We need that right now in 2024. We must keep our country's history sacrosanct from so many divide and conquer factions. We should never consider accepting a dictatorship. Our political traditions reject outright, such a proposition.
I am 87 years old, a grandfather, a retired small business owner, a writer by avocation and an Army veteran with two older brothers buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
I really do love this country, and I think it's history is unique and extraordinary. I am driven to write because of things like the following cited poem by Milton:
So hung his destiny never to rot While he might still jog on and keep his trot Made of sphere metal never to decay Until his revolution was at stay
I have often thought that George Washington and our other Founding Fathers who were all well read, perhaps knew Milton’s poem. Every freedom loving American should strive for a timely reaffirmation and rebirth of our American Revolution out of spiritual devotion to our Founders.
The United States is now, after 248 years under the U.S. Constitution, politically going through a lot of mayhem and chaos. The political tides seem higher on shore than ever before. The forces of evil (only word that fits) seem to be thriving as never before.
The negative domestic clamor that's sows so much hate and division is currently offered by one man, ex-President Donald Trump. He’s a man who oddly, but clearly, despises his own country and often admits that very thing. But the most peculiar admission he makes is that he admires and envies the dictatorships of the world. He is loyal to the recognition that Viktor Orbán and Vladimir Putin offer him. And MAGA Republicans, especially CPAC representing them, have made it clear they also see value in Orbán's dictatorship and in fact have invited him to speak at their meetings. They seem to have failed in their studies of American history because George Washington, the “Father of our Country”, saw no attraction in authoritarianism. In fact after General George Washington led the colonists to victory over the strongest military in the world and their King George III, Washington made it clear after being asked to lead, that he had no desire to be a king or a dictator. Washington called for a convention in Philadelphia in 1787 because of the failure of the Articles of Confederation. The country, under those Articles, had little central governmental power, no currency, no standardized trade policies and no military of consequence. Washington was distraught over the chaotic situation being imposed on the United States after five years of failing. So these 55 men of wealth and political influence all met at the convention to come up with a more Perfect Union. They studied past political philosophers and past governments for over three months in that hot summer in Philadelphia. The outcome, all chaired by George Washington, was the United States Constitution. Those Founding Fathers decided on a Republic and gave the means of governing it to the people, through their elected representatives, the Executive, the House and the Senate. Because of his great leadership as a general in defeating the British, the colonists wanted him to be the first President. He accepted the position but again made it clear that he had no interest in being a king or a dictator. In fact, only one President in the 248 years of our Constitution was given more power than that outlined in the U.S. Constitution. And that was Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War. The Writ of Habeas Corpus was temporarily suspended. Did Lincoln abuse that right? No he did not.
Now dear reader we are confronted as a nation for the first time with the possibility of a President wanting the power of a dictator. And he is not quiet about it. The Heritage Foundation who created Project 2025, the Federalists Society, and 6 members of SCOTUS all seem ok with this major change after so many years. SCOTUS wants to expand the Executive branch, offering immunity on all executive action taken that is offered as an "official act". Is this dangerous? Not for these groups, because they are hell bent on getting rid of the “Administrative State”. They claim it has too much power. So now we are faced with a group that feels the most envied country in the free world, one that has produced 16 million new jobs in three and a half years and one that honors its Treaties, should now be replaced despite its great history and accomplishments. Now an intellectually strange group wants to begin a destruction of our current established methods of governing. They want to deconstruct the Federal employee system. It is bizarre and a tragedy for our citizens, our children and grandchildren who have to face the chaos of dissolving an orderly government for no valid reasons. Are the MAGA Republicans in Project 2025 flirting with treason? In my personal opinion, damn close. Why toss out the U.S. Constitution and the rule of law, especially after 248 years of success? It is uncalled for and unneeded to throw it all out for reasons of a new power, self appointed, to have the ability to get rid of laws that have worked so well in the past. The Executive branch should not be allowed to be turned into a quasi-dictatorship. The voters in my opinion do not want a dictator type of government. We shall see November 5th 2024 if my hunch is correct. In the meantime remember, citizens of the United States do not bow to an individual. We are pledged to an idea, an ideal, called the United States Constitution. And our citizens are the standard bearers of the American flag, not to a person. Let us not forget, Adolf Hitler demanded loyalty to him personally, not to the country of Germany. We don't do that kind of stuff in America!
Ex-President Donald Trump consistently claims he is the victim of a witch hunt perpetrated by his political opponents, the courts and the Department of Justice. Is that really the case? Well, lets go back to his days in business. He had literally hundreds of contractors suing him for fraud and the failure to pay for services. In fact his rather small company was sued over 3,400 times. In 2017 he had to make a $25 million payment to get rid of a lawsuit brought by the Trump University Students. The State of New York (2019) penalized him with a $2 million fine for the abuse of his Family Foundation, and forced him to close it out. E. Jean Carroll sued Trump for alleged sexual assault and she was awarded $5 million in a civil trial. Later, she sued Trump again for defamation and was awarded an additional $80 million. Next, over 500 of Mr. Trumps "followers" did his bidding and stormed the Capitol on Jan 6, 2021 and became convicted felons as a result. Some were even carrying ropes to hang the Vice President of the United States, Mike Pence, for simply doing his Constitutional duty. The elected Presidency of Joe Biden had to be blessed by a vote of the House and Senate, and Vice President Mike Pence chaired the Electoral College proceedings. The result of Vice President Mike Pence doing his Constitutional duty is now a very sad political outcome for him and the United States of America. No one, and I say it again, no one, in the United States should be penalized for following their conscience. Mr. Trump said after this event that Vice President Pence was a coward for not violating the Constitution, thus keeping Mr. Trump from claiming the election.
Dear Reader, the above is only a partial list of the legal problems of Mr. Trump. I think it is clear that the real victim in this whole legal morass is the tax paying public. Don't forget, he was recently convicted on a 34 count felony indictment for fraud. He will be sentenced in the later part of November 2024 for that conviction. He has three serious lawsuits pending because he spent at least $100 million dollars of other peoples money to get them delayed until after the election. Never forget, the general rule is that when you are innocent, you want a speedy trial. Trump wants no part of speedy trials!
So overall it is hard to believe that he is a victim. And there is no evidence of a witch hunt that deserves our sympathy for his complaints. It is clearer by the day, that Trump's whining cry of "I'm a victim" is a crock!
I see ex-President Donald Trump and J.D. Vance as part of a team that disrespects and dishonors our country and its government on a regular basis. They do not hide their admiration for dictatorships. But now their lies and protestations, their accusations and their disinformation, seemingly daily, must be confronted. How do we confront the mayhem they offer? The complaints, the attitudes, the shrillness of their arguments will become worse. The reason?
Because, now a recent group of military Generals and Field Grade officers signed a petition condemning Trump-Vance, plus two Veteran groups are campaigning vigorously against Trump-Vance. Last February over 100 professional historians of repute pegged Donald Trump as the worst U.S. President in our history. We have many other groups coming forward, ex-Republican officials from Republican Administrations of the past, major well known Hollywood celebrities, many women’s groups strongly opposing the overturing of Roe v. Wade. Even a group called "White Dudes" is making loud public pronouncements that they are backing Harris-Walz. Some Christian Evangelicals have even removed their pledge for Trump-Vance. But the most powerful commitment for Harris-Walz came from Taylor Swift who has 280,000 Instagram followers.
The reaction to these developments by Trump-Vance? They have become even more shrill and more outraged. They pick on immigrants in Springfield OH claiming they're eating the dogs and cats of their neighbors? Does this sound totally bizarre? Yep. Even more so because there is zero proof of such a thing taking place. But now there have been so many bomb threats to city offices and public schools in Springfield that they have had to temporarily close down. The immigrant children of Springfield have to be kept in their houses for fear of right-wing extremist retribution. Trump-Vance reaction to their false claims? They double down, they don’t apologize and they offer disconnected outrage stating falsely that the Harris-Walz team is not criticized enough by the press. Their complaints remind me of what Winston Churchill went through in his political career. He said his opponents would say the most bizarre things about him and when he fought back, his opponents became outraged.
Dear Reader, it is a case of two eighth grade bullies improperly demanding all rights on the playground. The fact that they are using this cruel and unusual behavior is quite contemptible. Hurting children just because they are immigrants is not an OK proposition. It is goofy, dishonest, unnecessary and provocative. It begs for a remedy, to stop this painful and divisive behavior for the entire American community. The most disgusting part of the Trump-Vance team's strategy is that Mr. Trump quashed a House and Senate Bill in May of this year (supported by both Republicans and Democrats) that would have addressed many immigration problems at the border. What's the deal here America? He said he did not want to take the problems off Joe Biden's political back. This seems like hypocrisy, and goofy cynical politics to many voters. He should never be allowed to escape his quashing of a remedy that would have impacted and improved the border problems.
Lets never forget that ex-President Donald Trump avoided the military draft using questionable medical information. He has very little respect for the military. I am afraid that he might describe our Founding Fathers who fought so valiantly against the British, "suckers and losers". Once again I see him as the typical sour eighth grade bully on the play ground, that can dish it out but he can't take it. He says he is out for revenge and retribution on all his detractors. Does this mean that 80 million Americans may be headed to one of his concentration camps? Remember, he loves the methods used by dictators. He is a man that could care less about protecting his family name, the judgement of history, or any judgment from a just God. My best prayers go out to this poor soul. Dear reader, we must all pray for him, and hope that all the pain and hurt he is causing to immigrant children in American may soon end. I would direct Trump to read the parable in Luke of the Christian bible, called the "Rich Man and Lazarus". Remember, a desperate man will say and do irregular things for survival. If he does not win this election there is more than a 50-50 chance he will be going to prison over one or all of the remaining cases pending. The country is paying a serious penalty for all of these delays, justice is being dispensed out of a rich man's wallet. The same justice would not be offered to a poor person.
So, how are we going to stop this hostility and chaos? Maybe it should be all Americans gathering with the term patriotism pure and simple. Love and devotion to our flag, to our rule of law, and to our U.S. Constitution. We should actually encourage those who have fallen in love with dictators from Hungary and Russia to consider moving to those countries that they feel so strongly about. In 1950 two British spies who were giving atomic secrets to the Soviet Union were about to be caught. Before that could happen they fled to the Soviet Union and both lived out their lives there. Lets all never forget that American citizens have a duty to their country and their flag.
Does the mess we are in politically need a remedy? You betcha! Why the constant need to accuse ordinary people with ordinary political views of being devils? Are the political views of Trump-Vance normal political discourse? God help us if you say "yes".
Dear reader, ex-President Donald Trump was fact checked by the Washington Post and they found over 30,000 lies in his public pronouncements. And what was Mr. Trump's reaction to these accusations? He called it “Fake news”. No rebuttal, no lawsuits, just accusations that his baloney given with such a flannel tongue is factual, when fact checking proved it was a lie.
We must keep our country's history sacrosanct from so many divide and conquer factions. We should never ever consider accepting a dictatorship. Our political traditions reject outright, such a proposition. An American minister suggested over 150 years ago: "Hell is truth seen too late, duty neglected in it's season".
Dear reader, listen to and study the words in the “Battle Hymn of the Republic”. (Winston Churchill requested that American hymn to be played at his funeral). Also, the "Star Spangled Banner", "God Bless America", and "America the Beautiful". Read those words and then read the words of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. Patriotism has arrived and must be embraced. The United States of America is not ready for a dictatorship. The American political truths simply must “keep marching on”, via love and devotion of country. Let's keep George Washington and our Founding Fathers on the pedestal they deserve. If we do, we win! We must pray to a just God looking for relief from this constant, disturbing upheaval so that our children and grandchildren can enjoy the freedom and liberty they deserve in their youth.
Opening Image: NBC News
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