You don’t see this everyday, argued a panelist on Bill Maher’s Real Time over a year ago. He said this while defending the paramilitary response that took place after the Boston bombings. That time, maybe, a show of force may have been needed, but can we really go on with our lives and ignore the tanks, oh wait, “urban assault vehicles” rolling down our streets more frequently? Look at the events in Ferguson, Missouri.

There is a difference between soldiers and police, writes Senator Rand Paul in his TIME op-ed. “Police look inward. They’re supposed to protect their fellow citizens from criminals, and to maintain order with a minimum of force.” A minimum of force. When even the President is talking about Ferguson, it’s safe to say that wasn’t the response from the Ferguson police.

WATCH: What Weapons Are Being Used in Ferguson?

You don’t have to be a professor or politician to see that the growing militarization of our law enforcement is a major concern. Some of us are even going as far as to say that America is already a police state, like Actress Anna Deavere Smith did on Real Time last April. But is it going far beyond a police state to ‘a military state’? Watch this old but still very relevant clip from Bill Maher while he debates this topic with a much-needed slice of humor.

Send us a tweet or comment on our Facebook page with your thoughts on the Ferguson riots. Is it out of control?

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