There's this photo of some explorer scouts practicing walking in a stack.
Think infowars is an extremist website making this up? How about the NYTimes? Explorer-Scouts Train in Post-9/11 Law Enforcement Methods.
Note the presence of a young woman in the back. (I've seen women serve on New York City's Emergency Services Unit. I think one was carrying a M4.)
Police departments may have their own Explorer program (for example, San Jose). Some defenders may also say that this is no different than having young men training for the militia. But isn't it? The functions of the militia and the ICE or Homeland Security are quite different. Anything that strengthens a nationalist identity among the youth should be discouraged, lest they think that the National Government is truly sovereign.
Paleolibertarians and others fear that these recruits may someday be deployed against "right-wing fringe groups" or "domestic terrorists," simple folk who defend the Constitution and seek to protect themselves against the encroachments of the National Government by raising awareness. Comparisons will inevitably be made to the Hitler Youth and other paramilitary organizations for the young. (Similarly some label SWAT teams and tactical units of the ATF and FBI "stormtroopers.")
Do the young need military training by local authorities? I think it could be beneficial. Should they be learning the tactics behind serving warrants or entering buildings under dangerous conditions? This seems to be more questionable. Paleolibertarians would have problems with them learning such skills in conjunction with local police departments, but I think that is less objectionable than learning it in conjunction with the National Government.
Related links:
Explorer-Scouts Train in Post-9/11 Law Enforcement Methods
A Different Kind of Boy Scout: Armed and Fighting Terrorism
Law Enforcement Exploring
Exploring (Guide)
Boy Scouts of America: Law Enforcement Explorer Program Detail
Boy Scouts of America (BSA)
From 2003: Scouting for All - AAIC
NYPD ESU:
NYPD Emergency
Inside the NYPD: Emergency Service Unit
NYPD ESU on Flickr - Photo Sharing
PodNova Episode: Inside the NYPD Emergency Service Unit
No comments:
Post a Comment