The Tennessee National Guard is part of a multi-agency federal and state task force deployed indefinitely to Memphis ostensibly to fight crime. (Photo: Karen Pulfer-Focht/Tennessee Lookout)

There is a dangerous willingness among too many political, civil, and community leaders — and, anecdotally, far too many everyday citizens — to sacrifice civil and human rights on the altar of authoritarianism. It’s as if the mere mention of “crime” is enough to justify rolling back the very constitutional protections that are supposed to keep us safe.

This is exactly what has happened with the rollout of the so-called Memphis Safe Task Force initiative. From the beginning, its justification has leaned more on anecdotes than on actual data, relying on propaganda released by law enforcement agencies de

See Full Page