Do Not Turn on Us – A Warning We Cannot Ignore
An Essential Resource for Preparation for 4/20 Decision on THE INSURRECTION ACT.
The Trump Administration is currently weighing whether to invoke The Insurrection Act, with a directive to the Secretary of Defense to report by April 20 on whether current conditions justify it.
If that sounds immensely serious, it’s because it is.
The Insurrection Act is not some symbolic gesture. It grants the President the authority to deploy active-duty military forces domestically—against the American people. Once invoked, local laws, civil rights, and community protections are swept aside in favor of federally controlled martial enforcement. It can be used to shut down protests, suppress dissent, and detain individuals without the traditional safeguards of due process.
The Administration is framing this decision around the migrant crisis, but don’t be fooled—this law doesn’t distinguish between immigrants and citizens. It does not differentiate between political opponents and violent threats. Once the machinery is set in motion, anyone can be declared a danger and stripped of their rights.
We’ve already seen signs of this dangerous slide: people detained without due process, disappeared from systems, and in at least one case, held in defiance of a Supreme Court order to release them. This is not hypothetical—it’s happening.
At the same time, Trump ally Steve Bannon has publicly refused to affirm basic constitutional limits, including presidential term restrictions. Instead, he’s made it clear that the Constitution will be interpreted as needed to serve their objectives. These are not fringe voices anymore. These are advisors, architects, and enablers of a very real power grab.
This is not about politics. It’s about patriotism. About community. About resisting tyranny not just through marches and protests, but through the way we care for each other when institutions fail.
The truth is, we matter more to one another than we will ever matter to those who seek to dominate and divide us. Their power depends on making us afraid—afraid of each other, afraid to act, afraid to hope. But community is the antidote to fear.
We need to prepare, protect, and support our neighbors. That means knowing what’s happening, staying connected, and watching each other’s backs. That’s how we stay free—not just by resisting power from above, but by strengthening the ties between us down here on the ground.
Throughout this article, you'll find links to @DoNotTurnOnUs—an essential hub for resources on organizing civilians, veterans, and active-duty military to refuse unlawful or fascist orders. It was assembled by a friend of mine, a fellow West Point graduate, and a patriot deeply committed to ensuring that we are all empowered to defend our rights—and more importantly, to protect each other.
Let that be our model.
We may need to act to defend these rights, and that means it is incumbent on all of us to know how to do so safely, lawfully, and with purpose. Those who may be ordered to enforce martial law are Americans too. They may feel they have no choice. But there is always an after—and we will all have to live in that after, carrying the weight of how we chose to act now.
That’s why this resource matters.
Knowledge can beat fear—and this is a time of fear for many.
Go to the site. Learn. Share. Prepare.
Help build a shield wall for our freedoms in our communities.
Show up. Speak out. Lock arms. Protect your people.
When the time comes, it won’t be the government that keeps you safe.
It’ll be your community.
We do not turn on each other.
We turn toward each other.