Time to Publicize: Bush Turning Military on Citizens

Woozle announced this in comments, and Glenn Greenwald had a typically superb article on it a few days later. Now we have a chance to take action:

Bush Illegally Turns Army Inwards – Urge Moderators to Raise Issue During Presidential Debates

For more than 200 years, federal laws have protected the American people against the use of military forces on our own soil. Strengthened in 1878 by the Posse Comitatus Act, these laws have guaranteed that the federal government could not use the military for domestic law enforcement purposes.

Without such protection, the federal government could use the might of our army to violate state and individual rights. Moreover, minor incursions by the military into domestic law enforcement activity could lay the foundation for the imposition of martial law at a moment’s notice. This is one slippery slope we don’t want to start sliding down.

That is why we should all be deeply disturbed by the news that President Bush has assigned the 3rd Infantry Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team to be under the day-to-day control of U.S. Army North, the Army component of Northern Command (NorthCom). According to an article in Army Times, the soldiers could be called upon for a variety of tasks, including quelling “civil unrest.” They are apparently engaged in training with shields and batons, beanbag bullets, and Tasers.

We need to raise awareness about this threat to our liberty immediately. The American Freedom Campaign believes the best method available at the moment is to send an email to the hosts of the next two presidential debates, urging them to ask the candidates whether they would fully enforce the Posse Comitatus Act.

Click on over and let the media know it's time to get the word out. Especially after what's happened with Denver and St. Paul, I'm not willing to let Bush play with turning the military on the citizenry come election time. The more public this is, the better chance we have of preventing abuse.

Not that I think a public spotlight will stop this regime, but it couldn't hurt.