It's About Liberty: A Conservative Forum
Topics => The Police State => Topic started by: IronDioPriest on October 06, 2013, 05:49:03 PM
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First of all, my county is very conservative. We're the most conservative county in MN - the most conservative county in Michele Bachmann's 6th District. The community I live in is so laid back, we have no police department for 25,000+ people. The Wright County Sheriff is our police. They roll through our town from where they're located in a neighboring town about 12 miles away, and that's does us just fine.
To give an indication as to the demeanor of our Sheriff's department, the Sheriff told me that his policy never changed from before MN's firearm carry law and after. He was always a "shall-issue" Sheriff.
So I receive this news that the department has acquired an MRAP vehicle in that context. it raises my eyebrows, and it definitely dovetails with our discussions here re; police all over the country "SWATting-up". But I'd like everyone to read this Q and A with our Sheriff and his Lieutenant, and share your thoughts.
I ask for your thoughts, because what they say sounds reasonable to me, even in light of all we've discussed about all the instances of police over-reactions and abuse of authority.
Sheriff's Department Acquires an Armored Vehicle
Wright County Watch: Keeping Wright County government transparent and accountable (http://www.wrightcountywatch.org/Home/InsidePage/Sheriffs-Department-Acquires-an-Armored-Vehicle?)
With the sighting of what appeared to be an armored vehicle out on the Wright County Public Works/Law Enforcement Center grounds last week, I contacted Wright County Sheriff Joe Haggerty to see if he could share any information regarding the vehicle. I inquired as to the cost of the vehicle as well as the need for what is clearly a military-grade transport vehicle here in Wright County.
Below are comments from both Sheriff Joe Haggerty and Lieutenant Todd Hoffman with some final thoughts at the very end...
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Here's what bothers me:
All transferred surplus items must have a direct application to the law enforcement agency's arrest and apprehension mission.
So you can get one if you are using it for arrest and apprehension BUT the sheriff says "You may have seen in the news lately where they have been used in natural disasters such as floods to assist in rescuing stranded citizens."
So which is it? They might have been used in a natural disaster but that's not what they're for. Sounds like he's trying to make everyone comfortable.
Since the inception of the program in 1993, more than $25 million worth of equipment has been transferred to Minnesota law enforcement agencies including the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), the Department of Natural Resources' (DNR) Enforcement Division, along with 85 county sheriff's offices and approximately 325 local police agencies.”
It was free and everyone's doing it!!
Well, then nothing to worry about.
If I lived there I'd like to know what the protocol for using this thing will be.
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... (we respond to an ever increasing number of volatile calls where gun fire is implied , threatened and used).
Veracity?
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... (we respond to an ever increasing number of volatile calls where gun fire is implied , threatened and used).
Veracity?
Yeah, I find that hard to swallow too. Maybe he means "we" in the collective, as in, "police in general". Cuz we don't have violent crime here. Not in the way anyone from an urban area defines the term.
Perhaps their "open house" - when they place their paramilitary gear on display - would be a good time to ask LadyV's question.
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You know if you give someone a hammer everything's a nail
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Being barely a week on the forum, I may have missed something (a discussion/thread/issue/etc.)…but I haven’t seen anything on the “sustainable” trend. Basically, the urbanization of the suburbs: Agenda 21 (moving away frmo private property ownership). The next town over from me just built a new Shop Rite (major grocery store chain on the east coast). About 50 feet from the store (which sits literally across the street from a Railroad station) is a huge brand new building.
2-3 months ago, I walked through the parking lot & onto the work site for the building & started a friendly chat with one of the young workmen. I asked (pretty much knew the answer, but feigned curiosity) if the plan was for retail on the bottom & 2-3 levels of apartments on top.
“YES! Exactly!” was his reply “And it’s one of 5 brand new projects we’re building across New Jersey!”.
“And I’ll bet they’re ALL next to train stations?” I queried.
“Why yes!” came his reply “How did you know that?”
“Oh just a guess.” I said & then was on my way.
The long term plan…which starts with reasonable requests to recycle more efficiently & install brand new “smart” thermostats, etc…then run costs up so high that rather than being forced out of our homes…we abandon them due to the soaring costs of upkeep. Many municipalities have stopped issuing new sewer maps (can’t build new developments without a sewer plan) & designating more & more land as untouchable for building). My utility has mailed me @ least a dozen offers for a "free" smart thermostat (along with a $50.00 credit the month I let 'em install)...which I simply pitch into the trash.
The armored vehicles are backup for those of us who’d rather retain our present living arrangements. Nothing that I think I’ll see in my lifetime…but the concern is for the next generation.
I don’t know if that’s why your county is ramping up the hardware. But it’d be worth looking into. Begin by searching for "Sustainable" initiatives. The United Way has offered several seminars in neighboring counties (which I infiltrate) labeled "Where Will Alice Live" in which compassion is pushed as the reason for creating more sustainability in the wake of a diminished job market & a tough economy.
Random find from a Bing search: http://www.edcc.edu/sustain/ (http://www.edcc.edu/sustain/)
- What do we mean by sustainability?
“Sustainability encompasses four intertwined ideals: economic wellness, social justice, human health, and biodiversity and ecological integrity. It is a systemic concept, relating to the continuity of economic, social, institutional, and environmental aspects of human society.”
PS: Do not mention "Agenda 21" - virtually all sites have disassociated themselves from it as it's a Red Flag. You will be ridiculed & then offered a drink of fresh hemlock iced tea.
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"The United Way"
RUN! Run as fast as you can!
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"The United Way"
RUN! Run as fast as you can!
I get the sentiment. But if you wanna' know what the enemy is doing...
I literally see myself as a freedom fighter. I'm out most evenings educating people, visiting friendly and semi-hostile organizations & gathering data (it helps me separate the wheat from the conspiracy theories).
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You know if you give someone a hammer everything's a nail
Yeah. And guess which is which?
I have two thoughts on this. First, this is BS. I am not aware of any situation in the greater metropolitan area where anything went down that would require an MRAP. I can understand wanting some mission critical assets in place to fend off possible terrorist actions against nuclear power plants and the like but to suggest one would come in handy for responding to an event should one occur and keeping it around for "general use" otherwise is poppycock. Responding is past tense, you want to station stuff like this at a nuclear plant, fine, put it there where it can maybe do some timely good, don't give me this BS this thing "could be handy"! I'm sure the Gestapo found their military gear real handy too, let's ask German Jews and other enemies of the Fatherland how that worked out for them, OK? Second, just because you are getting free sh*t doesn't mean it was free to start with, taxpayers got pinched for that material, I'd rather we sell surplus to allies (well, allies like we used to have like Israel, BO - Before Obama) and pass the proceeds to taxpayers as a rebate than give this stuff to wannabe soldiers in civil law enforcement!