A former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff warns of the President’s use of the military, saying, “I am deeply worried that as they execute their orders, the members of our military will be co-opted for political purposes.”

[above: Military police block peaceful civil rights protesters from approaching the Lincoln Memorial on the day that Donald “don’t be too nice” Trump declares that his administration “has done more for the black community than any president since Abraham Lincoln.”]

There are a lot of different ways that I could take things this evening, but let’s start with the following editorial, which was published this evening by The Atlantic. Its author, our nation’s 17th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, retired United States Navy Admiral Mike Mullen, I think, does a pretty good job of detailing where we find ourselves today. [Mullen was appointed to serve as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff by President George W. Bush.]

It sickened me yesterday to see security personnel—including members of the National Guard—forcibly and violently clear a path through Lafayette Square to accommodate the president’s visit outside St. John’s Church. I have to date been reticent to speak out on issues surrounding President Trump’s leadership, but we are at an inflection point, and the events of the past few weeks have made it impossible to remain silent.

Whatever Trump’s goal in conducting his visit, he laid bare his disdain for the rights of peaceful protest in this country, gave succor to the leaders of other countries who take comfort in our domestic strife, and risked further politicizing the men and women of our armed forces.

There was little good in the stunt.

While no one should ever condone the violence, vandalism, and looting that has exploded across our city streets, neither should anyone lose sight of the larger and deeper concerns about institutional racism that have ignited this rage.

As a white man, I cannot claim perfect understanding of the fear and anger that African Americans feel today. But as someone who has been around for a while, I know enough—and I’ve seen enough—to understand that those feelings are real and that they are all too painfully founded.

We must, as citizens, address head-on the issue of police brutality and sustained injustices against the African American community. We must, as citizens, support and defend the right—indeed, the solemn obligation—to peacefully assemble and to be heard. These are not mutually exclusive pursuits.

And neither of these pursuits will be made easier or safer by an overly aggressive use of our military, active duty or National Guard. The United States has a long and, to be fair, sometimes troubled history of using the armed forces to enforce domestic laws. The issue for us today is not whether this authority exists, but whether it will be wisely administered.

I remain confident in the professionalism of our men and women in uniform. They will serve with skill and with compassion. They will obey lawful orders. But I am less confident in the soundness of the orders they will be given by this commander in chief, and I am not convinced that the conditions on our streets, as bad as they are, have risen to the level that justifies a heavy reliance on military troops. Certainly, we have not crossed the threshold that would make it appropriate to invoke the provisions of the Insurrection Act.

Furthermore, I am deeply worried that as they execute their orders, the members of our military will be co-opted for political purposes.

Even in the midst of the carnage we are witnessing, we must endeavor to see American cities and towns as our homes and our neighborhoods. They are not “battle spaces” to be dominated, and must never become so.

We must ensure that African Americans—indeed, all Americans—are given the same rights under the Constitution, the same justice under the law, and the same consideration we give to members of our own family. Our fellow citizens are not the enemy, and must never become so.

Too many foreign and domestic policy choices have become militarized; too many military missions have become politicized.

This is not the time for stunts. This is the time for leadership.

I was hopeful that, when I awoke this morning, I’d see other Republicans, and Republican appointees, coming off the sidelines to express their anger and concern over what Donald Trump had done, when he had the National Guard clear a path for him by firing rubber bullets and tear gas into a crowd of peaceful protesters, so that he could stand on the steps of a church that he hadn’t been invited to, to film a campaign ad holding a Bible. Sadly, very few Republicans on Capitol Hill have had the courage to speak up, though. Senator Lisa Murkowski said, “It’s not the America I know,” And Ben Sasse made a tepid statement, but, otherwise, the silence was deafening. Here, if you’re interested, are a few notable examples of Republican leaders refusing to comment on the President’s dangerous, authoritarian stunt. [Black Republican House member Will Hurd marched in a Texas protest, but I don’t think he spoke up about what Trump had done.]

No, for the most part, people on the right just made excuses for Donald Trump, or tried to distance themselves from what he’d done. Defense Secretary Mark Esper, who was with Trump for the photo-op at St. John’s Church, for instance, laughably claimed that he “didn’t know” where he was going, as they walked through Lafayette Square to have their photos taken. And the folks on Fox News made the case that Trump had no choice but to have peaceful protesters cleared away, as they surely would have turned violent, if given the opportunity.

When I finally went to sleep last night, I though that maybe we’d reached a kind of inflection point, where those, like Mike Mullen, who had been silent for so long, might come out en masse, and make it known that they’d finally had enough. But, so far, with a few exceptions, it’s just been more of the same.

Speaking of Republicans not taking the opportunity to do the right thing, the Democrats tried to pass a resolution today condemning Trump’s unconstitutional attack against peaceful protesters yesterday, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blocked the resolution. Here, if you’re wondering what it said, is the gist of it.

This isn’t over. Things may continue to build. If you haven’t contacted your elected officials in a while, I’d suggest that now might be a good time to find their numbers and give them a call.

Oh… Donald Trump just tweeted that the peaceful protesters that were fired upon weren’t really peaceful, and that everyone loved his photo-op at the church. “You got it wrong!,” he tweeted. “If the protesters were so peaceful, why did they light the Church on fire the night before? People liked my walk to this historic place of worship!

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73 Comments

  1. iRobert
    Posted June 2, 2020 at 10:55 pm | Permalink

    A few weeks ago I got the impression that HW, FF and EOS have a shit about the public’s right to peacefully protest.

  2. iRobert
    Posted June 2, 2020 at 11:03 pm | Permalink

    I should add that I also got the impression a few weeks ago that Jean, Lynne and the rest have a shit about social distancing and the consequences to vulnerable populations when it is not practiced.

  3. iRobert
    Posted June 2, 2020 at 11:07 pm | Permalink

    I’m just kidding. I never really believed any of you actually gave a shit about any of that stuff.

  4. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted June 2, 2020 at 11:08 pm | Permalink

    If you want to protest peacefully you are going to have to do something about antifa. They are using you to try to tear the USA apart.

  5. iRobert
    Posted June 2, 2020 at 11:21 pm | Permalink

    The local and state police are going to do plenty about the criminals. The FBI will be too.

  6. Sad
    Posted June 2, 2020 at 11:24 pm | Permalink

    I’m too stealthy

    They’ll nEver CaTch mE

  7. Bob
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 6:09 am | Permalink

    “have a shit?” You’re weird. Antifa is a weak ass figment of the Cheetoh Fuhrer’s imagination and the worst member of the Little Rascals

  8. iRobert
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 6:14 am | Permalink

    Most people here are smart enough to know I meant to type “give a shit,” Bob. They likely know it was an auto-correct the first time and a joke the second time.

  9. EOS
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 6:28 am | Permalink

    The protests have not been peaceful. Mayors like DeBlasio who refuse to use the National Guard or allow the police to effectively stop the violence are allowing their cities to be destroyed in the misguided hope they can blame it all on the President. Destroying privately owned business helps no one.

    Trump’s photo op at the church showed the world how easy the crowds can be controlled if a government entity really wanted to. I only wished he would have read from the Bible and took the whole group inside the church to pray together.

    Good policing protects Black Lives.

  10. bet HW that McCabe wouldn’t be fired and all I got was this stupid name
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 7:32 am | Permalink

    Aloha 600 more dead from the Trump virus yesterday. But don’t worry it is just like the flu and if it isn’t it is all China fault, and oh yeah ANTIFA is bad. MAGA

  11. Sad
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 7:43 am | Permalink

    EOS do you really think the cities are being destroyed?

    You might look back at the the uprisings in 67- 68 for reference.

    I agree it would be great if Trump read the Bible. But I don’t think he does.

  12. EOS
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 7:48 am | Permalink

    Sad,

    Still waiting for Detroit to recover to the levels before 67. Maybe destroyed was the wrong word choice, but the social and economic damage is long lasting.

  13. iRobert
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 7:56 am | Permalink

    EOS,

    The protesters in Lafayette Park were peaceful. Trump ordered them flash-banged and shot with rubber bullets. The hole in the ground where you’ve been keeping your head Is getting increasingly deeper and darker.

  14. EOS
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 8:07 am | Permalink

    https://www.upi.com/News_Photos/view/upi/9a0ad584fdab903edcdae946c05723fe/Damage-in-Lafayette-Park-following-George-Floyd-Protest-in-Washington-DC/

    Doesn’t look like the result of peaceful protests to me.

  15. EOS
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 8:18 am | Permalink

    Sen. Kennedy just had a great line: If you don’t know the difference between peaceful protest and looting, burning, and defacing public property, then you just tested positive for stupid. (My paraphrase)

  16. Anonymous
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 8:51 am | Permalink

    Fact Check: No one was looting, burning or defacing public property in Lafayette Square when the National Guard started shooting.

  17. Professor Darren Hutchinson by proxy
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 8:53 am | Permalink

    Dear media (New York Times, esp): Try to devote as much attention to Trump gassing people exercising 1st A rights as you gave to Clinton’s emails. Actually, even 50% of the attention would be fine. Treat this as the emergency you mistakenly thought the emails were. Prove your value.

  18. bet HW that McCabe wouldn’t be fired and all I got was this stupid name
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 8:59 am | Permalink

    Aloha, then of course there are all the police attacks on journalist which will go unpunished.

    https://cpj.org/2020/06/at-least-125-press-freedom-violations-reported-over-3-days-of-us-protests/

  19. Meta
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 9:03 am | Permalink

    Washington Post: “CIA veterans who monitored crackdowns abroad see troubling parallels in Trump’s handling of protests”

    Former intelligence officials said the unrest and the administration’s militaristic response are among many measures of decay they would flag if writing assessments about the United States for another country’s intelligence service.

    Read more:
    https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/cia-veterans-who-monitored-crackdowns-abroad-see-troubling-parallels-in-trump-handling-of-protests/2020/06/02/7ab210b8-a4f6-11ea-bb20-ebf0921f3bbd_story.html

  20. iRobert
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 9:06 am | Permalink

    I realize it’s really important to you to equate the masses that are legitimately protesting with the criminals who are using the protests for cover, EOS. Everyone realizes that’s your goal as a Christian.

  21. site admin
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 9:07 am | Permalink

    Representative Gerry Connolly of Northern Virginia is launching an investigation of the Secret Service and the National Park Police.

    “This morning, I sent letters to the Director of the Secret Service and the Acting Director of the National Park Service to demand answers regarding their roles in this despicable display of violence and unreasonable aggression,” he told his constituents.

    Here is his letter.

    Dear Director Murray/Acting Director Vela,

    I write to request documents and information regarding disturbing reports that the United States Secret Service was involved in, and may have directed, the use of tear gas and rubber bullets against peaceful protesters outside of the White House for the purposes of facilitating a photo opportunity for President Donald Trump.

    On the evening of June 1, 2020, protesters were gathered around Lafayette Square north of the White House exercising their constitutional right to peaceably assemble. According to reports, “The protesters were removed from the Lafayette Square area across from the White House, apparently to clear the way for the president to walk to St. John’s Church, where he posed briefly for photographers, holding a Bible.”

    While the Secret Service is tasked with protecting the President of the United States, it is not a tool of fascism, and the conduct and operations of the Secret Service cannot be allowed to infringe upon the constitutional rights of the American people for the purpose of serving the President’s personal vanity.

    It is my hope that the men and women of the Secret Service remain safe and are never put in the untenable position of needlessly targeting their fellow citizens with violence.

    To better understand the role of the Secret Service in the events of June 1, 2020, please provide the following documents by June 15, 2020:

    -All documents or communications regarding the President’s trip to St. John’s Church on June 1, 2020.
    -All documents or communications regarding personnel who have objected to the targeting of peaceful protestors.
    -All documents related to the policies of the Secret Service governing the treatment of peaceful protesters.
    -All documents related to the policies of the Secret Service regarding orders given by the President of the United States that require the Secret Service to violate the constitutional rights of Americans.

    Thank you for your prompt attention to this important request.

  22. bet HW that McCabe wouldn’t be fired and all I got was this stupid name
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 9:10 am | Permalink

    Aloha EOS, did you watch the video of the cop smashing the windows of his cop car? Do you think he will be prosecuted? How about the other cops who protected him while he engaged in his law breaking? How about the cops who shot paint cannisters at people sitting on their front porches? Or how about the unprovoked pepper spray attacks.
    Your Leader attacked people engaging in peaceful protest a full 30 minutes before curfew. He had the shit scared out of him, kinda like we see hysterical FF and HW the last few days, hiding in his bunker and had to show the dimwits like HW that he was tough.

    Just keep repeating, it is just like the flu, it is all China’s fault, ANTIFA is bad–MAGA

    Oh yeah, the Trump virus killed another 1069 of us yesterday, we are up to 108000 killed because the Leader says it is just like the flu.

  23. John Brown
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 9:20 am | Permalink

    He might as well politicized the military and attack political enemies with them. I mean he’s shat on every other foundation of American society. With his escalation it’s like he’s super determined to end up strung the fuck up. Equally deserving the rope are the lying little Nazi shit infiltrators creating content for his antifa boogyman false flag Faux News propaganda.

  24. EOS
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 9:41 am | Permalink

    Wobblie,

    The video you posted was less than convincing. Could they have been busting out fragments and shards left from previous breakage?

  25. Lynne
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 9:43 am | Permalink

    I do care about social distancing during this pandemic. I worry about all of the protesters and I hope like heck that they quarantine themselves for two weeks after they get home even as I know that is unlikely. I have been happy to see footage of some protests where the majority are wearing masks. I find it hard to judge people who are protesting violence against themselves and people who look like them as opposed to people who are protesting because they can’t get a haircut or garden in the April snow. Still, this means that my own personal isolation will go on longer but there is nothing I can do about that.

    I was horrified that Trump chose to use violence against peaceful protesters in order to get a photo op but I wasn’t surprised. That is who he is. He isn’t a leader. His only talent is getting ratings. Voting for him in November is voting for force to be used against peaceful protesters. Can you imagine the reaction had Whitmer treated the selfish white asshole protesters in the same way?

  26. Anonymous Thief of Twitter Content
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 9:47 am | Permalink

    Did you hear what happened in Boston?

    An unarmed teenage boy was hit in the head with the butt end of a firearm during a nonviolent verbal exchange with a law enforcement officer.

    Word of the incident quickly spread, and within an hour several people gathered in the area to peacefully protest. They shouted slogans, and business owners in the area closed up shop for fear of their property.

    The law enforcement officers called for backup, and backup arrived in the form of heavily armed law enforcement personnel. They then declared the the assembly unlawful and ordered the protesters to disperse.

    The crowd, in response, grew restless and hurled dirt clods at law enforcement personnel. Law enforcement responded by firing into the crowd.

    The first man killed was a black man.

    If, while reading this story, you found yourself thinking that law enforcement was in the right, and that the protesters should have dispersed…

    Then congratulations, you have fallen on the wrong side of history, siding with the tyrant king George III against American patriots.

    The incident occurred in 1770. The black man killed was named Crispus Attucks. The incident became known as the Boston massacre and was one of the key events leading to the American revolution.

    Take note. Kids. Pay attention.

    *copy/pasted

  27. EOS
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 9:50 am | Permalink

    Wobblie,

    It’s not the Trump virus, it’s the Wuhan virus and it is China’s fault. The virus is very different from the annual flu. Many who are infected have no symptoms at all, most have a short-lived minor illness, some have lung scarring and other long term effects, and some are killed in a very short time interval.

    ANTIFA is bad and is trying to overthrow our government. And during his next term Trump will make America great again.

  28. EOS
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 9:58 am | Permalink

    When the secret service asks persons to leave an area, those persons need to comply. They are breaking the law if they don’t leave immediately and the secret service is authorized to use whatever force they deem necessary. Defense Secretary Esper held a press conference today to state that the reports of using tear gas and rubber bullets were incorrect. There was obviously some kind of smoke used but he didn’t say what.

  29. Lynne
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 9:59 am | Permalink

    Considering that over 100,000 are dead because of his failures as a leader, it seems fair to call it the Trump Virus.

    I don’t think that even if Trump wins, he will Make America Great Again. He certainly will not do anything positive for the economy. If anything, his mishandling of the virus means that no matter who gets elected, we are going to go through hard times. Even if you are like many Trump supporters and define “Great” as a country where women are second class citizens and the police feel comfortable killing black people and brown immigrants are rounded up and put into camps, Trump’s attempts to bring the country back to that state is simply going to be met with resistance. I know that as a woman, I am not going back to the “again” when American was supposedly so great.

  30. iRobert
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 10:12 am | Permalink

    Trump never spoke truer words than when he said he could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and still wouldn’t lose voters. We are seeing that bizarre cultist behavior in all those making excuses for his conduct and incompetence.

    I expect EOS and HW to go to their graves refusing to be honest with themselves about Trump and the damage that’s been done.

  31. Frosted Flakes
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 10:15 am | Permalink

    Just read an article about Trump supposedly ordering “tear gas and rubber bullets” against peaceful protest. There was no mention of rubber bullets. Who ordered it did not seem to be clear. It might not have been “tear gas” although they did admit to using an irritant, smoke and flash grenades. I did witness shoving from the cops against people just standing there. I learned there was a
    7pm curfew set and they tried to move the crowd out at 6:35.

    I think you might be a little too enthusiastic about a weak narrative, iRobert. Were there injuries? We can’t stop our president attempting to lead. The president has a right to move around too. Minority report? Jesus you people are desperate.

  32. EOS
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 10:16 am | Permalink

    While I don’t like Trump personally, he has done far less damage to our constitutional republic than Obama did. If you were honest with yourself you would see that.

  33. EOS
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 10:23 am | Permalink

    You have to like internationalism and loss of sovereignty, environmental extremism, transgenderism, and socialism in order to think that Obama was good for America. Half of the country was outraged.

  34. bet HW that McCabe wouldn’t be fired and all I got was this stupid name
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 10:37 am | Permalink

    Aloha EOS, the Wuhan virus has only killed 4646 people in China. But the 108000 of us killed by the Trump virus are the direct result of his policy decisions. Everyone knows it. Everyone knows he has no legitimacy and his whole regime is tottering. Call in the troops for support–next he will be call on unleashing the terror to drive folks back into their homes. It is the play book of every tyrant.

    This is how resistance looks when the authorities allow unlawfulness at the top. He’s an impeached despot held in power by a rump Senate and military force–pretty much the definition of a tyrant.

  35. Frosted Flakes
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 11:10 am | Permalink

    I think we are in a civil war right now and I think we are at war with China right now. The two wars are just not being fought with armies and bullets.

    The young man Jean called a stoner making stuff up in his basement said something very smart. I paraphrase: “when it is your head that is the one getting blown off you have to think to yourself: What kind of strategy is this? Whose strategy is it that ends up with you getting your head blown off. It ain’t your strategy. It’s somebody else’s strategy.”

    Very wise words.

    It’s time for the college educated progressive elders of the MM community to start using their brains. This is your moment and you are fucking it up.

  36. Frosted Flakes
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 11:18 am | Permalink

    If they are unwilling to start using their brains I would encourage the elders of the MM community to put their skin in the game. You can start with the house, the car, the building, the rental, the college fund for your kids. Do it. And if you don’t want to do it the figure out why not. This wish washy stuff is going to kill you with future humiliation. At least John Brown seems to take a stand. Many here are 20 levels below John Brown who I consider fake as fuck and not too bright.

  37. Anonymous
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 11:26 am | Permalink

    FF calls Jean and Mark cowards; hides behind anonymous pseudonym. Huh?

  38. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 11:34 am | Permalink

    The left has created an atmosphere of intimidation. They actually beat on innocent rally-goers by the score before the election. I don’t want to put a Trump 2020 sign up for fear of vandalism. There is a lynch mob mentality that is well documented here. It is now bearing it’s ugly fruit.

  39. Eel
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 11:36 am | Permalink

    “The left has created an atmosphere of intimidation.”

    God, this site gets funnier and funnier by the day.

  40. Frosted Flakes
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 11:38 am | Permalink

    If they want I will make up pseudonyms for them. The important thing is that they start using their brains, investigate their shadow motivations and start speaking the truth.

    Also, anonymous, I promise if I happen to have the opportunity to engage with you in the street I will do my best to listen to you but also spit my truth back into your n95 from 6 feet away. We all have a responsibility to think our ways through this and try our best to arrive at the truth. You, anonymous are someone who has a history of trying to end conversations with petty little tactics. See above. Enough of that shit.

  41. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 11:56 am | Permalink

    I have documented that fact extensively here, Eel. I put up hours of attacks on rally-goers way back in 2016 even as baynardites cried about Trump’s “violence”. As always there was no evidence to support it. Voluminous evidence vs. no evidence; my factual statements with evidence versus your feelings…

  42. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 11:58 am | Permalink

    What is funny is you don’t think arson, looting and felonious assault qualify as intimidation.

  43. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 12:07 pm | Permalink

    If anything what I said is a severe understatement. Even here look at what has been said to me. For starters it’s not intimidating to make threats of violence?

  44. Frosted Flakes
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 12:13 pm | Permalink

    FWIW, I thought Lynne and I had a positive exchange yesterday. We found some areas where we have unity. She was happy to hear I think Floyd was murdered and 3rd degree murder is too soft of a charge and I was happy to hear her denounce the looting, vandalism, and arson in clear and certain terms.

    I want to build off of that. When I have been calling people out lately I am doing it because I am trying to provoke them to do better. My tactics might be flawed. Not sure what else to do…

  45. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 12:16 pm | Permalink

    Why would anyone assume you thought otherwise? I wouldn’t count that as progress.

  46. Lynne
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 12:16 pm | Permalink

    I always speak the truth, FF. You just call it lies when you disagree with it.

  47. Lynne
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 12:17 pm | Permalink

    Eel, don’t worry. No one takes what HW says seriously.

  48. Frosted Flakes
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 12:21 pm | Permalink

    I don’t know why people have their assumptions, hw, but when someone stops assuming something bad about you it can feel like a moment of unity. I only had to express my support of the “justice for Floyd” 5 times before it clicked.

  49. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 12:21 pm | Permalink

    Flat dismissal with no evidence as always. It’s old, Lynne. It doesn’t work. It didn’t ever work from the time you were a little tyke. Somehow you never noticed reason and evidence beat the crap out of your feelings.

  50. Frosted Flakes
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 12:22 pm | Permalink

    Ok. That was fun while it lasted, Lynne.

  51. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 12:24 pm | Permalink

    You should know by now whenever you disagree with Lynne it is because you don’t want to give up your white male privilege.

  52. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 12:26 pm | Permalink

    Mind-boggling genius. God I love this.

    https://mobile.twitter.com/SteveSkojec/status/1267887483989004288

  53. Lynne
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 12:35 pm | Permalink

    I see it as a good thing that FF is isn’t OK with police brutality these days. Will it matter in the voting booth though? Can he vote for a president who uses the military to squash peaceful protests? Time will tell!

  54. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 12:40 pm | Permalink

    What do you mean “these days”. You see what I am saying? You slime people so habitually you don’t even know you do it.

  55. Frosted Flakes
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 12:50 pm | Permalink

    I have always been against ALL unjust acts of violence, Lynne. Fuck off with your weasel-word-lies that attempt to smear me and others.

    (You were right again, HW.)

    Part of me wonders if Lynne is afraid losing some cred when I complimented her. She wants to make sure everyone knows her flag is firmly planted on the side with the other dotards. Wow.

  56. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 1:15 pm | Permalink

    Protestors spreading peace to neighborhood homes

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHjJmxBhQUQ

  57. Jean Henry
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 1:32 pm | Permalink

    https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisettevoytko/2020/06/02/white-house-officials-asked-if-they-could-take-over-dcs-local-police/

  58. Kit
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 1:59 pm | Permalink

    Can someone answer me this. Is it normal for a Secretary fo Defense to walk aimlessly around D.C. without knowing where he’s going or why?

  59. Frosted Flakes
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 3:23 pm | Permalink

    “Will it matter in the voting booth though?”—Lynne

    I pointed it out before. The clues are everywhere. Look to see what the manifestation of their so-called “truth and justice” actually hinges upon. It is almost entirely hinges upon the realization of their shadow POLITICAL motivations. What a bunch of psychopaths! Willing to tell innocent people lies. Willing to use the misguided youth as fodder. All because the sacrificed futures help them forward THEIR strategy and the strategy of THEIR elite masters who have brainwashed their dotard asses a long time ago. Pathetic and evil. Obviously stupid. Self-serving. It will never work. You are setting yourselves up for your own future humiliation and public shaming.

  60. Krab
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 3:30 pm | Permalink

    So persuasive, Mr. Flakes. You had me a dotard. You really need to get out of the comments section here and start a website of your own. Why waste your brilliance on us. There’s a big world out there.

  61. Jean Henry
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 3:44 pm | Permalink

    Whoa! FF! You’ve crossed over to the dark side. CLUES! SHADOW! ALL CAPS “THEIR”

    Now we get where you were coming from all the time. So much for reason. And logic.

    Amazing.

    I especially like your retribution ‘public shaming’ fantasy.’

    You don’t think Trump’s election was public shaming enough for us?

    Waiting on that right wing political rapture when all us liberals will be taken off encase to the stockades or shamed into submission.

    I think you’ve been reading Orwell wrong. Or was it Atwood?

    Oh. hey. here’s some more fun stuff from FF’s side of the fence. You know the real ‘truth and justice’ side.
    https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/sen-paul-acknowledges-holding-up-anti-lynching-bill-says-he-fears-it-would-be-wrongly-applied/2020/06/03/29b97330-a5bf-11ea-b619-3f9133bbb482_story.html

  62. Frosted Flakes
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 4:38 pm | Permalink

    Bet. There is a part of you that knows I am right.

  63. Lynne
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 5:18 pm | Permalink

    FF, so what are you saying? That you think unjust violence is wrong but it is NOT going to keep you from voting for a man who incites violence and whose administration regularly commits acts of unjust violence?

  64. iRobert
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 5:40 pm | Permalink

    Esper can’t seem to make up his mind.

  65. iRobert
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 5:43 pm | Permalink

    Trump is claiming he didn’t know the demonstrators in Lafayette Park were there or that they were to be cleared for his walk to the photo op.

  66. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 5:48 pm | Permalink

    The anti-lynching bill was suspiciously close in time to Smollett’s racist hoax. He was connected to Harris and Booker, not to mention the Obama’s. Rand Paul is correct.

  67. iRobert
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 6:46 pm | Permalink

    Did Rand Paul say Obama, Harris and Booker put Smollett up to it?

  68. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 7:06 pm | Permalink

    He said it could be misused. It was passed after the hoax with the fake attack and fake “noose” by non-existent white supremacists. Smollett is those the pal of the bill sponsors. Nothing troubling or suspicious about that?

  69. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 7:14 pm | Permalink

    Smollett is their pal. It’s one of the most ridiculous hoaxes ever. It was so ridiculous this site didn’t even bite on it.

  70. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 8:22 pm | Permalink

    Why is this about police brutality of black people? In 2019 there were nearly twice the number of unarmed whites versus blacks killed by police; 19 to 10. That’s close to the distribution of the crime of murder between the two groups: about 50% of homicides are by blacks in the USA. Knowing that is realistic, not racist.

    So BLM is divisive for no reason. American Lives Matter would be uniting and make the same point about police brutality.

  71. Sad
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 9:00 pm | Permalink

    Warlord lives don’t matter

    There’s no such thing as warlords

  72. Posted June 3, 2020 at 9:22 pm | Permalink

  73. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted June 3, 2020 at 9:56 pm | Permalink

    Park police say no tear gas was used and some protestors were combative. Were there any serious injuries by the way?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eMAJWFDq8I

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