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The national attention to the appalling militarization of police has
had a good effect in Ferguson, MO - at least the beginning of one.
Let's go forward with it here as well. We don't need to see
Champaign County police grinning atop their new trophy tank.
Military hardware should be turned back into scrap, or better, into
needed US infrastructure, not deployed on streets - neither here nor
abroad.<br>
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<th align="RIGHT" nowrap="nowrap" valign="BASELINE">Subject:
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<td>Stop militarizing the police</td>
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<th align="RIGHT" nowrap="nowrap" valign="BASELINE">Date: </th>
<td>Fri, 15 Aug 2014 14:11:03 -0400 (EDT)</td>
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<th align="RIGHT" nowrap="nowrap" valign="BASELINE">From: </th>
<td>Kevin Martin, Peace Action
<a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:peaceact@reply.salsalabs.com"><peaceact@reply.salsalabs.com></a></td>
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<td><a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:peaceact@reply.salsalabs.com">peaceact@reply.salsalabs.com</a></td>
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<th align="RIGHT" nowrap="nowrap" valign="BASELINE">To: </th>
<td><a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:stuartnlevy@gmail.com">stuartnlevy@gmail.com</a></td>
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<title>Action Alert Network: Take Action for Peace</title>
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font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; color:
rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: left;" class="date">Dear
Stuart,</p>
<p style="margin: 0pt 0pt 12px; padding: 0pt;
font-family: Arial,Helvetica,Verdana,sans-serif;
font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; color:
rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: left;" class="date">The
tragic death of Michael Brown at the hands of
the Ferguson police is a reminder that the
upsurge in violence is not restricted to the
Middle East or any one place. It’s right here
in our own communities.<br>
<br>
Like the Trayvon Martin killing two years ago,
the problems of racism, easy access to firearms,
and the assault on our civil rights are all,
once again, in the spotlight. I suspect I don’t
have to explain why peace activists are taking
action, mostly in support of activists of color
who are leading the organized response to this
latest perversion of justice. Anti-violence is
at the very heart of our struggle.<br>
<br>
In this case however there is another element
that directly connects to our ongoing work to
build a more peaceful and just future – that is
– militarism. <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=2c4KINoSrf75zCPBU9%2FdHBFGNnz3FC1h">
It’s time to demilitarize our police.</a><br>
<br>
As the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq ‘wind down’
(though clearly not all the way down) the
Pentagon has been offering surplus weapons to
local police forces for free. Tens of thousands
of M-16’s, as well as mine-resistant trucks and
other battlefield hardware have already been
transferred to jurisdictions around the country
– but the Pentagon still has lots and lots of
free stuff to give away. <br>
<br>
A bipartisan chorus has already begun to speak
out in Congress against this practice. Even Tea
Party and right wing extremist Ted Cruz is
raising alarm.<br>
<br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=qjhGeeOgLDARO0%2FfwT2SykMbREHcOLJ2">Tell
your Member of Congress where you stand.</a><br>
<br>
How much military hardware has been transferred
to local jurisdictions? It’s not easy to know
as the Pentagon makes the trail difficult to
track. Most of the data available comes from
local and state officials – like the State of
Missouri which CNN reports has received some $17
million worth in transfers from the Pentagon.<br>
<br>
I find, and I’m confident you do as well, the
images of police in full military gear aiming
assault rifles at unarmed protesters upsetting.
We can expect to see more and more of this in
the future too, if we don’t do something about
the economic terrorism visited upon the poor in
our society at the hands of the 1 percent. <br>
<br>
We know, for example, the Pentagon has in place
plans for dealing with civil disorder brought
about by economic or environmental disaster
threatening the stablity of the government. <a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=oxF8ZOXGcD4RQgzXolj%2BnhFGNnz3FC1h">Arming
local jurisdictions is a step in the wrong
direction.</a><br>
<br>
Since the 1980’s the US government has enabled
the militarization of the police force as part
of its so-called War on Drugs. Post 9/11
politics opened the flood gates with grants from
the federal government to prepare for the
imminent terrorist threat. Now, as combat
missions in Iraq and Afghanistan have ended, the
Pentagon is literally giving battlefield
hardware away. <br>
<br>
The militarism of policing – both in terms of
weaponry and tactics – is a threat to our
freedom as great as any coming from outside our
borders. It’s time to put it to a stop.<br>
<br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true"
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you Member of Congress today!</a></p>
<p style="margin: 0pt 0pt 12px; padding: 0pt;
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rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: left;" class="date">Please
forward this message to your friends.</p>
<p style="margin: 0pt 0pt 12px; padding: 0pt;
font-family: Arial,Helvetica,Verdana,sans-serif;
font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; color:
rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: left;" class="date">Humbly
for Peace,</p>
<p style="margin: 0pt 0pt 12px; padding: 0pt;
font-family: Arial,Helvetica,Verdana,sans-serif;
font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; color:
rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: left;" class="date">Kevin
Martin<br>
Executive Director<br>
Peace Action</p>
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