Professor Kennedy in her blog today professed concern for Trump’s storm troopers in Portland who were intimidating and even kidnapping protestors, protestors who had a right provided by the Constitution to peacefully assemble and state their grievances as provided therein. She suggested it might be the beginning of things to come for Trump in his pursuit of a dictatorship, and with good reason. I responded to her effort, slightly edited, as follows.
With no Reichstag to burn, perhaps Trump will import thugs and anarchists from Portland and Chicago to burn down the Capitol Building (the thugs and anarchists being unidentified and un-badged members of the grossly misnamed Homeland Security Department, an agency which is now making Homeland citizens of Portland feel very insecure).
A few days ago I saw a squib on the internet by Chad, the Acting Secretary of Homeland Security, telling us that he did not need an invitation to go to Portland or anywhere else he pleases in order to protect property and control anarchists. I answered his claim directly as follows: Oh really? Cite me chapter and verse of your authority to arrest American citizens who are exercising their constitutional rights and understand that even if you did have such statutory authority it is inoperative by reason of its unconstitutionality. No gestapo allowed, fellow.
Later I learned that he claimed to base his authority on a Trump executive order, but of course statutes, ordinances, executive orders or any other executive directives are void if unconstitutional, as were Trump’s executive order and the acts of government thugs in Oregon. Local police should arrest these kidnappers and they should be sued civilly for false imprisonment by their victims. Perhaps after a few years in stir and $500,000.00 judgments for damages these badge-less kidnappers will see the light.
Meanwhile, our task is to nip these democracy-destroying Nazi-like moves by Trump in the bud, moves he is using to divert our attention from his utter failure to handle our twin disasters, economic and pandemic, and all before he adds a political catastrophe (the loss of our democracy) and makes it a threesome. Otherwise and perhaps soon, Putin (at the invitation of Trump and Republican Senator Johnson of Wisconsin who once spent July 4 in Moscow) can then visit us and make the takeover official. Goodbye, democracy; Hello, Russian province.
Think I’m over the top? Think again while having a look at the pre-WW II expansion of Germany and Japan, both of which had grabbed great swaths of territory in Central Europe and Asia, respectively. Can’t happen here? It’s already happening – but from within. Our most valuable asset held in common, our democracy, is at stake, without which we have no country, so let’s strongly and without letup resist this and other such dictatorial moves from Trump or anyone else that would destroy our country. GERALD E
elderblogger
Professor Kennedy in her blog today professed concern for Trump’s storm troopers in Portland who were intimidating and even kidnapping protestors, protestors who had a right provided by the Constitution to peacefully assemble and state their grievances as provided therein. She suggested it might be the beginning of things to come for Trump in his pursuit of a dictatorship, and with good reason. I responded to her effort, slightly edited, as follows.
With no Reichstag to burn, perhaps Trump will import thugs and anarchists from Portland and Chicago to burn down the Capitol Building (the thugs and anarchists being unidentified and un-badged members of the grossly misnamed Homeland Security Department, an agency which is now making Homeland citizens of Portland feel very insecure).
A few days ago I saw a squib on the internet by Chad, the Acting Secretary of Homeland Security, telling us that he did not need an invitation to go to Portland or anywhere else he pleases in order to protect property and control anarchists. I answered his claim directly as follows: Oh really? Cite me chapter and verse of your authority to arrest American citizens who are exercising their constitutional rights and understand that even if you did have such statutory authority it is inoperative by reason of its unconstitutionality. No gestapo allowed, fellow.
Later I learned that he claimed to base his authority on a Trump executive order, but of course statutes, ordinances, executive orders or any other executive directives are void if unconstitutional, as were Trump’s executive order and the acts of government thugs in Oregon. Local police should arrest these kidnappers and they should be sued civilly for false imprisonment by their victims. Perhaps after a few years in stir and $500,000.00 judgments for damages these badge-less kidnappers will see the light.
Meanwhile, our task is to nip these democracy-destroying Nazi-like moves by Trump in the bud, moves he is using to divert our attention from his utter failure to handle our twin disasters, economic and pandemic, and all before he adds a political catastrophe (the loss of our democracy) and makes it a threesome. Otherwise and perhaps soon, Putin (at the invitation of Trump and Republican Senator Johnson of Wisconsin who once spent July 4 in Moscow) can then visit us and make the takeover official. Goodbye, democracy; Hello, Russian province.
Think I’m over the top? Think again while having a look at the pre-WW II expansion of Germany and Japan, both of which had grabbed great swaths of territory in Central Europe and Asia, respectively. Can’t happen here? It’s already happening – but from within. Our most valuable asset held in common, our democracy, is at stake, without which we have no country, so let’s strongly and without letup resist this and other such dictatorial moves from Trump or anyone else that would destroy our country. GERALD E