NEVER THOUGHT MY EYES WOULD SEE…..

Live long enough, you will see it all.

I never expected to see what I did yesterday. Federal law enforcement agents riding horses into a crowd of peaceful protesters. The federal agents actually U.S. Park Rangers.

As they forceably pushed back peaceful U.S. citizens, the federal agents sprayed the peaceful group before them with flash grenades, rubber bullets, and tear gas.

They came suddenly and without warning.

The protesters ran before the oncoming horsemen in an effort to avoid them.

Reminded me of a similar scene early in Zhivago. The affluent were partying/dancing. Wintertime. Protesters at one end of the street. Not yet revolutionaries. The revolution had not yet started.

The Czar’s soldiers on horseback at the other end of the street, swords drawn. They ran down the protesters leaving bloodied bodies on the street.

Fortunately, it did not get that far yesterday. No one killed.

Trump had ordered the scenario to take place. He wanted to walk down the White House driveway, through Lafayette Square, to St. John’s Episcopal Church. The Church of the Presidents. The Church that some arsonist set fire to the day before. Fortunately, confined only to the basement area.

The Church windows were boarded. Trump stood in front holding up a Bible. Upside down, by the way.

Horses running down U.S. citizens and using flash grenades, etc., so Trump could have a photo shoot! Horrible! The photos probably to suck up to his Episcopal base.

The two clerics who pastor St. John’s were interviewed afterwards. Neither had anything good to say about what Trump had done. It did not make sense to them.

Earlier in the day, Trump had a telephone conference with certain governors. Governors of states where protesting had been ongoing for several days.

Trump in effect was suggesting the governors were weak. They lacked the fortitude to stand up to the protesters.

Trump was upset that the governors were permitting the protesters to “dominate the streets.” He said they should “increase the use of national guard units…..increase law enforcement….send in the national guard!”

Some governors later reported the President was shouting. “Ranting” a term used. Some described Trump as “losing it.”

Finally he warned the governors that if they did not take care of the protester problem, he would.

Some bully! I have often thought what would happen if Trump were forced to face someone he disagreed with face to face. He would crumble!

In order for Trump to send troops into states, he would have to invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807. Used by Presidents infrequently. The last time 1992 when California’s national guard was federalized following the Rodney King trial. It was also relied upon by Eisenhower to enforce a Supreme Court anti-segregation decision in Little Rock in the 1950’s.

The Insurrection Act requires a governor to call upon the President to send in federal troops. Sort of limits Trump’s ability in the present situation.

There are exceptions. Rarely come into play. One exception is where civil rights are being violated. I do not believe it would apply where protester rights are being violated. It would be Trump and the federal government violating protester rights.

Trump does what Trump wants. Whether legal or otherwise, should Trump send federalized troops into certain cites and states, the people would not stand for it. A people can only be abused so long. They would react against Trump.

Revolution possible. The protesters knocking down the gates, overcoming those guarding the White House, breaking into the White House, and confronting Trump in the Oval Office. Then what?

Trump’s comments in the Rose Garden yesterday afternoon added fuel to the fire. Trump threatening the mobilization of “thousands and thousands of heavily armed soldiers.” To quell “lawlessness across the country.”

Some described Trump’s comments as describing an “ambush.”

Several times last night I was impressed to see police officers join for a few moments with the protesters. Hugging each other, kneeling, etc. A sign that not all enforcement peoples are with Trump. Last night’s embracing could grow in a short time.

Which brings me to what actually would happen were Trump to send federal troops out against the protesters. Would Americans shoot other Americans? I doubt it. Every person draws the line somewhere. In this instance, I believe the troops would. They might even join forces with the protesters.

Floyd’s family had a private autopsy performed. The private autopsy was more specific than the governmental one. No saying this and that were also found.

The autopsy report concluded the death a “homicide caused by asphyxia” due to “neck and back compression by public officers that led to a lack of blood flow to the brain” and “determined that asphyxiation from sustained pressure was the cause of death.” The 2 officers kneeling on the victim’s back “causing his lungs to compress impeded his ability to breathe.”

Social media continues to be called to task. Twitter said it would fact find Trump’s tweets from now on. Twitter has not really done so thus far.

Facebook is dancing. Zuckenberg is protecting his company from imposition of federal laws and rules that Trump might be able to impose. Such would work to the detriment of Facebook’s profit and loss statement.

Everyone has problems one time or another! It is Twitter and Facebook’s time.

The media is doing one hell of a job. A dangerous one. With one exception.

The protesters as a whole have been peaceful. A very small handful are stealing in the evening. The media spends a half hour to an hour watching the police chasing down anywhere from 1 to 6 of the thieves.

They are not the news! The news are the protesters themselves. The issues raised by them is why this whole mess is ongoing.

In many instances, it is true the police cannot be trusted. Take Louisville for example. The police were working the protest there and never turned their body cameras on. The Chief ordered them to do so. They still did not.

The Chief has been suspended. Do not know what the police officers are going to do.

Key West’s protest took place last night. A success. Hundreds in attendance. Speeches at the park in Bahama Village. Then the group moved to Duval to spread their message.

Key West slowly reopened yesterday. Too soon to tell what effect the close down will have had. How vibrant will the reopening be?

Last night not too many persons. The weekend will tell the story.

A comment in this morning’s Citizens’ Voice: “Fantasy Fest is the best idea of all if we want to wipe out the Keys entirely.”

I for one am opposed to holding Fantasy Fest this year. Sixty to eighty thousand people the night of the parade!

The virus will still be with us in the Fall.

I wear a monitor around my neck. If I fall and can’t get up, think I’ve had a heart attack, etc., I press the button on the monitor and very shortly I will first receive a call to see what happened. In the event I do not answer, the Fire Department’s emergency team arrives.

Five to 10 minutes for all this to happen.

A portion of it occurred yesterday.

I do not wear the monitor in the shower. Was going to take a shower. Threw the monitor on the bed. Very sensitive.

When I came out of the shower, I heard someone shouting Louis, Louis!

It was the emergency people.

Hope I never really need the monitor. However, I have been wearing it for a year and feel confident I will receive immediate attention should I.

Might save my life.

It’s tuesday again. My blog talk radio show tonight. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Nine my time.

Oh, so much to talk about. I will be ranting and raving big time. Trump will have nothing on me in this regard.

Join me for a quick and interesting half hour. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

9 comments on “NEVER THOUGHT MY EYES WOULD SEE…..

  1. Louis, Please wear your “emergency monitor” in the shower. The shower/bathroom is your worst enemy when prone to falls. I know yours have mostly occurred on steps and/or while stepping up or down, but the bathroom is a very dangerous place for seniors. My father spent over a week in the hospital after he fell in the bathroom and hit his head. He was lucky. Take care of yourself and be mindful wherever you are and whatever you do. That monitor could very definitely save your life!

  2. I was glad to see Lou’s comment that “The protesters as a whole have been peaceful. A very small handful are stealing in the evening.” I’m afraid that I was getting the wrong impression by reports of looting, property damage, vandalism and arson in the cities of Minneapolis, Philadelphia, NYC, Boston, Houston, Dallas, Los Angeles Denver, Columbia, S.C., Fayetteville, Miami and more. The media was reporting that 4 police officers had been shot, dozens of police cars destroyed, High-end jewelry and department stores looted, Churches have been vandalized. Businesses were burned to the ground, as was a high-rise apartment building. It was also reported that more than half of the states have activated their National Guard. That “very small handful” of naughty protesters have certainly caused quite a stir!

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