The average police officer is no longer the image of Andy Griffith, he is increasingly becoming something like a soldier. Senator Tom Coburn asked the perfect question during a congressional meeting when he said, “Tell me what the difference is between an increasingly militarized police force and a standing army” (qtd. in Devaney). The only way to put an end to this disturbing trend is for citizens to demand that their representatives pass legislation ending the militarization of the police, as well as creating harsher punishments for the excessive use of weapons.