The ongoing clashes between residents of Ferguson, MO and heavily armed police forces—which are equipped with M16 rifles and armored vehicles—have drawn attention to the increasing militarization of police in the United States. Here are the cases for and against outfitting local law enforcement with military-grade weapons:

PROS

Same tactics used successfully in Afghanistan, Iraq

Modern law enforcement simply cannot do their job properly by relying on handguns, tasers, and tear gas alone

A real shot in arm for nation’s ailing weapons industry

Look on driver’s face when tank pulls up beside Mini Cooper always fun

Local photojournalists now able to capture fog of war at home

Nice surprise treat for veterans to see weapons they used in war pop up on their hometown streets

Never a bad idea to put a more powerful gun in someone’s hand

Actually going to seem pretty quaint when compared with police armaments 20 years from now


CONS

Most police officers have proven fully capable of violently subduing protesters without any military-grade weapons

It actually very hard to recite Miranda rights while holding 40-pound grenade launcher

There no longer any middle ground between community watch and military

Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles only get 5 miles per gallon

Jesus, just look at this shit

Military-style helmets limit peripheral vision while firing indiscriminately into crowd

Could potentially be abused if put in lesser hands than America’s historically honest and virtuous police departments

Takes away that personal touch of beating a suspect to death with bare hands