To the Editor,
During his Sunday town hall, Congressman Lawler, in response to a question about the president’s sending the National Guard to Los Angeles, asked those attending, “How many of you, by show of hands, would like the protesters to spit in the face of ICE agents? How many of you are OK with them throwing rocks at the cars? How many of you are OK with them barricading law enforcement and trying to block them from doing their job?”
Much like the news media, who replay the same two disturbing images over and over, Congressman Lawler didn’t pose these questions to enhance a rational discussion. He asked them to provoke an emotional reaction.
Yes, there were isolated incidents of vandalism and violence, but the state and local law enforcement were handling the situation. The LA police and the county sheriffs arrested people, who broke laws. The governor of California and the mayor of LA did not ask for — nor did they need — federal assistance.
Yet, Trump decides to intervene anyway, which in effect creates the conditions to provoke violent confrontations. The people in these LA communities are essentially living in occupied territory. ICE, National Guard, and now the Marines. How unsafe they must feel! One has to consider Trump’s possible motives. Does it give him an opportunity to continue propagandizing by using inflammatory rhetoric such as “rebellion” and “insurrection”, when he describes protests that are primarily peaceful? Is he creating this crisis to deflect from his taking health insurance away from millions of people and food assistance away from millions more?
But Congressman Lawler is fine with the president’s abuses of power. Given that the president’s order includes deploying the military to areas where protests are “likely to occur,” I wonder if the congressman will still support the president when he sends the troops to our communities here in Westchester, Rockland, and Putnam.
Thank you for your consideration.
Wendy Holtzman
Peekskill
