1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

In May, 1970, the Ohio National Guard was deployed to Kent State University in response to students’ peaceful anti-war protests. Guard troops, untrained in civilian policing procedures, shot 13 unarmed students, killing four. The judge presiding over the Guard members’ trial stated, “Such use of force is, and was, deplorable.” We now have armed National Guard units, untrained in civilian policing procedures, patrolling peaceful neighborhoods in Washington, D.C. How long before one of them shoots a peaceful, unarmed civilian? Washington D.C. is currently experiencing its lowest violent crime rate in 30 years. There is no national emergency warranting the presence of armed National Guard troops in our capital. This deployment is politically motivated rather than a response to a genuine national security threat. The Guard members being deployed in Washington also places unnecessary hardship on their families and employers. My wife and I urge you to send the deployed National Guard members back to their homes, where they are needed.