Editor, Gazette-Journal:
The past weekend was one with many contrasts. In Washington, there was a parade to celebrate the 250th birthday of the U.S. Army, at the end of a week in which U.S. Marines were deployed to help police the streets of Los Angeles, against the wishes of the California governor and in violation of the Posse Comitatus Act.
As a veteran, I strongly support our armed forces, but I also equally strongly condemn their use in this way. The first Continental Congress in 1774 refused to establish a standing army, because of concerns that a corrupt leader might use it against citizens.
That first Continental Congress also sent petitions to King George III, hoping he would amicably end a series of “Intolerable Acts” directed against the colonists. This past weekend, citizens all across America peacefully protested intolerable acts by the current administration, including usurping Congress’s constitutional responsibilities by declaring non-existent “emergencies,” conducting ...