Memphis.

 

We cannot live in a country where the president can deploy the military to police your communities for no reason. The threat of deadly escalation is too high. The cost to taxpayers is too high. And the misuse of troops — to patrol streets, pick up trash, and do landscaping work — grievously undermines our national security. Our democracy will face lasting damage if we don’t stop this.

POGO’s Senior Defense Analyst Virginia Burger submitted testimony to a critical hearing earlier this morning on the deployment of National Guard troops in Washington, DC. Even as the hearing was underway, troops were arriving in Memphis, Tennessee, and preparing to replicate the militarization of our nation’s capital in another city.

The deployment of the military into LA, Washington, and now Memphis is not about keeping you safe, fighting crime, or protecting federal property, no matter what the administration claims. If that was actually the intent, civil law enforcement is more than prepared to deal with those issues. Police are trained to enforce laws and keep communities safe. Our military is trained to fight wars.

We are seriously concerned about this current crisis, and the precedent being set to allow any future administration to deploy the military on our own soil and for whatever reason it sees fit. Not just to “fight crime” or “clean up” cities, but potentially to quash protests or retaliate against political opponents. There is nothing stopping them from crossing that line if that’s what they choose to do. It’s why we must act now.

What we need you to do right now:  Email Congress and urge them to take up the recommendations POGO outlined in our testimony today to deescalate the situation in Washington and curb this dangerous overreach of power.  Sign up for our POGO Advocacy Training on writing a letter to the editor, happening Tuesday, October 7. If you want to do more to bring attention to this critical issue and put even more pressure on Congress and your state government to act, please attend this training. RSVP NOW.  Rush a donation to help fight this authoritarian power grab. The work we do together is more urgent than ever. And POGO’s work is supported by the donations of people like you who believe in its necessity. To ensure we can keep holding the government accountable at a time when oversight is being attacked and stifled, please consider donating now.

Thank you for letting us count on you.

— POGO

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