There is an aspect of the Orlando shootings that has been discussed here before, and may warrant another look. That would be the subject of the “militarization” of the local police forces. I use quotes because I don’t fully agree with that word describing LEOs adapting to modern circumstances of the 2nd Amendment, but I do recognize that is the view of many here.
As the timelines of the shootings are developed, it is becoming plain to see that the street patrolmen who first responded could only address the problem to a point. The construction of the building being concrete and otherwise secure, the fatal funnel that the floor plan became and the arms/methods used by the killer worked against conventional methods. After it became a hostage situation, it was realized that SWAT, armored vehicles, explosives and higher powered weapons had to be utilized, especially when the killer began shooting again.
In short, if not for the Bearcat armored vehicle and heavily armed/armored police, the already astonishing body count would have been higher still.
I fully understand that, at the very least, the image of the militarized cop is disconcerting, but we live in a day where technology is fine tuning firearms in such a way as to be insanely effective against an otherwise unsuspecting target.
There are calls for banning assault rifles in an effort to slow mass shootings, but that could result in the same kind of problems that the War of Drugs has brought. Would a War on Assault Rifles be any less violent than the War on Drugs? Some I read wish rifles to be confiscated by the government. Would it take a more militarized police to be capable of that?
I believe that it is enviable that police will have to continue down the militarized road with armored vehicles and arms as long as the 2nd Amendment is interpreted in the current way… and if the 2nd Amendment were severely restricted, police militarization would continue as it would be needed to enforce the necessary changes.
This does not reflect my hope for the future, but is rather a recognition of the rabbit hole the county is going down, whether we choose to see it or not.
