Gordo,
My apologies if you felt I was bashing engineers. They just happened to be the example set forth by someone else.
I have no issues with engineers as individuals or as a whole in armed groups
Because it became personal the moment there were private mercenaries operating in coordinated groups, carrying select-fire weapons, given open license to "patrol" the public streets of a city in the United States during peacetime.
Once again, what is your evidence of patroling U.S. streets with select fire weapons? I've trained at Blackwater three times over the last 12 months for a week at a time. I've had instructors who were both solely training instructors as well as assistant instructors who were contractors taking a break from deployment. None of them had select fire weapons even though my team did did. I would say that if they had as easy access to NFA weapons as you say they do, they wouldn't be borrowing my weapon to demonstrate a particular technique they want to cover; they would just bring one out from under their bed.
That is a threat to my rights and liberty, and I want a magnifying glass above those mercenaries' heads every moment of every day as long as that's tolerated...as unconstitutional as it is that they're even allowed to do what they do now.
Once again, how is being hired to conduct security for building and individuals a threat to your rights or unconstitutional? You continually say it is, but you have yet to back your claims up with any verifiable facts.
If Congress saw fit to enact a law or amendment specifically prohibiting mercenaries from ever performing the duties of officers of the peace on public property, if they were only to be used for private security guards on private property, I'd not care so much.
Were you aware that there are many security contractors are also full time law enforcement officers who take a leave of absence from their department to sign contracts with companies? That is beside the point that BW was not contracted to do law enforcement in NOLA. They were hired as security for government buildings and FEMA camps.
But they've exceeded their safe limits on what they can do, to me. And until they're reined in, they're a danger, they're a reason for other people to be well-armed...and they're to be watched. Closely.
Once again, that's your opinion which has no bearing on what they can legally do. As has been pointed out to you already, the websites you are gathering your information from are run by left wing nuts who feed on fear mongering. They seem to be working as intended.
I do not want reassurances as to how nice they are, really, blah blah. I want a federal law or Constitutional amendment specifically prohibiting them from operating in an armed capacity on public property or being used for police duties, rather than limited-to-property security duties within the sovereign borders of the United States.
In regards to the first half of your statement. You understand that you are also asking that the majority of security be taken away from many courthouses, most all federal buildings, many banks etc. Most federal building are already being manned by armed security contractors.
For the second half of your comment. That is exactly how they are being used, as security, they have no arrest powers. They meet armed force with armed force in self defense.