The state has always been at war with Eurasia Eastasia liberty but it has seldom been as overt as it is today:
The New Hampshire Union Leader reports on the desire of Concord, NH, police to get all militaried up with Bearcat armored SWAT vehicles, paid for by the federal Department of Homeland Security, natch.
Excerpts:
[…]
In its grant application to DHS, the police department said New Hampshire’s experience with terrorism “slants primarily towards the domestic type,” and said “the threat is real and here.”
“Groups such as the Sovereign Citizens, Free Staters and Occupy New Hampshire are active and present daily challenges,” the application stated. In addition to organized groups, it cited “several homegrown clusters that are anti-government and pose problems for law enforcement agencies.”
Emphasis mine. The groups rattled off in the application tend to be extremely peaceful. The Free Staters are especially peaceful and their shenanigans can best be described as acts of peaceful civil disobedience. What’s laughable is the claim that the mentioned organizations haven’t caused problems for law enforcement agencies. If a law enforcement agency; all of which are already armed with squad cards, rifles, handguns, pepper spray, batons, and other weapons; are currently having problem with anti-government organizations then a Bearcat isn’t going to change anything. Bearcats, although impressive looking, aren’t likely to intimidate individuals who oppose the state if the current implements held by police agencies haven’t.
I doubt this application has anything to do with the Free Staters, Occupiers, or any other anti-state organization. The Concord police department want more toys because they’re jealous that everybody else has them. What’s worrisome is that police agencies with new toys always feel the need to use them, which is how innocent people get hurt or killed. I’m sure the application will go through and the Concord police will have a shiny Bearcat to call their own but, for the sake of everybody’s safety, I really hope it doesn’t.