I’m a dyed in the wool, fourth generation Texan, so let me just say that I am shocked and amazed, dazed and dismayed by the failure of my state’s present collection of wimpo political leaders and police authorities to put Texas first.
I’m referring to the fact that Texas – the macho-est, most militaristic, cockiest, gun-toting-est state in the union – is not number one in receiving surplus combat equipment from the Pentagon to militarize our police departments. One thing that most Americans learned from the ugly show of military might by police against the citizens of Ferguson, Missouri, is that the Department of Defense has quietly been arming our police departments to the teeth over the past couple of decades. M-16 assault rifles, MRAP armored vehicles, Huey helicopters, grenade launchers, body armor, you name it – they’ve all been doled out like Santa Claus tossing candy to children in a Christmas parade.
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In mid-August, the New York Times ran a useful graphic of six maps of the US, each one showing the geographic distribution of particular kinds of weaponry and gear. That’s how we Texans learned of our state’s shameful performance in the Pentagon’s grab-it-and-go giveaway. Texas was not in first place in any category. Not one! In terms of the breadth of distribution across a state, we were even outgunned in the assault rifle category by liberal Massachusetts and la-la land California. And we were completely skunked in grenade launchers! Texas police didn’t get a single one of those babies, but lefty Minnesota got several. O, the humiliation!
This is Jim Hightower saying… So much for Rick Perry campaigning for president as a pistol-packing, lock-down-the-border “Mr. Tough Guy.” Chris Christie got more goodies for tiny New Jersey than Perry did for mighty Texas. Talk about an “oops” moment – this is scandalous.
“The Spread of Military Surplus Gear,” http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/08/15/us/surplus-military-equipment-map.html?_r=0, August 16, 2004.
“Tools of War in Counties Across the U.S.” http://www.nytimes.com/images/2014/08/16/nytfrontpage/scan.pdf, August 16, 2014.
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