It does matter. This is indefensible, but I also spent a lot of time in countries when I was growing up that had troops and police with fully loaded rifles stationed at every bank and airport and city center- it is entirely different, and we need to acknowledge that there is a difference to make sure it doesn't happen here. If what these cops were carrying was fully lethal, against people that pose no threat (edit: OP said they were breaking up a protest, in which case this has been SOP for over a decade,) we'd have crossed a truly terrifying line in the sand as a country. That is not to diminish or excuse all the other terrifying lines in the sand that we've crossed, or that this picture portrays, just to note that there really is a difference that matters.

It does matter. This is indefensible, but I also spent a lot of time in countries when I was growing up that had troops and police with fully loaded rifles stationed at every bank and airport and city center- it is entirely different, and we need to acknowledge that there is a difference to make sure it doesn't happen here. If what these cops were carrying was fully lethal, against people that pose no threat (edit: OP said they were breaking up a protest, in which case this has been SOP for over a decade,) we'd have crossed a truly terrifying line in the sand as a country. That is not to diminish or excuse all the other terrifying lines in the sand that we've crossed, or that this picture portrays, just to note that there really is a difference that matters.

It does matter. This is indefensible, but I also spent a lot of time in countries when I was growing up that had troops and police with fully loaded rifles stationed at every bank and airport and city center- it is entirely different, and we need to acknowledge that there is a difference to make sure it doesn't happen here. If what these cops were carrying was fully lethal, against people that pose no threat, we'd have crossed a truly terrifying line in the sand as a country. That is not to diminish or excuse all the other terrifying lines in the sand that we've crossed, or that this picture portrays, just to note that there really is a difference that matters.