19 September, 2005

Another bad idea

There's rumblings that the administration wants to repeal (all or elements of) the Posse Comitatus and Insurrection Acts, so soldiers can contribute to civilian law enforcement. This is a staggeringly bad idea. Soldiers aren't cops, and blurring the distinctions between them makes things worse for law enforcement and for the military. That's one of the reasons the military is opposed. You really have to work to find an idea so bad that both the Defense Department and the American Civil Liberties Union unite in opposition to it.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

“G”—eee! I find it odd that something as simple as a letter can excuse most objections on this matter. You say that troops are not cops, I agree. But you must concede that the National Guard troops are not all cops…nor are they all specifically the Louisiana National Guard. Units from PA, OH, DC, etc. have sent men and material down to help. Knowing first hand that these same people are trained by and with the active duty component, one must wonder why the huge distinction between the two? AD (active duty), G (guard), or R (reserve)—they are all trained to the highest standards…one little letter isn’t much of a distinction.