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I try not to tweet much about politics; y'all are here for the ancient history. But I have been, because I thought the moment demanded it, so I'm going to one more time. On Monday, the president used force and teargas to clear a lawful protest, in order to stage a photo op. 1/11
I want to let that sink in. The enormity of that. The President, who took an oath to defend the constitution, sent armed agents with tear gas, pepper-balls, and shields used like clubs, to disperse a peaceful, lawful protest, held on public property, before the curfew. 2/11
A man, a fellow citizen! was murdered by agents of the state (horribile dictu), and citizens went peaceably, lawfully to a public space to redress this awful grievance. And the steward of state power dispersed them with violence because they were politically inconvenient. 3/11
If it had happened in another country, we'd know what it meant, what the moment demanded. The 1st amendment protects "the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." It does not brook exception for photo-ops. 4/11
I have been, as you may imagine, reading quite a lot of Tolkien and he offers apt quotes for every occasion. "There is no curse in Elvish, Entish or the tongues of Men bad enough for such treachery." (TT, 105). The President subverted the very thing he promised to defend. 5/11
Treachery is the right word for such oath-breaking. The president further threatened, in his speech that same day, to use the United States military as an instrument against the states and citizen protest. This is, as Jefferson wrote, "every act which may define a Tyrant." 6/11
There has been no apology, no walk-back. This is a tea-in-the-harbor sort of moment. Fortunately we still have elections; we may yet save the tea. I study a Republic that fell. We have a chance to stop our own republic falling; we may not get another. Do not let it slip by.7/11
If it seems that this comes later than it should (and it does), it is because I wanted to be sure of the facts. I have a historian's caution by nature. But the facts are quite clear, notwithstanding wrangling over if it really was tear gas (it was: https://apnews.com/2aa7979e6fb88948895407f127e5e5b6?utm_source=Twitter&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_medium=AP&fbclid=IwAR14tFR_GIKg6SW_wtNz6XleeK8ds4DzHqt46x2rVFg35nqJtDovAfAJSms …) 8/11
Like I said, I try not to get too much into politics here. But, if I may indulge in more Treebeard-quoting, "I have been idle. I have let things slip. It must stop." Now is the time to think of action "for it is easier to shout stop! than to do it." (TT, 90-1) 9/11
For the non-Americans who are tired of hearing me moan over our republic, I am sorry; I am an American first and a historian second. You may, I hope, content yourselves that, as Lucretius says, "It is pleasant, when the winds trouble the waters on the sea... 10/11
...to gaze from the shore upon the troubles of another." (DRN, 3.1-3). For the Americans - this is the moment given to us. It is not the one we would have chosen. But I think we know what it demands from us. 11/11
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