Author: Silence Dogood
“When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.”
Thus begins one of the most important political documents in existence today. The Declaration of Independence, penned by Thomas Jefferson and edited by John Adams and Benjamin Franklin, was a soaring composition of enlightenment ideals mixed with a pointed inventory of crimes against the very principles many of the founding fathers held to be the basis of a civilized society.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
The enlightenment principles of equality, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are the money shot lines that still resonate to this day, and the vast majority of people find most memorable. But I believe it is the next sentence that is so important, especially given the times we live in, with an individual like Donald J. Trump in the White House, a feckless congress, and an enabling and complicit Senate.
“That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”
The people have a right to abolish the government. This opportunity comes every two, four, and six years, depending on position within the elected ranks. There are extreme times when the regular course of abolishment is no longer feasible or possible. We find ourselves at that time. When the three branches of government no longer serve the people, or act in their best interest, the time arises to take more extreme measures.
“Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.”
While the Declaration was focused on the actions of the monarchy, and King George the sitting monarch, it did focus the complaints as broad sweeping behaviors affecting all the colonies and their citizens.
“Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.”
Tyranny becomes the measure of the last straw. The document then begins a list of transgressions that frame the level of depravity and oppression forced upon the colonists. If one were to use this catalog of grievances as a measure for tyranny and apply it to the current head of state and his compliant politicos, a very clear picture begins to form. A picture that those who claim to be constitutionalists or patriots should be repulsed by its image. The image these partisans are ignoring is the proverbial picture which Dorian Gray keeps hidden in the darkest corners of their hearts; so repulsive that should it see the light of day the sheer terror of a single gaze would strike them down. The very tyranny that these “patriots” have railed against for decades has come home to roost right under their very noses, on their watch with their compliance. The horrors they have turned a blind eye toward are ominously similar to those that started the original American armed rebellion.
“He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.”
Donald J. Trump has flaunted his inability to charged with a crime as the sitting President of the United States of America. He has not claimed innocence against many of these charges, he has just flatly stated that he cannot be charged as President, and should someone find the intestinal fortitude to challenge this unwritten law, he would just pardon himself of all possible crimes. The very norms that we have long held to be sacrosanct when it comes to the office of the President have been vaporized by an individual who does not understand the public good, nor care one iota for its preservation.
“He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.”
Trump has made endless promises of things he would change and laws he would enact, but he has failed to do the very things he bragged about. Whether they be something as beneficial as the American Energy and Infrastructure Act, or the Repeal and Replacement of Obamacare, Trump does nothing. But this is clearly not just something that lands on Donald Trump’s head. He has a cadre of support that prevents potential laws from being discussed and put up for a vote. Mitch McConnell is really the puppeteer to the useful idiot in the Oval Office. Preventing the flow of law to the President’s desk for signature is just as egregious as forbidding Govenors to pass laws.
“He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.”
The Trump administration's history of behavior towards black and brown people is atrocious. The lack of protections afforded to these large groups has been appalling and led to great deal of discontent within the nation.
“He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.”
The use of Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s proclaimed “Southern White House,” has been to shield conversations from the mechanism of government. Trump working on his “home turf” provides a tactical advantage, but one not expected of meeting with legislators or foreign ministers and discussing matters of pressing importance to the country. The President is supposed to have all communications witnessed and transcribed, yet the instances of these covered conversations pile up to be problematic to the nation and her institutions.
“He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.”
We are observing this behavior in action in Portland, Posse Comitatus Act be damned. When the local and State representatives clearly communicate that they do not need any outside assistance in dealing with protests, and Trump orders unmarked uniformed troops into the cities to illegally snatch people off the streets, he has dissolved Representative Houses and their sphere of governance.
“He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.”
While there is no appropriations of lands involved, Trump’s anti-immigration stance is well publicized, and it has deeply hurt this country. Complain all you want about illegal immigration, but the zero-tolerance policy has hit the nations and many of its industries in the nether regions. Many of our food growing and preparation industries rely on the cheap labor that comes from immigration, legal or not. Not having this flow of labor has hurt the entire nation and its food chain.
“He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.”
Obstruction of justice is one of those charges that Donald Trump has to be concerned about once he becomes an ex-President. His Twitter feed is full of comments that crossed the line into witness intimidation. The influence he, and his AG of choice Bill Barr, have used to prevent prosecution or limit the efficacy of the justice system is well documented. His stacking of the federal courts with incompetent people and political activists is also well documented. The damage to the public trust in the FBI and the Courts is going to take generations to repair if it can ever be repaired at all.
“He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.”
This grievance goes well beyond Donald J. Trump. Mitch McConnell also has to own this issue. His blocking of Obama nominee, Merrick Garland, and refusal to accept the respected nominee should never be forgiven. The circus that would ensue during the confirmations of Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, two less that respected nominees, was more proof that political expedience rather than judicial experience was the driver behind these appointments. These two justices were selected because of their steadfastness to ideology over anything else.
“He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.”
“He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.”
The goings on in Washington and Portland in the wake of George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis Police are indicative of both grievances. Neither of the legislatures – City, State, or otherwise – was consulted prior to unidentified military troops being dispatched to these locations.
“He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation.”
The United States intelligence community is clear in their interpretation of the events that led up the election of Donald J. Trump, and the level of foreign interference in that election. Our foreign policy has been driven by his desire to make nice with authoritarians and earn praise for himself over that of the country and her needs. He has abdicated U.S. leadership around the globe and allowed many of competitors and enemies to fill the power vacuum left behind. He has abandoned our neighbors and our allies, many times to the benefit of the one interest that provided interference in his election.
“For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world.”
There is no trade agreement that anyone has made that Donald Trump has not thought he could make better. Much to the chagrin of many industries across our nation Trump’s willingness to pull out of accords or agreements has done nothing but hurt our ability to trade.
“For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent.”
Tariff after tariff after tariff have made goods more expensive and ratcheted up the tensions in trade wars of this President’s making. His complete failure of understanding of the economics behind tariffs has just led to an imposition of a tax on goods that should not exist. If Mr. Trump would stick to what his job is, and not try to do things he is really bad at doing, the country would be much better off.
“For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments.”
There is little doubt that Donald J. Trump and his administration have done a great deal of damage to our standing in the world and the institutions that are the foundation of this nation. What is most troubling is the compliance by the Republican party and the many times they have turned a blind eye to the very same things they themselves had railed against when the other party was in power.
Make no mistake, this list is not just about one man. It takes a village to raise an idiot, and it takes the same to keep one in a position of power. While it is easy to point a finger at Donald J. Trump and paint him as the modern King George, the reality is that our system of government has mechanisms to prevent such egregious behaviors from happening. Only when those bodies of oversight become poisoned or corrupted does the institution fail. When the Senate abdicates its role as the check on power, and the arbiter of righteousness, they become complicit in every transgression made against America and her citizens. The sheer audacity of these self-professed patriots to ignore the destructive actions of this administration is not only appalling, but borderline criminal. This can no longer continue.
It is time for the people to recognize the destructive ends of this government, at all levels. It is the right of the people to alter or to abolish these bodies and to institute new government, laying its foundation on common American principles and organizing its powers in such form allowing all citizens to protect their safety and happiness. It is time for a new Declaration of Independence. Who wants to sign on?
