General Mattis (ret) issues rebuke of Trump: I'm not surprised to see this, only about how long it took. I'm surprised no one else has mentioning this. Mattis says Trump divides us...

Tiptop789 Loc: State of Denial

I'm not surprised to see this, only about how long it took. I'm surprised no one else has mentioning this. Mattis says Trump divides us rather than unites us.

Wildlandfirefighter

Here is the text:

In Union There Is Strength

I have watched this week’s unfolding events, angry and appalled. The words “Equal Justice Under Law” are carved in the pediment of the United States Supreme Court. This is precisely what protesters are rightly demanding. It is a wholesome and unifying demand—one that all of us should be able to get behind. We must not be distracted by a small number of lawbreakers. The protests are defined by tens of thousands of people of conscience who are insisting that we live up to our values—our values as people and our values as a nation.

When I joined the military, some 50 years ago, I swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution. Never did I dream that troops taking that same oath would be ordered under any circumstance to violate the Constitutional rights of their fellow citizens—much less to provide a bizarre photo op for the elected commander-in-chief, with military leadership standing alongside.

We must reject any thinking of our cities as a “battlespace” that our uniformed military is called upon to “dominate.” At home, we should use our military only when requested to do so, on very rare occasions, by state governors. Militarizing our response, as we witnessed in Washington, D.C., sets up a conflict—a false conflict—between the military and civilian society. It erodes the moral ground that ensures a trusted bond between men and women in uniform and the society they are sworn to protect, and of which they themselves are a part. Keeping public order rests with civilian state and local leaders who best understand their communities and are answerable to them.

James Madison wrote in Federalist 14 that “America united with a handful of troops, or without a single soldier, exhibits a more forbidding posture to foreign ambition than America disunited, with a hundred thousand veterans ready for combat.” We do not need to militarize our response to protests. We need to unite around a common purpose. And it starts by guaranteeing that all of us are equal before the law.

Instructions given by the military departments to our troops before the Normandy invasion reminded soldiers that “The Nazi slogan for destroying us…was ‘Divide and Conquer.’ Our American answer is ‘In Union there is Strength.’” We must summon that unity to surmount this crisis—confident that we are better than our politics.

Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people—does not even pretend to try. Instead he tries to divide us. We are witnessing the consequences of three years of this deliberate effort. We are witnessing the consequences of three years without mature leadership. We can unite without him, drawing on the strengths inherent in our civil society. This will not be easy, as the past few days have shown, but we owe it to our fellow citizens; to past generations that bled to defend our promise; and to our children.

We can come through this trying time stronger, and with a renewed sense of purpose and respect for one another. The pandemic has shown us that it is not only our troops who are willing to offer the ultimate sacrifice for the safety of the community. Americans in hospitals, grocery stores, post offices, and elsewhere have put their lives on the line in order to serve their fellow citizens and their country. We know that we are better than the abuse of executive authority that we witnessed in Lafayette Square. We must reject and hold accountable those in office who would make a mockery of our Constitution. At the same time, we must remember Lincoln’s “better angels,” and listen to them, as we work to unite.

Only by adopting a new path—which means, in truth, returning to the original path of our founding ideals—will we again be a country admired and respected at home and abroad.

Mattis speaks truth!

ACP45 Loc: Rhode Island

Tiptop789 wrote:

I'm not surprised to see this, only about how long it took. I'm surprised no one else has mentioning this. Mattis says Trump divides us rather than unites us.

How about the Sec of Defense Esper publically stating he disagrees with Trump on using the US Military to support local law enforcement if needed. Shouldn't these differences of opinion stay in house rather than become public? Does this serve the nations best interests to expose this conflict openly?

Smedley_buzkill

Wildlandfirefighter wrote:

Here is the text:

In Union There Is Strength

I have watched this week’s unfolding events, angry and appalled. The words “Equal Justice Under Law” are carved in the pediment of the United States Supreme Court. This is precisely what protesters are rightly demanding. It is a wholesome and unifying demand—one that all of us should be able to get behind. We must not be distracted by a small number of lawbreakers. The protests are defined by tens of thousands of people of conscience who are insisting that we live up to our values—our values as people and our values as a nation.

When I joined the military, some 50 years ago, I swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution. Never did I dream that troops taking that same oath would be ordered under any circumstance to violate the Constitutional rights of their fellow citizens—much less to provide a bizarre photo op for the elected commander-in-chief, with military leadership standing alongside.

We must reject any thinking of our cities as a “battlespace” that our uniformed military is called upon to “dominate.” At home, we should use our military only when requested to do so, on very rare occasions, by state governors. Militarizing our response, as we witnessed in Washington, D.C., sets up a conflict—a false conflict—between the military and civilian society. It erodes the moral ground that ensures a trusted bond between men and women in uniform and the society they are sworn to protect, and of which they themselves are a part. Keeping public order rests with civilian state and local leaders who best understand their communities and are answerable to them.

James Madison wrote in Federalist 14 that “America united with a handful of troops, or without a single soldier, exhibits a more forbidding posture to foreign ambition than America disunited, with a hundred thousand veterans ready for combat.” We do not need to militarize our response to protests. We need to unite around a common purpose. And it starts by guaranteeing that all of us are equal before the law.

Instructions given by the military departments to our troops before the Normandy invasion reminded soldiers that “The Nazi slogan for destroying us…was ‘Divide and Conquer.’ Our American answer is ‘In Union there is Strength.’” We must summon that unity to surmount this crisis—confident that we are better than our politics.

Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people—does not even pretend to try. Instead he tries to divide us. We are witnessing the consequences of three years of this deliberate effort. We are witnessing the consequences of three years without mature leadership. We can unite without him, drawing on the strengths inherent in our civil society. This will not be easy, as the past few days have shown, but we owe it to our fellow citizens; to past generations that bled to defend our promise; and to our children.

We can come through this trying time stronger, and with a renewed sense of purpose and respect for one another. The pandemic has shown us that it is not only our troops who are willing to offer the ultimate sacrifice for the safety of the community. Americans in hospitals, grocery stores, post offices, and elsewhere have put their lives on the line in order to serve their fellow citizens and their country. We know that we are better than the abuse of executive authority that we witnessed in Lafayette Square. We must reject and hold accountable those in office who would make a mockery of our Constitution. At the same time, we must remember Lincoln’s “better angels,” and listen to them, as we work to unite.

Only by adopting a new path—which means, in truth, returning to the original path of our founding ideals—will we again be a country admired and respected at home and abroad.

Mattis speaks truth!

Here is the text: br br br In Union There Is... (show quote)

Mattis is a disgruntled employee who was terminated. He is using his status as a decorated Marine to promote an agenda. He of all people should know that the situation in Lafayette Park was not as he represented, and that in these situations the Secret Service detail is in charge. The protesters were ordered to disperse repeatedly and it was almost time for the curfew. They showed no signs of dispersal, the president was about to make a public appearance, and DC had already had "peaceful protests" turn violent.

Smedley_buzkill

ACP45 wrote:

How about the Sec of Defense Esper publically stating he disagrees with Trump on using the US Military to support local law enforcement if needed. Shouldn't these differences of opinion stay in house rather than become public? Does this serve the nations best interests to expose this conflict openly?

Are you familiar with Ex Parte Milligan 1866? It defines the terms and conditions of the imposition of Martial Law. This can be imposed only when the civil authorities are unable to function normally. (I believe that Minneapolis is a very good example of that. Police ordered to retreat and abandon their own headquarters to rioters rather than disperse looters. Minnesota's governor has shown himself to be inept.)
It can only be imposed on the area directly impacted and only for such time as it takes civil authority to begin functioning normally again. Mattis AND Esper completely ignore the numerous times that the military has been used in a limited capacity when civilian law enforcement was shown incapable of dealing with a situation.

ACP45 Loc: Rhode Island

Wildlandfirefighter wrote:

Here is the text:

In Union There Is Strength

I have watched this week’s unfolding events, angry and appalled. The words “Equal Justice Under Law” are carved in the pediment of the United States Supreme Court. This is precisely what protesters are rightly demanding. It is a wholesome and unifying demand—one that all of us should be able to get behind. We must not be distracted by a small number of lawbreakers. The protests are defined by tens of thousands of people of conscience who are insisting that we live up to our values—our values as people and our values as a nation.

When I joined the military, some 50 years ago, I swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution. Never did I dream that troops taking that same oath would be ordered under any circumstance to violate the Constitutional rights of their fellow citizens—much less to provide a bizarre photo op for the elected commander-in-chief, with military leadership standing alongside.

We must reject any thinking of our cities as a “battlespace” that our uniformed military is called upon to “dominate.” At home, we should use our military only when requested to do so, on very rare occasions, by state governors. Militarizing our response, as we witnessed in Washington, D.C., sets up a conflict—a false conflict—between the military and civilian society. It erodes the moral ground that ensures a trusted bond between men and women in uniform and the society they are sworn to protect, and of which they themselves are a part. Keeping public order rests with civilian state and local leaders who best understand their communities and are answerable to them.

James Madison wrote in Federalist 14 that “America united with a handful of troops, or without a single soldier, exhibits a more forbidding posture to foreign ambition than America disunited, with a hundred thousand veterans ready for combat.” We do not need to militarize our response to protests. We need to unite around a common purpose. And it starts by guaranteeing that all of us are equal before the law.

Instructions given by the military departments to our troops before the Normandy invasion reminded soldiers that “The Nazi slogan for destroying us…was ‘Divide and Conquer.’ Our American answer is ‘In Union there is Strength.’” We must summon that unity to surmount this crisis—confident that we are better than our politics.

Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people—does not even pretend to try. Instead he tries to divide us. We are witnessing the consequences of three years of this deliberate effort. We are witnessing the consequences of three years without mature leadership. We can unite without him, drawing on the strengths inherent in our civil society. This will not be easy, as the past few days have shown, but we owe it to our fellow citizens; to past generations that bled to defend our promise; and to our children.

We can come through this trying time stronger, and with a renewed sense of purpose and respect for one another. The pandemic has shown us that it is not only our troops who are willing to offer the ultimate sacrifice for the safety of the community. Americans in hospitals, grocery stores, post offices, and elsewhere have put their lives on the line in order to serve their fellow citizens and their country. We know that we are better than the abuse of executive authority that we witnessed in Lafayette Square. We must reject and hold accountable those in office who would make a mockery of our Constitution. At the same time, we must remember Lincoln’s “better angels,” and listen to them, as we work to unite.

Only by adopting a new path—which means, in truth, returning to the original path of our founding ideals—will we again be a country admired and respected at home and abroad.

Mattis speaks truth!

Here is the text: br br br In Union There Is... (show quote)

Use the National Guard as a first option to support law enforcement if additional support is needed. Use Military Police or Border Patrol if the Guard is insufficient to handle the task. It is absolutely inexcusable for mayors and governors order police to stand by and watch ANTIFA take over peaceful demonstrations and go on rampages of looting, and mass destruction. They further compound their failure of leadership to refuse help offered to solve this problem. Were they not elected to serve the people they represent, and is this how they go about doing it?

Weewillynobeerspilly Loc: North central Texas

Tiptop789 wrote:

I'm not surprised to see this, only about how long it took. I'm surprised no one else has mentioning this. Mattis says Trump divides us rather than unites us.

Trump issued a rebuke of Mattis, since Trump still has his job, Mattis was fired ( again) once by your God King obammy.

in short....hush!

Wildlandfirefighter

ACP45 wrote:

How about the Sec of Defense Esper publically stating he disagrees with Trump on using the US Military to support local law enforcement if needed. Shouldn't these differences of opinion stay in house rather than become public? Does this serve the nations best interests to expose this conflict openly?

Differences of opinion are one thing, all these people took an oath, I believe them much more than Trump. Speaking truth to power and allowing the public to know and understand what is going on (ie, the first amendment freedom of speech and of the press, as well as the ability to assemble publicly and to petition the government over wrong doing) seem a helluva lot more important to me than hiding them for the benefit of the dictator wanna-be.

Wildlandfirefighter

Smedley_buzkill wrote:

Are you familiar with i Ex Parte Milligan 1866 /i... (show quote)

Hmmm;

Well outside of DC the military, not including the National Guard, has not been deployed. And it appears as if things are beginning to wind down (fingers crossed). Thus I guess martial law has not been needed.

Wildlandfirefighter

ACP45 wrote:

Use the National Guard as a first option to suppor... (show quote)

What proof do you have this was caused by antifa? I have seen FBI and state reports that list the people responsible as a variety of far right white supremacists groups, bugaboo, anarchists, antifa, and other unaffiliated people just taking advantage of the situation. There are a helluva lot more far right groups that want to bring this country down than far left groups like antifa. Don't believe me, do your own google search and check the FBI web site.

Wildlandfirefighter

Weewillynobeerspilly wrote:

Trump issued a rebuke of Mattis, since Trump still has his job, Mattis was fired ( again) once by your God King obammy.

in short....hush!

Naw, I don't think "hush" is the correct response right now at all. Neither does the majority of the country. How come you are so far behind? Since when should anyone consider anything Trump puts out as true or relevant (yeah lets all ingest lysol, and hydroxychloriquine is a great thing for Covid-19). Give me a break, nothing Trump says these days should be listened to by anyone with a brain, its all noise, diversion and lies. Thankfully the American public is finally getting it and Trumpy's poll numbers are under water. But it is way worse than the polls are showing. There are millions of young people who will be voting for the first time this year, and millions of people who normally do not vote that Trump's antics will bring out of the closet. Its going to be a historic bad time for republicans. A landslide of historic proportions that will include the presidency and both houses. The GOP kissing Trump's a$$ will bring the end of the GOP as you know it. Your party will not be in power maybe ever again. There have been many more democrats than republicans in this country for years, but there was never a focus point to get them to the polls. You can bet your sweet booty that there is now. Hope you enjoy the ride, I know I will.

DaWg44

Wildlandfirefighter wrote:

What proof do you have this was caused by antifa? I have seen FBI and state reports that list the people responsible as a variety of far right white supremacists groups, bugaboo, anarchists, antifa, and other unaffiliated people just taking advantage of the situation. There are a helluva lot more far right groups that want to bring this country down than far left groups like antifa. Don't believe me, do your own google search and check the FBI web site.

Please provide site.
Thank you.

Tiptop789 Loc: State of Denial

Weewillynobeerspilly wrote:

Trump issued a rebuke of Mattis, since Trump still has his job, Mattis was fired ( again) once by your God King obammy.

in short....hush!

Come on Willy, Obama is no longer President. He's not in the decision making loop. This is all trump & he's flubbing it big time.

Wildlandfirefighter

Weewillynobeerspilly wrote:

Trump issued a rebuke of Mattis, since Trump still has his job, Mattis was fired ( again) once by your God King obammy.

in short....hush!

Oh and by the way, Obama never fired Mattis. Mattis worked in the administration from 2008 until March of 2013 when he voluntarily retired. He and Obama had a bit of an out about Syria policy (hmmm, just like he and Trumpy), but he was not fired. Do your research and stop spreading lies.

Smedley_buzkill

Wildlandfirefighter wrote:

Hmmm;

Well outside of DC the military, not including the National Guard, has not been deployed. And it appears as if things are beginning to wind down (fingers crossed). Thus I guess martial law has not been needed.

It almost never is. The right to assemble and peaceably address the government are not without limits, however, anymore than the Second Amendment. These people had been ordered repeatedly to dipserse since it was almost curfew time; a curfew imposed because their fellow right exercisers decided that looting stores was part of peaceful protesting. No tear gas was fired. Only smoke grenades. The other riots started peacefully also.