Friday, April 25, 2014

United State of Authoritarianism

Macho posturing with deadly results in the United States of Authoritarianism:


"Now ask yourself: What sort of person would be attracted to a career in law enforcement based on the images and activities depicted in that video? And is that the sort of person you’d want wearing a badge and carrying a gun in your neighborhood?" Balko asked in the online edition of the Washington Post.
The video isn’t disturbing only because of the type of police officer it’s likely to attract. It also suggests that the leadership in the Hobbs police department believes that these are the aspects of police work most worth touting — that this is the face they want to project to the community,” Balko said in the civil liberties and the criminal justice blog that he writes called “The Watch.” 
Hobbs isn’t alone. Balko said the video is part of a trend and offered seven other examples from around the country. . . . 
We have since found a link to the video that combines shots of officers firing automatic weapons to a heavy-metal music soundtrack . . . .

Read the rest at Watchdog.