longer.blue

Callie Barr US troops are prohibited from taking part in civilian law enforcement. (Posse Comitatus Act.) Why? We have a democratic civilian government, not a military dictatorship. The National Guard deployed this weekend can only protect federal agents and cannot carry out law enforcement themselves. It is unclear how well informed these troops are on their mission and its legal boundaries. Remember that top military lawyers (JAG officers) were fired earlier this year. We don’t combat law breakers by breaking the law. Now, the exception to federal troops not acting as civilian law enforcement is the Insurrection Act, rarely used - and most recently only with consent of the state where troops are being deployed. It has not been invoked. And it shouldn’t be. It is an extreme, last resort measure because of the risks involved in escalating violence (which is already happening “they spit, we hit” is a call for increased violence), decreasing military readiness (our troops need to be focused on China, Russia, not LA), damage to governing relationships (states’ rights and civilian trust and respect for local law enforcement), and the potential for abuse of power. Our military is apolitical. It should never be used to intimidate states, governors, or civilians. And on the heels of months of disregard for due process and not understanding what habeas corpus is, every American should be paying alarmingly close attention to this right now.