Nancy Strong calls attention to an interview on Democracy Now
I hope all of us in NIOT can find a way to hear the interview of Radley Balko on August 15 on Democracy Now! Balko said that police who change into military uniforms become soldiers facing an enemy rather than policemen sworn to protect the civilian residents they serve. He speaks clearly, impartially, and from experience, as the author of “Rise of the Warrior Cop.”
You can listen to the program on radio WBAI (99.5 FM) or on your computer by googling Democracy Now (Livestream. Mon-Fri). Members of our Princeton Council and the police themselves need to be encouraged to stand up to federal military-style training sessions and the supplying of military equipment to police forces by both the Pentagon and private manufacturers. For far too long black communities around the country have been the target of this militarization, as is now so obvious to us all.
This can be stopped! Witness the overnight change in Ferguson MO when the police were ordered to remove their riot gear. The mood of the town apparently went from a fear-filled war scene to a relaxed scene of community outreach and good will!