I have been following the events in Portland, Ore., with trepidation and anger (“Trump says US agents may head to more cities,” Page A1, July 21).
The invasion of that city by agents of the Department of Homeland Security and other agencies, including reports of citizens being snatched off the street by unidentified agents, is the first toe in the water by a desperate and corrupt administration—a probe into whether a sizable number of Americans will support or acquiesce to an extraconstitutional paramilitary attack.
Donald Trump and his cronies are cowards and bullies. If confronted with a unified and resolved response, they will turn and run. However, if they are allowed to succeed in pushing their forces on Portland and other cities, and conclude that this will be accepted by the public, this tactic could be repeated anywhere citizens assemble to exercise their right to loudly and vociferously protest injustice and corruption.
The time to act is now. I call upon Mayor Walsh, Governor Baker, and our Legislature to immediately and jointly issue a strongly worded letter of support for their opposite numbers in Oregon and of condemnation of Trump and his acting Homeland Security secretary, Chad F. Wolf.
John Ballam
Wayland
Note from KBJ: Donald Trump is protecting innocent people from criminals, John. It's his responsibility as our duly elected president. You'd be singing a different tune if the rioters were in your neighborhood or in front of your business establishment.
