MILITIA: No place here

I condemn in the strongest way possible for the recent appearance of militarily armed citizens roaming the streets of our fair city, scaring local residents and promoting aggressive behavior of other locals. Let the police be the police! They will let the appropriate folks know if they need reinforcements. Those who call themselves militia should also know that they have put themselves in the crosshairs of the FBI, who monitor militia groups.

There were local citizens who were cowering in their homes, afraid to venture out, for fear of encountering a shootout in their front yards, with heavily armed non-police patrolling. They are not stopping anything. With as many areas in our town where evil-doers could cause havoc, the danger is from the locals who were untrained do-gooders, shooting someone like George Floyd or the jogger, Arbery, by mistake.

For the edification of those who would use “antifa,” this term means “anti-fa(scists)” not anarchists, which is the correct term when referring to those who would run rampant, destroying businesses, etc., in our beloved country.

It behooves our leaders to stop arming local police across the country with military grade weaponry and vehicles, which incites violence by the citizenry who put themselves above the law and raises the level of aggression. The temper of the nation needs calming, not additional reasons to act like Terminators.

BARB CRUMPACKER

Coeur d’Alene