oh jeez - U.S. puts machine-guns on Great Lakes coast guard vessels

[donsu]

http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2006/03/15/coastguard-060315.html

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.

-snip-

Warning shots will be fired when vessels refuse to stop, said Colclough, who is based at the U.S. Coast Guard's Great Lakes headquarters in Cleveland.

Colclough said staff members have conducted live-fire drills in the past few months in American waters off the coast of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.

-snip-
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fresh water is more valuable then gold

[Squatch]

1. Maybe I'm missing something, but I would expect the armed forces

to actually be armed, you know?

[donsu]

2. do you know geography?

nt

[Squatch]

11. Do you?

You do realize that the big place north of the Great Lakes is a FOREIGN COUNTRY, right?

[babylonsister]

4. I don't think the CG used to be considered

'armed forces'. They fell, pre-DHS, under the Dept. of Transportation.

[Squatch]

10. They've always been considered an arm of the military

"One of the seven uniformed services of the United States, and the smallest armed service of the United States, its stated mission is to protect the public, the environment, and the United States economic and security interests in any maritime region in which those interests may be at risk, including international waters and America's coasts, ports, and inland waterways"

[bullimiami]

3. they havent needed them since 1817. what is wrong with bushs america

that they are putting them on now?

[rkc3]

5. Cheap pharmaceuticals?

[bananas]

6. Maybe they are expecting lots of drug-runners from Canada

bringing in inexpensive medicines.

[DBoon]

7. or military deserters going in the other direction?

nt

[BigYawn]

8. Yeah this drug trade is one free trade the Bushes do not want!!

What a bunch of hypocrites.

[napi21]

9. Human smuggling? Are we getting a lot of that from Canada?

Gee, somebody did a great job of hiding THAT story if we are, 'cause I sure haven't heard about it!