By Edward Orton

Special to The Seattle Times

Washington residents are facing the increasing likelihood that the Trump administration will dispatch National Guard and masked federal police units to the streets of our state.

Our elected officials should create a coalition of law enforcement, veterans and citizens organizations to manage these disruptive, unlawful deployments. learned from the recent unrest in Los Angeles that the police alone will not be able to quell civic disorder arising from these deployments.

I propose we utilize veteran and citizen groups in conjunction with our outstanding local law enforcement to confront federal police and National Guard units, as well as to deter unlawful behavior by private citizens. Readily identifiable peaceful veterans and citizens acting in concert with local law enforcement may be our best line of defense in the coming struggles.

The president’s unchecked authoritarian overtures continue the further degradation of our democracy. It is clear that the judicial and legislative branches of the federal government are now pawns for the administration to maneuver in their efforts to neutralize elected officials and unlawfully abridge the constitutional rights of people and the states.

The Republican Congress recently approved a $170 billion appropriation allowing the Department of Homeland Security to massively increase personnel and resources for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection agencies. It is imperative that we, the people,be prepared to confront the agents of this authoritarian administration on our streets and, as necessary, defuse civilian unrest.

The recent deployment of National Guard soldiers to Washington, D.C., from five red states (Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, West Virginia and South Carolina) at the request of the Trump administration introduced poorly trained troops lacking ties to D.C. and increased the likelihood they will obey orders regardless of their legality. Almost without doubt, we will see troops deployed to Seattle in the near future. National Guard units from Texas, Florida, Georgia or other states may suddenly appear on our streets to suppress a fabricated emergency (or perhaps a real election).

I am a U.S. military veteran. I now realize that I must step forward and serve the country again. This is a sentiment shared by many of my fellow veterans who despair at the potential for a complete authoritarian takeover of our country. While strictly unconstitutional, the use of U.S. military forces to enforce the current administration’s policies must also be anticipated. I believe the members of the U.S. armed forces, each of whom swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution, will stand with the people and reject the president’s orders for illegal, treasonous deeds. Veterans and active-duty military have often shared life-altering experiences. We are brothers and sisters in or out of uniform.

Edward Orton: is a U.S. Navy veteran, a graduate of the University of Washington and a member of Common Defense, a progressive veterans organization. He lives in Seattle.

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