Missouri National Guard's term for Ferguson protesters: 'Enemy forces'

Washington (CNN)As the Missouri National Guard prepared to deploy to help quell riots in Ferguson, Missouri, that raged sporadically last year, the guard used highly militarized words such as "enemy forces" and "adversaries" to refer to protesters, according to documents obtained by CNN...

..."It's disturbing when you have what amounts to American soldiers viewing American citizens somehow as the enemy," said Antonio French, an alderman in St. Louis.

Missouri National Guard's term for Ferguson protesters: 'Enemy forces'

I suppose that since for the last twenty years or so every challenge we face has been turned into a 'war on x' it is only natural that eventually every opponent becomes an enemy.

Disturbing to say the least.

Cheers!

a reply to: soulshn

When you have a large group of people burning stores, stealing from stores, injuring people, firing weapons, what would you suggest they refer to them as?

If they had said, "Those people." It would have been racist.

a reply to: beezzer

Hmmm... protesters, rioters, suspects, demonstrators, subjects, targets, surely they could do better than enemies?

a reply to: soulshn

Like American Sniper? That's good.
And you had no problem with him going to their neighborhoods and sniping women and children. That's good.

Chris Kyle is coming home and your're the next "savage"

a reply to: beezzer

Savages

originally posted by: soulshn
a reply to: beezzer

Hmmm... protesters, rioters, suspects, demonstrators, subjects, targets, surely they could do better than enemies?

If you could imagine, just for a moment, imagine one single guard member (separated from his unit) and surrounded by the folks who were shooting, burning, stealing. . .

With how much kindness and respect and dignity would he have been afforded?

I think we get way to tied up in labels. This is a military organization going into a hostile community. What they called the rioters is of less importance than what they did to address the situation. If they went in guns blazing, that is a whole different story.

What's wrong with that? Most Americans see them as enemy forces that will burn their homes down in a heartbeat, beat them with hammers to death and rob and loot them.

originally posted by: InverseLookingGlass
a reply to: soulshn

Like American Sniper? That's good.

Never seen it.

originally posted by: InverseLookingGlass

And you had no problem with him going to their neighborhoods and sniping women and children. That's good.

Chris Kyle is coming home and your're the next "savage"

I have no idea what you are talking about. You assume I have no problem with what 'we' are doing in the middle east; you know what they say about assuming.

I would say their actions backed up the feelings expressed by the statement.

originally posted by: TinfoilTP
What's wrong with that? Most Americans see them as enemy forces that will burn their homes down in a heartbeat, beat them with hammers to death and rob and loot them.

What is wrong with it is that it sets a precedent and expresses a mindset. American citizens can be many things to out armed forces but enemies should never be one of them.

Will you be okay with Americans being called enemy forces when the guard is called out for less cut and dry issues? What about when you happen to side with those enemy forces? Do you think the federal government regards us all that highly?

You should hear what I call them.

We have all turned candyass.

a reply to: beezzer

Oh how about something like
angry citizens
rampaging citizens
outraged locals
rebellious locals
because that's what they are.

Anything but the enemy! To brand one's fellow countrymen as the enemy is seriously disturbing.

originally posted by: roadgravel
I would say their actions backed up the feelings expressed by the statement.

You are maybe confusing Ferguson with Kent State? Because the last time I checked, no one was actually shot and killed by the National Guard at Ferguson.

a reply to: aboutface

They were likely using a label they train with. Do you want to risk confusion in their actions and orders because you want them to suddenly have to act in a tense and confusing situation with a new, shiny and politically correct label so that we can all feel better about it months down the line?

Or would you rather they can do what they are trained to do responding to the order they learned to use? So that we can b**** about the terminology of their orders instead of the body count they racked up because someone acted out of confusion thanks to the PC termininology?

originally posted by: aboutface
a reply to: beezzer

Oh how about something like
angry citizens
rampaging citizens
outraged locals
rebellious locals
because that's what they are.

Anything but the enemy! To brand one's fellow countrymen as the enemy is seriously disturbing.

Do you think fewer protestors who were shot and killed by the National Guardsmen would have died if they had been nicer with the identification?

The Agents Provocateurs were the enemy.

And there were 100s of them in Ferguson.

originally posted by: aboutface
a reply to: beezzer

Oh how about something like
angry citizens
rampaging citizens
outraged locals
rebellious locals
because that's what they are.

Anything but the enemy! To brand one's fellow countrymen as the enemy is seriously disturbing.

Any time the National Guard is called to face a foe, guess what, they are the enemy. Take it up with the governer for calling them out because the opposing forces will always be the enemy in military terms.

Good, lets get this out in the open- let the military declare war on the people. You'd be amazed how many people have already decided exactly what they'd do to make the authorities think twice- we're just waiting for civil war to be the lesser evil- and there's nothing like being declared hostile by armed troops to push us over that tipping point.

Does anybody here honestly believe that reservists have a prayer against the American people? You wouldn't be in the army if you had a history of violence. You shoot your gun once a month, you have no idea where you're going or what the plan is, and you wanna make enemies with the American people? Nice knowing you weekend warriors. I sure will enjoy pawning your gear the day after you start shooting.