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Militarization of Police: The American Citizen's Adversary

There was a time when police were held high amongst the populace; children looked up to police officers and were encouraged to join the force when they grew up and there was a sense of security many felt when an officer was present. Little did we know, law enforcement's capabilities were developing into a military style occupation which now causes the public to fear them. Some people have even taken a psychotic turn to harm officers as well. The images that circulated from Ferguson, Missouri's riots when an unarmed young black 18 year old was killed by a police officer without evident provocation remains engraved in many spectator's memories. During the riots, officers were dressed in military camouflage attire, gas masks, and military assault weapons pointed at unarmed citizens was a frightening scene. The military attire worn was reminiscent of what one may have seen in a military exercise in Iraq.

Alarmingly, Ferguson is not the only location where brute police for has been used. Across the nation, swat teams are violently raiding homes without warrants for consensual crimes. In the process of the raids children are hurt or put at risk. There are reports of pets being killed and officers being hurt or killed due to citizens protecting their family out of fear. Sometimes when these incidents occur, there are little to no drugs found or anything illegal taking place. These atrocities have caused legislators to assess local police department's need for receiving military grade equipment and training. Citizens, reporters and some government officials are not wanting to wait for an assessment. Many ask why small towns and school districts are receiving tanks, Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles (MRAP) and grenade launchers? According to the Wall Street Journal, "The...