09Apr
Washington, DC – Common Defense is shocked and heartbroken by the shooting of two West Virginia National Guard members in Washington DC earlier today. Our thoughts are with these Guardsmen, their loved ones, and their fellow soldiers awaiting news tonight.
This tragedy also underscores the grave risks created when troops are deployed domestically for political purposes. Escalating the domestic militarization of our cities will only put more troops at risk. These citizen soldiers from West Virginia should never have been deployed to Washington, DC, and escalation of this political stunt only puts more servicemembers at unnecessary risk.
“Our hearts are breaking tonight as we wait for news about these two Guardsmen. As veterans who have served overseas, we have tried to sound the warning that this administration is trying to manufacture a war on American streets. We know who pays the price for these dangerous political stunts. These open-ended domestic deployments must stop so our National Guard members can return home to their families.” – Perry O’Brien Hill, Army Veteran and Common Defense Senior Campaigns Director
On this Thanksgiving, as families across America feel the absence of loved ones stationed far from home, it is unacceptable to see their service exploited for political agendas. We call on the administration to answer why these servicemembers were there at all and what safety protocols were in place — and to suspend all domestic Guard deployments until those answers are provided. Anything less needlessly endangers the lives of our troops and the communities they’re sworn to protect.
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Common Defense Civic Engagement (501c4) (CDCE) is a grassroots, veteran-led organization that was founded in 2016. We empower veterans to stand up for our communities against the rising tide of racism, hate, and violence, to organize against the entrenched powers that have rigged our economy, and to champion an equitable and representative democracy, where “liberty and justice” truly is for all. For too long, politicians from both political parties have attempted to use veterans as unwilling political props, and Common Defense serves as a home for veterans to organize and speak for themselves and support the candidates who truly share our values.