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    JVBaseballSuperstarAleksander Chan
    5/18/15 8:43am

    I have to imagine this will rile up some 2nd Amendment “Patriots” who also happen to be police officers.

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      SlickWillieJVBaseballSuperstar
      5/18/15 8:50am

      You might be surprised at the lack of overlap between those groups though. I mean, cops are definitely pretty right wing, and they’ll offer lip service in support the 2A, but when they get a call that Bill Bob and the ol lady are at it again, they roll deep and unholstered and probably loathe that fucker for having all of those guns in such an unstable home

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      JVBaseballSuperstarSlickWillie
      5/18/15 8:53am

      Good point. This should actually be every non-cop 2nd amendment “Patriots” wet dream. Since Obama did it though, it’s going to be socialism.

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    SkillbillyAleksander Chan
    5/18/15 8:39am

    Did we forget this?

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      Straight6PackRacingSkillbilly
      5/18/15 8:44am

      How would a .50 cal or grenade launcher make that better? Nobody is taking away automatic weapons, just limiting access to heavy weaponry.

      M16’s - automatic fire military rifles - fire a .223 bullet and are not mentioned in this ban at all.

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      TexasDevinSkillbilly
      5/18/15 8:44am

      I think it’s more about this:

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    PeteRRAleksander Chan
    5/18/15 8:41am

    They aren’t “military style” rifles. They are assault rifles straight from the military. And I applaud this step he is taking.

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      genebelcherPeteRR
      5/18/15 8:43am


      Thank you.

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    TRUMP DELENDUS EST (fka Chatham Harrison)Aleksander Chan
    5/18/15 9:18am

    See, scenes like this are what we’re trying to cut down on. No one’s saying that murderers or bank robbers need to be treated with kindness, just that protesters and passers-by needn’t be treated as murderers and bank robbers.

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      OhYouSoFunnyTRUMP DELENDUS EST (fka Chatham Harrison)
      5/18/15 10:23am

      The Army/Marines have gone up against standing armies with less war-gear. What a ridiculous situation on so many levels.

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      TomatoLightBulbTRUMP DELENDUS EST (fka Chatham Harrison)
      5/18/15 10:28am

      While I agree with you, I think Obama’s move is nothing more than political theater.

      The only thing Obama’s ban would change, is if the cops in that picture had uniforms purchased with Federal money, they’d be black instead of camo.

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    BanjoBanditoAleksander Chan
    5/18/15 8:39am

    Bonnie and Clyde made it halfway across the US with a trunk full of BARs and handily won shoot outs with the cops because, dramatic pause, “when guns are outlawed, only outlaws have guns”.

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      SlickWillieBanjoBandito
      5/18/15 8:45am

      That was my argument against the Governor of Virginia trying to outlaw blow jobs and sodomy a couple years ago.

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      RazzleDazzle12BanjoBandito
      5/18/15 8:52am

      Seems like this is just saying police departments will no longer get this shit from the federal government. I’m sure there are some capitalism-loving defense companies that will be happy to sell to them directly.

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    Isaac88Aleksander Chan
    5/18/15 9:11am

    Great move by Obama. The number of SWAT deployments since these federal transfers started have skyrocketed. If you give cops military toys they'll use them whether it's called for or not.

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      Michael SchlumbargerIsaac88
      5/18/15 9:56am

      That is the thing: NONE of gear used in Ferguson was actually 1033 gear. 1033 has given $4.3 billion of used, sometimes well worn material to police departments since 1997.

      The Department of Homeland Security has, however, given $45 billion (!) to police departments to buy material since 2004. The Bearcats seen in Ferguson? The guns? The vests? All with DHS money.

      Arguing about a program that has given $238m per year to police and ignoring a $4b program is stupid. 1033 doesn’t matter, most of the gear is the military’s low grade stuff or used gear. My small town in Missouri has 1033 M16s: they were used to half their life before the Marines replaced them with M4s. Those guns don’t look anything like what was used in Ferguson, because in Ferguson they were using brand new stuff from Knights Armaments and elsewhere paid for with DHS money.

      And its the DHS that is paying for counter terrorism training and hostage rescue training. The 1033 program just gives the police rifles and armored vehicles: its the DHS giving them the “SWAT” training that makes them all fucking psycho.

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      Isaac88Michael Schlumbarger
      5/18/15 10:39am

      Good info. Thanks for sharing. I’d love to see more steps made to curb the militarization of police forces nationwide.

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    TessAleksander Chan
    5/18/15 8:52am

    “One of the ways police departments have armed themselves in recent years is through the Defense Department’s excess property program, known as the 1033 Program. That program has transferred more than $4.3 billion in equipment since its inception in 1997.”

    Now, it’s time to ask why the DoD has so much excess property that apparently is in very good condition.

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      PeteRRTess
      5/18/15 9:09am

      DOD has to plan and equip for wars that don’t happen. That being said, actual military weapons/equipment should not have been turned over to civilian police agencies.

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      Michael SchlumbargerTess
      5/18/15 9:56am

      NONE of the gear used in Ferguson was from the military.

      1033 has given $4.3 billion of used, sometimes well worn material to police departments since 1997.

      The Department of Homeland Security has, however, given $45 billion (!) to police departments to buy material since 2004. The Bearcats seen in Ferguson? The guns? The vests? All with DHS money.

      Arguing about a program that has given $238m per year to police and ignoring a $4b program is stupid. 1033 doesn’t matter, most of the gear is the military’s low grade stuff or used gear. My small town in Missouri has 1033 M16s: they were used to half their life before the Marines replaced them with M4s. Those guns don’t look anything like what was used in Ferguson, because in Ferguson they were using brand new stuff from Knights Armaments and elsewhere paid for with DHS money.

      And its the DHS that is paying for counter terrorism training and hostage rescue training. The 1033 program just gives the police rifles and armored vehicles: its the DHS giving them the “SWAT” training that makes them all fucking psycho.

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    drewraines.comAleksander Chan
    5/18/15 9:00am

    75 million for 50,000 body cameras? But gopros are only $200 or $400 if you get the hero4. Couldn’t they make some deal with the billionaire gopro founder? I am all for body cameras, but not spending $1500/camera. That’s ridic.

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      flamingolingodrewraines.com
      5/18/15 10:19am

      I’m guessing some of the money will be used for paying for data storage and things of that sort.

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    Misteaks were madeAleksander Chan
    5/18/15 9:18am

    I think some people are missing the point here or are misinformed. There is no ban on surplus M4/AR rifles and armored cars. Only large caliber rifles (think Barrett rifles ) and tracked vehicles. Two things we haven’t really seen in any protesting footage. I challenge anyone to show me civilian cops with a Ma Duece on a tracked vehicle. There will just be tighter controls and more hoops to jump through.

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      CleverUsernameAleksander Chan
      5/18/15 9:08am

      Finally, all the 2nd Amendment enthusiasts who fear the government’s jack-booted thugs have something to thank Obama for.

      I’ll just be holding my breath while I wait for the thanks to start rolling in.

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        skywalkrCleverUsername
        5/18/15 10:37am

        While I certainly agree that police do not need the items listed in this article but there is still a long way to go. I mean, tracked vehicles, .50 cal guns, grenade launchers, armed aircraft, etc. Those are all pretty rare items and there is still a ton of over militarized police departments out there with none of those things.

        A step in the right direction I guess but it is more for perception rather than actually doing anything or else the language would be more inclusive.

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        Darigaazskywalkr
        5/18/15 11:45am

        For real, it’s more like:

        “Hey guys, you can’t have any actual military equipment from us so stick with the assault rifles, riot equipment, AR-15s, and whatever else you want.”

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