(07-19-2020, 06:04 AM)GethN7 Wrote: From what I understand, the guys doing the detaining in Portland have been identified recently, specifically as affiliated with the Department of Homeland Security, acting under what, according to my read of the law suggests, proper authority as determined by their federal charter.
Now, I want to go on record saying I'm a strong law and order type, but I also do admit it's concerning it's come to the fact organizations such as DHS are resorting to this. At the same time, I'd like to gently remind even the strongest anti-federal type it has long been a bulwark of US law that federal property and it's defense has always trumped state authority, a position Lincoln made clear in the American Civil War and which has stuck ever since.
While I support peaceable protest, attacks on federal property and/or it's employees can and will be met with by federal force. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.
And I'd also like to remind people the authority to allow the DHS to act like this has long since legally passed the test of the Supreme Court thanks to a little thing called the PATRIOT Act, which I personally don't like, but has been defended thus far on legal grounds.
So while I utterly sympathize with those who consider this federal overreach, and even I'm disturbed it's come to this despite my own admitted biases, it is, however distasteful, legally enforcable. And said authority does trump the state so long as their DHS officials adhere towards detaining those who acted with destruction or harm to federal property and/or it's employees.
So, the response to graffiti and protests against police brutality is to grab people off the street at random in unmarked rental vans, intimidate them, then when they ask for a lawyer, release them onto the street without charge. It's to fire on protesters with 'less-lethal' ammunition that leaves victims crippled for life. Even if that bullshit is legal, and I have serious doubts about that, it's morally cowardly and disgusting, and a shining example yet again what your country has become. Video evidence keeps piling up. It's not the protesters that escalate to violence. It's the authorities, the heavily armed thugs in riot gear backed up by military vehicles, that are starting the violence and then blatantly lying about it, no matter how much evidence there is against them. They murder people on camera, and nothing is done. Your police, your border patrol, your goddamn prison officers, are being sent out to wage war on your own citizens, and you go 'oh well, it's legal for them to do that, so if you wanna protest, well, play stupid games win stupid prizes.'