Sheriff candidates' views on militarization

Where do the two candidates for Sheriff of McHenry County stand on the issue of militarization of the County Sheriff's Department?

Militarization hit the national news after Ferguson, Mo. exploded and, in my opinion, took a bad hit. I don't mind use of some previous military equipment by police and sheriff's departments, but its use must be carefully controlled.

In Ferguson I didn't mind seeing the armored vehicles on the scene of what could have quickly turned into a nasty and prolonged riot.

Obama stuck his nose into it, looking for the sympathetic vote from the libs. The heck with the peacekeepers, he seems to have said. But police are using the MARVs and the MRAPs in advance of clear and present danger. See John Whitehead's book, A Government of Wolves.

I personally learned Bill Prim's stand on militarization at a meet-and-greet in Woodstock. After I said hello to him, he said something like, "You're the lib- , err, guy who doesn't believe in militarization" and he walked away.

When I was doing the deputy thing in Colorado for almost eight years, I was a citizen first and a cop second. I believed, even then, that cops ought to be first to obey the law, not the last. In the DUI refresher class, all the other students moved away from my chair, when I said I'd arrest a drunk cop in uniform driving home.

An in-depth discussion or argument between the candidates on the topic of militarization would give voters an excellent idea of where the candidates stand and who they really are.

Does McHenry County want a sheriff like the ones around the country who are ready to face off against Obama and the politicians who want to bury the Second Amendment? Or does the County want a Sheriff who thinks citizens can be trusted with guns? Now is the time to find out. Before the election.

You'll have to ask them. I don't know. Ask them where they stand. Tell them where you want them to stand and find out if they agree.