People Verse the State

My commitment in being here is not to shy away from the topics that spark conversation and there is no bigger conversation in America happening right now than the militarization of residential towns across the US. From time to time I participate in a quick survey, today was one of those times. Five months into a new administration this survey was about the most pressing issue concerning freedoms and the Fourth Amendment; the use of the armed forces on American citizens. As someone who actually attended Kent State in the early 2000s I can tell you that there is no time in American History that pulling out the National Guard to ward off passionate countrymen has turned out to result in a positive outcome.

I had caught glimpses of the media coverage over the past two days. But my relationship with media coverage has become estranged over the last 2-3 years. That said I am both thrilled to see Americans out there willing to stand up for their American Heritage and appalled at law enforcement brutality. But I was overly pissed that due to the over-targeted presence at the protests bands of actual criminals were able to take advantage and loot and pillage retail stores. The survey was made up of four relatively mundane questions that could be interpreted very broadly. After answering the questions I was interested to see where my opinion stood amongst the results.

Two main pieces of data popped out to me when looking at the results of the very analog poll. The data seems to preclude that my opinions, overall, are very much in line with the majority opinion. Whatever perspective that alignment is coming from is not so clear. These polls are not made to incorporate nuances or context. I am in the majority of those who think disapprovingly about the means in which deportation is being handled on a policy front. This correlates to the protests because it started when masked "ICE" agents started raiding downtown businesses hauling anyone of hispanic origin into a holding detention center. As far as my answers in regards to my interpretation of the protests in LA against ICE raids and indiscriminate incarceration, I was in the mean.

The coverage I was getting of the protests and the actions of law enforcement seemed like a confrontation prone to democratic countries being held accountable for their actions by the taxpayers. Mind you as the police presence has increased so too has the opposition. From my perspective, the ICE agents caused the problem and then exacerbated it by escalating to more aggressive tactics to be used on concerned citizens. Federal agencies have further enflamed the situation by calling in a military presence. As of today, this display of government overreach is costing the tax payer a cool $136 million dollars in diverted tax revenue.

What began as an organic opposition to a community being targeted by the federal government and attacked. As the customs officials began escalating their behavior and tactics the orderly peaceful opposition became an opportunity for civil disobedience. These disgusting acts of vandalism in that first hour are as disgusting as the tactics the government representatives took. An over-aggressive police and state response that has only escalated the divide between the community being served and those who are set to protect them across the US. I wholeheartedly support the right to protest under the First Amendment, to me it is rooted in being a freedom-loving American with a big fat opinion I show pride in performing. What I think is counterproductive is vandalism like we saw on January 6th 2021.

The root of this issue has come from not only electing an authoritarian-prone wannabe dictator, but in the contention around immigration. For centuries immigrants have come to this country seeking to be the thing of dreams; American. I have crossed paths with numerous people born in foreign lands who still claim to be American. Being American to many has become a reflection of a mindset, a belief in freedoms, and prosperity. A beacon on a hill. More so than in Donald's first term, people are questioning whether they are proud to be American. They are flying the flags of their ancestors, they are migrating to more climate conscious nations, yet for all this they still cling to claiming 'American' in their agency. And like the Americans before them, they have the right to demonstrate and call into question the actions of their government. It is rooted in the very blood and soil of our land.

People that want the world to know that these actions are exactly what they voted for I ask you, what do you mean by that? What I hear from those claims is that you voted for civil unrest, that you voted for a militarized state, that you voted for a breakdown of the law and order structure, that you are against the First and Fourth Amendment. I can only interpret this unamericanism as bodies who'd prefer that the Confederates won the war against America and that the United States was no more. I get that this started under the guise of border enforcement to distract from the Epstein files, and I can get if people voted for higher prices for commodities, and a slowdown to the infrastructure sector, but again why did you vote for this level of lawlessness? To be fair I don't credit MAGA voters with an abundance of cognitive acuity there is too much irrationality involved, but to want the erosion of the country that has provided them with all the amenities to successfully excel with such a cognitive deficiency seems like stabbing themselves in the foot.

To me it has not been about ICE raids it is about the militarization of American communities. It is about the overreach of the US federal government, the lawlessness and impunity with which these organizations operate. At the same time as two things can hold true, I look forward to the deportation of many in the latin community. I think it is great that they are getting what they voted for, especially the Cubans. Those who fled here were part of an authoritarian regime that persecuted their indigenous class and we gave them refuge. No wonder we have a dictator idolization problem in the US.

Every small country dictator the CIA back in the 1900s in their battle against the bogey man 'Communism' and was eventually overthrown in a populous uprising. This led to their rich and influential seeking shelter in the US. And these style of immigrants have refused to adopt to the American culture. Instead they cluster in their isolated communities and breed their love of authoritarianism. So go ahead and remove people who aren't interested in the American ethos, Vaya Con Dios. But promoting lawlessness, and political destabilization, you people who quote "exactly what I voted for", you don't seem to belong in a country made of constitutional laws. There are plenty of authoritarian runs states I am sure you would find comfort in, just stop ruining our country.

Real criminals are going free, because officers are distracted by protestors. Real crimes are being committed, and somehow the marines are are called in to bully protestors. Horrors are being perpetrated at the behest of a man child and his cabaret of unqualified cabinet members. Our constitution is under attack, and complacent Americans seem to be more concerned with perpetuating their biases than caring about the stability of our nation. To quote a great war martyr "How can we expect righteousness to prevail when there is hardly anyone willing to give himself up individually to a righteous cause. Such a fine, sunny day, and I have to go, but what does my death matter, if through us, thousands of people are awakened and stirred to action?", Sophie Scholl. What actions need to be taken in the face of violence? What actions need to be taken against the erosion of legal precedent? What actions need to be taken to preserve the experiment known as American democracy? Do we stay safe and quiet? Do we get loud and out? What happens next?