Maintenance on something like that can’t be cheap.
TOO LATE NOW...the cat is out of the bag...
Geez...politicians....
If you don’t need it put it up for sale. Your employers will appreciate reducing the government’s burden upon them.
No outcry from left after Boston Marathon bombing.
A picture post of rifle pointing up directly at photographer would be a nice addition.
If they give too many weapons to a city, will it tip over?
"provides machine guns and other surplus military equipment for free"
Beat me to it, ya did...
Ultimately, Johnson's priority is race, which trumps even liberal Democrat dogma. This is all about the perceived 'license to kill black men'.
Good ole Hank Johnson. Yesterday he said disarm the police. Also yesterday he said Obama should declare Martial Law.
Tell whoever sent it that you can neither use it or want it.
Hank Johnson who thinks Guam might tip over is smart enough to figure out we need to stop militarizing the cops. Who knew?
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