The thing that disturbs me most about DC isn't the military pageantry or even the bursts of federal violence. It's the emptiness. The strange, dead silence.
People should not be afraid to come to America's capital, see the sights, and have dinner afterwards They didn't used to be. They are now.
Dispatches from the Occupied Zone
Friend going to DC next week with her naturalized Guatemalan husband. They are reconsidering his safety
Everything Trump touches dies.
Enjoy the quiet. You may yearn for it soon.
We're seeing similar fear-based changes to behavior where I live. Namely, people speaking English instead of Spanish out in public. It used to be common to hear Spanish around my apartment complex, around town. But over the past few months, English is about the only language I hear.
Your writing is lyrical, and I'm grateful for your exploration of the scene in DC.
That’s the whole point. Duh.
I thought Trump said the restaurants were so packed you couldn’t get a reservation. Don’t tell me he is lying to us?!
I think our economy will have to tank and it will have to seriously affect maga before some of them wake up.
Trump's "birthday" parade produced the same effect. It really is psyche 101: Invited to a picnic by the Dalai Lama vs. the scary neighbor named Jerry who you never see, who's lawn is never mowed & you're certain you never want to go to a shindig with. Hmmm...what experience do most people want?
This is the winning Trump promised his base before he was elected the first time. Ceaseless domestic war against every thing they were trained to fear.
Knew I should have taken my son there while Biden was in office. The party in power has made it as empty as their souls.
They said it was too scary to go outside in DC and they made their lies true
Excellent read. Thanks for your viewpoint.
🤣🤣 Trump just told Black people we don’t want you there. So we don’t go . Y’all enjoy it though
I’ve definitely had second thoughts about bringing my kids into DC that never existed pre-occupation.
Silence in a big city like DC is frightening in and of itself. The fact that the trump regime is lying about that is even more scarey. And yes, given a choice between trump's narrative and that of people on the ground, I believe the eye witnesses.
Yeah.
This is where we are now: cmarmitage.substack.com/p/i-research...
We're going to have to come to terms with it FAST.
Once they win elections, it's already too late.
Those victims of the last rollout of Federal force are the most rabid Trumpers.
Those cheering when it was ranchers being oppressed and killed by Federal agents are crying for urban victims.
Government must be more or far less than "punish our enemies" - Obama and "I am your retribution" - Trumpy.
That is quite something, Laura. Kudos.
You can't separate the two though. People are fearful because of the military pargetry and federal violence. End the occupation and start to put real limits on ICE and people will come back. I live with my immigrant spouse and I worry every time they go to DC. We won't go in if we don't have to.
Amazing essay. A must read. TYSM for your reporting.
He kills everything he touches
A friend decided not to visit chicago (his favorite city) in September because of the impending military take-over.
It’s a place we will no longer go.
It also makes me wonder if people could protest en masse there now, should they choose to.
Need young people, organize mass protests that will shut down cities using all their social media together. The people have the power to run tyranny out of this country but need the Pride in America to take a large loud stand. You're running out of time America.Better get it together!Use your talent
This is a brilliant, powerful, heartbreaking piece of writing.
I’m going there next month and I’m itching to scream at them as loud as my 71 year old voice can scream!
It's unsettling, for one thing.
Today
And it’ll be kept a militarized zone as long as he’s in office.
My mother desperately doesn’t want me to go to a doc referral appointment in the city. I’m probably going to find someone else, for all our ease.
Makes me wonder what services outside of tourism will take a deep hit. (As if medical providers aren’t already taking hits in other ways.)
There is a basic response to this. Sadly it has being a systematically implementation of entitlement, psychopathy and assholery in US. You can feel it when you go to the stadium to watch some NFL, UFC, WWE events…are right there …all over!!…so many people without PRINCIPLES nor EMPATHY
Im terrified. I love dc dearly! But I did not visit during the first occupation and I will not visit during this one either. I’m too sad.
Yes, and international tourism is way down because of all the anti-immigrant terror.
FAQ on Refusing Illegal Orders Military Law Task Force nlgmltf.org/military-law...
Changes include sexual assault reform, repeal of sodomy ban, numerous other important updates to UCMJ, court-martial procedure. This article first appeared in the March 2014 issue of On Watch, MLTF’s ...
Like a mini version of the usa. This is how other countries see us..how we see dc. My in-laws (canadians) were afraid to come visit even though we had their first (and likely only) grandchild
