1.6 Billion Rounds Of
Ammo For Homeland Security? It's Time For A National Conversation
The Denver Post, on February 15th, ran
an Associated Press article entitled Homeland Security aims to buy 1.6b rounds of ammo,
so far to little notice. It confirmed that the Department of Homeland Security
has issued an open purchase order for 1.6 billion rounds of ammunition. As reported elsewhere, some
of this purchase order is for hollow-point rounds, forbidden by international
law for use in war, along with a frightening amount specialized for snipers.
Also reported elsewhere, at the
height of the Iraq War the Army was expending less than 6 million rounds a
month. Therefore 1.6 billion rounds would be enough to sustain a hot war for
20+ years. In America.
Add to this perplexing outré purchase of ammo, DHS now is
showing off its acquisition of heavily armored personnel carriers, repatriated
from the Iraqi and Afghani theaters of operation. As observed by “paramilblogger” Ken
Jorgustin last September:
[T]he
Department of Homeland Security is apparently taking delivery (apparently
through the Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico VA, via the manufacturer –
Navistar Defense LLC) of an undetermined number of the recently retrofitted
2,717 ‘Mine Resistant Protected’ MaxxPro MRAP vehicles for service on the
streets of the United States.”
These
MRAP’s ARE BEING SEEN ON U.S. STREETS all across America by verified observers
with photos, videos, and descriptions.”
Regardless
of the exact number of MRAP’s being delivered to DHS (and evidently some to
POLICE via DHS, as has been observed), why would they need such over-the-top
vehicles on U.S. streets to withstand IEDs, mine blasts, and 50 caliber hits to
bullet-proof glass? In a war zone… yes, definitely. Let’s protect our men and
women. On the streets of America… ?”
…
“They
all have gun ports… Gun Ports? In the theater of war, yes. On the streets of
America…?
Seriously,
why would DHS need such a vehicle on our streets?”
Why indeed? It is utterly inconceivable that Department
of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano is planning a coup d’etat against
President Obama, and the Congress, to install herself as Supreme Ruler of the
United States of America. There, however, are real signs that the Department
bureaucrats are running amok. About 20 years ago this columnist worked, for two
years, in the U.S. Department of Energy’s general counsel’s office in its
procurement and finance division. And is wise to the ways. The answer to “why
would DHS need such a vehicle?” almost certainly is this: it’s a cool toy and
these (reportedly) million dollar toys are being recycled, without much of a
impact on the DHS budget. So… why not?
Why, indeed, should the federal government not be
deploying armored personnel carriers and stockpiling enough ammo for a 20-year
war in the homeland? Because it’s wrong in every way. President Obama has an
opportunity, now, to live up to some of his rhetoric by helping the federal
government set a noble example in a matter very close to
his heart (and that of his Progressive base), one not inimical to the Bill of
Rights: gun control. The federal government can (for a nice change) begin
practicing what it preaches by controlling itself.
Remember the Sequester? The president is claiming its
budget cuts will inconvenience travelers by squeezing essential services
provided by the (opulently armed and stylishly uniformed) DHS. Quality
ammunition is not cheap. (Of course, news reports that DHS is about to spend $50
million on new uniforms suggests a certain cavalier attitude toward government
frugality.)
Spending money this way is beyond absurd well into
perverse. According to the AP story a DHS spokesperson justifies this
acquisition to “help the government get a low price for a big purchase.” Peggy
Dixon, spokeswoman for the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center: “The
training center and others like it run by the Homeland Security Department use
as many as 15 million rounds every year, mostly on shooting ranges and in
training exercises.”
At 15 million rounds (which, in itself, is pretty
extraordinary and sounds more like fun target-shooting-at-taxpayer-expense than
a sensible training exercise) … that’s a stockpile that would last DHS over a
century. To claim that it’s to “get a low price” for a ridiculously wasteful
amount is an argument that could only fool a career civil servant.
Meanwhile, Senator Diane Feinstein, with the support
of President Obama, is attempting to ban 100 capacity magazine clips. Doing a
little apples-to-oranges comparison, here, 1.6 billion rounds is … 16 million
times more objectionable.
Mr. Obama has a long history of disdain toward gun
ownership. According to Prof. John Lott, in Debacle, a book he co-authored with
iconic conservative strategist Grover Norquist,
“When I was first introduced to Obama (when both worked
at the University of Chicago Law School,
where Lott was famous for his analysis of firearms possession), he said, ‘Oh,
you’re the gun guy.’
I responded: ‘Yes, I guess so.’
’I don’t believe that people should own guns,’ Obama
replied.
I then replied that it might be fun to have lunch and
talk about that statement some time.
He simply grimaced and turned away. …
Unlike other liberal academics who usually enjoyed
discussing opposing ideas, Obama showed disdain.”
Mr. Obama? Where’s the disdain now? Cancelling, or at
minimum, drastically scaling back — by 90% or even 99%, the DHS order for ammo,
and its receipt and deployment of armored personnel carriers, would be a
“fourfer.”
- The federal government would set an example of
restraint in the matter of weaponry.
- It would reduce the deficit without squeezing
essential services.
- It would do both in a way that was palatable to liberals
and conservatives, slightly depolarizing America.
- It would somewhat defuse, by the government making
itself less armed-to-the-teeth, the anxiety of those who mistrust the
benevolence of the federales.
If Obama doesn’t show any leadership on this matter it’s
an opportunity for Rep. Darrell Issa, chairman of the House Oversight and
Government Reform Committee, and Rep. Michael McCaul, chairman of the House
Committee on Homeland Security, to summon Secretary Napolitano over for a
little national conversation. Madame Secretary? Buying 1.6 billion rounds of
ammo and deploying armored personnel carriers runs contrary, in every way, to
what “homeland security” really means. Discuss.
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