Make the USA a DMZ

Police aren't soldiers and for good reason; soldiers fight an enemy and police should almost never be in a position to target their fellow citizens as if they were in a war zone. It is time to start de-militarizing our police officers so that we can once again enjoy their protection without fear of being harmed ourselves.

The events in Ferguson Missouri highlighted the issue of militarized law enforcement in this country. We saw first hand how arming and equipping police with military gear and then sending them out onto the streets can and will have catastrophic effects if the conditions are right.

 It is sad that it took death and destruction to get people talking about what has been staring us in the face for some time now. However, though it is undoubtedly small comfort to those that have suffered, this may mark the turning point in America.

Before change can occur however, we have to identify the root of the problem. To do this certain questions need to be answered such as why cops have gotten so aggressive and why they feel the need to equip themselves so heavily.

The principle of preparedness is usually sensible and it seems that most police will say that they "need" their [true] assault rifles (ones that fire more than one bullet per trigger pull) and their military style body armor. They will point to how violent their world has become and how they do not want to take a risk by letting their guard down.

Their fears are probably warranted, but perhaps not for the reasons they realize. Police are in danger, but not because of a concerted effort by some nameless evil that thirsts for the blood of policemen. The police are in danger because they are being asked to enforce laws that the citizenry simply doesn't want enforced. The problem is the "War on Drugs".

Drug crimes are usually "possession crimes" where the mere act of possessing the item is the crime itself. This type of crime is manifestly unjust due to the fact that no harm comes from mere possession of almost anything. For example, cars can kill people but only when operated incorrectly. Hence, the mere act of owning the car does not cause deaths whereas the act of driving a car into a crowd does.

Drug crimes are prioritized for increased enforcement in this modern era in many cases, to the exclusion of the more traditionally recognized offenses such as theft or battery. This puts police on the wrong side of justice and they naturally bear the brunt of the publics' inherent aggression. This in turn has led them to espouse tactics that, by definition, place the police at odds with the public they are sworn to protect.

This leads to a lack of sympathy, fear and even anger within the law enforcement community and the gap between police and the citizenry widens further. Then, with both sides distrusting each other, even the smallest spark can start an inferno.

The drug laws need a drastic change, to the extent that they may need to be all but totally repealed. This will be initially unthinkable as just about everyone born in the last 40 years has been raised to believe that drugs are inherently bad. They may indeed be bad, but as grown adults, we must learn to control ourselves without crutch of having a law to criminalize it.

The reward that awaits us for taking such a mature move is unfathomably large; it will have the effect of freeing up huge resources across a wide spectrum. Overnight drug cartels will cease to exist and with them the crime that they create. Government spending on law enforcement can be cut by an order of magnitude and the national debt with it.

End the war on drugs and we make a DMZ from sea to shining sea.