General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsMerkley tweet to Trump: Get your DHS lackey and uninvited paramilitary actions out of my state
Tweeted a few minutes ago by Jeff Merkley:
Link to tweet
dalton99a
(81,709 posts)Raven
(13,910 posts)The Velveteen Ocelot
(116,033 posts)drray23
(7,638 posts)Other than bringing the issue to the forefront, Senator Merkley can not directly act upon it. The governor of his state might be able to.
marlakay
(11,546 posts)But really what can they do legally to get rid of his private army?
Grins
(7,274 posts)liberalgunwilltravel
(342 posts)This is actually what the Second Amendment was written for. For the maintenance of a free state against a tyrannical federal government.
Raven
(13,910 posts)than a tweet.
not_the_one
(2,227 posts)When the paramilitary stop to abduct, pull a car in front, one in back, and arrest them.
See if they pull their guns on the state national guards. Videotape it all.
Find out who they are, and who is behind them.
I wouldn't be surprised if Erik Prince's name came up. I believe he is using paid mercenaries to do something similar in other countries.
stillcool
(32,626 posts)I have not investigated the legalities of this federal action. The Senator himself has definitive actions he can take, to over-rule the federal government?
bucolic_frolic
(43,571 posts)Are they government, or private security police?
Lonestarblue
(10,190 posts)From what Ive read, theyre a combination of U.S. Marshals, the Federal Protective Service (never even heard of them), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Homeland Security Investigations, a division of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Plus, recently, there has been a force plain clothes officers with no identification and driving rental cars instead of government cars. They have refused to identify the agency they work for. Some member of this groups fired a non-lethal bullet at a protester not being violent or doing anything wrong and put him in the hospital with serious injuries requiring facial reconstruction. He was merely standing and holding a protest sign. The plain clothes group has been just arresting protesters, basically pulling them off the street. The whole group sounds like a bunch of thugs instead of legitimate law enforcement. Both the mayor and governor have said that they are making matters worse.
Im not sure what legal means the governor has to get rid of them. I wonder if the governor could activate some National Guard units to surround the protesters and protect them from the feds.
wnylib
(21,813 posts)are military Special Forces.
roamer65
(36,748 posts)roamer65
(36,748 posts)stopdiggin
(11,419 posts)I'm not getting what is being proposed -- (or suggested, or advocated, or imagined).
Or is this just a straight put down of the Senator's comment?
Please enlighten us.
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Shrike47
(6,913 posts)I dont know what he can do that he hasnt done.
Blecht
(3,803 posts)And I sure do like this one.
I want to see my Senator with his hair on fire on every major network and cable news channel by tonight, too.
SiliconValley_Dem
(1,656 posts)JI7
(89,290 posts)Leghorn21
(13,527 posts)2naSalit
(87,012 posts)mozan
(33 posts)I like him he is the Oregon AOC, new blood and ideas.
Thank-you Jeff.
mozan
(33 posts)The gov has also put out the word She is on this just as Portlands mayor.
They can and well act.
kimbutgar
(21,290 posts)flibbitygiblets
(7,220 posts)ancianita
(36,245 posts)This sounds like a federal effort to go to war with governors. PMC's should not become military occupiers of Democratic states.
Johnny2X2X
(19,328 posts)These are thugs and criminals, the worst of the worst attacking Americans and kidnapping them, they should be met with force.
DBoon
(22,433 posts)That's kidnapping, right?
bucolic_frolic
(43,571 posts)911, local police, state police, probably even FBI would take a report of kidnapping.
If someone is operating a paramilitary force inside the US of unknown origin that is snatching civilians, even if miscreant, it's a major thing. But then, you know, kids in cages, detentions.
Fiendish Thingy
(15,720 posts)It would have to be state police or some equivalent.
Polly Hennessey
(6,819 posts)concern but, in this case, words are just words. What is the Governor doing? Has she said or done anything?
stopdiggin
(11,419 posts)on the issue is about the extent of his real power or options (in practical terms)
State power (either judicial, legislative or executive) over federal -- is really sketchy. Both in theory, and in real life terms.
Pepsidog
(6,254 posts)Shrike47
(6,913 posts)McKim
(2,412 posts)I am so proud of how our state and local government acted quickly. What can they do? Wait and see....... people in the streets may do something about this. I am wishing for a massive non violent sit down or an action that makes fools of these goons.
wiggs
(7,826 posts)Senators, Reps, Governors, and Mayors would object to this. Maybe organize together for a communication platform, coordinated interviews, legal remedies if appropriate, injunctions? Would CREW and ACLU like to get in on this? Doesn't the constitution prohibit a standing army within the US? ISN'T THIS A GIANT DEAL?
At this point, tweets and expressions of concern must be followed by action. If not, then it's just another tweet among millions.
onecent
(6,096 posts)Larissa
(792 posts). . . for election day. I know it may sound off the rails, but who could have imagined what we've been experiencing so far? If Trump wants to monkey-wrench the process in order to stay in office past his expiration date, then Election Day is key, IMO.
Plus, Trump has his point man at the USPS to help put the kibosh on absentee ballots a/k/a slower mail delivery.
(I need to be wrong.)
WaPo: Postal Service Changes include Slower Mail Delivery
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/07/14/postal-service-trump-dejoy-delay-mail/
Duppers
(28,134 posts)👍
Scurrilous
(38,687 posts)Cha
(298,139 posts)Tommymac
(7,263 posts)gldstwmn
(4,575 posts)done away with.
Captain Zero
(6,871 posts)Bring some of these vehicles to a dead stop. Arrest them for speeding and reckless driving. Find out who they are. Jail them until their trial.
burrowowl
(17,657 posts)yardwork
(61,821 posts)love_katz
(2,595 posts)Oregon's democratically elected officials have all spoken out about this. Governor Brown, City of Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, both of our Senators and a couple of our Representatives have spoken out loud and clear about this. They have told DHS, to keep their troops inside the federal court house, or send them home. They have stated that Oregon did not ask for the assistance of the feds, and that they believe that the presence of the federal troops and use of these unlawful tactics will inflame the tensions and ramp up the protests, which have been decreasing in intensity. The state ACLU is filing multiple law suits, and the federal government has been named in the suits. I am guessing that Twitler wants to start a war to pump up his falling poll numbers. Starting a war is the typical strategy by Repuke candidates in election years. This time, Twitler and his enablers want to start the war on American soil and against American citizens.
love_katz
(2,595 posts)If you want to help in this fight, and if you can afford to donate without hurting yourself or family, please consider donating to the ACLU, any Oregon Democratic politician, any Democratic politician in any state, and any charities that raise funds for the legal costs of people caught up in these unlawful kidnappings by goons deployed by Twitler.
PatrickforO
(14,608 posts)we can't even SEE the line anymore.