Obama cuts off supply of military-style gear to local police

I know there are a lot of people, including some on the right (and some who pretend to be right-wingers . . . looking at you, libertarians) who are uncomfortable with the idea of the "militarization of local police." Count me not among them. I am uncomfortable with the misuse of military-style equipment by police. But if rioters are going to form violent mobs, loot cities, burn private businesses to the ground and attack innocent people, I want the police to have all the gear and firepower than can get to put those riots down.

---

And now, thanks to Barack Obama, they're not going to:

The Obama administration announced Monday it will ban federal transfers of certain types of military-style gear to local police departments, as the president seeks to respond to a spate of incidents that has frayed trust in communities across the country. The banned items are tracked armored vehicles, bayonets, grenade launchers, ammunition of .50-caliber or higher and some types of camouflage uniforms, according to a report released by a White House working group that made the recommendations. Other equipment, including tactical vehicles, explosives and riot equipment, will be transferred only if local police provide additional certification and assurances that the gear will be used responsibly, according to the report. Community members "have voiced concerns about what has been described as the 'militarization' of law enforcement due to the types of equipment" that is deployed, the report stated. The ban on items will take effect immediately, officials said, while the restrictions on other gear will be phased in so that local law enforcement agencies can be briefed about the new requirements. "The idea is to make sure we strike the right balance of providing equipment that is appropriate and important, while at the same time put standards in place that give a clear reason for the transfer of that equipment, with clear training and safety provisions in place," Cecilia Muñoz, the White House director of domestic policy, told reporters in a conference call.

---

---

Strike the right balance, my ass. This is the White House coming down firmly and unambiguously on the side of the rioters in Ferguson, Baltimore and everyone where lawless thugs decide to defy the police and destroy a city. In a battle between common street criminals and local police, Obama prefers the crooks. He says that with his actions. I don't care what he says with his words. And this is liberal thinking at its finest. If bad guys are acting badly, it must be because the good guys provoked them in some way. They're rioting because the cops had all that military equipment and it upset them. So disarm the police. There are actually liberals who think, by the way, that the police should not have guns either. They will lament that this will probably never happen because America is a bunch of gun-loving NRA crackpots, but they are convinced it would be the best thing to do. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that Obama thinks this too, but he hasn't (yet, anyway) found way to make it happen. By the way, contrary to some headlines that say the White House "banned" police from using military-style equipment, the White House has no such authority. What they did is refuse to be the supplier of the equipment, which is no small thing because it generally comes from the DOD. Now, if you're one of those paranoid Ron Paul types who thinks the police are out to assault you and take away your freedom, I'm sure you think this is a really good day. You were among the first who bought the propaganda that the police are the greatest enemies of your safety. I'm sure you and the thugs you protect can find a store or a car dealership to burn as part of your celebration.

---