As the Trump regime works to impose itself in our daily lives, it is sometimes suggested that one action or another might be designed to provoke us in some way, so the government has an excuse to escalate even further. I recently heard this said again about ICE patrols storming American cities.
The images of masked enforcers grabbing people off our streets are disturbing and it is no wonder people worry about what will come next and how to respond. At the same time, we celebrate moments when Americans stand up for their rights and make it clear we will not go quietly. We have seen it here in Washington, where restaurants successfully demanded warrants and stopped ICE agents at the door, and in places like Worcester, Massachusetts, where a crowd formed to contest an arrest and forced the city to assert its boundaries.
Understandably, these dramatic scenes have raised the question again, are we being provoked?
The problem with this question is it implies that, if we are being provoked, it might be best not to respond; that doing something will only make things worse. But these are not normal times and we must also be careful of finding excuses for inaction. We are being provoked, and provocation unanswered is tyranny.
Is there an option not to be provoked? The administration has made it clear they will seize more and more power until they are stopped. Donald Trump said he wants to send “homegrown” American citizens to the same gulag. Border czar Tom Homan and others regularly threaten to arrest the politicians and judges who demand they follow the law. Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller claims they could suspend habeas corpus, the right to appear before a court—if, he says, the courts do not obey in advance.
In other words, the government intends to abuse its power—if, we let them. Taking power can be difficult and costly, so the regime would prefer we simply hand it over. They know the law is not on their side, and they know the harder it is to take power, the less they will get. It’s why they constantly test the waters, searching for weakness and hoping to wear us down. And it’s why we must constantly show up to defend our rights.
When we are provoked by a lawless administration, and we will be provoked daily, we must stand tall and make ourselves heard. There is no other choice.
Are We Being Provoked?
As the Trump regime works to impose itself in our daily lives, it is sometimes suggested that one action or another might be designed to provoke us in some way, so the government has an excuse to escalate even further. I recently heard this said again about ICE patrols storming American cities.
The images of masked enforcers grabbing people off our streets are disturbing and it is no wonder people worry about what will come next and how to respond. At the same time, we celebrate moments when Americans stand up for their rights and make it clear we will not go quietly. We have seen it here in Washington, where restaurants successfully demanded warrants and stopped ICE agents at the door, and in places like Worcester, Massachusetts, where a crowd formed to contest an arrest and forced the city to assert its boundaries.
Understandably, these dramatic scenes have raised the question again, are we being provoked?
The problem with this question is it implies that, if we are being provoked, it might be best not to respond; that doing something will only make things worse. But these are not normal times and we must also be careful of finding excuses for inaction. We are being provoked, and provocation unanswered is tyranny.
When masked goons flood American cities and snatch people off the street, we are being provoked.
When students are sent to detention camps over things they have written, for their thoughts on foreign countries no less, we are being provoked.
When a man is taken from his family and illegally sent to a gulag in El Salvador, when the White House admits it did so by mistake and denied him his right to due process—your right to due process—and when they defy a unanimous Supreme Court ruling to bring him back, yes, we are being provoked.
Is there an option not to be provoked? The administration has made it clear they will seize more and more power until they are stopped. Donald Trump said he wants to send “homegrown” American citizens to the same gulag. Border czar Tom Homan and others regularly threaten to arrest the politicians and judges who demand they follow the law. Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller claims they could suspend habeas corpus, the right to appear before a court—if, he says, the courts do not obey in advance.
In other words, the government intends to abuse its power—if, we let them. Taking power can be difficult and costly, so the regime would prefer we simply hand it over. They know the law is not on their side, and they know the harder it is to take power, the less they will get. It’s why they constantly test the waters, searching for weakness and hoping to wear us down. And it’s why we must constantly show up to defend our rights.
When we are provoked by a lawless administration, and we will be provoked daily, we must stand tall and make ourselves heard. There is no other choice.