Hendersonville police state?

Posted on by Mary Quinn

I just went to the Boyd's BBQ expo in Hendersonville. Among the games, vendors and exhibits was one big bad behemoth of an armored vehicle called a Lenco BearCat. This is a quarter-million-dollar military vehicle that's apparently now in “service” with the Henderson County Sheriff's Department.

Parked next to this rolling waste of tax dollars was another huge truck with one of those bomb-squad robots to match. Sheriff's deputies in full military uniforms were milling around, acting like this whole display was something positive to show the public. Sorry, no sale here, boys. Your leaders and media pals haven't quite fear-mongered enough to convince me that there's any appropriate threat that could possibly be met with this outrageous equipment. Or are we just getting ready for a Soviet-style military oppression parade? May Day is just around the corner!

I truly hope that at some point the stewards of the public's money (and the time and effort it represents) are going to stop frivolously spending on idiotic toys and programs just because there's a hair-thin strand of plausibility in the justification for them.

— Mary Quinn
Asheville

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One thought on “Hendersonville police state?”

  1. normanplombe

    It’s true, Jeff, and very unfortunate (except for the fortunes the venders of this #$%^& are reaping). I seem to remember something about a disgust for an ongoing military presence amongst civilians in the writings of our founding fathers. These people who wear flags on their uniforms and claim to be patriotic should read the documents drafted by true patriots…We might also consider the total ineptitude of police forces in the face of real civil chaos (Katrina, LA riots, etc.). They take our tax dollars while promising security that is impossible to provide.

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