The tragic slaughter of 49 innocent club-goers in Orlando underscores the crucial importance of providing police departments and their officers with the equipment they need to save civilian lives and protect themselves.

It should also put to rest the bleeding-heart nonsense that it "looks bad" to have officers suited up in body armor and riot gear and deployed in armored vehicles. " 

The "militarization" of police became a talking point after police response to the protests and rioting in Ferguson, Mo., and Baltimore in recent years.  In some instances, the police used equipment such as armored vehicles that had been provided by the Pentagon after being declared "surplus." Critics questioned whether the responses using such equipment "seemed" heavy-handed and whether the Pentagon should continue providing surplus gear to local police departments for free.

The mass murder in Orlando, San Bernardino, and other incidents where local police had to engage and trade gunfire with heavily armed suspects should put a rest to those criticisms.  In Orlando and in San Bernardino, for good.

Omar Mateen, the terrorist responsible for the mass murder, used a Sig Sauer MCX semi-automatic rifle and a Glock 17 handgun during his rampage at the Orlando night club. Fortunately for the police who responded and the survivors trapped inside the club, the City of Orlando had provided its officers with the tools they needed to do their jobs.

News photos show officers Tactical Gear, including officers clad in throat, groin, chest and shoulder protection, and carrying powerful weapons and handguns that put them on even footing with the killer. During the shootout, Orlando SWAT Officer Michael Napolitano was struck in the head with a bullet; his Kevlar helmet  saved his life. Police ultimately ended the massacre by ramming through the outside wall of the club with an armored vehicle and using a controlled detonation to distract the murderer.

Similarly, in San Bernardino, officers armed with heavy weapons engaged the suspects; two armored vehicles were then used to approach the suspect vehicle because of information that it contained explosives and might be booby trapped

Contrast this professionally equipped department with the City of San Jose. When a San Jose police officer was shot and killed in February 2015, the department had to summon armored vehicles from other agencies to respond to the location where the suspect was holed up. That's because the year before, the city's political leaders had disposed of the department's 15-ton armored vehicle due to concerns that it would "hurt" the department's relationship with the community. The same week, the City of Davis also voted to get rid of its armored vehicle .

In a perfect world, violence would not exist, police would be unarmed - in fact, we wouldn't even need Sheriff's deputies or police officers.  However, we don't live in that fantasy world. We live in a country where mass violence can - and does - occur without warning.   Unfortunately, it is impossible for law enforcement to always be present to prevent random bloodshed when it begins.  However, when law enforcement arrives and seeks to end the carnage, they need the proper equipment, both offensive and defensive to accomplish that task without unduly endangering their lives.  Nobody (except the diehard anti-law enforcement types) cares at that point how the equipment looks. 

Failure to provide departments and their members with proper equipment is an unconscionable dereliction of the duty that elected officials have to both residents and the brave men and women who risk their lives every day to protect them.