Islands of sanity in a sea of chaos and confusion
Federal judges and others in the legal profession upholding their oaths of office are the line, now, that stands between this administration and its hostile takeover of our democracy.
Among the tactics of chaos and confusion, federal courts are providing islands of sanity. This past week, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of the infamous “Dear Colleague” letter from the Department of Education, issued in February, that attacked educational institutions’ ability to address diversity, equity, and inclusion. The injunction was a result of lawsuits filed by the ACLU, teachers’ unions, and others on behalf of academic freedom, free speech, and institutional commitment to increasing access to higher education.
This is one of many injunctions and court orders against the administration’s more dreadful assaults on democracy and freedom; yet to be seen is whether the DOE will comply.
At almost the same moment, a judge in Wisconsin was arrested by the FBI for allegedly interfering with the arrest of a man being arraigned in her court; she allowed him to exit a different door than typically used. He was on ICE’s list to be arrested, and they were in the hallway that door led to. He outran them temporarily. And for this, the judge is under arrest, and the Attorney General is bragging about bringing the judicial branch to heel.
This is no accident. This administration wants everyone to be terrified that we will be next, if we do not comply. The more it loses in courts across the country, the more vicious its attacks on the judiciary will become. We send gratitude and requests for protection to all in the legal profession who hold their ground against such threats. They are the line, now, that stands between this administration and its hostile takeover of our democracy.
Law enforcement officials need to do the same. I wonder: which FBI agents complied with that order to arrest a judge? And why - what were they told, what did they believe? Which ICE agents deported a two-year old U.S. citizen while her father frantically tried to stop them? How do they steel themselves for the process of arresting and deporting children? What are they told, and what do they believe, that allows them to take part in such blatantly unconstitutional actions?
At its core, the strategy is dependent on dehumanization. This is not a human being who earned the role of judge: this is a protector of “illegals.” This is not an innocent child; this is just one of those same “illegals.” Whether people who have immigrated here, teachers who try to protect minoritized and oppressed students (and colleagues), trans people, or whomever else this administration tries to dehumanize, the intention is always the same: create a common enemy, suspend the rule of law in order to deal with that enemy; while the rule of law is suspended, steal what they can.
Our strategy must be the exact opposite: humanize everyone. No exceptions. Humanize even the members of this administration who engage in these despicable acts. For once we cede the notion that some humans are more human than others, we lose the bigger battle.
Stay well, stay safe, and stay engaged. Your humanity has never been more valuable or more needed.
Sources are below the photo.
https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/federal-court-grants-preliminary-injunction-against-department-of-educations-unlawful-directive#:
