[301] in libertarians
Police State, here we come...
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (The Rifleman)
Tue Oct 11 15:13:06 1994
To: libertarians@MIT.EDU
Date: Tue, 11 Oct 1994 15:09:54 EDT
From: The Rifleman <sybok@MIT.EDU>
AP 5 Oct 94
WASHINGTON (AP) -- A House panel took a look Wednesday at using
the National Guard in the war against neighborhood crime, but civil
libertarians said that could turn the country into a police state.
The National Guard, which is part of the U.S. military, already
has assisted local police fighting drug-related crime in cities in
Puerto Rico, South Carolina and Arizona.
Those operations "have been remarkably successful," said Rep.
Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., chairman of the House Judiciary
subcommittee on crime. The programs also drew praise from the
governor of Puerto Rico and police from Sumter, S.C., and Phoenix.
"The gravity of the crisis on our streets ... makes it
appropriate for us to explore today situations in which the National
Guard may be able to fight crime without endangering democracy or
its primary purpose of military preparedness," said Schumer.
But he acknowledged that "the very power of the military dictates
caution in its use" in law enforcement.
Civil libertarians evoked memories of protesting students shot
and killed by National Guardsmen at Kent State and Jackson State
universities and of National Guard helicopters buzzing over Grateful
Dead concerts.
The United States has a constitutional tradition of keeping the
military and civilian authorities separate, and the use of federal
troops to enforce civil laws is limited under the law. National
Guard troops who took part in the local crimefighting operations did
not make arrests and carried no automatic weapons, the officials
testified.
"The National Guard was a savior to our city. With their help we
controlled crime and saw a significant drop in crime," said Harold
Johnson, the police chief in Sumter, discussing "Operation
Crackdown," a five-day anti-drug operation in December 1992.
Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Rossello said the National Guard has been
a tremendous asset in police operations fighting drug crime and has
received "overwhelming public support."
But Nkechi Taifa, legislative counsel of the American Civil
Liberties Union, charged that "scandalous abuses of military power"
are occurring daily in Puerto Rico, with housing projects being
occupied by the National Guard and police. Abuses have included
searching apartments and people without warrants, excessive use of
force and a murder without cause of one youth by a National
Guardsman, Taifa alleged.
Mark Richard, deputy assistant attorney general at the Justice
Department, said, "We should approach this with great caution and
look for (crimefighting) alternatives before we ultimately settle on
it."
Maj. Gen. John R. D'Araujo, director of the Army National Guard,
said the Guard's use by local authorities should be limited to
support functions which do not involve coercive activities such as
arrests, searches, seizures and jailings.
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Why am I not surprised to find Schumer backing more evil?
