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‘Affront to Democracy’: Trump's National Guard Troops Seen in Front of Ballot Box in DC (www.commondreams.org)
submitted 3 weeks ago by to c/politics@lemmy.world
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[–] 47 points 3 weeks ago

did he not get the memo that we're a fascist state now? written laws are meaningless when no one enforces them, so "the law" becomes whatever tf dear leader wants it to be.

see: 1984

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    [–] 44 points 3 weeks ago (11 children)

    It’s not right but I’m not afraid of national guard standing in front of a ballot box.

    ICE? They’re unhinged with no accountability, seeming eager to murder the American people for little to no provocation.

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  • [–] 32 points 3 weeks ago (5 children)

    I have a feeling the first part of this comment is going to age poorly

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  • [–] 47 points 3 weeks ago (4 children)

    They’re trained. And they probably don’t want to be there.

    ICE is untrained and very eager.

    Given a choice, which would you prefer?

    But yes, shit can always go sideways with this admin. They give zero fucks for We The People.

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  • [–] 2 points 3 weeks ago*

    I'd avoid both but if I had to choose, I'd choose the ones that swore an oath to the constitution. Expecting people to honor their oath is a losing bet though, especially American soldiers, given the training they go through that systemically destroys their ability to critically think.

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  • [–] 16 points 3 weeks ago (1 child)

    You should read about Kent State.

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  • [–] -5 points 3 weeks ago*

    Kent State took place at a peaceful protest, a rally protesting the expansion of the Vietnam war.

    A ballot box is not a group of people falsely deemed to be a terrorist threat. It's just a box. And no order to shoot would be followed by any real Guardsman.

    Sounds like you just want people to be afraid to vote, and this event is pure theater conducted by this administration to try to achieve just that. Trump wants people to be too afraid to vote. Stop helping Trump.

    No one I know is buying that shit, and no NG I personally know (I've been friends with many and kept up with a few) would do more than just stand there. National Guard is not ICE.

    Stop making like a NG shooting at a fifty-six year old protest at the height of the Vietnam War, and a group of peaceful NGs standing at a ballot box, are the same thing or even similar. They are not.

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    • [–] 30 points 3 weeks ago (5 children)

    We are just following orders 🤷‍♂️

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  • [–] 5 points 3 weeks ago* (2 children)

    Thats the same excuse ww2 German soldiers used, "I know its wrong to boil jew children and make soap out of them but o' well, orders are orders haha lolkbye" or "well it's just my job, I'm not really complicit, right?"

    🙄 Pathetic

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  • [–] 14 points 3 weeks ago* (1 child)

    Yeah. That was the intended reference but didn't think it needed further explanation

    But basically the joined result of the trials was that orders can't justify crime but in some cases make the punishment milder

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    • [–] 24 points 3 weeks ago (5 children)

    Anyone encountering this when they go to vote should call 911 to report voter intimidation.

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  • [–] 15 points 3 weeks ago* (4 children)

    Exactly. It's not just illegal in federal law, but also codified in state laws. Armed law enforcement is absolutely verboten within a certain radius of voting sites. Several states have already announced plans about countering the voter interference they fully expect to have to deal with.

    Anyone concerned should also look up their local laws to be sure. Here's another article with straightforward information about what the real situation is on the ground in general for those interested. From that article:

    If a voter sees armed officials at a polling place, they should alert the election officials at the polling place right away. Election officials have specific procedures to follow to report the situation and have it appropriately handled in an efficient manner.

    This robber administration is desperate. The orange chancre doesn't want to go to prison. But most of us don't have to wait for Election Day and we can vote by mail, absentee ballot, ballot drop-off box, and early voting right now.

    He's trying to make people scared to vote with this kind of theater, but there's no reason to be. We just have to be wise, educated, and willing to look out for each other.

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  • [–] 3 points 3 weeks ago (1 child)

    But DC isn’t really a state though right?

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  • [–] 2 points 3 weeks ago (1 child)

    If a voter sees armed officials at a polling place, they should alert the election officials at the polling place right away.

    But what if it's a drop box, where there is no polling official? I live in Washington, and many or most people here use unattended drop boxes.

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  • [–] 2 points 3 weeks ago*

    That sounds like a great opportunity to find out what your local laws are and what the governor's office and your secretary of state are planning to do about it.

    Your own state Attorney General just contributed an article to The Guardian the other day about how seriously they are taking all the threats against your right to have a free and fair election in Washington state. If I were a citizen there I'd give them a call myself: they have almost certainly been thinking about the same thing you are.

    Also take note of headcount.org, which is a volunteer, non-data collecting site that a number of younger people are using to get the vote out. While it does not address your specific question, it's a great place to start for voting laws in a specific state.

    If you find something out, would you mind posting it? I'd sure like to know, and I bet others would too.

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    • [–] 22 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

    The first few hundred national guardsmen that storm the Whitehouse and TCB will be American legends, and will probably never have to lift a finger for the rest of their lives

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    • [–] 22 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

    Step into booth, check first box for Democrat

    National Guard: (shifts gun in his hands) hmmm... No. Try again.

    Check box for independent candidate

    National Guard: (inspecting gun) closer... Try again

    Checks box for Republican.

    National Guard: You're a true Patriot!™©® Thanks for taking the time to vote!

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  • [–] 9 points 3 weeks ago (1 child)

    Yeah I can see that but realistically the goal is more likely to terrorize brown skinned people from voting.

    Thats even their excuse, that they’re preventing undocumented immigrants from voting. Too bad that’s almost non-existent plus you can’t tell by the color of peoples skin

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  • [–] 4 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

    Yes you can, if brown/minority then they obviously llegal

    Tap for spoilerBeing sarcastic if it went over your head. but I am quite worried that will actually be their metric

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    • [–] 15 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

    I’d be like, “thank you for your service in making sure my vote for kicking the shit out of the republicans is safe.”

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    • [–] 14 points 3 weeks ago

    We al knew this was going to happen.

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    [–] 6 points 3 weeks ago

    Please arrest them.

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    [–] 6 points 3 weeks ago (5 children)

    Land of the poor land of the pussies

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  • [–] 11 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

    Land of the indentured would be more fitting for a play on the original.

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    • [–] 5 points 3 weeks ago

    Everyone should vote first then laugh at the fascist military losers.

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    [–] 3 points 3 weeks ago

    "bUt tHeRe'S lAwS aGaInSt iT!"

    I suppose it needs to be said so people known it'd be breaking the law. But that cry isn't stopping them from doing literally anything that they've been doing.

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    [–] 2 points 3 weeks ago

    Trump is an affront to everything. He's an affront. Full stop.

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