Comments on: Militarizing Mayberry

By: Dave Hummels

Dave Hummels — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 03:12:28 +0000

Buzz: The comment you asked about is a reference to a decision by the town council a few years ago to cap the number of chain restaurants in Arcata. For more on this, I recommend the documentary “The Corporation” (which featured CEO’s, activists such as Noam Chomsky and Naomi Klein, Milton Friedman and many others), which discusses this story and the growing movement to re-define corporate “persons” and their relationships with actual persons. I brought it up only to point out that Arcata is a relatively contrarian town and seems to show ample skepticism towards concentrated power, whether it is wielded by the state or business corporations (which are, of course, creations of the state).

By: buzz

buzz — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 21:57:13 +0000

“The town has become known for standing up to corporate domination of the local economy lately”

Uh, what? What does that mean?

I live in Wichita and was having this SWAT conversation yesterday. I dont know that we have enough hostage crisis’s and bank robbers shooting up downtown to justify having one here and we have around 500,000 people in the area. I knew a guy when I was in the reserves around 20 years ago that went regular and then got on SWAT. He was about 2 years older than me and would talk about the combat he was involved in during viet nam. I was 12 when we stopped sending troups over there. It only took a couple of years before he got to kill someone. I hear he is working for blackwater now, and is in Iraq.

By: Mark J.

Mark J. — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 20:13:49 +0000

At one time building concert halls, stadiums, museums, and international airports were signs of an expanding and thriving city. Thanks to Homeland Security it’s now SWAT teams, drones, and bio suits.

By: Red Green

Red Green — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 12:34:02 +0000

This is another example of how ,the powers that be, use any excuse to amp up the “war on anything”. TheWaronDrugs is always a good excuse for making this country into THE UNITED SECURITY POLICE STATES OF AMERICA…USPSA..coming to your town …soon. Just shut up and piss in the cup!

By: TJ

TJ — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 05:14:40 +0000

Gaaaaaaa. Arcata is so nice. Why ruin it?

By: Dave Hummels

Dave Hummels — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 03:51:45 +0000

Another ludicrous example of the S.W.A.T. craze, which has been well documented in Radley’s study “Overkill.” A better option, which is becoming more prevalent here in Central Illinois, is to have county or metropolitan units that respond to true emergencies, instead of using smaller teams that justify their existence by serving routine drug warrants. The people of Arcata are unlikely to buy into this idea. The town has become known for standing up to corporate domination of the local economy lately, and seems to lean left-libertarian. Arcata P.D. will face some tough questions at this meeting.

By: B. West

B. West — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 03:16:31 +0000

P/S Once they get a SWAT Team in there that murder rate will start to rise for sure.

By: B. West

B. West — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 03:12:01 +0000

Boy, does this ever illustrate what B.S. the need for SWAT Teams is! Are they kidding? Do these people just look for ways to waste money?

By: ZappaCrappa

ZappaCrappa — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 01:59:36 +0000

James D says - “The town is full old farmers and loggers and (since the 60s) a crapload of hippies/stoners.”

I wonder which segment of that list they will target….

By: Dave Krueger

Dave Krueger — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 00:41:59 +0000

Hardly a place full of ‘violent’ people.

I think they’re going to fix that at tonight’s meeting.

By: James D

James D — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 00:23:22 +0000

Wow, my wife’s home town …. she’ll love this. The town is full old farmers and loggers and (since the 60s) a crapload of hippies/stoners. Hardly a place full of ‘violent’ people.