1968

"The cops in L.A. are a...a... different....different than in most towns. They are idealists and they're almost fanatical in believing the rightness of their cause...of their profession. They have a whole philosophy behind their tyranny. Whereas, in most places the police are doing a job, but in L.A. I've noticed a real sense of righteousness about what they're doing, which is kind of scary."

...Jim Morrison.

"They that give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty or safety."

...Benjamin Franklin.



So why have we become a police nation? The answer my friend is blowing in the 60’s. This unique period in United States history was set off by the assassination of John Fitzgerald Kennedy. For the first time we had citizens questioning the reality that the U.S. government was feeding them. J.F.K. was openly against the U.S. involvement in the Viet Nam conflict. His viewpoint went against the post World War II agenda of keeping the U.S. at the status of hedgemon. He and many other citizens would face the negative consequences of being out spoken about this supposed war on communism.
Protests would swarm the streets when our youth were faced with the reality of being drafted into an unjust war. This mass rebellion set off violent response from the very political force that was propagating our involvement in a war that had been in the works since the day World War II ended.
The youth were exploring what Terrence McKenna called the “Archaic Revival”; a constricted puritanical society exploring the very primal nature of the species that is Homo sapien. With the onset of the sex based rhythms of Rock and Roll, and the consciousness expanding boundary dissolving effects of psychoactive substances, the U.S. youth were breaking free of the notion of a justified war against communism and the societal taboos of sexual exploration. This action could only be met by a counteraction from the leaders of this fascist like enforcement of the rightwing moral agenda.

Introducing the “Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968". With this act came $200,000 a year to any police department who asked for it, 60% of it going to police hardware. Any action taken against public protests were backed up by this act. It gave the U.S. government the right to wire tap and listen to any private conversation involving what they deemed threatening, grouping marijuana users with murderers.

June 17 1970, Richard Nixon declares war on drugs. Under Nixon, the U.S. Congress passes The Controlled Substances Act of 1970. This illegal form of prohibition has increased crime, raised prison population levels and cost tax payers billions of dollars.

October 26 2001, Congress passes the USA PATRIOT Act. Reminiscent of the "Red Scare" this act targeted any individual suspected of supporting terrorism. This unconstitutional act bypassed the Fourth Amendment.

I feel it is these actions taken by the U.S. Government that has led us to the over policed nation that we are today.






If you are intrested in reading the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 for yourself, go here.