There are days when the air itself feels thick with indignation—when maudlin speeches, despotic threats, and unwelcome agendas flood our screens, and every headline seems to whisper: beware.
I’ve fumed, yes. I’ve sounded the clarion for vigilance. But today I turn to the other side of that story— to the doers. The ones standing up for the rule of law, the sanctity of the Constitution, and the dignity of the people. They deserve to be seen.
“The Constitution isn’t a toy for tyrants; it is a shield for the people.”
A Judge Who Drew the Line
Judge Karin J. Immergut (appointed 2019) issued a temporary restraining order in early October blocking the federal deployment of Oregon’s National Guard to Portland—finding the justification “untethered to the facts.” See the AP report and the court’s TRO order (PDF). When out-of-state deployments were floated to circumvent that ruling, she extended relief to block any state’s Guard from being sent to Oregon while the merits are reviewed—confirmed by the Oregon DOJ’s follow-up media release.
Governors Who Refused to Bow
California moved months earlier to challenge federalization of its Guard: AG Bonta & Gov. Newsom’s press release and their filed complaint (PDF). Oregon detailed the evolving posture in successive statements and filings (Oct. 4 TRO statement; Oct. 5 update). Closer to home, Governor Wes Moore of Maryland has consistently emphasized that military service is bound to the Constitution—not to politics—and that respect for rank and mission must never be severed from fidelity to law.
