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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forums"I Cannot Remain Silent Our fellow citizens are not the enemy, and must never become so."
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/06/american-cities-are-not-battlespaces/612553/
5:17 PM ET
Mike Mullen
Seventeenth chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
It sickened me yesterday to see security personnelincluding members of the National Guardforcibly and violently clear a path through Lafayette Square to accommodate the president's visit outside St. John's Church. I have to date been reticent to speak out on issues surrounding President Trump's leadership, but we are at an inflection point, and the events of the past few weeks have made it impossible to remain silent.
Whatever Trump's goal in conducting his visit, he laid bare his disdain for the rights of peaceful protest in this country, gave succor to the leaders of other countries who take comfort in our domestic strife, and risked further politicizing the men and women of our armed forces.
There was little good in the stunt.
While no one should ever condone the violence, vandalism, and looting that has exploded across our city streets, neither should anyone lose sight of the larger and deeper concerns about institutional racism that have ignited this rage.
As a white man, I cannot claim perfect understanding of the fear and anger that African Americans feel today. But as someone who has been around for a while, I know enoughand Ive seen enoughto understand that those feelings are real and that they are all too painfully founded.
We must, as citizens, address head-on the issue of police brutality and sustained injustices against the African American community. We must, as citizens, support and defend the rightindeed, the solemn obligationto peacefully assemble and to be heard. These are not mutually exclusive pursuits.
</snip>
5:17 PM ET
Mike Mullen
Seventeenth chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
It sickened me yesterday to see security personnelincluding members of the National Guardforcibly and violently clear a path through Lafayette Square to accommodate the president's visit outside St. John's Church. I have to date been reticent to speak out on issues surrounding President Trump's leadership, but we are at an inflection point, and the events of the past few weeks have made it impossible to remain silent.
Whatever Trump's goal in conducting his visit, he laid bare his disdain for the rights of peaceful protest in this country, gave succor to the leaders of other countries who take comfort in our domestic strife, and risked further politicizing the men and women of our armed forces.
There was little good in the stunt.
While no one should ever condone the violence, vandalism, and looting that has exploded across our city streets, neither should anyone lose sight of the larger and deeper concerns about institutional racism that have ignited this rage.
As a white man, I cannot claim perfect understanding of the fear and anger that African Americans feel today. But as someone who has been around for a while, I know enoughand Ive seen enoughto understand that those feelings are real and that they are all too painfully founded.
We must, as citizens, address head-on the issue of police brutality and sustained injustices against the African American community. We must, as citizens, support and defend the rightindeed, the solemn obligationto peacefully assemble and to be heard. These are not mutually exclusive pursuits.
</snip>
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"I Cannot Remain Silent Our fellow citizens are not the enemy, and must never become so." (Original Post)
Dennis Donovan
Jun 2020
OP
Trump "gave succor to the leaders of other countries who take comfort in our domestic strife"
sop
Jun 2020
#4
I am happy Mike Mullen is speaking out. I hope others will follow. No time to be reticent.
fishwax
Jun 2020
#9
I keep hoping that General Mattis will step up and tell the public what a total moron Trump is.
Lonestarblue
Jun 2020
#10
I don't know that General Mattis has any sort of surfeit of honor. Past behavior has revealed him
scarletwoman
Jun 2020
#15
IllinoisBirdWatcher
(2,315 posts)1. K & R
Ferrets are Cool
(21,106 posts)2. K and R
iemitsu
(3,888 posts)3. Wow!
sop
(10,174 posts)4. Trump "gave succor to the leaders of other countries who take comfort in our domestic strife"
Gee, I wonder who Mullen had in mind when he wrote that?
dhill926
(16,337 posts)5. K & R...to infinity...
exceptionally well said.
Hekate
(90,677 posts)6. Kick!
lindysalsagal
(20,682 posts)7. Ok. Keep these coming, but they're only words until actions
Change police oversight.
hibbing
(10,098 posts)8. Strong statement n/t
fishwax
(29,149 posts)9. I am happy Mike Mullen is speaking out. I hope others will follow. No time to be reticent.
Lonestarblue
(9,988 posts)10. I keep hoping that General Mattis will step up and tell the public what a total moron Trump is.
He has remained totally silent, yet Im sure he could shed some light on just how unfit Trump is.
scarletwoman
(31,893 posts)15. I don't know that General Mattis has any sort of surfeit of honor. Past behavior has revealed him
to be a racist and a bigot.
I don't have links handy, sorry - I say this simply as having paid attention these past many years.
iluvtennis
(19,852 posts)11. Thanks for speaking the truth General McMullen!
Cha
(297,196 posts)12. TY for Not staying "silent"!
niyad
(113,302 posts)13. KNR
bdamomma
(63,849 posts)14. K&R
nt