Trump's assault on freedom

Along with the government shutdown, Trump is shutting down freedom in America.

If you think that’s hyperbole, read his “National Security Presidential Memorandum Number 7,” issued on September 25.

Trump didn’t write it, of course. He probably can’t even read it. It’s likely the product of Dr. Evil, his aide Stephen Miller (photo).

It unleashes the full investigative and prosecutorial power of the federal government – including ICE, the IRS, the Justice Department, Homeland Security and something called the “National Joint Terrorism Task Force and its local offices (collectively, ‘JTTFs’)” – against a frighteningly broad range of Americans’ activities and opinions.

The order purports to target “violent and terroristic activities under the umbrella of self-described ‘anti-fascism’.”

It defines the “common threads animating this violent conduct” as: “anti-Americanism, anti-capitalism, and anti-Christianity; support for the overthrow of the United States Government; extremism on migration, race, and gender; and hostility towards those who hold traditional American views on family, religion, and morality.”

In other words, this national-police force can and will “investigate, prosecute, and disrupt entities and individuals” based on what they do or say about Americanism, capitalism, Christianity, migration, race, gender, family, religion, and morality.

“Support for the overthrow of the United States Government” no doubt means “opposing Trump.”

Our nation was founded on the Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights.

This is a Writ of Repression.

Through our nearly 250-year history, we’ve gone through periods of repression: Slave Power before the Civil War, corporate power in the 1890s, the Red Scare in the 1920s, McCarthyism in the 1950s and crackdowns on civil-rights and antiwar protests in the 1960s.

Every time – even though it took time – Americans stood up. Freedom prevailed.

This is our time.

PBS photo.