By Frank Watson
Freelance Columnist 

The President made a mistake

 


Sending federal marshals into Portland, Chicago, and other cities will go down as one of the President’s biggest mistakes. It hurts him politically, it harms the already tarnished image of the police, and it works against the rule of law and order.

Sending Homeland Security forces to quell the protests under the guise of protecting federal property creates a no-win situation for the President. If his troops clear the streets, he will be rightfully accused of denying the right of peaceful assembly. Any use of force will be countered by the charge of brutality. If he does not clear the streets, he will be viewed as weak and ineffective. When he assumed the responsibility to protect public property, he also assumed the blame for anything that goes wrong. It is inevitable in all confrontations that something will go wrong. It is simply the nature of confrontations. The protesters are anti-establishment and demand change. They view the mayors as part of the old order. The Mayor of Portland was soundly booed last week when he tried to join the protest. Federal troops under President Trump’s command take the mayors off the hook. Anything and everything will be blamed on Trump.

I remember coming home from Viet Nam to a hostile public. Our troops are held in much higher regard today. Things have changed. After 9/11, police and other first responders were hailed as heroes. The few within their ranks who failed to live up to their oath to serve and protect were highlighted by the national media, and the reputation of law enforcement plummeted to an all-time low. Causes worthy of protests have been infiltrated with anarchists who are determined to discredit those who are sworn to uphold the law. Thus, officers are taunted with insults and threatened with rocks, frozen water bottles, and firecrackers. When police respond to protect themselves and/or property, edited film clips are fed to the media. Federal marshals are just another form of police and the reputation of all law enforcement agencies suffer when they forcibly disperse crowds.

Uninvited federal officers are actually a detriment to law and order. I spent several years as a public-school teacher and taught a class in conflict avoidance. It takes two parties to fight. If one simply backs away, there is no confrontation. Of course, there is a limit to how far and for how long one needs to back away. Local police are generally more familiar with the territory and should be allowed to handle situations within their capability. Homeland Security should only become involved when they are invited. Federal intervention creates a three- way conflict between local authorities, federal agencies, and those who seek disorder. Unless there is a coordinated response, the anarchists have the advantage.

What would happen if the President would remain above the fray until local leaders request his help? First, the situation may not degenerate into violence. If so, the local mayors get kudos for peaceful solutions, and the President doesn’t create more enemies than he already has. If the situation spins out of control, the local mayor owns the problem and takes all the blame. Then, the President rides in on his white horse to save the day. It is a win-win. Federal troops, to include Homeland Security, are not welcome and should only be deployed when local authorities ask for them.

(Frank Watson is a retired Air Force Colonel and long-time resident of Eastern Washington. He has been a free-lance columnist for over 20 years.

 

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