The Guardsman and cops involved in harassing this journalist need a thorough skull-thumping. This First Amendment thingy is a part of the Constitution that military members swear to support and defend. As a Marine, I have nothing but contempt for those who use this situation as an excuse to batter private citizens and piss on the Bill of Rights. There is a reason that Posse Comitatus became law in the first place, to prevent the domestic abuse of American citizens by the military. We need to get the Guard out of the airports quickly, they clearly can’t distinguish between American citizens and combatants. During my time in the USMC, no officer I knew, including the BGen, MajGen & LtGen’s I worked with thought that use of American military on American soil was proper. They all knew, what this Guardsman apparently does not, that we are supposed to fight the enemy, not the Bill of Rights and our fellow Americans.
(off soapbox now, but still pissed)
Sincerely,
James Landrith
Sgt USMC
89 – 95