The "Militarization Myth" isn't exactly the idea that the police will massacre citizens -- it is the observation that the police can now deploy riot gear, MRAPs, and "assault" style weapons, which is a far cry from the Norman Rockwell/Andy Taylor vision of law enforcement.
In other words, the "Militarization Myth" is no myth at all.
True however there are reasons they have the equipment and many are legit.
I am old enough to remember the DC riots in the 70s when Iranian "students" were running amok.
Presidente Carter felt that if the Capital Police displayed riot gear it could be "provocative" and incite further violence.
He sent them out with their regular duty gear and they got the living s*** kicked out of them. It was only by the grace of God none of them got killed. Several of their horses were not so lucky.
“Assault style”
Just one of the many errors in this piece.
http://www.freep.com/article/20140817/NEWS06/140726001/
Database of military equipment transfers to police departments. These rifles are M16s. While the difference between fully automatic and semi-automatic is not known to the writer, it is not lost on citizens.
Militarization may not be a myth but the Norman Rockwell/Andy Taylor view most certainly is. Let’s get real if we are going to have a real discussion of the issue.