Restore civilian control over protest response

The deployment of federal troops against the wishes of state and local authorities to police civilian protesters exercising their constitutional rights is a dangerous overreach of presidential power. It undermines foundational democratic principles by inappropriately involving the military in domestic law enforcement, escalating tensions and jeopardizing public safety. Federal troops lack the specialized training to handle civilian crowd control situations, increasing risks of harm and deadly consequences. This extreme action bypasses checks on executive authority reserved for genuine emergencies involving armed rebellion or threats to federal enforcement when civil agencies are unable to function. Neither circumstance applies here. The President's broad invocation establishes a disturbing precedent for suppressing lawful protest anywhere, anytime with military force. Unilateral militarization to stifle dissent over controversial policies degrades constitutional protections and distances America from democratic ideals of freedom of speech and assembly. This deployment must not be normalized or expanded. Steps must be taken to rein in this abuse of power and restore proper civilian control over domestic crisis response within the bounds of the law.