Police State Vs. Home Land Security

By: Mike Vecch

Is that a photo of an Urban Assault Vehicle, an International Peacekeeping tool imported for our security, a StormTrooper transport, or some other instrument of destruction? Whatever it is, its here. But is it here to help Secure the Homeland or is it here for the further promotion of turning America into a liberty-less Police State?

I was in Hartford on Monday to visit the office of the Secretary of the State. My appointment was over early, so I had the rest of the day to spend exploring Hartford with my cousin. We decided to take a tour of the Capital building and to visit other offices in search of an audience to hear us out on certain issues. We decided on the EPA and Dept. of Public Health to discuss water quality, particularly the flouride and mercury issues. After the EPA and on our way to the Department of Public Health building, we passed the Armory. We decided to stop when we saw a group of CT State Troopers outside the armory exhibiting one of their newer toys, an Urban Assault Vehicle.

The Stormtrooper Transport Unit Providing Indispensible Defense holds 24 (12 inside and 12 on the roof) SWAT team member and their various assault weapons and battering rams. The vehicle grants troopers access to second and third story windows, and the roof in most instances, via the vehicles own high roof and the adjustable ramp system. This makes it real easy to crash through the bottom 3 floors of a building and/or roof simultaneously.

I have to say, the state troopers were very nice to us. We asked them a great deal of questions, all of which were answered with courtesy. However, when we started asking about the application of such a vehicle within the state of Connecticut, a representative from the Department of Homeland Security decided to interrupt the conversation by introducing himself, revealing who was really in charge. He also took our picture several times without asking.

However, granted this rare opportunity, we decided to start questioning the representative of the Department of Homeland Security. My first question would be a simple non-threatening conversation starter, and theoretically easy to answer, "How have you made the homeland more secure?" His answer, "How haven't we made the homeland more secure?" I guess I should have expected a government official to answer a question with another question. I mean, who expects an answer to a question these days anyway?

But riddle me this, "How does this particular vehicle (deployed in the state of CT) help secure the homeland?" His answer was to go into an in-depth explanation about the features and benefits of the vehicle itself, as if I were on the lot of a Hummer dealership asking about fuel efficiency. Maybe he thought I was in the market for one, I don't know. OK, another question dodged, maybe I needed to ask more direct questions.

And since he went the "salesman" route anyway, I decided I would give him the opportunity to close the sale. So my third question was "How much did this vehicle cost, and who made it?" He said, "It was made in South Africa for a cost to the taxpayer of about a half-million dollars." A bargain in today's economy. I also asked, "Why South Africa, doesn't an American company make something similar?" The reply was that they have been using these vehicles successfully throughout Africa for years, and that this particular vehicle was already about 4 years old. I guess there is a lot we can learn from African nations when it comes to law enforcement and crowd control. Who knew? So, I took a few photos, and after giving the troopers a brief education in the effects of water flouridation, we decided to leave.

So . . . Why do we need this vehicle in CT and What scenarios in particular would justify its use? The State Troopers said that it was used around 20 times, most recently used against the Hell's Angels. I didn't even know they had a chapter here. But, who is this vehicle going to be used against in the future, besides the Hell's Angels? Drug dealers? Maybe terrorists? Maybe at CT's vulnerable ports along the Long Island sound? I hate to speculate but I suspect that it will also be used against other American citizens, thereby not helping to secure the homeland from foreign threats, and that this is just another instrument of a fascist government whose goal is to turn America into a complete police state. This is further evidence that all local Law Enforcement is turning into a paramilitary force. But law enforcement doesn't fight foreign threats, it polices the American people. They are beefing up security for us, all of us, not just the Hell's Angels. And yes, I know they have other, more powerful weapons and vehicles at their disposal, this is just one example that motivated me to write this article.

I also suspect that those photos taken of us are now in some Homeland Security database, along with millions of other Americans who have had their 4th Amendment (amongst other rights) violated. Or, maybe my friends are right, and I'm a little too paranoid. I'm not trying to convince you of anything. All I ask is that you remain vigilant of the growing power of our local, state, and federal governments and that you do not blindly accept whatever they do but rather question everything, especially those things that are done in the name of national security because they are not all in your best interests. Which war is homeland security really fighting? The war on terror or the war on our rights?