The Black (Brown) Shirts are Coming!

Mussolini with Black Shirts

History provides a unique lens through which to view current events. It appears that the reborn Black Shirts or Brown Shirts may be coming to a major city near me! Baltimore is on the list.

Brown Shirts

The reference to the Black Shirts and the Brown Shirts refers to two early 20th Century dictators who had special forces to do their dirty work. Mussolini had the Black Shirts and Hitler had the Brown Shirts. Click on the links for additional information.

Portland is, and other cities are, threatened by the deployment of national "policing" forces that are apparently very scary and reminiscent as reincarnated versions of these World War 2 "law and order" enforcement organizations. 

Trump Threatens to Send Federal Law Enforcement Forces to More Cities

The historic parallels are frightening. According to the article cited above, and there are many more articles that could be referenced, these forces are being deployed to a specific subset of cities that are not affiliated with the political party of the President. This action is creating yet another Constitutional crisis for the current administration. And the president is marketing his peculiar brand of law and order as an election issue. 

Another article has a more ominous headline:


Rep. Clyburn: Trump, Barr Imposing 'Gestapo Activities' With Fed Officers

Clyburn states, "For all of a sudden for these people to go in there, nothing from the governor, from local law enforcement, show up with their faces covered in unmarked cars ... this is the beginning of the ending of this democracy," said Clyburn. "That kind of activity is the activity of a police state."

He added that he has been warning about such actions for a long time, and he believes the November election is "all about the preservation of the greatest democracy that this country has ever known." 

The videos of these forces beating a U.S. Navy veteran who did not resist but stood and accepted their abuse and in another case shooting at a naked woman suggest that establishing law and order is not what these police-like forces are about. 

“The videos of masked, anonymous government officers attacking American citizens who pose no threat is shocking to watch. Federal agents with no badge are kidnapping civilians into unmarked vans. How is this America?” said Lincoln Project co-founder Reed Galen. He continued, “All Americans must be vigilant.”

My concern is that too many Americans believe it is acceptable as long as it is happening in a city not near them.

When did this become acceptable in America? 


-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD