The Morning Roar: Ferguson Edition! Holder Dispatches "Trayvon Team" To St. Louis, Rand Calls For Police Demilitarization, Amash Cites Failed Vote To Demilitarize
It's Ferguson Fest everywhere, as more and more troublesome stories leak out of the small town that is now under siege from militarized police forces, despite the local police department's best efforts to stymie the media. Check out John Odermatt's Felony Friday that asks if there may be a silver lining to the Ferguson occupation.Attorney General Eric Holder Dispatches Same Trayvon Martin Team That Initiated Protests To FergusonEric Holder's involvement in virtually anything assures that it will end up far worse off than it began. This proven theory will soon be brought to light again in Ferguson, Missouri, where the Attorney General is dispatching the same rally-inciting team that he sent to provide "community relations" following the Trayvon Martin shooting. From WND:
Responding to news that the Justice Department has dispatched its Community Relations Service to the scene of racially charged unrest in Ferguson, Missouri, the head of the Washington watchdog group Judicial Watch says it’s time for a civil rights investigation of Attorney General Eric Holder’s agency.“Eric Holder’s Justice Department is unfortunately not to be trusted on racial matters,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton in an interview with WND.Under Holder’s leadership, he said, the department “has a record of racially inflammatory rhetoric that is extreme in ideology and cynical in its politics.”Fitton points out the Community Relations Service intervened in the Trayvon Martin case in Florida, helping organize protests that pressed for the prosecution of George Zimmerman, who later was acquitted by a jury of murder.The DOJ says its Community Relations Service, created under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, tries to help communities resolve conflicts and tensions arising from racial differences.
The fact that this group, using taxpayer money and authorized by the United States government, was encouraged to organize protests based on racial grounds is absolutely disgusting. The government shouldn't be attempting to incite public unrest under any circumstances, let alone to attempt to drive a deeper wedge between races by attempting to utilize travesty as opportunity.In an already sensitive situation, which the government's "peacekeepers" caused, then acerbated, the last thing we need is more government. But, of course, I think that about everything. It's just that now maybe more people will agree with me.Rand Paul Calls For Demilitarization of Police Forces Rand Paul has called for the demilitarization of police forces in the United States, a sentiment that I would hope virtually all Americans would share, especially after seeing the decent of heavily armed, armored and arrogant police forces upon Ferguson. From an op-ed he composed for TIME:
Not surprisingly, big government has been at the heart of the problem. Washington has incentivized the militarization of local police precincts by using federal dollars to help municipal governments build what are essentially small armies—where police departments compete to acquire military gear that goes far beyond what most of Americans think of as law enforcement.When you couple this militarization of law enforcement with an erosion of civil liberties and due process that allows the police to become judge and jury—national security letters, no-knock searches, broad general warrants, pre-conviction forfeiture—we begin to have a very serious problem on our hands.The militarization of our law enforcement is due to an unprecedented expansion of government power in this realm. It is one thing for federal officials to work in conjunction with local authorities to reduce or solve crime. It is quite another for them to subsidize it.Americans must never sacrifice their liberty for an illusive and dangerous, or false, security. This has been a cause I have championed for years, and one that is at a near-crisis point in our country.
What's tragic - beyond the senseless loss of a young man's life - is that most Americans had no idea that any of this was going on in the first place, despite our best efforts to educate them. I'm sure there are some wide-right conservatives who think this type of armament and police presence is warranted, but the vast majority seem to have been shaken into the realization that many once trusted and friendly local police forces are now akin to military units. If only there had been the chance for Congress to pass legislation outlawing the gifting of wartime weaponry to local police departments...Justin Amash Reminds Us That Congress Could Have Voted To Demilitarize the Police Justin Amash, a libertarian-ish Republican, has reminded us that there was indeed a vote to cut off the police supply chain that has been turning the police into an extension of the military. From his Facebook:
I voted yes on the Grayson of FL Amendment to #HR4870, which prohibits funding in the bill from being used to transfer aircraft, grenade launchers, toxicological agents, missiles, and other weapons from the federal government to state and local law enforcement. This is military-grade equipment that shouldn't be used on the street by state and local police. The amendment was not agreed to 62-355.
I doubt any members of Congress would agree to be polled about their reasoning behind voting "no" on HR4870, especially in light of the horrible results of their actions.Read The Morning Roar every weekday Monday-Friday!The Lions of Liberty are on Twitter, Facebook & Google+Receive access to ALL of our EXCLUSIVE bonus audio content – including “Conspiracy Corner”, “Degenerate Gamblers” and the “League of Liberty Podcast” by joining the Lions of Liberty Pride and supporting us on Patreon!
