Matt BlazeThe knowledge that the National Guard troops that I must pass on my way to my office this morning are now armed and with live ammo is *not* making me feel safer.
Seriously, I was concerned about this in an abstract way when I learned of the new policy, but in person, my reaction was involuntary and visceral. "These people might shoot me" was constantly on my mind.
Are they just going to start shooting? Probably not. But if there's a commotion, I can easily imagine being caught in escalating crossfire.
Interesting. On the way home, there were far fewer Guard troops around Union Station than usual, and none of the heavy vehicles (though there were several troops outside the Metro escalators), but I also noticed troops posted at several Metro stations that I'd not seen them at previously.
All this said, while I find their (now armed) presence unsettling and dangerous, the Guard troops have been so far in my experience approachable and friendly. This is in sharp contrast to the DEA/ICE/etc federal law enforcement now patrolling around the District, who are generally masked, standoffish, and seem to be looking for trouble.
ben@mattblaze At a guess: this is probably not the sort of thing most people join the National Guard for, and so they’re not really inclined to exacerbate (if that’s the right word) the situation. Whereas it’s probably much closer to the sort of thing one joins ICE/DEA for (even if still an unusual situation), and so they’re far more motivated to perpetuate it?