[quote=Rare]Be greatful for the government's spending on military defenses and giving some to the police, without them, the country would be in a second revolutionary or civil war.[/quote]

No we wouldn't. The only reason we're giving our mil-spec gear to the police is because to do otherwise would be a gigantic waste of money. It's not a matter of security, it's a simple equipment cost and capability. The Army uses effective gear, cops need effective gear, ergo when the Army doesn't need it anymore, it makes perfect sense for the cops to pick it up. 

The counterterrorism guys have their own weapons, and it's nicer than what the army (or the cops now) get to play with. Does the federal government distribute weapons for political purposes, yes, but only to drug cartels.