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Veterans on Ferguson

The general consensus here: if this is militarization, it's the shittiest, least-trained, least professional military in the world, using weapons far beyond what they need, or what the military would use when doing crowd control.

Andrew Exum @abumuqawama
1. One of the things that has always bothered me most about states rights libertarians is that in American history, state and local ...
Wed, Aug 13 2014 23:34:37
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//twitter.com/abumuqawama/status/499700582148739072
— Andrew Exum (@abumuqawama)Wed, Aug 13 2014 23:34:37
Andrew Exum @abumuqawama
2. ... governments have often been the ones most effective at suppressing the rights of Americans, specifically African-Americans ...
Wed, Aug 13 2014 23:35:27
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//twitter.com/abumuqawama/status/499700794082729984
— Andrew Exum (@abumuqawama)Wed, Aug 13 2014 23:35:27
Andrew Exum @abumuqawama
3. ... while it has often been the federal government that has stepped in -- from Little Rock to New Orleans -- to restore both order ...
Wed, Aug 13 2014 23:36:21
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//twitter.com/abumuqawama/status/499701019228774400
— Andrew Exum (@abumuqawama)Wed, Aug 13 2014 23:36:21
Andrew Exum @abumuqawama
4. ... and the rights of the citizenry. This mess in Ferguson illustrates how dumb local police forces can be ...
Wed, Aug 13 2014 23:37:13
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//twitter.com/abumuqawama/status/499701236552458240
— Andrew Exum (@abumuqawama)Wed, Aug 13 2014 23:37:13
5. ... This, for example, is not a policeman who is about to win the trust of his fellow citizen: pic.twitter.com/6u8MCAZ5PT
Andrew Exum @abumuqawama
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Wed, Aug 13 2014 23:37:57
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//twitter.com/abumuqawama/status/499701422678876160
— Andrew Exum (@abumuqawama)Wed, Aug 13 2014 23:37:57
Andrew Exum @abumuqawama
6. Ferguson is useful in that it separates those who actually worry about the power of the state from those who just ...
Wed, Aug 13 2014 23:39:23
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//twitter.com/abumuqawama/status/499701781572878336
— Andrew Exum (@abumuqawama)Wed, Aug 13 2014 23:39:23
Andrew Exum @abumuqawama
7. ... hate Obama and want to wave a Gadsden Flag around with their friends. Americans of both parties and all races should ...
Wed, Aug 13 2014 23:40:35
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//twitter.com/abumuqawama/status/499702082824577024
— Andrew Exum (@abumuqawama)Wed, Aug 13 2014 23:40:35
Andrew Exum @abumuqawama
8. ... be concerned when we see police forces on our streets that look like armies of occupation, not our fellow citizens.
Wed, Aug 13 2014 23:41:13
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//twitter.com/abumuqawama/status/499702241759330305
— Andrew Exum (@abumuqawama)Wed, Aug 13 2014 23:41:13
Josh Weinberg @josh_weinberg
@abumuqawama its a pic so who knows but why have your weapons pointed at a guy like that? Mil tactic would be to stay low ready
Tue, Aug 12 2014 17:57:52
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https://twitter.com/josh_weinberg/status/499253447343222784
— Josh Weinberg (@josh_weinberg)Tue, Aug 12 2014 17:57:52
Jason Fritz @JasonFritz1
As someone who studies policing in conflict, what's going on Ferguson isn't just immoral and probably unconstitutional, it's ineffective.
@AlexHortonTX
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Wed, Aug 13 2014 23:38:55
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//twitter.com/JasonFritz1/status/499701662706327552
— Jason Fritz (@JasonFritz1)Wed, Aug 13 2014 23:38:55
James Skylar Gerrond @JimmySky
In the USAF, we did crowd control and riot training every year. Lesson 1: Your mere presence has the potential to escalate the situation.
Wed, Aug 13 2014 23:45:36
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//twitter.com/JimmySky/status/499703348153810946
— James Skylar Gerrond (@JimmySky)Wed, Aug 13 2014 23:45:36
jeffclement @jeffclement
A few people have pointed it out, but our ROE regarding who we could point weapons at in Afghanistan was more restrictive than cops in MO.
Thu, Aug 14 2014 02:03:43
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http://twitter.com/jeffclement/status/499738102777544704
— jeffclement (@jeffclement)Thu, Aug 14 2014 02:03:43
Alex Horton @AlexHortonTX
We've decided, as a society, that local police forces need greater armor capabilities than an invasion force in 2003.
Thu, Aug 14 2014 00:02:55
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//twitter.com/AlexHortonTX/status/499707705729499136
— Alex Horton (@AlexHortonTX)Thu, Aug 14 2014 00:02:55
Postures tell story of perceived threat. L: aggressive security during AJ camera dismantling. R: patrolling in Iraq. pic.twitter.com/b3q7cyPvG4
Alex Horton @AlexHortonTX
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Thu, Aug 14 2014 15:39:02
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http://twitter.com/AlexHortonTX/status/499943287579742209
— Alex Horton (@AlexHortonTX)Thu, Aug 14 2014 15:39:02
Dan Bramos @CaptainAwwsum
I don't know how it was in IRQ and AFG, but in Bosnia we had less firepower while on patrol than the copsFergusonguson
@inteldump
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Thu, Aug 14 2014 00:07:03
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//twitter.com/CaptainAwwsum/status/499708742909562880
— Dan Bramos (@CaptainAwwsum)Thu, Aug 14 2014 00:07:03
Phillip Carter @inteldump
FWIW I led foot patrols in downtown Baquba, #Iraq in 2005-06 w/less firepower than #Ferguson PD (excl fire spt) @CaptainAwwsum @AthertonKD
Thu, Aug 14 2014 00:14:08
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//twitter.com/inteldump/status/499710526105321472
— Phillip Carter (@inteldump)Thu, Aug 14 2014 00:14:08
The gentleman on the left has more personal body armor and weaponry than I did while invading Iraq. pic.twitter.com/5u6TxyIbkk
Brandon Friedman @BFriedmanDC
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Thu, Aug 14 2014 01:26:29
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http://twitter.com/BFriedmanDC/status/499728733830676480
— Brandon Friedman (@BFriedmanDC)Thu, Aug 14 2014 01:26:29
Adam Weinstein @AdamWeinstein
Police have tons of mil gear, but they're not exactly "militarized." I know of plenty of line infantry units more compassionate than this.
Thu, Aug 14 2014 02:00:08
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https://twitter.com/AdamWeinstein/status/499737204911255552
— Adam Weinstein (@AdamWeinstein)Thu, Aug 14 2014 02:00:08
Cardozorolled @Cardozorolled
@AdamWeinstein Also, we contained riots in Baghdad next to mosques with less violence than the police are employing.
Thu, Aug 14 2014 02:06:42
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http://twitter.com/Cardozorolled/status/499738855051116546
— Cardozorolled (@Cardozorolled)Thu, Aug 14 2014 02:06:42
cdrsalamander @cdrsalamander
A manifestation of a fascist mentality. This is a great American shame. http://www.businessinsider.com/police-militarization-ferguson-2014-8 …
Wed, Aug 13 2014 03:09:52
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http://twitter.com/cdrsalamander/status/499392365556015104
— cdrsalamander (@cdrsalamander)Wed, Aug 13 2014 03:09:52
Charles Bragg @CharlieB4Real
@inteldump @CaptainAwwsum @AthertonKD those mraps are a hell of alot more advanced then we had in 06-07 OR 09-10
Thu, Aug 14 2014 00:22:50
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//twitter.com/CharlieB4Real/status/499712717113294848
— Charles Bragg (@CharlieB4Real)Thu, Aug 14 2014 00:22:50
Paul Szoldra @PaulSzoldra
SWAT using LRAD (loud deafening siren) in #Ferguson
Thu, Aug 14 2014 02:06:20
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//twitter.com/PaulSzoldra/status/499738765246468097
— Paul Szoldra (@PaulSzoldra)Thu, Aug 14 2014 02:06:20
James Skylar Gerrond @JimmySky
@PaulSzoldra LRAD (Long Range Acoustic Device), the last place I saw one of those was at the Iraqi detention facility.
Thu, Aug 14 2014 02:11:09
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//twitter.com/JimmySky/status/499739976708657152
— James Skylar Gerrond (@JimmySky)Thu, Aug 14 2014 02:11:09
Broken Handmic @13F2PL7
A lot of vets, me included, would go to Ferguson and gladly teach some classes on crowd control and patrolling You are fucking it up.
Thu, Aug 14 2014 02:03:50
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http://twitter.com/13F2PL7/status/499738134712561664
— Broken Handmic (@13F2PL7)Thu, Aug 14 2014 02:03:50
Broken Handmic @13F2PL7
I leveled my weapon twice overseas. Leveled. Not fired. I had legit threats and went through proper EOF. Stop fucking up, Ferguson PD.
Thu, Aug 14 2014 02:07:16
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http://twitter.com/13F2PL7/status/499738999204745216
— Broken Handmic (@13F2PL7)Thu, Aug 14 2014 02:07:16

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