Protesting is a form of free speech against the government or policy decisions that affect our way of life.

There is something eerily familiar about the “riots” in Los Angeles and the use of force against the protesters. People have been protesting in this country before it was a country. Think of the infamous Boston Tea Party and throwing crates of tea into Boston Harbor! If they had not protested King George and his taxation policies and use of British soldiers, would those soldiers have “quelled” the protesters by force or shooting them at will? The “taxation without representation” argument had a broad following. What might have followed if they shot the “patriots”?

Richard Nixon hated protesters and sought to suppress them. The incident at Kent State was a consequence of this suppression. Some “leader” of the Ohio National Guard issued an order to shoot live rounds. The results were catastrophic.

President Donald Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth are bringing military forces to subdue protestors in L.A. Trump publicly announced that any protesters “will be met by heavy forces.” What is implied by “heavy forces”? Will the California National Guard shoot live rounds at California protesters? Is this just a pretext for using American military forces against American citizens? Is this another tragic nightmare in the making?

Does Trump have a more nefarious objective? Is his goal to become the dominant force over all Americans? Who holds him accountable? Republicans? Democrats? The American people?

David Hyde
Pownal