After armed government agents stormed a small ranch in Nevada last weekend, illegally stealing a rancher’s cattle and attempting to force him off his land, there is growing concern over the 13,000 armored military vehicles (MRAPs) that the federal government is giving to local police departments throughout the country.
Over the last couple of years, I’ve talked about the militarization and federal government takeover of our local police departments, but the pace at which they seem to be taking over is increasing at an alarming rate. Over the last couple of months, the federal government has started distributing Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAPs) vehicles to police forces throughout the U.S., many of which are going to small rural areas of the country that in no way would ever need a Mine-Resistant Ambush Vehicle.
This weekend, according to a local news report out of Michigan City, Indiana, the Michagan City police department was given – at no cost – a $793,000 a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle to be “used for training, incident command, active shooter events and high-risk warrant services.”
This is a town of only around 31,000 people; so why the federal government is giving them, and hundreds of other small towns across the country military vehicles is a bit frightening – especially when you consider the fact that they were designed to take out terrorists in Afghanistan and Iraq. Just who are these vehicles meant for, and why are the feds attempting to get so cozy with state and local law enforcement officers? Do we really need 13,000 MRAPs patrolling the streets of America?
I think people ( the world over ) have become pissed off with there governments and seeing them for what they have evolved into, governments in times of disaster or financial crisis for example have shown themselves to be poorly equipped as leaders and as a result have fallen back on a mantra of ” if we can’t solve the problems of the masses then we will keep them under the thumb to protect ourselves “. Politicians are experts at spinning the bullshit and looking after there own self interests…… but that’s about it.
The world through population growth has become a much smaller place, issues that were half a planet away are now on our back doorsteps and governments and their agencies have an us versus the public mentality. And the government agencies have all begun to assume that they have overriding authority of us. Hell, even as far back as the Kennedy assassination the agencies of the day each thought they had authority over each other …. Madness !!
So now in the year 2014 and through the help of anti terrorism laws and the creative interpretations of those laws by those agencies means that the general public have become enemy number one to our governments.
I agree – if you don’t agree with the government they label you a “domestic terrorst”, which by their new (and illegal) law, allows them to arrest, detain, hold you indefinitely without legal representation, confiscate all your property, seize your financial accounts, and all on their say so. What happened to a free America – what have they done to our constitution. Sad days ahead.
Maybe because they are no longer in an area were they are needed and its cheaper to give them away than trying to keep the serviced and sitting on post taking up space and resources. Just a thought!
Naaa- from free energy to cancer cure and JFK executions – I think we are dealing with a psychotic bunch of lizards that have high jacked everything and pretending to be our government – them and their minions are probably convinced that reducing and dumbing us down is a good service to us- American gladiator and the like – nothing innocent anymore – gloves are off. Nazi style ..just a thought
Well, you can have one in your small town, but my little town of 10k people doesn’t need one. Even our state capitol has one, and they’re police force has more barney fifes than my little village. They have no need for it, they shouldn’t be wasting my tax dollars on the upkeep, and it is making a statement that I don’t approve of. What’s next – surplus rocket launchers? (You’re going to say I’m crazy, but you would’ve thought I was crazy if I told you they would have “mine resistant” tanks just 10 years ago). There should be no military weapons in our local police departments.
Just for the record these are not designed to “Take out terrorists” they are designed to keep troops protected from exactly what its called Mine resistant ambush protected vehicle so troops have a better chance of surviving a IED or ambush of small arms and heavy caliber weapons. Personally I want one…for the most part its a beefed up armored 7 ton which to some civilians a 7 ton is a bigger version of a M35a2 Duece and a Half
Looking back, Obama stated that he intended to setup a domestic police force that was more powerful than the actual military forces. When you think about that it reveals an interesting perspective, why would you want your domestic police to have more fire power than your national protective forces? Because, perhaps you see your own people as more of a threat than external agencies?
Well hear is what I think. Do you really think Obama will step down when his term is up? I doubt it. He will declare marshal law just to stay in office. He is a man on a mission to take our rights away. Do you think that just because the local agencies have armered vehicles is going to stop me from protecting my rights? This is going to be a shit storm one day maybe even sooner than we all think. Right now we are slowly sinking deeper and deeper in thear trap. Then we will open our eyes and it will be to late. Just think about somthing. Are you free? Do you think you ACTUALY have privacy? Hell no!!! Soon you will have to dress the way they want you to. This is the beginning of the end. They tried to buy up our ammo did that work? Nope it didn’t. So now they will put I higher tax on it to help pay for the shit they will use against us. If we Americans own guns we our considers a threat. My opinion on this is leave us the hell alone then!!! We the people of the United States will defend our rights. We will speak and the world will hear us. So stand your ground brothers and sisters.
Having worked for an agency that bought their win armored vehicle I can tell you that they most likely will only tske it out for special occasions such as swat rolls or declarations of emergency.
Just some thoughts of the vehicles being acquired by police agencies. These police agencies are in for a reality check when the time comes for the vehicles to be maintenanced. The problem they are going to run into is …..parts. These parts are only available in the military supply system. I’m speaking from experience on this. Way back in the 1970’s, 80’s, and 90’s military vehicles, like the 1/4, 3/4, 5/4 ton trucks, and the 2 1/2 ton (the deuce and a half) were very popular with police and fire depts. UNTIL it came down to getting parts to fix them. The parts are not available at your local parts store. The tires are only available from a military contractor. As for wanting one, their weight alone will cause problems with trying to negotiate weight restricted bridges and roads. Finally, as for them sitting idle on some base, that most likely would never happen. I can only speak for the Army when I say there is always, always unit training that has to be conducted. Troops aren’t like they were when I was in, when a soldier walked, troops these days are mobile. As an afterthought, these vehicles were designed to be used by the military only never the police, unless military police. They are NOT civilian vehicles and can’t be driven as such. Try to do so and the driver will pay a price. Prime example, the number of 1/4 and 5/4 ton trucks that either rolled over or the transmission burned out because they were driven wrong.The first rule of combat: know your equipment. When the police start employing Bradleys on patrol, THEN BE CONCERNED!
The answer to your question is found in the content of your other recent articles. Did you see the response and show of force by various groups and militias to the Bundy affair? The Fed (and state & local) authorities know that we aren’t showing up with snubnose .38’s and grandpa’s .22 chipmunk rifle. Can’t clear the street with a Tahoe…
We’re no longer in Mayberry!!! Soooo Soviet Union … the militarization of local police! Sad to see this happen!!!
Having them parked all over the us makes them available to be comendered as and when needed. Big bro can just drop in on the popo and grab the keys and go.
I live in a small town in California.Right smack dab in the middle. We have a population of about 72,000. surrounded by over 1 million people in a 30 min drive. we have a lot of homeless and a lot of drug activity. Our town got one of these ambush vehicles, they call it a “Crime Fighting Rescue Vehicle”. lol that’s like jumbo shrimp. No one ever needs rescuing in this small flat farm land. It does make me wanna get the emergency survival bags ready though. There are so many things going on in the government and the churches that are just NOT RIGHT!
First off, I like to say that I am resident of the town that this article is about (Michigan City, Indiana), which is roughly 33,000 residents. Secondly, I like to say that I am COMPLETELY AGAINST having this Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP)Military vehicle (which BTW, is on LOAN from the DOD) on our public streets. Our crime rate has surely gone down over the years (crime data link below). Bottom line and most important, The Posse Comitatus Act, which sad to say it is going out the window if nothing is done. What is more upsetting is I just seen this article (second link below). Tell me, what do you think about these along with this article?? — http://www.city-data.com/crime/crime-Michigan-City-Indiana.html — http://www.infowars.com/indiana-gets-new-military-helicopters-for-homeland-security-missions/