Police violence suddenly took center stage recently with the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers.
We’ve been talking about this for years.
We’ve turned “protect and serve” into “command and control.
Back in January 2014, I published an article on my website after New York cops brutalized an 84-year-old man. Kang Wong got nabbed for jay-walking. The non-English speaker got roughed up when he failed to respond to police commands. At the time, I noted that police suffer from an institutional problem. When you dress somebody up like a soldier and tell him he’s at war, why should you be surprised when he acts like a soldier.
For Further Reading
Weapons of War on our Streets: A Guide to the Militarization of Police
Executive Order Takes Window Dressing off Police Militarization Program
Department of Defense Writes to the Tenth Amendment Center on Police Militarization
- The Federal Government is Not the Boss - March 8, 2026
- One Step is a Step Too Far - February 28, 2026
- Freedom Isn’t Granted: It’s Exercised and Defended - February 18, 2026