Why Is Obama’s Gov’t Giving Grenade Launchers and Tanks to High Schools?

“Militarized police” have been a hot national topic ever since the mess in Ferguson, Missouri erupted in August and the nation has been questioning why police forces have been able to buy surplus military equipment from the Pentagon. But this week we discovered that police aren’t the only ones getting these tanks, grenade launchers, and sniper rifles. Shockingly we’ve now found out that some high schools have too!

Come on, why does a school need a tank or grenade launcher?

After police responded to protesters in Ferguson, Missouri with armored vehicles and sniper rifles last month, many decried how the federal government had militarized local law enforcement.

But it’s not just the cops. The government has also been sending military equipment to schools.

It’s called the Department of Defense’s Excess Property Program, or the 1033 program, and it’s been giving military weapons like grenade launchers and M16 rifles to at least 20 schools since 1997.

The San Diego Unified School District, for example, received a mine-resistant vehicle, according to the Huffington Post. Police Captain Joseph Florentino said the vehicle would be used “to get into any hostile situation and pull kids out.”

There is no excuse for this. Why do we need militarized schools?

Warner Todd Huston

Warner Todd Huston is a Chicago-based freelance writer, has been writing opinion editorials and social criticism since early 2001 and is featured on many websites such as Andrew Breitbart's BigGovernment.com, BigJournalsim.com and all Breitbart News' other sites, RightWingNews.com, CanadaFreePress.com, and many, many others. Additionally, he has been a frequent guest on talk-radio programs across the country to discuss his opinion editorials and current events as well as appearing on TV networks such as CNN, Fox News, Fox Business Network, and various Chicago-based news programs. He has also written for several history magazines and appears in the book "Americans on Politics, Policy and Pop Culture" which can be purchased on amazon.com. He is also the owner and operator of PubliusForum.com. Feel free to contact him with any comments or questions : EMAIL Warner Todd Huston and follow him on Twitter, on Google Plus , and Facebook.

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