"It is hard to say when, exactly, the militarization of American life began. Troops have marched through towns and cities for centuries, called upon, at various points, to menace civilians or violently suppress protests. Fifty-five years ago, National Guardsmen shot and killed four unarmed college students at Kent State University; the troops had arrived to choke off protests against the Vietnam War."
"One dark question hanging over the nation today, as Donald Trump begins to flood more and more Democrat-run cities with National Guard troops and ICE agents, is how close we are coming to another Kent State. In Chicago, Customs and Border Patrol agents shot and wounded a woman, though they alleged she and at least one other person rammed cars into vehicles carrying federal authorities."
Militarization of American life has recurred throughout history, including National Guardsmen killing four unarmed students at Kent State during Vietnam War protests. Federal deployment of National Guard units, ICE and Customs and Border Patrol agents is increasing in Democratic-led cities, raising risk of violent confrontations and civilian casualties. A Customs and Border Patrol shooting in Chicago followed allegations that protesters rammed vehicles into federal authorities. The presence of federal forces creates uncertainty about whether unarmed protesters will be shot. Stephen Miller advocates expansive federal authority and has accused a federal judge of "legal insurrection" for blocking federalization of Oregon National Guardsmen. The administration moved to send 300 California National Guard members to Portland, prompting a legal challenge from Governor Gavin Newsom.
Read at Intelligencer
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