"If Trump does move against Chicago, it will cross a major red line since US law generally prohibits the use of the military for domestic law enforcement. Trump’s plan may be to provoke violence that he can use to trigger the Insurrection Act. In any case, if Trump orders the occupation of Chicago, other cities will almost certainly follow."
My personal plan at the moment is to carry around a sign that I can unfold to display to any active duty or National Guard members asking them how they feel being used as props to distract attention away from a creep who's working awfully hard at keeping his relationship with a convicted pedophile and human trafficker out of the public eye.
I suspect that a good part of the rest of the City has their tanks full of mockery before things devolve into violence. Once things do get to violence, look for something more akin to the Wide Awakes[1] emerging than gangbangers fighting Guard members. Also, keep in mind that Gov. Pritzker also has the power to reinstate the Illinois Reserve Militia, a 100% legal "state protection force" that operates under the direction of the Governor and cannot be federalized.[2]
I doubt that such a thing would be hurting for volunteers, given the temperature around here.
I'll also remark that sending in troops to "fight crime" in Chicago as a first step after DC is emblematic of the stupidity that defines this administration. If you want to have that pretense hold up, send the troops to any number of the Red State cities that are actually worse off crime-wise, at the invitation of the local sympathetic governor, rack up some wins, THEN try and make the case that what worked in St. Louis can be replicated in Chicago.
By going after Chicago first, the only thing these idiots are doing are sending a bunch of National Guardsmen to loiter around the city like lost tourists, looking for crime to fight. Without access to 911 and the infrastructure that is actually used to identify where crime is happening, federal forces will always end up in the wrong places at the wrong times looking like lost sheep (and knowing that they are completely out of their element).
If I were actually on-board with the administration's actions - I'd be pretty pissed that they seem to be tackling this problem the dumbest, and most self-sabotaging way possible.
If my office were on the other side of this building (the gray one between the two glassy ones on the left), I could snap a picture for The Racket from one of the windows.
And if that state of emergency isn't legal - there is no actual emergency - then I'd argue that the state defense force is on solid ground repelling an illegal invasion.
Regardless, I spent plenty of time this weekend chatting with some of the most progressive and crunchy people I know looking into when what we need to do to visit a firing range and develop some basic shooting proficiency should the need arise. (And I found out that my FOID card had expired and I need to renew it before most ranges will let us practice!)
So, you are hoping that your silly little sign would inspire the Army to mutiny while you and the rest of Illinois are waging war against the USA military. I consider that to be cultural appropriation. It is a conspiracy mindset reserved for rural and southern redneck right-wingers.
I come from proud Southwestern redneck stock, so your charge of cultural appropriation falls flat, SIR. I was born and raised in New Mexico, the source of so many great conspiracy theories. (Ask me about the Roswell crash one of these days.)
As for my sign, if Trump is sending his storm troopers to Chicago to play cops and robbers, I'm going to point out to his toys that their time, training, and commitment to this nation is being wholly wasted by a felon (and increasingly likely pedophile) with 34 convictions playing at being a weak man's idea of a strong man. Will it convince any of them that their mission is illegal and simply stupid? Who knows. At least they won't have the excuse that someone didn't tell them.
As for the shooting part of this - that would come later - hopefully never. The point isn't to shoot some poor kid who signed up for the Reserves to supplement his income to raise a young family elsewhere, it's to make Illinois - and Chicago, in particular - a hard enough target that someone like Suzie Wiles to convince her boss that his "tough on crime" fantasy isn't going to play out like he thinks it will.
I suspect that if a President Kamala Harris decided to send Pacific Northwest and New England reservists to your town in Georgia under a bogus pretext, you'd feel very similar, and rolling over to show your belly like a frightened dog wouldn't be your first instinct.
I live about 45 miles from Five Points. I think Atlanta could use a few weeks of Trump's version of crime control. I live 300 feet from Gwinnett County where some areas could benefit from the same treatment.
Your opinion on what federal actions are illegal is not the final word. It seriously sounds to me like you are actively supporting armed rebellion if the government is not run to your satisfaction. And there should be some screening mechanism to prevent signing up for military duty solely for supplemental income. Maybe if a few more citizens with your intelligence were to volunteer for patriotic reasons, things could be better.
I support an armed rebellion if the federal gov't slips into tyranny, and through illegal actions and violations of the law (the Posse Comitatus Act) and Constitution (Tenth Amendment), loses its right to be considered the proper gov't when it loses the consent of the governed.
If the federal gov't stays within its Constitutionally-proscribed sphere and leaves the State of Illinois to govern within its sphere, then I don't have a problem with it that wouldn't be better addressed through normal politics. However, that's not what's happening, and it's not me or the State of Illinois that is the first mover here.
This entire post is a bit if a stretch. It would take an act of Congress to void home rule for Washington. I would favor such a change. We pay the salaries of city officials and are not getting our money's worth.
There may be a few people with legal visas detained in immigration enforcement activities but that is likely because they are involved with illegals. Illegals who are in the process of having their immigration status determined do not have legal status. Non-citizens have rights, but they are all here on probationary status and can be deported at any time for undermining government policies.
You might not care about the safety of law enforcement officers and their families but most of us do. Masks and no uniforms are justified. A uniform is no guarantee of safety. Just ask the surviving relatives of the murdered legislator and the legislator who survived a murder attempt by a cop impersonator in Minnesota.
I wish I'd seen this much concern about law enforcement safety and cops' well-being during and after January 6th.
On the issue of masks, as you point out, law enforcement works for us, not the other way around. It's entirely reasonable to for them to identify themselves - even if that's just a badge number - so that when someone comes knocking on my door demanding entry, I can verify that they are who they say they are and not someone else pretending to be a law enforcement officer.
Right now, all that's being accomplished is setting up a black hole for accountability that will only attract the last people we want working in law enforcement.
By all means, let's work in a Jan.6th reference whenever we can, even if it's relevance is in question. Having said that, just remember that the only person who lost her life on that day was NOT a police officer.
Police officers have a lot to fear from Trump? Name one that has been injured or killed as a direct result of anything Trump has said or done since he has gotten reelected.
What part of Trump's mob assaulting and attacking the cops stationed to guard the Capitol is irrelevant in the context of a discussion of the safety of law enforcement?
And while we're at it, let's not try and whitewash Brian Sicknick out of the history of that shameful day.
I'm so sick of the lies told about jan.6th. It wasn't Trump's mob, he told them to go PEACEFULLY. If they don't go peacefully, that's not on him. And no, Brian Sicknick's death was tragic, but so was Ashli Babbitt's, which nobody on the side of telling lies about Jan.6th ever wants to mention.
The tragedy of Ashli Babbit was that she was conned into joining the mob rampaging through the Capitol and happened to be in the line of fire as her group was trying to break through a barricaded door in the Jan. 6th melee.
I am concerned about LEOs, but a big part of the backlash comes from heavy handed tactics and lack of identification and accountability.
I also believe that law enforcement should obey laws and be accountable to the people.
The Administration has argued in court that they should be able to pick people up based on ethnicity. You should look into these cases because many, including US citizens detained, have nothing to do with illegals.
We know their bosses and elect the people who hire their bosses. That should provide sufficient accountability. All you have to do is convince enough voters that they are acting beyond reason in enforcement actions.
Some righties aren’t terribly bright. Trumpy righties in particular…let’s just say the movement doesn’t attract the best. So it would be no surprise for them to drum up some faux outrage about some non -issue in order to distract those who are easily distracted from some of the predictable negative effects of the admin’s policies (like higher prices).
"If Trump does move against Chicago, it will cross a major red line since US law generally prohibits the use of the military for domestic law enforcement. Trump’s plan may be to provoke violence that he can use to trigger the Insurrection Act. In any case, if Trump orders the occupation of Chicago, other cities will almost certainly follow."
My personal plan at the moment is to carry around a sign that I can unfold to display to any active duty or National Guard members asking them how they feel being used as props to distract attention away from a creep who's working awfully hard at keeping his relationship with a convicted pedophile and human trafficker out of the public eye.
I suspect that a good part of the rest of the City has their tanks full of mockery before things devolve into violence. Once things do get to violence, look for something more akin to the Wide Awakes[1] emerging than gangbangers fighting Guard members. Also, keep in mind that Gov. Pritzker also has the power to reinstate the Illinois Reserve Militia, a 100% legal "state protection force" that operates under the direction of the Governor and cannot be federalized.[2]
I doubt that such a thing would be hurting for volunteers, given the temperature around here.
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yw6GHufQvUc
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illinois_Reserve_Militia
I'll also remark that sending in troops to "fight crime" in Chicago as a first step after DC is emblematic of the stupidity that defines this administration. If you want to have that pretense hold up, send the troops to any number of the Red State cities that are actually worse off crime-wise, at the invitation of the local sympathetic governor, rack up some wins, THEN try and make the case that what worked in St. Louis can be replicated in Chicago.
By going after Chicago first, the only thing these idiots are doing are sending a bunch of National Guardsmen to loiter around the city like lost tourists, looking for crime to fight. Without access to 911 and the infrastructure that is actually used to identify where crime is happening, federal forces will always end up in the wrong places at the wrong times looking like lost sheep (and knowing that they are completely out of their element).
If I were actually on-board with the administration's actions - I'd be pretty pissed that they seem to be tackling this problem the dumbest, and most self-sabotaging way possible.
Pritzker's about to speak on this.
If my office were on the other side of this building (the gray one between the two glassy ones on the left), I could snap a picture for The Racket from one of the windows.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EemtWj9Z0ng
The Illinois Reserve Militia cannot act against a legally declared state of emergency that can happen as proved in Arkansas and Alabama.
And if that state of emergency isn't legal - there is no actual emergency - then I'd argue that the state defense force is on solid ground repelling an illegal invasion.
Regardless, I spent plenty of time this weekend chatting with some of the most progressive and crunchy people I know looking into when what we need to do to visit a firing range and develop some basic shooting proficiency should the need arise. (And I found out that my FOID card had expired and I need to renew it before most ranges will let us practice!)
So, you are hoping that your silly little sign would inspire the Army to mutiny while you and the rest of Illinois are waging war against the USA military. I consider that to be cultural appropriation. It is a conspiracy mindset reserved for rural and southern redneck right-wingers.
I come from proud Southwestern redneck stock, so your charge of cultural appropriation falls flat, SIR. I was born and raised in New Mexico, the source of so many great conspiracy theories. (Ask me about the Roswell crash one of these days.)
As for my sign, if Trump is sending his storm troopers to Chicago to play cops and robbers, I'm going to point out to his toys that their time, training, and commitment to this nation is being wholly wasted by a felon (and increasingly likely pedophile) with 34 convictions playing at being a weak man's idea of a strong man. Will it convince any of them that their mission is illegal and simply stupid? Who knows. At least they won't have the excuse that someone didn't tell them.
As for the shooting part of this - that would come later - hopefully never. The point isn't to shoot some poor kid who signed up for the Reserves to supplement his income to raise a young family elsewhere, it's to make Illinois - and Chicago, in particular - a hard enough target that someone like Suzie Wiles to convince her boss that his "tough on crime" fantasy isn't going to play out like he thinks it will.
I suspect that if a President Kamala Harris decided to send Pacific Northwest and New England reservists to your town in Georgia under a bogus pretext, you'd feel very similar, and rolling over to show your belly like a frightened dog wouldn't be your first instinct.
I live about 45 miles from Five Points. I think Atlanta could use a few weeks of Trump's version of crime control. I live 300 feet from Gwinnett County where some areas could benefit from the same treatment.
Your opinion on what federal actions are illegal is not the final word. It seriously sounds to me like you are actively supporting armed rebellion if the government is not run to your satisfaction. And there should be some screening mechanism to prevent signing up for military duty solely for supplemental income. Maybe if a few more citizens with your intelligence were to volunteer for patriotic reasons, things could be better.
I support an armed rebellion if the federal gov't slips into tyranny, and through illegal actions and violations of the law (the Posse Comitatus Act) and Constitution (Tenth Amendment), loses its right to be considered the proper gov't when it loses the consent of the governed.
If the federal gov't stays within its Constitutionally-proscribed sphere and leaves the State of Illinois to govern within its sphere, then I don't have a problem with it that wouldn't be better addressed through normal politics. However, that's not what's happening, and it's not me or the State of Illinois that is the first mover here.
This entire post is a bit if a stretch. It would take an act of Congress to void home rule for Washington. I would favor such a change. We pay the salaries of city officials and are not getting our money's worth.
There may be a few people with legal visas detained in immigration enforcement activities but that is likely because they are involved with illegals. Illegals who are in the process of having their immigration status determined do not have legal status. Non-citizens have rights, but they are all here on probationary status and can be deported at any time for undermining government policies.
You might not care about the safety of law enforcement officers and their families but most of us do. Masks and no uniforms are justified. A uniform is no guarantee of safety. Just ask the surviving relatives of the murdered legislator and the legislator who survived a murder attempt by a cop impersonator in Minnesota.
I wish I'd seen this much concern about law enforcement safety and cops' well-being during and after January 6th.
On the issue of masks, as you point out, law enforcement works for us, not the other way around. It's entirely reasonable to for them to identify themselves - even if that's just a badge number - so that when someone comes knocking on my door demanding entry, I can verify that they are who they say they are and not someone else pretending to be a law enforcement officer.
Right now, all that's being accomplished is setting up a black hole for accountability that will only attract the last people we want working in law enforcement.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/28/civilians-impersonating-ice-officers
By all means, let's work in a Jan.6th reference whenever we can, even if it's relevance is in question. Having said that, just remember that the only person who lost her life on that day was NOT a police officer.
140 officers injured on that day.
I think they have a lot more to fear from their new boss and the goons he brought with him into office than any of us on the outside.
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/former-capitol-police-officer-end-falsehoods-jan-6/story?id=114464816
Police officers have a lot to fear from Trump? Name one that has been injured or killed as a direct result of anything Trump has said or done since he has gotten reelected.
What part of Trump's mob assaulting and attacking the cops stationed to guard the Capitol is irrelevant in the context of a discussion of the safety of law enforcement?
And while we're at it, let's not try and whitewash Brian Sicknick out of the history of that shameful day.
https://www.uscp.gov/about/honoring-our-fallen/officer-brian-sicknick
I'm so sick of the lies told about jan.6th. It wasn't Trump's mob, he told them to go PEACEFULLY. If they don't go peacefully, that's not on him. And no, Brian Sicknick's death was tragic, but so was Ashli Babbitt's, which nobody on the side of telling lies about Jan.6th ever wants to mention.
The tragedy of Ashli Babbit was that she was conned into joining the mob rampaging through the Capitol and happened to be in the line of fire as her group was trying to break through a barricaded door in the Jan. 6th melee.
She FA'ed and then FO'ed.
And just to set the record straight, Brian Sicknick's death was ruled by the coroner as by natural causes.
I am concerned about LEOs, but a big part of the backlash comes from heavy handed tactics and lack of identification and accountability.
I also believe that law enforcement should obey laws and be accountable to the people.
The Administration has argued in court that they should be able to pick people up based on ethnicity. You should look into these cases because many, including US citizens detained, have nothing to do with illegals.
We know their bosses and elect the people who hire their bosses. That should provide sufficient accountability. All you have to do is convince enough voters that they are acting beyond reason in enforcement actions.
Some righties aren’t terribly bright. Trumpy righties in particular…let’s just say the movement doesn’t attract the best. So it would be no surprise for them to drum up some faux outrage about some non -issue in order to distract those who are easily distracted from some of the predictable negative effects of the admin’s policies (like higher prices).