An Open Letter to General Charles Q. Brown Jr.

To the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General Brown:

I write to you with a request for your help in facilitating the removal of two Phoenix personnel from my home on an immediate basis -- peaceably, honestly, openly, and lawfully.

Clearly, Phoenix should not be deployed against the law-abiding American citizenry for anti-democratic objectives.

The fact that these personnel were deployed to my home represents an astonishing affront to the American electorate, and one which you are capable of remedying.

The U.S. military should not be preying upon U.S. citizens for any reason.  The spurious justifications for that predation, supplied by the knowingly falsified law enforcement reporting directed primarily by the FBI, do not excuse the deployment of Special Forces in effecting the harassment and harm of the virtuous public.

General Brown, Phoenix has become lamentably corrupt.  And our democracy cannot survive alongside a predatory military that seeks to silence whistleblowers of that corruption by any means.

I do realize that the budget allocations for Phoenix are impressive, and that everybody wants to keep America's Special Forces well-trained and responsive.

But they shouldn't be killing innocents.

And especially not when those innocents are striving for the defense of democracy itself.

Our country gains nothing by martyring our most principled citizens through falsely labeling them a "threat."

A "threat" to corruption is not synonymous with a threat to the nation, and this must be understood.

It is my understanding that, because Phoenix personnel are present on my property, both of my sons have, under death threat, been forced to violate some aspect of the law over the last several weeks at the directive of the FBI and its affiliates.

Now I am informed that, if I do not allow the Phoenix personnel to exit my property without the involvement of law enforcement, one or both of my sons may be arrested in direct retaliation.

Does this sound lawful to you in any way?  Does it sound Constitutional to you in any way?  Does it sound ethical to you in any way?

General Brown, I'm certain America's Special Forces are highly skilled, intelligent, resourceful, and possessing of the best technology the world has to offer.

But they depend on their military leaders to ensure that their deployments are just.

Without that exercise of wisdom within the military, Special Forces can become a weapon of totalitarian interests on the far right.

And such an abuse of power, directed against civilians, would represent a tragedy for our nation, not a triumph.

As Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, you have the ability to prevent Phoenix from causing my family and friends yet more harm, and I respectfully request that you do so on an immediate basis.

You have the authority to dispatch MPs or Federal Marshals or National Guardsmen to my home to peaceably remove the two Phoenix personnel who are currently here,  If they require hospital care, you have the ability to ensure that they receive this attention promptly.

Accordingly, I ask for your help in ensuring that this situation is peaceably and promptly resolved, with no loss of life and no further harm.

You may communicate with the Office of the Inspector General Hotline of the U.S. Department of Justice in obtaining my contact information.

Thank you for your immediate intervention in this critical matter.

Sincerely,

Lane MacWilliams