Dave Lindorff: In many communities, police are the ‘terrorists’

[LuckyTheDog]

In many communities of color today, police routinely patrol the streets all decked out in military-style gear, complete with kevlar helmets, semi-automatic weapons, and body armor. They do this not because they are in danger — the incidence of officers being shot in the line of duty has fallen to rates not seen since the late 19th century — but in order to make them more intimidating.

Back in the mid-1960s, when police forces in most cities were almost lily-white, black areas of major cities across the country erupted in riots over the same kinds of incidents as what just happened in Ferguson. Out of those riots, a resistance grew, including the founding of the Black Panthers. That kind or community resistance, while it was brutally challenged by police and by the FBI, also led to reforms, such as the hiring of many minority police officers, to the establishment of civilian police review boards, and to the election of minority mayors and council members.

9-11 undid much of that.

MORE HERE: http://wonkynewsnerd.com/many-communities-police-are-the-terrorists/

[Dragonfli]

1. They most certainly do use terror tactics, often only differing

in that they are too cowardly to blow themselves up to kill them some "folks". They would shoot a Chihuahua dead before allowing themselves to be nicked by a non blood letting bite.

Only cowards would wear such gear and use tanks against unarmed civilians.

I have heard there are good cops, but have never met one personally, much like I have never encountered a unicorn.

Yet people swear they exist, so they must be reporting the abuse of other "bad" cops on a daily basis, or so one would imagine.