A National Guard member. D.C.'s unusual status makes it soft ground for testing the limits of federal incursions in cities, as does our spineless mayor. The administration has cited Section 740 of the Home Rule Act, which allows the president to take control of the Metropolitan Police and the D.C. National Guard during a declared emergency. The presence of federal law enforcement can drive crime down, at least in the short term. A nation that chooses this as its answer to crime has lost the thread of both constitutional limits and sustainable governance.