This week the American public finally woke up and was outraged by the sight of armored vehicles rolling down the streets of Ferguson, Missouri, while swarms of camo-clad commando-like cops armed to the teeth followed.
The New York Times called Ferguson a "virtual war zone. The police response has shocked America. The escalating tension in this town of 21,000 people between a largely white police department and a majority African-American community is a central part of this crisis, but the militarization of the police is a dimension of the story that has national implications," the paper said.
And The New York Times is right.
The Pentagon is arming local law enforcement agencies with surplus military-grade weapons including:
- grenade launchers
- armored vehicles
- automatic rifles
- military-style helicopters
- bayonets and scabbards (bayonets?!?)
Over kill? Maybe. Maybe not. Depends on what side of the Molotov cocktail you're on (and what you see coming down the pike. Remember, the Bible predicts a time of coming chaos).
The real problem is, of course, human nature. Humans will always be tempted to abuse power. Give them overwhelming power and the temptation to abuse it will be overwhelming.
A wise women once said: "What I fear most is power with impunity. I fear abuse of power and the power to abuse." --Isabel Allende, Chilean journalist
"The city writhes in chaos; every home is locked to keep out looters. Mobs gather in the streets, crying out for wine. Joy has reached its lowest ebb. Gladness has been banished from the land. The city is left in ruins, with its gates battered down. Throughout the earth the story is the same..." (Isaiah 24:10-13 NLT)
News:
- Reuters: Islamic State threat "beyond anything we've seen"; poses a major threat to US says Pentagon.
- The Los Angeles Times: Study finds 63 trillion gallons of groundwater lost in CA drought; farmers warn of higher food costs.
- ABC News: National Guard ordered out of Ferguson
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