Not #TrumpRiots or #BidenRiots. They're #StatesRiots; They Belong To The Governors

 

#Trump? #Biden? No, neither. Our Governors are to blame. Restoring order just isn't in their interest. They'd rather keep you afraid.

Portland, Minneapolis, Kenosha, Seattle, Scottsdale, Chicago, Indianapolis, Austin, Washington D.C. These once great American cities have become synonymous with looting, burning and rioting in 2020. Joe Biden and Vox (and many other outlets) would have you believe that President Trump is to blame, meanwhile President Trump and many on the right would have you remember Joe Biden and Kamala Harris for emboldening rioters by actually paying their bail and promising not to call out the National Guard.

Each side has their talking points, but to put it bluntly: Trump is no more responsible than Biden for this particular sh*t show. If you're looking for someone to blame, the owners of this mess are extremely clear: The Governors who've allowed this tragic escalation of violence to continue. Not out of concern for the "peaceful protesters" mind you, but for the far more cynical causes of cowardice and political expediency.

Let's take the Governor of Oregon for example:

Kate Brown, Governor of Oregon.

Few political feuds have the length and depth of that between Governor Kate Brown and President Donald Trump some 120 days and counting.

“For the last several years, and escalating in recent months, President Trump has encouraged division and stoked violence. It happened in Charlottesville. It happened in Kenosha. And now, unfortunately, it is happening in Portland, Oregon,” she said. “But despite the President’s jeers and tweets, this is a matter of life and death,”- gov. 

At every turn, despite her attempts to place President Trump's twitter account in the crosshairs, Governor Brown is the only figure with the uncontested power to bring the riots in Oregon to a swift, decisive and far less costly (in lives and dollars) conclusion. As Governor, she has exclusive command of Oregon's State Police and National Guard, and should she find herself unable to bring the situation under control: she and only she can request the President of the United States use the federal military to restore order. It is not the she is unable, the trouble is that she appears unwilling.

 "Section 9. Governor as commander in chief of state military forces. The Governor shall be commander in cheif [sic] of the military, and naval forces of this State, and may call out such forces to execute the laws, to suppress insurection [sic], or to repel invasion. Section 10. Governor to see laws executed. He shall take care that the Laws be faithfully execute" -The Constitution of the State of Oregon

The situation is Oregon is replicated across Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and on a smaller scale in cities like Austin and Washington D.C. All have Governors (or Mayors, some both) who due to their political self interests and the interests of the national figures whom they wish to curry favor from have abdicated their sworn duties to their constituents and constitutions. These failures to act represent not only an impeachable offense for each official (Governor Brown only just survived a recall attempt, likely to be the first of many), but these failures and the resulting damage and deaths may rise above the protections of qualified immunity and constitute Criminal Negligence. 

 Enough political grandstanding by our Presidential candidates, enough evasion by our State officials! They need defer to no-one but their constituents! 

Any conservative, libertarian or constitutionalist worth his or her salt knows, lives & breathes the Tenth Amendment and should know: it's not only about States' Rights, but States' responsibilities! Our States and our Governors are responsible for domestic security first and foremost, the federal government is only, ONLY empowered to act when the States' means are overcome. However, when the State governments REFUSE to act, then it falls to us, to the citizens to act. INITIATIVE, REFERENDUM, RECALL, SUE & VOTE. 

It may be that President Trump and the federal Government are compelled to act against the will of the Governors to protect American citizens under the Insurrection Act of 1807, but this should always be the last resort, this isn't what anyone should want.

"A government big enough to give you everything you want, is a government big enough to take away everything that you have." Senator Barry Goldwater, 1964