Banks of the Rubicon
Written by a friend. You need to understand what is happening right before your eyes.
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So let’s just be very clear about a few things. Last night, Federal Law Enforcement was ordered to use violent tactics to disperse peaceful protesters in Lafayette Park. These protesters last night were not violating any law, they were not looting, and yet they were forced from the park with clubs and tear gas. The reason? Trump wanted to co-opt a church for a hypocritical photo op with a Bible to shore up his increasingly shaky support among white Evangelical voters. Leaving aside for the moment how despicable it is that the president did not attempt any moment of racial reconciliation, did not attend a mass at St. John’s, did not pray, and didn’t even make a speech of any kind, a much bigger deal happened last night.
The President of the United States ordered Federal Law Enforcement to attack a crowd of citizens that were, to the best of anyone’s knowledge right now, merely exercising their First Amendment Rights under the US Constitution. The purpose? A gratuitous presidential photo op. And yet, the officers obeyed him— this is deeply problematic and destructive to our democratic republic.
Now, Trump is threatening to deploy the military against U.S. Citizens within the borders of the United States. If that order is given, it will be, by definition, an unlawful order that cannot be obeyed. The powers of the president, in his civil capacity, or in his capacity as commander in chief, do not extend to issuing unlawful orders, and all presidents and military personnel (all government officials) take an oath to uphold the Constitution.
Last night shows us that we really may be at the banks of the Rubicon here, folks.
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