Protests can be done in many ways, and have been protected, so far, by the First Amendment. The Executive Order passed by Trump is a violation of that First Amendment.
This was proven in 1989 by the Supreme Court. (Texas vs Johnson).
In reading the Executive Order, it shows no exemptions for retiring an American flag. So, apparently when I was a Boy Scout, I would have violated this EO by cutting up the flag and burning it, as is the standard procedure for retiring a flag.
Recently, a 20-year veteran burned an American flag with the expressed purpose of protecting the First Amendment. Interestingly, the police didn’t charge him with violating the new EO, but with, “ignition of an object”. I guess they didn’t want to test out the new order Trump had just signed, but I digress.
You may not agree with the methods of protest, or the viewpoints some hold. But simply disagreeing is not a reason to silence someone, let alone arrest them.
Yet, the more important issue here isn’t simply a flag. It’s the National Guard being pushed into cities that their leaders have expressly and clearly opposed. The National Guard is not trained, nor is it their job, to do the work of the police department.
Also, decreasing crime is not a valid reason for Trump to utilize and deploy the National Guard. A high crime rate isn’t a national emergency, and the states have to request assistance, it is not something that can just be deployed via the President. If this was truly about crime, as Trump has claimed, he would give more funds to the police departments, not just send in the National Guard to protect federal buildings.
Karoline Leavitt claimed the crime was “out of control” and had requested reporters to ask the victims of four violent incidents what they thought of the crime rate. This seems odd, as she is simply requesting obviously biased sources to comment on the overall crime rate. If the number of house fires are down in an area, the victim whose house is burning is going to have a much different reaction and opinion than every other homeowner in the neighborhood.
Hopefully, our government will take solving the issue of crime seriously and fairly, by giving our police officers better training, equipment, and higher hourly pay to do their jobs. Simply sending in troops in order to keep crime down, is inefficient and quite dangerous, not to mention would cost the taxpayers significantly more.
Rewind the clock back to Obama’s terms. Imagine if he decided to send in the National Guard to quell violence in other cities, say Memphis, for example. Would the majority of the country simply let Obama do this? Suppose he accepted gifts, or asked if he could keep the World Cup? Would the public stand for it? I highly doubt it. Yet, for some reason, everyone acts like this is normal for this day and age.
Somehow, the expectations and decorum are wildly different for Trump than for any other modern President. Ask yourself why that is.
John Spencer
Chattanooga