OPINION:
In my over 30-year career in the Army I have witnessed war, protests at home and abroad, and a coup d’etat. I spent a career defending civil Iiberties almost half of it in Latin America. My mission there was to help deepen the democratic ethos and professionalism of the host military to respect civilian authority and act within their laws. I lectured my counterparts how our FBI was a bulwark of our democracy safeguarding our civil liberties in America.
In my life, I never thought I would witness what had all the appearance of a Praetorian coup in my own country involving senior Obama administration officials abusing police powers and intelligence authorities. That has now been followed by a group of prominent, senior retired flag and general officers engaged in Praetorianism themselves. Their conduct is dangerous to our republic.
I am, as they are, very disturbed at what I saw happen to George Floyd. I support our law enforcement. I do not support homicide or civil rights violations in the conduct of an arrest. Reading their op-eds, I found them dishonest, disparaging, apologetic, minimizing or ignoring the widespread violence and destruction of property, the depravation of rights of others, while obfuscatory on the constitutional authority of the president under Title 10 of the Insurrection Act.
That act charges the president to ensure the “execution of the laws” where elected authorities — governors and mayors — “are unable, fail, or refuse” to give “protection” to their citizenry and ensure their rights.
I am not advocating this be done, though the many prior Title 10 force employments in the U.S. have occurred under much less scope and violence thresholds than seen last week. But their op-eds imply it would be an unlawful or illegitimate act, questioning the character and worthiness of the commander in chief to make those decisions. Doing so, with the imprimatur of their reputations, they undermine the chain of command, hurting the good order and discipline of the armed forces.
By their example, they are seeding in the minds and hearts of all servicemembers, the idea that this president is not acting in good faith and in effect, President Trump is illegitimate and his lawful orders cannot be trusted. They are in action and deed politicizing the entire armed forces. Here they fall in and color themselves with the continuing Democratic Party partisan theme since the 2016 election — that the election and Mr. Trump are unconstitutional.
I support protests over the death of Mr. Floyd — peaceful protest. Unfortunately, in his eloquent statement, Gen. Mattis was astonishingly deceptive: “We must not be distracted by a small number of lawbreakers.” Lawbreakers? Small? Anarchy, mass looting, mass arsons and violent assaults on the police and murder nationwide are not “small” crimes nor few. I was reassured to see the president and cabinet leaders walk unthreatened to the desecrated St. Johns Church. The church torched next to the White House by the “few” Mattis “lawbreakers.”
We cannot minimize the lives lost and great economic destruction all across America wrought on the same communities and business owners who feel unequally treated in America. Or minimize the economic loss and loss of jobs by many Americans eager to go back to work and now cannot.
These peaceful protests have given cover to revolutionary leftists trying to destroy our constitutional order and propel their vision of globalist utopia. These senior officers correspondingly give Antifa cover, as the Democratic Party seems always happy to leverage mayhem for election year effects. Talk about a “stunt,” Adm. Michael Mullen or “political gain,” Gen. Brooks.
And why are the protesters at the door of the White House? This president prior to the Chinese pandemic had the highest African-American employment rate in history with rising black median income. President Trump enacted criminal justice reforms, while Democrats talked about it. President Trump ushered in the First Step Act on sentencing reform and re-authorized Second Chance reform. President Trump funded historically black colleges — President Obama did not. That is a supportive record in three years.
Racism exists in America and the African-American community has suffered for it. All Americans deserve equal justice. We can do better and uplift our communities peacefully, not violently led by anarchists. I do not believe in “white privilege” or “institutional racism,” which are simply Marxist-based terms of struggle for permanent revolution and the continuing exploitation of the Democratic Party over the black popular vote.
I believe in the hope and opportunity of America and have seen far too many African-Americans exit these narratives of continuing oppression and empower themselves and not rely on any political masters who over decades have not delivered for them.
There are many people making demands, so I have one. These senior officers no matter retired, hold especially trusted positions by their status and they have responsibilities that extend to the institution and integrity of the military. No matter how seemingly sincere they were, the secretary of Defense should review these op-eds, and if found that there are serious concerns or violations negatively impacting the unity, focus and discipline of our armed forces, recall those officers to active duty for correction and discipline.
• Joseph Myers is a retired Army officer and counterinsurgency and civil-military relations expert who served in Afghanistan.
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