We have a responsibility to speak for those who can’t speak for themselves. Ironically, even those perceived as the strongest among us need our voice: our service members.
The simple truth is that almost every order must be obeyed without public comment. So, even if service members strongly object to a policy, they cannot use their own voices to speak out publicly.
So, when National Guard members or Marines see they are being deployed to an American city like Los Angeles or Washington, D.C., for political theatre on some trumped-up excuse meant to provoke or intimidate, they gather their gear, say goodbye to their family, and they go. They say nothing.
Everything they are called to do requires sacrifice. It may mean time away from family or time away from their civilian jobs. The current foreign policies built on coercion and bullying may require even greater sacrifice.
But if they get orders, regardless of their personal opinions, they will gather their gear, kiss their family goodbye, and go. They will say nothing.
I left my job as a civilian Navy Engineer to speak out against what I saw happening in Washington. Military policy decisions always come down to local issues. The service members who are required to follow the orders given in our name are our friends, our families, and our neighbors.
It is important to distinguish between speaking out against policy rather than against the service members. For example, not long after I announced my campaign, I called Camp Atterbury about a controversial policy to use the base as an ICE detention center. I told them: “I’m Brad Meyer, I am running for Congress, and I’m planning a protest near your base.” The guard member on the other end said, “That is your constitutional right,” and helped me find the right office. That professionalism and the respect they showed for our rights as citizens is why I made it clear: the protest was against the policy, not against the National Guard.
When I am elected to Congress, I will gather my gear, kiss my family, and go. But when I get there, I will have a great deal to say. Our service members are the shield and the spear of this democracy. We owe it to them and their families, who share in their sacrifice, to ensure the orders given in our name align with our values and national interests.
We must speak out when we do not agree, because they can’t.
To learn more about Brad Meyer’s Campaign, visit BradMeyer.org.
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