1. United States
2. S.D.
3. Letter

I am a veteran of the United States Navy who served with honor. I was a cryptographer serving to protect both national and worldwide interests of democracy over totalitarianism, whether it be far-right or far-left wing totalitarianism. My military experience educated me on the legality of troops working in the US, which suggests that it should only happen if 1. A state governor requests assistance, or 2. If a president invokes the insurrection act. Neither of these conditions have been met in California, so why are National Guard and Marine Corps being deployed in violation of the Governor's wishes? I have heard Republicans talk about state's rights all my life. I heard former SD Governor say that if Biden were to federalized SD National Guard and direct its activities without her permission, "we'd have a war on our hands." Never mind how dangerous violent rhetoric coming from a state governor is, it's also the deepest form of hypocrisy for her and other GOP leaders to now pretend that those states' rights don't apply to California's. When asked what crime Gov. Newsome might have committed, Trump replied, "he ran for governor." When asked Newsome should be arrested and charged for something, House Speaker Johnson replied, "I don't know about that - it's s not my lane - but he should be tarred and feathered." The Speaker of the House of the United States believes that an elected governor should be subjected to painful, humiliating, extrajudicial, vigilante bodily harm, without arrest, trial, or any other type of constitutionally mandated due process. I think you know, deep in your heart that if Obama, Biden, Pelosi, or any other member of the party you apparently hold to be your actual enemy had said anything like this, you would be outraged... and rightfully so. You claim to be Christians. Okay. Maybe you are. But don't think you actually believe that what is currently happening is Christianly. I don't think you believe that Jesus would be okay with any of this. If you love American the way you claim to, then you dammed well better speak up and oppose the misuse of power, the mistreatment of citizens, the likely illegal use of US troops against the wishes of a state government without insurrection act, and the many other abuses occurring right now, in your name, by your party. Stop this now.