Obama on Huffington Post:

Small town police militarization backed by immense lobbying of both political parties | Democracy, elections, and voting at Democracy Chronicles

“WASHINGTON — Appearing at the White House during a respite from his vacation, President Barack Obama on Monday offered support for a review of the militarization of local law enforcement. Addressing the ongoing strife in Ferguson, Missouri, Obama sought a balanced resolution. He urged looters to stop commandeering a legitimate civil rights protest, and called on the police to further respect the rights of protesters. His most noteworthy remarks came when asked about the machinery being deployed by those police in recent days to quell unrest, which has been criticized for instead inciting tensions and further alienating the local community.

‘I think one of the great things about the United States has been our ability to maintain a distinction between our military and domestic law enforcement,” said the president. “That helps preserve our civil liberties. That helps ensure that the military is accountable to civilian direction. And that has to be preserved. After 9/11, I think, understandably, a lot of folks saw local communities that were ill equipped for a potential catastrophic terrorist attack. And I think people in Congress, people of goodwill, decided we’ve got to make sure they get proper equipment to deal with threats that historically wouldn’t arise in local communities.'”

Report Suggests Campaign Cash Fueled Police Militarization