Why isn't what they termed a militia back then what the police are now? I know that technically they did exist back then, in a very different scope, but does the modern day incarnation fulfill the role they were imagined to have?

Like, I don't really understand what the nat'l guard does, or the intricacies of on-the-ground state authority, so maybe therein lies a misunderstanding.

We'll make you a parallel, privately-organized organization that, if you meet certain requirements, gets certain law enforcement perks like range times, discounted ammo, training, reserved frequencies for coordination, and an org chart that law enforcement or the military can interact with?

I mean, this seems like a reasonable solution on paper, but I grew up with some of the people that would swoon over this opportunity, and those are the last people I would want reacting in a stressful situation armed to the teeth. I can only imagine an incompetent, y'all quaeda, blackwater-esque group that has police connections? I would hope it just gets their war boner off but some fuckers are gonna take it too far. Anyone allied with the OPD in that manner would be immediately highly suspicious to me.

I mean, Katrina was bad enough, and already had issues with overuse of violence, but then to have a bunch of dudes bristling with mall ninja shit, thinking they are the authority roaming around?

Also, this shit scares the hell out of me. I don't think that this particular event is anything other than situational. but giving it a veneer of legitimacy is troubling.