You’d think the Mexican military had invaded New Orleans. Well, they have, but that’s beside the point. You’d think thousands of well-armed thugs are loose on the streets, killing and terrorizing the inhabitants, thus the need for cops garbed in cammies, bullet-proof vests, helmets with automatic weapons. Point is, there is absolutely no need for militarized cops on the streets of New Orleans. As these photos demonstrate, the cops are pretending to be little John Rambos, wearing black t-shirts emblazoned with special forces-like insignias, tromping around frightening law-abiding citizens, attacking old ladies, and confiscating legal guns from citizens who believe the Second Amendment means what it says. Almost as disgusting as this militarization of the police is the fawning attitude of the corporate media, who make excuses for this behavior. Last night, on MSNBC, some airhead said he has to hand it to the police for the tough job they have (breaking down doors, screaming obscenities at frightened residents, stealing guns), for instance killing stray dogs left behind, family pets condemned to death. It is obvious the enemy is not roving gangs of thugs but the remaining residents of New Orleans. New Orleans is the paradigm of what America will soon be: a militarized police state where the Constitution is a dead letter and the citizenry is considered the enemy.
