Democrats, quit blaming the cops

[GaryDog]

OK, there is a lot to respond to here.

One complaint is that SWAT is used too much for drug raids. There are 2 sides to this issue. Some people seem to think that if you are busting a house "just to bust marijuana dealers" that there is no risk or low risk. That just isn't true. Many times they are armed and are just as big of a danger as meth dealers. So, the next question is, should we make such a big deal out of busting people just for marijuana. We could debate that one all day. Sometimes I agree the risk is not worth the reward, both for the cops and the criminals. However, ask the neighbors of that house if they want the police to intervene or if they want their kids growing up next to a dope house. You are damned if you do and damned if you don't.

Next, who gives a damn if the cargo pants the SWAT team is wearing are camo or all black? Does that really matter? As far as "tanks" the police don't have tanks. They have things such as bearcats, which don't have a cannon on them. That is a big difference. Watch the San Bernardino attack, the bearcats were used to shelter the responding police and civilians.

The bottom line is, the police don't want to die in the line of duty. If they are going to be in situations where they are likely to be shot at, they should have adequate protection.

They do not use SWAT on pot "busts". They use them as an investigatory tool. That is not what SWAT is for.

If you don't know that, you don't have the necessary IQ to be in this discussion.

With respect to wearing combat fatigues, it's been scientifically proven that when people are dressed up for a role, they're psychologically more likely to embody that role. Soldiers are not police forces. They view all other entities as enemies. That is not what we hire cops to do. Nearly everyone the police encounters should be treated as a friendly citizen, with due process rights. That is not the landscape that soldiers in Iraq were trained to inhabit, and we certainly shouldn't enable a soldier-like mindset on American streets.

And finally, I'm sorry, but if you don't call these tanks, you're being horribly disingenuous:

Considering that I actually have law enforcement experience, have been involved in executing search warrants, have worked with a SWAT team, and have seen first hand the link between drugs and crime, I would say I am more than qualified to partake in this discussion.

Calling an armored vehicle a tank is like calling a twin prop plane a jet fighter. Perhaps it is you that lacks the IQ for this discussion.

Okay, then you should be well aware that executing a search warrant is, indeed, investigative in nature, and it is not something that should involve heavily armored SWAT teams.

Right, the above photos of tanks in no way resemble...tanks.

Who the fuck do you think you're fooling exactly? If you were in law enforcement, then the problem is even more well illustrated by your own posts. You're an ignorant asshole.

 

[GaryDog]

Except for the fact that more kids will be using marijuana. Something I have also seen firsthand. Then we end up with more adults like you. That's the last thing we need.

You have seen "first-hand" that legalizing marijuana results in more use by kids?
This is a surprising revelation and I will appreciate you filling us in with some of the details.

Its called talking to kids. I have had numerous kids tell me that since states like Colorado legalized, it is easier to get, and more kids are doing it. These are kids who got busted. They have no problem sharing because they know the changes that have been made to the juvenile justice system mean there are no consequences for them. They don't care.

I guess we both have our own experiences that lead us to disagree. I spend my time working around kids. Drug use is on the rise. By the estimates that the kids themselves give us, 60-70% of High School kids are smoking pot. That is a BAD thing.

No, YOU have anecdotes and experiences that you think trump real data.


In fact, since the legalization of pot in Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Colorado and DC, criminal activity in ALL places has gone down.

Marijuana Legalization in Washington State: One-Year Status Report | Drug Policy Alliance

New Schools, Less Crime: Colorado Sees Benefits Of Marijuana Legalization

DC’s Legalized Weed Is One-Year Old, And Crime Has Cratered

You "talk to kids"? Wow, what extensive research. "By the estimates that the kids themselves give us" -- so let me get this straight, your source for determining how many kids are on drugs includes a group of people that you allege use too many drugs.

L. O. L.