On December 13, 1636, reacting to threats to its survival, the Massachusetts Bay Colony General Court of Salem issued an edict ordering all able-bodied men between 16 and 60 to serve and protect their communities.  The three original regiments authorized on that day were the ancestors of today's National Guard.

Once again, we must tap the National Guard's reservoir of bravery, selfless service, and professionalism to protect everything we hold dear.

The threats are like those our brave Puritan ancestors faced four centuries ago, both internal and external.  Both dangers are real.  Both threats are serious.

The internal strike was against once-proud cities.  Rundown after decades of neglect from "liberal" politicians, they have been overrun with rioters.  Some so-called "progressive" social justice protesters are calling for "reparations," abetted by vote-hungry politicians eager to "defund" our police.  Egged on by the corrupt left-leaning media, these opportunists take advantage of under-funded and weary police to loot, destroy, and even kill in the name of "social justice."

The second assault — and likely a graver one — is external.  An army is on the march against the U.S.  What else can you call an organized group of 50,000 or more migrants looking to violate the sovereignty of another nation through illegal acts and violence?  What if there were an army marching north through Mexico, laughing off the feeble, half-hearted actions of the local authorities attempting to stop them before they reach our border?  Yet, even without this mass of humanity threatening to overwhelm us, this year has seen the largest spike of illegal entry into the United States in 25 years.

An external invasion of this magnitude is something we haven't seen in a generation.  Couple this with the threat of violent, destructive insurrection in cities like Portland, Seattle, and Minneapolis, and we have more than just a hot mess.  Add to this the rampant rash of inner-city murders in Chicago and other Democrat-run enclaves, and it's clear we are in perilous times, requiring extraordinary solutions.

One such solution is for the governors in affected states and cities to deploy our guardians of state security, the National Guard, both Air Force and Army.  Even if authorities shy away from utilizing them directly against protesters or invading migrants, the Guard's specialized skills, training, equipment, and infrastructure can free up resources so our thinly stretched police and ICE agents can better do their jobs.

Despite what the "progressive" mainstream media would have you believe, there is ample precedent for military assistance during times of national strife and emergency.  After 9/11, the National Guard was deployed at airports, shipping terminals, monuments, and other possible targets.  For decades, in Texas, New Mexico, California, and Arizona, when illegal border crossings and smuggling were (as now) beyond the capacity of border-security agents to control, the Guard has always been there, providing intelligence, communications, and other indirect support.

After the 1992 riots in Los Angeles, the killings, destruction, and looting were stopped only with heavily armed Guardsmen (and U.S. Marines) in the streets.  Hopefully, this time, a show of force — images of battle-ready men and women ready to defend our soil — will be enough deterrent to avoid violence.  But if any army of 50,000 insists on breaching our sovereign border, we need to be prepared.  It is not a viable alternative to take a so-called progressive approach and look the other way.  Not doing so would be akin to rolling out a welcome mat for 500,000 to cross next time — or 500 million, for that matter.

Deploying the Guard is a straightforward solution to these threats.  The only question is, do we have the will and fortitude to deploy adequate resources to solve the problem?  Since the current administration is either unwilling or unable to solve these problems, it is up to state governors and city mayors to do what needs to be implemented to protect us.  If they refuse to uphold their oath of office to protect their citizenry, they need to be removed from office.

After all, just as in 1636, our existence as a free and independent people is at risk.  God bless our National Guard, police, and other sworn guardians of our Republic.

Michael A Letts is the CEO and founder of  In-VestUSA, a national grassroots non-profit organization helping hundreds of communities provide thousands of bulletproof vests for their police forces through educational, public relations, sponsorship, and fundraising programs.

Image via Picryl.

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