JBTs

There is a label on the right that is entitled "JBTs". This stands for Jack Booted Thugs. This wikipedia entry should explain the reference rather well for anyone who does not understand it.

I am not here to claim that every cop doing their job is an authoritarian fascist maniac. I don't believe that, nor do I respect that opinion in the least. It is the position of a leftard antiwar marcher, a lazy parrot that is most likely a drain on society.

There are however many officers that abuse their power, swat teams that think they are in Fallujah, and plenty of administrators that see us "civilians" as cattle to be herded.

The militarization of police forces across the country is quite alarming. We see SWAT teams dressed out in tactical gear, with assault rifles and subguns at the ready, all the time on our television sets. We have grown accustomed to seeing such things. A police SWAT team is not necessarily a bad thing at all. The overuse of one is however.

We shouldn't be using them any more than is absolutely necessary. No knock entries by a large group of heavily armed police creates an inherently dangerous situation. Sometimes this may be warranted, but most often it is not. Storming a guys house that sells a few dime bags of weed on the weekends does not warrant special treatment for example. Maybe if there is evidence that he has weapons in the house, AND has a known violent temperment, such force is appropriate. Otherwise it isn't.

This reference also can be used for federal forces, as Wayne LaPierre did, which caused quite the controversy. The events at Ruby Ridge, and Mount Carmel illustrate the danger very well. I am not supporting what David Koresh or Randy Weaver did in the least, but both of these situations could have worked out very differently if the authorities involved had thought out a better plan before going in like ninjas.

This is nothing new to most people who read my blog or people that have similar blogs. I am not the first person, by a long shot, to study this phenomena. I do however think it is appropriate to put up this post to clarify why that topic will be getting some more posts in the future, after containing only one prior to now.

We must fight to preserve our liberty. A police state is an inherently safe state generally, but it is not a free state. We must resist turning over our free will to the government.