Ladies and Gentlemen, this is Paul Eaton. Major General, U.S. Army, retired.
I want to try to impress upon you the significance of Donald Trump’s authoritarian decision to force the National Guard, and potentially the Active Duty United States Military, into law enforcement roles on American soil.
In short, the Military is not Donald Trump’s personal instrument. Commander in Chief he may be, but there are laws specifically aimed at restricting his personal direction of the Military for domestic purposes.
The most important of these is the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878. It draws a clear line between domestic law enforcement and the Military, and prohibits the use of federal military forces for domestic law enforcement - except by acts of Congress.
These restrictions are not modern; they go back thousands of years. The term “Crossing the Rubicon” endures from Ancient Rome as the transition point from Republic to Empire. Roman generals were forbidden from bringing standing armies into Italy, past the Rubicon river. They understood the danger of a military force posed against civilian leadership.
When Julius Caesar invaded Rome at the head of his army, when he crossed the Rubicon, he committed a treasonous act. The rest, as they say, is history.
The United States Military is the strongest, finest armed force the world has ever known. Its purpose is to support and defend the Constitution and the people of this country, from our enemies, foreign and domestic. When the military is used on our own soil, there is great danger that the line between countryman and enemy becomes blurred. We are seeing this already with masked ICE personnel executing indiscriminate mass sweeps that, at times, include US citizens and legal residents. Sweeps that are at times, performed brutally.
This is a perilous moment, but I continue to have great faith in the fine women and men serving in uniform. They are our neighbors, sons, daughters, parents, and siblings. They love this country, and its people. They swear an oath to support and defend our Constitution, and they take that oath seriously.
But as Donald Trump purges principled and experienced leaders and attempts to bend the military to his will, we must face reality with open eyes.
We must continue advocating, not only for ourselves, but for those who wear our country’s uniform. VoteVets does that work each and every day. And if you want to support that mission, please:
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Gratefully,
Paul Eaton
Major General, U.S. Army, Retired
Senior Advisor, VoteVets
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