That is the the overlooked question here. Any police department can have any equipment it can afford. This is just grandstanding for the Barry Base. The federal executive has very little to do with local policing matters, and then only in narrowly limited circumstances. This free-for-all dump of surplus military equipment on PDs was never a good idea.
http://highlandcountypress.com/print.asp?SectionID=4&SubSectionID=22&ArticleID=27707
Sunday, May 17, 2015
Rep. Louie Gohmert
By Rep. Louie Gohmert
R-Texas
Over the past few weeks, my office has been inundated with calls referring to the Jade Helm 15 military exercise scheduled to take place between July 15 and September 15, 2015.
This military practice has some concerned that the U.S. Army is preparing for modern-day martial law.
Certainly, I can understand these concerns.
When leaders within the current administration believe that major threats to the country include those who support the Constitution, are military veterans, or even “cling to guns or religion,” patriotic Americans have reason to be concerned.
We have seen people working in this administration use their government positions to persecute people with conservative beliefs in God, country, and notions such as honor and self-reliance.
Because of the contempt and antipathy for the true patriots or even Christian saints persecuted for their Christian beliefs, it is no surprise that those who have experienced or noticed such persecution are legitimately suspicious.
Having served in the U.S. Army, I can understand why military officials have a goal to see if groups of Special Forces can move around a civilian population without being noticed and can handle various threat scenarios.
In military science classes or in my years on active duty, I have participated in or observed military exercises; however, we never named an existing city or state as a “hostile.” We would use fictitious names before we would do such a thing.
Once I observed the map depicting “hostile,” “permissive” and “uncertain” states and locations, I was rather appalled that the hostile areas amazingly have a Republican majority and believe in the sanctity of the United States Constitution.
When the federal government begins, even in practice, games or exercises, to consider any U.S. city or state in “hostile” control and trying to retake it, the message becomes extremely calloused and suspicious.
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