Hate Thy Neighbor: How Progressive D.C. Treats National Guardsmen with Contempt

The command to “love thy neighbor as thyself” is a common theme of the Advent season, and one I’ve been thinking about as the nation mourns U.S. Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, allegedly murdered by Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal during an attack in the nation’s capital the day before Thanksgiving.

My husband and I lived in Washington, D.C., for many years, and raised four children in the city. Reflecting on Spc. Beckstrom and her grieving family, I think about how members of the National Guard have been treated since President Donald Trump directed the Secretary of Defense to mobilize them. How has “loving your neighbor as yourself,” and the biblical corollary to “be kind to the strangers in your midst,” been playing out in our nation’s capital?