Demise of a Republic?

We are witnessing a repeated troubling pattern: Congress is abdicating its responsibilities and recklessly delegating its powers to the President under the guise of “National Emergencies,” thereby granting the President sweeping “emergency powers.”

History shows us the consequences of such decisions. Once, another Senate in a different Republic made the grave mistake of saying, “In emergencies, we should grant emergency powers to one leader.” Initially, this power was limited to six months, but it quickly morphed into multi-year grants—subject to annual review by the Senate. Eventually, this unchecked authority culminated in one man receiving emergency powers for life. This all came to a head on March 15, 44 BCE.

However, the Senate never regained its authority to govern the Republic. By repeatedly abdicating their role, they set a dangerous precedent that allowed for the appointment of a 19-year-old Gaius Octavian Caesar as Consul of Rome, despite him being too young to even serve as a Senator.

The Roman Republic perished, paving the way for the Roman Empire. Gaius Octavian was honored with the title of Augustus and became Caesar Augustus, the first Emperor of Rome.

Today, we find ourselves with a Congress that has similarly relinquished its role and powers, officiously handing them over to the President under claims of “national emergencies.”

Since January 20, we have witnessed multiple national emergencies at both borders due to the fentanyl crisis. There are national emergencies related to illegal immigration at the southern border. Additionally, we are facing a supposed national emergency because a gang in South America has “invaded” our nation. Not to mention the national emergency regarding our U.S. oil supply, despite the fact that America has been a net exporter of oil since 2019.

Since January 20, six national emergencies have been declared, bringing the total to 49 National Emergencies currently in effect. Many of these were initiated by previous administrations, yet each has been continually renewed by the sitting President.

These so-called “national emergencies” have facilitated an alarming concentration of power in the Office of the President.

As a result of these emergencies, individuals have been deported without due process. There exists an Executive Order that aims to distort the established meaning of the 14th Amendment. Legal residents of the U.S. have faced deportation simply for exercising their right to protest.  

Now, the President is speaking seriously of a third term. 

This is an unacceptable trajectory that must be challenged, or soon, our Republic may experience the same fate as the Republic of Rome

Demise of a Republic?

On the Sedition in Washington

We saw today something I had never dreamed I would see- an Armed Attack upon the capital of the United States.  What was worse, this attack was inspired by a sitting President of the United States and the President’s Lawyer, who minutes before the attack, spoke of “Trial by Combat.”  Never before in our history, has a sitting President or his spokesmen ever encourage such an event.  

We have had contested elections - 1800 was perhaps one of of the most controversial- with the House ultimately electing Thomas Jefferson.  But NO PRESIDENT has ever created the chaos that the sitting President caused today.   

Donald Trump has failed as President.  He has violated the Oath of Office he took in 2017.  His job is to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution”.    Donald Trump failed to protect or defend the Constitution today.  

There are 14 days left of the current administration.  Despite this limited time, this President has lost any moral authority or right to lead.    Donald Trump should resign IMMEDIATELY.  Should he not take this action, he should be removed from office, by the 25th Amendment,  and IMPEACHED - so that he may be permanently barred from holding office by vote of the Senate.   

No matter ones political beliefs, we have a Constitution.  The STATES select Electors.  This was done.   Those Electors have voted. 

There was an attack on our Republic.  It was, at minimum, encouraged by the President.  At worst it was INCITED by the President.   It has been, at least in modern history, traditional for the person losing a Presidential election to call for the country to unite and work together.  Donald Trump and his spokesmen have called for the election to be  overturned.   That call resulted in violence, shots being fired, blood spilled and death in the Capital of these United States.  Donald Trump incited an attempted insurrection.  

It is time for EVERYONE- Including Donald Trump - to accept that Former Vice President Joe Biden won the  Presidential election.  

It is also time for Donald Trump to resign or be removed from office.   

 

On the Sedition in Washington

Obituary for The Trump Presidency

It appears now that we have a President Elect and when the Electoral College meets in December, the final vote will be “official.”  It is now probably safe to accept that former Vice President Biden will be inaugurated on January 20, 2021. (I say probably because any number of things could potentially happen, even though the probability is quite low).

So what happened and why?  I certainly have opinions, and they are just that- opinions.  But, I will attempt to explain the logic behind my opinions and present any facts that support my opinion as well.  

There is no way one can call the Trump Presidency an unparalleled success.   I would argue there were only a few successes.  The biggest success that can be attributed to the Trump Administration is in relation to Israel.   After eight years with a President who said Israel should give up Jerusalem (May 20, 2011 speech is one instance) by calling for a return to pre-1967 borders (borders prior to the Six Day War), US-Israeli relations took a hit.  Now, the US is building an Embassy in Jerusalem (western half) and in effect the US has recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.  At the same time, additional Arab States have recognized Israel.  That is, at least, a significant change in the Middle East.  The fact of the United States recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and having the UAE, Bahrain and Sudan normalize relations, must be considered a success - especially when one considers that the last time an Arab Nation officially recognized Israel was Egypt in 1979.  That success may have been pushed through and quarterbacked by Jared Kushner, but it was a Trump Presidency which made it possible.  

President Trump also appointed three Justices to the US Supreme Court.   With that said, only one vacancy was from retirement, and therefore was replaced by choice of the retiring Justice.  

President Trump also lowered taxes both on corporations, which does keep prices from rising - when corporate taxes increase, prices of goods increase- and individuals. 

But the border wall to stop illegal immigration, which was to be paid for by Mexico, certainly did not happen.   We also have tariffs and retaliatory tariffs on various products and materials- which only increase prices. 

I cannot blame the President for the fact that COVID-19 exists.   I also do not believe that any President can stop the disease - unless the President single handedly develops a vaccine. Disease has existed for as long as man has existed.   We will continue to have diseases and pandemics regardless of who resides at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.  Diseases do not care what party one belongs to or how much money one has.   Diseases do not respect international borders.

I am of the opinion and belief that President Trump lost this election due to his own personality and attitudes.   Lest we forget, a significant number of registered Republicans did not support the 2016 Trump nomination.   The “Never Trump” movement was not insignificant. The number of Republicans who opposed President Trump increased as time went on.  

President Trump was ill suited to the Presidency, where working with people and not just ordering them to do what you want is essential.  There were several cabinet members who simply could not work with the White House.  

The fact remains that President Trump lost the White House; President-Elect Biden did not “win” it. (Yes, President-Elect Biden got the most votes, I am not questioning election results). One need only look at the outcome of the House and Senate elections (this far) to see that a large number of voters chose to vote for someone other than President Trump while voting for GOP candidates on the rest of the ticket.   With the exception of the White House, the 2020 elections were incredibly good for Republicans in down ticket races.   President-Elect Biden may have won the Presidency, but he had no coat-tails.  It can be stated that President-Elect Biden may have won the vote- but he has yet to win the country. 

Perhaps, the last four years will serve as a cautionary tale- only time will tell.  

Obituary for The Trump Presidency

Racism and Gun Control Origins

As the GOP Convention gets underway, at some point a plank in the party platform will be adopted in support of the 2nd Amendment, Protecting Heller and McDonald, SHALL issue laws- basically a plank against arbitrary gun control.   The GOP took the position back in the late 1860's that the 2nd Amendment applied to ALL Americans and States could not interfere.  Why then? Because the GOP wanted freed slaves to be able to protect themselves and stay free.   

This year at the Democratic Party Convention, the DNC will likely propose a plank supporting Gun Control.  Southern Democrats started passing gun control laws in the 1860's and 1870's to strip former slaves of their 2nd Amendment Rights- along with a host of others.   

Gun Control Laws, beginning with those passed by Democrat controlled state governments at the end of the Civil War, Gun Control, have an origin in Racist Ideology.    

"A man's rights rest in three boxes: the ballot box, the jury box, and the cartridge [ammo] box." -Frederick Douglass, 1867

It was because of the "black codes" passed after the Civil War that the 14th amendment  was proposed and then passed.   One of the stated goals of passage was to protect the right of African-Americans to possess and carry firearms for thier own defense.  

'The black man has never had the right either to keep or bear arms,' and that, until he does, 'the work of the Abolitionists was not finished.'"  -Frederick Douglass, May 10, 1965 

Now, according to  a Pew Research Study, 54% of African-Americans view gun ownership in a positive light.  It is also being viewed as a matter of Civil Rights 

This is not a new phenomenon.  Dr Martin Luther King Jr. Applied for and was denied a concealed carry permit.  The best argument for SHALL ISSUE laws is it helps remove human  factors- such as racism - from the process.   If you are old enough and meet background requirements you cannot be denied- as Dr. King was.

It is well worth reading Associate Justice Clarence Thomas' opinion in McDonald v. Chicago, 561 U.S. 742 (2010) on the Second Amendment, its history, and racism.   The Washington Post called it "...a scorcher of an opinion that reads like a mix of black history lesson and Black Panther Party manifesto..."  

(I am not going to cite MTV as a source here, but I am going to provide a link to an interesting article on MTV on the Racist origins of Gun Control).

The bottom line is Gun Control has origins in post-Civil War racisim.  But, the Constitution, and our laws as American must and should be absolutely color-blind or there will never be real Freedom and Justice for all.

Reference Links:

http://www.mtv.com/news/2900230/the-really-really-racist-history-of-gun-control-in-america/

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/crime/article89859017.html

https://www.americas1stfreedom.org/articles/2016/1/28/freedom-fighters/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/29/AR2010062905329.html

https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/09pdf/08-1521.pdf

Racism and Gun Control Origins

The Lewandowski Issue or Fanatisism and Trump

This late in the campaign season, I usually am wrapping my head around the GOP nominee's positions and reconciling my posisitions vs the candidate's positions and trying to figure out what I can do to support my party's nominee.  

This is an unusual political season, but I think the most interesting part of this Presidential campaign cycle are the accusations of conspiracy.  We are not talking about the usual accusations of conspiracy: the vast right-wing conspiracy, or the left conspiring with the media to destroy everything Republican. This presidential election cycle, it's right on right conspiracy-or another words Republicans eating their young.

First we have the Trump and Meghan Kelly, then Trump calling out McCain (I really hate defending McCain), and Trump quoting verbatim  from the Code Pink playbook about President George W.  Bush during a GOP debate. Now we have the Michelle Fields and Corey Lewandowski situation.    

I'm not positive for what happened and Mr Lewandowski is innocent until proven guilty.   Yet Michelle Fields has bruises on her arm - apparently caused by Donald  Trumps's campaign manager.  First Lewandowski says It never happened, I don't know who you are and I never touched you.   Trump says "She made it up".  But now there's video. 

Maybe Michelle Fields bruises easy.   

Maybe it was a rushed event and it was an honest mistake by Lewandowski.  

It seems to me that when all this first came up that maybe a quick apology- "Hey, I'm sorry I grabbed your arm..." Probably could have resolved the issue.  

Instead we have several news cycles, with Trump saying "she made it up" followed by, pictures of the bruise followed by (eventually) a mug shot or footage of Lewandowski walking out of a Police station after turning himself in on the battery charges.  And we have the Trump campaign and many of his supporters now saying it's all a conspiracy to get Trump.  

Those making the accusations of conspiracy are bordering on fanatisism. 

If Trump thinks that this is not all going to resurface after the convention once we are into the General Election Campaign- he is a nut job. He is handing the DNC material for 30 second spots, again and again and again.  

The worst part of this entire situation, is this sparring is conservative on conservative.  This is more Republicans eating their young. Michelle fields is not a member of the "liberal press."She worked for Breitbart which is about an conservative as the press gets. 

Donald Trump says he wants the Republican nomination.  He continually viciously and unnecessarily attacks fellow conservatives. He's attacked John McCain (who I hate defending) on his Vietnam record. He attacked President George W. Bush in a primary debate with a tirade worthy of Code Pink. If I didn't know better, I would swear Donald Trump is running for the democratic nomination for president.  Perhaps he's spending his money to make sure Hillary WILL win the Presidency. 

Donald Trump says he wants the Republican nomination for president. He says he expects the support of the party for his run and expects to receive the parties nomination at the convention.  

Maybe it's time Mr. Trump stops the constant  attacking of the Republican Party if he expects to get Republican votes for the presidency. 

Otherwise he's just another RINO (a Republican in name only); and is far worse than the establishment he attacks on one hand and yet expects the support of on the other.

The Lewandowski Issue or Fanatisism and Trump