Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Gunboats on the Great Lakes?

According to the CBC the U.S. will be installing machine guns on Coast Guard vessels on the waters of the Great Lakes. Those pesky jet skiers may want to stear clear...

Here's a taste of the article...

"For the first time since 1817, U.S. Coast Guard vessels on the Great Lakes are being outfitted with weapons – machine-guns capable of firing 600 bullets a minute.

Until now, coast guard officers have been armed with handguns and rifles, but the vessels themselves haven't been equipped with weapons.

The War of 1812 saw violent battles on Lake Erie and Lake Huron between U.S. troops and British forces, which were largely composed of militias from Britain's colonies in what is now Canada. After the war, the United States and Britain – and later Canada – agreed to demilitarize the Great Lakes waters.

The Rush-Bagot Treaty of 1817 allowed each country to station four vessels, each equipped with an 18-pound cannon, to safeguard the Great Lakes.

The antiquated treaty has recently been reinterpreted because of U.S. concerns about customs violations, human smuggling and international terrorism."


At what point do we realize, like the proverbial chicken in the boiling pot, that we are experiencing a creeping fascism that is slowly replacing our democratic republic with a totalitarian police state? Oh wait, they said it's to fight terrorism? I guess that means if I don't support this then I'm siding with the freedom haters. In that case, maybe we need to get serious and have some mini nuclear subs patrolling the waters off South Haven and Saugatuck. When does it end...?

4 comments:

agnosticrat said...

[quote]mini nuclear subs patrolling the waters off South Haven and Saugatuck.[/quote]
I can't even make up my mind how to deal with your banter.
On one hand I would like to say good job, for pointing out that fascist scare tactics can be used to quell the masses, ala reichstag. But then want to give you a spanking for fueling anarchist militia types with paranoid sound-bytes!
You wouldn't happen to live in what can be described as a "compound" would you?

oh well all for nothing I presume.... again!

Anonymous said...

I just find it utterly hilarious.

Um, doesn't most of the people smuggling/illegal immigration (i.e. about 90%) come from across the southern border?

Talk about solving the wrong problem. This administration could take us into fascism, but it would be too incompetant to make the trains run on time.

Anonymous said...

Maybe we have pirates in Grand Haven or South Haven??? Believe what it is though, you have to spend the money the government throws at you or you won't be eligible next year for funds on something you really need. Machine guns was probably a power play by the Commander, makes the bikini gurls look at them in awe.

Anonymous said...

Gun Boats on Coast Guard Vessels, did the Hastings Board try to pass an ordinance to keep them off their waterways??????

Calamity on the waters, like the calamity we were suppose to see in the streets if they passed the CCW Permit Laws, NEVER HAPPENED mR DEBOER!