Admiral James Stavridis (Ret.) writes:

We need to get our active duty military out of the line of fire of domestic politics and off the streets, and turn this mission over to the men and women trained for it.

I am old enough to remember the protests of 1968, the destructive energy that ripped through this nation in those days under the twin burdens of racism (and the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.) and the country’s enormous protests against the war in Vietnam. Our military became part of the politics of the time, and as a result was disrespected in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It has taken decades to rebuild the nation’s trust in our military, and to find our way to a time in which the military is the most trusted institution in the nation and the expression “thank you for your service” is regularly heard by every man and woman in uniform.

All of that is at risk. Our active duty military must remain above the fray of domestic politics, and the best way to do that is to keep that force focused on its rightful mission outside the United States. Our senior active duty military leaders must make that case forcefully and directly to national leadership, speaking truth to power in uncomfortable ways. They must do this at the risk of their career. I hope they will do so, and not allow the military to be dragged into the maelstrom that is ahead of us, and which will likely only accelerate between now and November. If they do not stand and deliver on this vital core value, I fear for the soul of our military and all of the attendant consequences. We cannot afford to have a future Lafayette Square end up looking like Tiananmen Square. [Continue reading…]