to the editor: Aiding and abetting criminal activities has never been a defined mission of our military, until now (“US military leaders are enabling Trump's anarchy” June 16). What Americans and the world are witnessing is a staggering level of institutional acquiescence that furthers President Trump's relentless authoritarian designs on our republic. Call it what you want: cowardice or unbridled careerism, but the leaders of our armed forces have failed us.
Tragically, they are not alone in their AWOL status. The military is just one institution among many that has failed to live up to its promise to defend and protect the United States Constitution. Both houses of Congress and the Supreme Court have been extremely negligent in failing to uphold their oath of office.
This is how fascism triumphs. The bulwark of a free society must be government agencies that resist the attack of a would-be tyrant. If they deviate from their duty, all freedom is lost.
Bob Teigan, Santa Susanna
