WASHINGTON, D.C. - Days before Donald Trump’s military parade through the streets of Washington, D.C., the American Civil Liberties Union of the District of Columbia released a statement criticizing the parade as excessive and unnecessary. The following can be attributed to Monica Hopkins, executive director of the ACLU of D.C.:
“There is never a good time to spend $100 million on a military parade to soothe Donald Trump’s ego. But right now is the absolute worst time. With a new city budget looming, critical programs that serve our community are on the verge of experiencing deep funding cuts that will hobble their ability to fulfill their missions. Immigrants are being terrorized by federal immigration agents, separating families from their loved ones. People have been detained by the federal government and held in prison for weeks as retaliation for their speech. Medicaid, food programs, support for people with disabilities, and other life-saving programs are all being slashed as Trump tears down the basic supports of our society.
“The Army itself has estimated that the parade will inflict $16 million in damage to the city’s streets. Donald Trump treats the people of D.C., a majority of whom are Black and Brown, not as valued Americans but as a nuisance. He’s treating our city as his playground to be torn up on his whim.
“And all of this has happened while Trump enriches himself, abuses his power, and tries to crush dissent.
“If Donald Trump truly wants the District to be ‘safe’ and ‘beautiful,’ the best thing the administration and members of Congress can do is restore critically needed federal funding that gives vulnerable people in D.C. a chance to live healthy lives with their basic needs met. This parade shows that the administration’s priorities on how to serve the American people and the people of D.C. are totally backwards.”