Tyranny Alert: Trump Is Taking a Hardline Stand Against the Protestors Which Will Lead This Country to the Brink

By P.S. White

Protests demanding justice for the death of George Floyd (along with Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor) have raged across the country and have led to violence and destruction of property in some cases (in San Antonio, I participated in a peaceful and poignant rally on Saturday).  Donald Trump’s response to this has been tone deaf as usual as he fails to understand the hurt and anger of the protestors, and as he lashes out at them as if American citizens seeking justice were the enemy.

In a call with governors across the state, Trump made no attempt to unify the country and showed no sympathy to what the protestors are trying to say, while calling for swift, punitive action:

You have to dominate, if you don’t dominate you’re wasting your time . . . You’ve got to arrest people, you have to track people, you have to put them in jail for 10 years and you’ll never see this stuff again.

Many of the governors sparred with Trump and called his words “inflammatory”, but that did little to defuse the president’s hardline stance.  Trump has also claimed that he will designate Antifa as a terrorist organization (something that he cannot easily do under our current laws), and has threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807 to bring in the military against the protestors (another act that is legally questionable).

If Trump can bend the law sufficiently to classify Antifa, a very loosely organized group fighting against racism and white nationalism, as a domestic terrorist organization, how quickly before he starts labeling any who oppose him as Antifa?  He will start claiming that all protestors, peaceful or not, are Antifa and have them arrested.  Soon after he could make the assertion that any media organizations that do not show favoritism to him are linked to Antifa to justify shutting them down.  Next he could claim that the Democratic Party has been infiltrated by Antifa and start arresting representatives and citizens who are part of the party.

If Trump brings in the military to quell the protests without a request from governors for such assistance, that would be an unprecedented action and a blatant authoritarian move.  He has threatened the use of what he refers to as the “unlimited power of our Military”, which could very well count as a war crime.  Even Pentagon officials are hesitant to mobilize against the protestors at this point.  But Trump is holding fast to his hardline stance as he calls himself the “president of law and order”.

Trump is in full dictator-mode at the moment as he lashes out at what he perceives as his opposition and attempts to hijack the Federal Government as his punishment rod.  And he is escalating the current situation by threatening force, possibly from the military, to stop the protests.  He claims to be the “ally of peaceful protesters”, while showing no sympathy or even understanding for their cause and threatening to escalate the violence against them.

Our country is divided and deeply scarred at this moment as crisis upon crisis pushes us to the breaking point, and Trump’s divisive, authoritarian response only makes it worse.  The violence and destruction of property must stop, but our voices of outrage should continue.  And we should stand united against the wave of racism that has overtaken the country as well as Trump’s militant and dictatorial stance that threatens the very core of our Democracy.  Only as a unified voice for justice, equality, freedom, and civil society can we turn back the bigotry and totalitarian actions that have led us to the brink.

Martin Luther King Jr. said that “riot is the language of the unheard”, and we can see that now as the frustrations of the oppressed boil over in protests across the country.  But he qualified his words by saying that “social justice and progress are the absolute guarantors of riot prevention”.  Those latter words should provide our call action going forward.  Not military (or police) action against citizens, nor authoritarian responses from the government.

George Floyd Protest in San Antonio Texas

By P.S. White

I participated in the protest rally in San Antonio Texas on Saturday night (a special thank you to the organizers for the successful event).  The people were passionate, engaged, and some were very angry.  But it was a peaceful and poignant event that expressed in the best way possible our outrage over what has happened to George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and more.

Our country is at a pivotal point where injustice against blacks and minorities continues on a daily basis.  Our democracy is also under attack from those who spread hatred, fear, and division and demonstrate contempt towards the rule of law.  We need to be in the streets on a regular basis showing our outrage at that those who have abused and misused their power and also those who have covered up their misdeeds.

The fight for our country is right now, and we will take a stand through peaceful means such as protests like this and speaking out against the hatred, bigotry, and contempt for law that is destroying our democracy.  More protests will follow, and hopefully those who the seek justice, fair treatment, equality, and the civil society that our Constitution promises will win the day.

Tyranny Alert: Donald Trump Is Using the Federal Government to Punish Those Who Oppose Him

By P.S. White

On Thursday, Donald Trump signed an executive order that directs the FCC to review whether tech companies such as Twitter and Facebook should continue to receive immunity from liability over third-party content.  Trump claims that the intent is to "defend free speech from one of the gravest dangers it has faced in American history", but the truth is that this is a punitive measure against Twitter for placing a fact check on his tweets.

Trump has put out multiple tweets opposing mail-in ballots claiming that they lead to significant instances of voter fraud.  But that is contrary to the evidence, and some of his claims are outright false, such as his assertion that Michigan illegally sent mail-in ballots to every citizen in the state (applications, not ballots, were sent, and the state has the authority to conduct elections as it sees fit).

There is no sense getting into the weeds with Trump on his false claims and his ongoing tirade against mail-in voting (and pretty much anything that raises his ire).  That just derails the debate and takes focus away from what is really happening here.

Trump in no way is trying to protect free speech, nor is he concerned that the tech companies should remain impartial concerning their content.  He is blatantly attacking those who oppose him or disagree with him and he is using the federal government as the cane to strike against his opponents.  He is clearly misusing his authority in this case, though it is questionable whether this executive order holds any real weight against the social media sites.

But what we cannot ignore is the fact that Trump continues to lash out at any and all that do not show absolute loyalty to him (he has even derided FOX News from time to time) and that he is now leveraging the federal government as his punishment rod.  And even if that ultimately falls short because the authority is lacking, the legal entanglements can make life uncomfortable for anybody he goes after and could potentially break them financially.

Donald Trump is in full tyrant mode at this point, and is blatantly misusing his position of power to strike down any opposition.  And this will only get worse as the election draws near.

The people of this country must present a unified front against Trump's toxic politics and his reaches at tyranny.  We should be protesting in the streets just like the people in Hong Kong, lest our Democracy will be destroyed by a person (and the party that supports him) who fails to understand our free and constitutional system, and who threatens us with the false assertion (his own words):  "When somebody is President of the United States, his authority is total."

We the People Need to Demand the Option to Vote by Mail

By P.S. White

This week, Donald Trump launched yet another attack on vote-by-mail initiatives, falsely claiming that Michigan and Nevada had "illegally" sent out applications for mail-in voting and he threatened to withhold federal funding to these states.  This nothing more than another one of his tirades, and again shows how he is willing to quickly turn to retribution against anybody who acts contrary to his wishes.  But the people must stand against these actions and demand the option to vote by mail.

The fact is that the states have the right to decide how they will conduct the vote, and the federal government has no say in the matter (at one point, the Republicans were the party of States Rights before they sacrificed their principles to whims of Trump).  Should Trump withhold federal funding to the states because of their decision to allow the vote-by-mail option, his actions would likely be counted as illegal and the states could take recourse against him.

Trump claims that mail-in voting is susceptible to fraud, but there is absolutely no proof that voting in this manner leads to any significant fraudulent activity.  The Republicans in general have a history of voter suppression and supporting gerrymandering that greatly skews votes in their favor.  Voting by mail bypasses some of these attempts at suppression and allows for greater participation among those casting their votes.  Trump himself has admitted that this "doesn’t work out well for Republicans" (because it thwarts voter suppression) and that is largely why he is against it.

However, voters could face a very difficult choice when election day rolls around this year in November.  The Coronavirus pandemic is hardly over and health experts warn that a second wave could hit in Fall.  If that is the case, people will be putting their lives at risk to cast their votes in person during the upcoming election.  This risk can be easily eliminated by states allowing the unrestricted option for all citizens to vote by mail (the option currently exists, but there are stipulations on who is eligible).

Trump's threats against vote-by-mail hold no weight if law-makers across the country, on the state and federal levels, stand against him.  Mail-in ballots are a perfectly acceptable means for people to exercise their franchise, and should be allowed in the current pandemic environment so that voters do not have to risk their health.

It is up to the people of this country to put pressure on their representatives to allow voting by mail without restrictions in the upcoming election (and beyond).  There are no credible arguments to the contrary, and several states have been practicing widespread vote-by-mail for years (Utah, Colorado, Hawaii, Washington, and Oregon).  If the people demand it, and make their voices heard, there is little that Trump and the Republicans can do to stop it.  Now is the time to stand up for safe elections, and against those who have long tried to skew the votes in their favor.

Tyranny Alert: Trump is Trying to Claim that Votes by Mail Should Not Count

By P.S. White

We should be ever-vigilant against leaders who use the tactics of dictators to conceal their intentions and ambitions and to facilitate their overreach of authority.

As we head towards possibly the most pivotal election in our country in over 150 years, Donald Trump is again trying to invalidate any initiatives that would extend the ability to vote-by-mail to all citizens of a state. California's Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order on Saturday assuring that every voter in the state will receive a mail-in ballot.  This is meant as an option, not a replacement, to voting in-person, and it acts as a vital safety measure if the current pandemic continues.

In response to this action, Trump put out the following tweet:

So in California, the Democrats, who fought like crazy to get all mail in only ballots, and succeeded, have just opened a voting booth in the most Democrat area in the State. They are trying to steal another election. It’s all rigged out there. These votes must not count. SCAM!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 9, 2020

This, of course, is yet another attempt by Trump to overreach his authority and to create doubts in the minds of Americans about the validity of the upcoming elections.  The fact is that the states have the authority to conduct the elections in the manner they best see fit, especially the presidential election.  There is also no substantial evidence that mail-in votes are subject to a higher level of fraud than any other form of voting (all of which have proven to be reliable), and several states have been doing it for years with no issues.  But Trump, and the Republicans in general, continue to push conspiracy theories that mail-in ballots are unreliable in order to create doubt about the upcoming elections, especially if the results go in favor of the Democrats.

If mail-in voting is blocked for the general public, that forces people to chose risking their health by casting a vote in person if the Coronavirus threat continues into Fall (which many experts believe it will).  The majority of the people polled across the county support voting by mail, and if their states move forward with initiatives to allow that, Trump has no authority to stop it.

The president cannot dictate how elections are held, and his attempts to cast doubt on mail-in voting (which he himself recently did) should be uniformly rejected.  There is no sense trying to get into the weeds and bicker over the details.  That's what Trump wants because he works best when he can muddy the waters by throwing out unsubstantiated claims that cannot be proven but which create doubt.

The states decide how to conduct their elections (didn't the GOP once consider themselves the party of States Rights?), and the federal government must accept the results.  If Trump and the Republicans are allowed to dictate in any way how the elections are handled, or invalidate the results, then our once free and Democratic country takes the next step towards tyranny.

Biko, A Reprise in Honor of Ahmaud Arbery

Steven Biko became an Anti-Apartheid martyr after he was beaten to death by police in South Africa in 1977.  Peter Gabriel wrote a song about it in 1980 which I have revised to apply to Ahmaud Aubrey, who was unjustly murdered in Georgia this past February. Sadly, only the name and place needed changing (and it also applies just as easily to Breonna Taylor and George Floyd).

Let Ahmaud's name become the new rallying cry heard across the country in a stand against unjust violence directed towards Blacks and other minorities.

Biko (Reprise)

Original lyrics by Peter Gabriel from his third solo album

Ngomhla sibuyayo
Ngomhla sibuyayo
Ngomhla sibuyayo, kophalal'igazi!

February 2020
Brunswick Georgia, weather fine
It was business as usual
With Black lives on the line

Oh Ahmaud, Ahmaud, Ahmaud Arbery
Oh Ahmaud, Ahmaud, Ahmaud Arbery
Yihla moja, yihla moja
The man is dead
The man is dead

When I try and sleep at night
I can only dream in red
The outside world is black and white
With only one color dead

Oh Ahmaud, Ahmaud, Ahmaud Arbery
Oh Ahmaud, Ahmaud, Ahmaud Arbery
Yihla moja, yihla moja
The man is dead
The man is dead

You can blow out a candle
But you can't blow out a fire
Once the flames begin to catch
The wind will blow it higher

Oh Ahmaud, Ahmaud, Ahmaud Arbery
Oh Ahmaud, Ahmaud, Ahmaud Arbery
Yihla moja, yihla moja
The man is dead
The man is dead

And the eyes of the world are
Watching now, watching now

Senzeni na? Senzeni na?
What have we done? What have we done?
Senzeni na? Senzeni na?
What have we done? What have we done?

Biko on YouTube

Translations:

Ngomhla sibuyayo, kophalal'igazi - When we return, there'll be perfect silence

Yihla moja - Come spirit

Senzeni na? - What have we done?

Tyranny Alert: Trump Again Launches Attacks at the Media, Blaming Them for the Failure of His Daily Briefings

By P.S. White

This past weekend, Donald Trump claimed that he would stop his daily Coronavirus briefings (though he has actually continued them in a scaled-down format) and put the blame directly on the press:

What is the purpose of having White House News Conferences when the Lamestream Media asks nothing but hostile questions, & then refuses to report the truth or facts accurately. They get record ratings, & the American people get nothing but Fake News. Not worth the time & effort!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 25, 2020

Trump's daily briefings have been a source of controversy for some time as he has used them to attack those who oppose him while also using his time in front of the camera as a stand-in for his rallies and campaigning as he tries to prop himself up as a great leader. There have been many calls for the major networks not to give full coverage to the briefings, and that came to a head last week when Trump suggested that injecting bleach or disinfectant might kill the Coronavirus.

He later tried to back away from his statement, saying that he was being sarcastic.  And Fox News tried to spin it as the media misrepresenting the president's words.  But the fact is that he did suggest it as a possibility (along with exposure to ultraviolet light), and that prompted Lysol, the EPA, and medical experts to issue a warning about injecting or ingesting disinfectant.

After this blew up on Trump and he faced stern criticism, he again directed the blame at the media, suggesting that their coverage was inaccurate.  But the video shows that he said what he said, and his attacks on the press are just another example of him attempting to redirect attention away from himself while relying on the tools of tyranny.

Trump has waged a war against the press throughout his tenure in the executive office, calling them "Fake News" and the "Enemy of the People".  These affronts should have been shut down immediately as they are a direct attack on the Constitution and a clear violation of his oath of office to uphold the laws of the land (which include the First Amendment).  His attacks have been a thinly-veiled attempt to minimize and delegitimize any criticism of his actions and they are dangerously close to actions taken by Hitler in the runup to his seizure of power.

During the 1930's when Germany was in a state of turmoil, Hitler and the Nazi Party frequently attacked what they called the "Lugenpresse" or the lying press.  This was their attempt to discredit any criticism as they dismantled Democratic institutions of the government and imposed absolute rule over the state.

And attacking the press is just one of several tactics that Trump has pulled straight from the Dictator 101 textbook.  Add to that his demonizing of immigrants, attacks on our Constitutional system (the judiciary, separation of powers, oversight by Congress, and more), overreaches of executive power, as well as spreading fear and division.

While there is plenty to criticize about the current mainstream media, calling it the "Enemy of the People" is irresponsible, blatantly unconstitutional, and a direct threat to our free and Democratic government.  We need to stand against his attacks on the press as well as his other actions that threaten our Constitutional system lest Trump lead us down the same path as other dictators and we lose our standing among the leaders of the Free World.

Tyranny Alert: Trump Announces That He Will Suspend Immigration Due to the Current Crisis

We should be ever-vigilant against leaders who use the tactics of dictators to conceal their intentions and ambitions and to facilitate their overreach of authority.

Donald Trump announced on Twitter last night that he will be suspending all immigration temporarily by an executive order due to the current pandemic:

In light of the attack from the Invisible Enemy, as well as the need to protect the jobs of our GREAT American Citizens, I will be signing an Executive Order to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 21, 2020

This is a typical tactic of tyrants and dictators, trying to redirect attention from their own failings and while demonizing a group of people.  He claims that this is a temporary measure, but will almost certainly try to keep it in place as long as possible.  And this is just another instance of Trump pandering to his base and pushing a xenophobic agenda while covering up his failures in handling the current pandemic.

Representative Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, is one of several who have called out Trump's actions:

This action is not only an attempt to divert attention away from Trump’s failure to stop the spread of the coronavirus and save lives, but an authoritarian-like move to take advantage of a crisis and advance his anti-immigrant agenda. We must come together to reject his division. https://t.co/wYEai4rYVY

— Joaquin Castro (@JoaquinCastrotx) April 21, 2020

This is clearly a divisive move and yet another attempt by Trump to overreach his authority.  The people of this country must remain alert to actions such as this that take advantage of a crisis in order to push forward a dangerous agenda.   These are the acts of dictators and should not be accepted in a free and Democratic country.

Diversion Alert: Trump Claims He Saved Billions of Lives as He Continues to Praise Himself in His Daily Briefings

At his press briefing on Saturday, Donald Trump made the claim that he may have saved "billions" of lives with his actions to mitigate the current pandemic.  That of course is a ridiculous assertion, but let's just take a look at a couple of things.

First of all, the United States only has a population of 330 million.  So is he suggesting that what he has allegedly done could save people living beyond the borders of our country?  There is absolutely no evidence to support that.

Second, let's go back and look at the statement he made on February 28th.  That was at a time when Trump was still downplaying the threat of the virus, despite urgent warnings, and he made the claim that Coronavirus would disappear "like a miracle".

The very next day, the United States recorded its first death related to the virus.  As of April 19th, there are now 40,575 reported deaths in the U.S. due to the Coronavirus outbreak.  That's an increase of 4 million percent from the time of the first death.

Trump's daily briefings have taken the place of the rallies he can't stage now due to the lockdowns, and he uses them to make false assertions and prop up his actions.  The media should not be giving these wide coverage and should diligently point out the inaccuracies, mistatements, and outright lies put forth by Trump.

The president's response thus far has been poor and may actually have impeded efforts to combat the virus.  But he employs the tactics of tyrants by using misleading claims and by misdirecting attention from his failings.  The people of this country should not be fooled by these diversions and should continue to hold him and the Republican party accountable for their actions.

Democracy Countdown: Now Is the Time to Make a Stand Against the Anti-Democratic Actions of Donald Trump and the Republican Party

As we head towards the election in 2020, the United States faces a very real crisis that goes beyond the pandemic that we are currently sheltering from.  Our leadership, particularly the president, continues to ramp up anti-Democratic, authoritarian actions that pose a direct threat to our Republic.  Donald Trump is also taking advantage of the current state of affairs to assert his authority and push the bounds of the executive office, setting this country on a perilous course if he were to win re-election.  Now is the time for the people of this country to make their voices heard and to prepare to stand against him when casting our ballots in November.

Just this past week, Trump’s actions have been quite concerning and should be setting off alarm bells to those who want the U.S. to remain a free and Democratic country.  He has started pushing towards the re-opening of the country, despite the reservations of medical experts, and when the states pushed back he claimed “when somebody is the president of the United States, the authority is total”.  This of course is not true based on our Constitutional system, with the states maintaining the authority to regulate their own affairs.  As a leader, he has an obligation to guide the country in times like this and make recommendations.  But he is not a king or dictator (at this point), and cannot force the states to re-open at his command.  He did back away from the claims later in the week, but the fact that he made the assertion at all should raise plenty of alarm.

Trump also threatened to misuse one of his powers as he warned he might adjourn Congress in order to push through multiple executive branch nominees.  The Senate is currently in a “pro forma session” with no-one present due to the pandemic until May 4th (a decision made by Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell), and therefore no nominees can be approved.  The Constitution allows the president to appoint nominees for a limited time when the Senate is in recess.  But it does not give him the actual power to adjourn Congress.  He claims that the nominees are essential to the current situation and that Democrats are blocking the appointments, but the fact that he has already put through many contentious and controversial nominees is a large part of the problem.

In yet another overreach of his authority, Trump has claimed that he will cease funding for the World Health Organization (WHO).  He is trying to redirect blame for the current situation to that entity, falsely claiming they did not provide sufficient warning for the severity of the pandemic.  But he was the one who downplayed the threat posed by Coronavirus until the death toll started rising.  And he has no authority to halt the money going to WHO because Congress controls the power of the purse and they authorized the funding.  Trump can make future recommendations to cut off funding and/or refuse to sign any new legislation that sends money to WHO.  However, he can try to use the current national emergency to divert those funds, similar to what he did with his wall, but that represents a clear overreach of his authority.

Trump and the Republicans also continue their scorched earth policy against the U.S. Postal Service as they refuse to authorize any additional funding during the current crisis.  Mail delivery is down during the pandemic, and the USPS could run out of money by later this year.  The Republicans have been eager to privatize that branch of the government for quite some time, but the service it provides is essential to the country.  Along with this, Trump and the Republicans continue to resist vote-by-mail initiatives even though that would make the upcoming elections much safer during the current pandemic (and also bring added revenue to the Post Office).  Their stance hurts the average citizen and could make the upcoming vote more dangerous.

For any other president, just one of these actions could have been scandal enough to have them removed from office.  But we live in unprecedented times and this is just another week in the presidency of Donald Trump.  The Republicans refuse to stand up to him for fear of backlash, despite the fact that many of his actions go against the “principles” that the party allegedly stands for (remember when they accused Obama of overreaching his executive authority?).  The Democrats have proven mostly ineffectual, and the tacit opposition they raise is often lost amidst the media’s reality TV style focus on the daily drama created by Trump.

Thus, the onus lays with the people to make a stand against the very real threat Trump poses to our country. And the upcoming election could very well be the last chance he have to turn the tide of authoritarian leadership peddled by Trump and the Republicans.  The current president has little respect, and even less understanding, or our Constitutional form of government.  And he attacks the system established by that document on a daily basis while also exerting ever more authority over the country as a whole.  If he want to save our Republic, he must be removed from office.

We have the opportunity in the upcoming elections assuming Trump does not try to quash those or minimize participation to the point that he is guaranteed victory.  In the meantime, we must make our voices heard and make it clear that we do not accept these authoritarian actions that threaten our freedoms and endanger our Constitutional system of government.  For now, social media should be a way for us to voice opposition, especially since he is particularly focused on Twitter.  But as the stay-at-home restrictions ease, live protests should follow.  We the people must make a stand for our Democracy, and we must do it now, lest the warnings that the Founding Fathers and other defenders of liberty have issued about the dangers of authoritarian rule come to fruition and destroy our Republic.

Diversion Alert: U.S. Intelligence Investigating if Coronavirus Started in a Chinese Lab

According to a report from CNN, U.S. Intelligence agencies are investigating whether the Coronavirus originated from a laboratory in China rather than the market in Wuhan.  There is currently no evidence that the virus was artificially created and/or part of a biological warfare initiative.  But intelligence officials are looking for answers on how it got started.

It should be noted that the Chinese Lab allegation is part of a conspiracy theory put forward by multiple people on the far-right who are Trump sympathizers.  The president has also diligently worked on purging the intelligence community of detractors and has put people in place that are loyal to him and his administration.  This investigation could very well have been ordered by him or someone else in his cabinet to redirect attention away from his mismanagement of the Coronavirus response.

That's not to suggest that a thorough investigation is not warranted.  A better understanding of how the virus originated could help in the case of future outbreaks.  And if this did originate from a Chinese lab (as there is at least some credible evidence), that must be addressed in the appropriate manner.  But Trump likes to capitalize on situations like this to divert attention from his own administration which has been riddled with controversy since taking office.  He and his supporters also tend to re-write and/or invent facts to serve their purpose.

An investigation makes sense, but it should be for the purpose of uncovering the facts of how the virus originated and should not be politically motivated or used to cover up Trump's failings in handling the current crisis.  Since the Republicans refuse to hold Trump accountable and since the Democrats have been ineffectual, the people must keep their eyes open and call out inappropriate actions as well as threats to our free and Democratic system.

Tyranny Alert: Trump Tries to Re-Direct Blame for Mismanaging the Current Crisis While Overstepping His Authority

We should be ever-vigilant against leaders who use the tactics of dictators to conceal their intentions and ambitions and to facilitate their overreach of authority.

Donald Trump tried to re-direct the blame for the mismanagement of the Coronavirus crisis this week, pointing an accusing finger at the World Health Organization (WHO) while threatening to cut their funding:

Today I’m instructing my administration to halt funding of the World Health Organization while a review is conducted to assess the World Health Organization’s role in severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus.  Everybody knows what’s going on there.

The fact is that WHO began to issue warnings about the virus early in January.  These went mostly unheeded by Trump and his administration as he downplayed the threat of the virus for the next two months.  As recently as February 28th, Trump claimed that "it’s going to disappear" like a "miracle". On March 4th, Trump suggested that Coronavirus was not much worse than the flu when talking with Sean Hannity of FOX News.   And it was well into the month of March before he accepted the necessity of nationwide lockdowns.   In addition, he has fought with the states and impeded their access to vital supplies needed to combat the outbreak. As of this writing, the country is over 650,000 reported cases of COVID-19 with over 33,000 deaths.

As for his claim that he will halt funding for WHO, that is a clear (and dangerous) overreach of his power.  Congress controls the power of the purse and they authorized the funding. He does not have the Constitutional authority to keep that money from going to WHO.

We must continue to be alert to leaders who overstep the bounds of their office and who use deception, misdirection, and obfuscation in ways that threaten our free and Democratic system of government.

July 16, 2019: The Day The Republican Party Voted for Racism and the People of America Were Called to Make a Stand

By P.S. White

One day the history books will look back on July 16, 2019 as a pivotal day in United States history.  That is the day that the Democrats called for a vote in the House of Representatives on a bill condemning the racist statements made by President Donald Trump.  The Democrats voted unanimously in favor of the bill as did one Independent.  The Republicans, however, followed the direction of party leadership with 187 members voting against the bill and only four breaking ranks and taking a stand against racism.

While this obviously shows a very clear split along party lines, it also demonstrates that the GOP has sacrificed its values for partisan loyalty and has also failed to take a stand to support some very basic principles and measures of human decency.  How hard is to take a stand against racism?  How hard is it to place the fundamentals of a free and civilized people over party loyalty?  How hard is to say no to the hatred and bigotry directed to a singled-out group of people?  And what is the ultimate damage of what they have done?

The Democrats did the right thing in voting against racism, as did the other five who stood with them, but that should never have presented a challenge.  They did what is expected of them as representatives of a free and diverse democratic country that treats all people as equals under the law.  Standing against racism and bigotry of any kind, especially when expressed by the leaders of our nation, is the duty of our elected representatives and is the duty of every person living in this country.  This should not be hard.  This is Humanity 101.

But the Republicans chose to follow the party line instead and voted for racism.  Of course they will quibble with semantics and try to claim that the president’s words were misunderstood or taken in the wrong context and that they are not really supporting racism.  But that minimizes a very damaging and dangerous expression of hatred.  And if you apply the Reasonable Person test in this situation, their attempts to twist and misdirect the facts quickly fall apart.

It should not be hard to stand against racism.  It should never be hard to stand against racism.  And it certainly should not be a party issue.  Whether Democrat or Republican, the people—and especially the leaders—of a free, equal, and democratic country should have the basic understanding that racism is wrong, and they should stand against any and all forms directed toward the people of this nation and beyond.  Failing to do so violates the most basic principles of a civilized society, values that even children are held to. 

The slurs made by Donald Trump toward people of color in his most recent statements, as well as previous comments made by him, do not align with the values and beliefs of the American people in general.  And the members Congress have a duty to represent the people at a time such as this, not their party.  And that duty is to represent all the people of their states, not just one race, one party, or one ideology.

The six Republicans from the state of Alabama, with 26% of its population black, have failed the people they represent.  The seven Republicans from the state of Indiana, with nearly 20% of its population Black, Hispanic, Latino, or another race, have failed the people they represent.  The fourteen Republicans from the state of Florida, with a population over 22% Hispanic / Latino and over 40% non-white, have failed the people they represent.  The seventeen Republicans from Texas (over 50% Hispanic, Latino, or non-white) who voted for racism (with Will Hurd the only dissenter) have failed the people of the highly diverse state they represent.  All of the Republicans who took a stand against this bill failed the people they represent and the country to which they swear allegiance.

Standing against racism, or any sort or hatred or bigotry directed at select groups of people, should never be a matter of party politics.  This is basic human decency and there should be no questions nor bickering over the technicalities of the racial epithets.  The Republicans have failed on this matter, those in the House of Representatives and the party as a whole.

So the people of the United States must take on the burden of responsibility when their leaders have lost their way.  This is not a partisan issue.  This is not a state by state issue.  This is not an issue that impacts only a small portion of this nation.  This is not the time to wear the banner of Democrat or Republican, liberal or conservative, white or non-white.

This is the time to stand up and do what is expected of a free and equal people living together in a civilized, democratic society.  This is our Call to Action.  We stand against racism, we stand against bigotry, we stand against the fear and hate they bread, and we stand against the tyranny to which this leads. 

We must stand together now, not as members of a party or an ideology or even as just a singled-out race, but as a people united against racism and the leaders that espouse or tacitly support it.  We stand together as Americans, we stand together as people of the human race, and we will not see our brothers and sisters degraded, demeaned or persecuted, no matter their race, religion, beliefs, or preferences. 

The Republicans have failed in this matter, but we as a people must not.  We must make a stand and we must send a message to leadership that has gone too far astray that they no longer represent the people.  And will use our authority as sovereigns and protectors of this nation and employ our God-given rights to set our country back on the right path and to remove those leaders who have turned against a free, equal, and non-oppressive society and against basic human values and decency.

Independence Day 2019

As Independence Day greets us in the year 2019, the United States finds itself at a tipping point in its history with our freedoms and democratic institutions under constant attack from our leadership.  The country continues to be subjected to the spread of hatred, antagonism, fear, and division, along with a lack of civility and direct attacks on the our democracy.  But these beliefs do not represent the attitude of most of America as they stem from the deep partisan divides that have torn our country apart for far too long.  Today we must recognize that we should not give in to the bad examples nor follow the destructive path of misguided leaders as this will only push us further to the point of no return.  And we must look to the law of the land and our legal institutions which give us the means and legal right to make a stand against this leadership that has failed to work in the best interest of the people.

In 1776, the people of the colonies came to realize that their distant and disconnected leadership no longer represented their needs, wants, or basic beliefs.  They declared independence on July 4th of that year and chose to follow a path that was in the best interests of the people at that time.  As I write this on Independence Day 2019, I realize that it is once again time to DECLARE INDEPENDENCE from a leadership that has GONE TOO FAR ASTRAY from the people it is supposed to represent and that WORKS AGAINST OUR DEMOCRATIC WAY OF LIFE.  And thankfully, the early shapers of our country--the ones that gave us a Constitution that secures our rights, freedoms, and democratic government--understood that we would face situations like this from time to time.  And they built in a means for us to revolt against leadership without resorting to violence or lawlessness.  They GUARRANTEED that we would have the RIGHT TO SPEAK OUT against our leaders if we believed that they were acting inappropriately and that we would have the means to REPLACE THEM WITH OUR VOTES.

That time is upon us once again.  The leadership of this country has gone far off track and no longer serves the people and democratic institutions it has sworn to protect.  Those leaders may claim that they were swept into office by a revolution of their own, but that was nothing more than a wave of discontent from a small but vocal minority that lashed out at a time when the nation was deeply divided amongst itself.  It represents only a small fraction of the American people who became energized at a time when too many were disillusioned to the point of inaction when faced with unacceptable choices for leadership.  Now it is time for the larger majority to step up and proclaim that the wave that has briefly washed over the land and forced upon us leaders that feed upon hatred, fear, and division DOES NOT REPRESENT THE PEOPLE OF THIS COUNTRY.

This is not a liberal issue.  This is not a conservative issue.  This is not something for Democrats or Republicans to attach to their banners.  This goes beyond the partisan politics that have too long failed to act in the interest of the people.  This is an issue that impacts ALL AMERICANS who believe in the freedoms and liberties that this country has always stood for.  For too long, we have been branded with the labels of liberal and conservative, Democrat and Republican.  And those labels have torn us apart and brought us to this pivotal point in our history.  We are a country of over 320 million people, and WE CANNOT be boiled down to ONLY TWO IDEOLOGIES.  We are white, we are black, we are brown, we are yellow, we are red, and ALL THE COLORS of the spectrum.  We are Christian, we are Muslim, we are Jewish, we are Hindu, we are Buddhist, we are atheist, we are ALL RELIGIONS AND BELIEFS OF THE WORLD.  WE ARE NOT JUST TWO IDEOLOGIES—liberal and conservative—BUT MANY, and we will not be torn apart by one of those or the other.

We are many people, many beliefs, many ideologies, many preferences, all living together in one country.  And we have done so peacefully for far too long to have that destroyed by petty partisanship or leaders that promote division, distrust, and discord and who show a preference for tyranny over democracy.  We have faced our struggles in the past, and we have not always made the right choices.  But ultimately we have learned that separation, discrimination, negation, and despotism are NOT THE PATHS WE WILL FOLLOW.  We have faced our inner demons before and we have said THAT IS NOT WHO WE ARE.  We must do that again today.

So as we wave our flags on Independence Day 2019, we must remember that the Stars and Stripes do not represent one people, one belief, one way of life, but the many, many that make up this vast county.  And they have ALWAYS represented many different people, often those who have been subjugated, persecuted, and disenfranchised.  And as we sing the Star Spangled Banner, we must remember the important words “THE LAND OF THE FREE AND HOME OF THE BRAVE”.  And we must remember those have had the bravery to fight for our freedom against all odds.

And as we say the Pledge of Allegiance, we must remember that we are doing so not just to the flag, but “TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS”.  And when we say those words “ONE NATION UNDER GOD”, whether we are believers or not, we must remember the kindness and love preached by so many religions in this world, ALL of which are represented in this county.  And we must ALWAYS, ALWAYS embrace jealously the words “WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL”.  THAT is what this country is about, NOT the animosity that our misguided leadership espouses.

On this day and every day henceforth, WE MUST DECLARE INDEPENDENCE FROM HATRED, ANTAGONISM, FEAR, DIVISION, AND TYRANNY and from those who ATTACK the institutions of liberty that are core to our free, democratic society.  And we must do so not by following the inciteful example of our leadership, but with civility as law abiding citizens should.  We must do so with our VOICES and OUR VOTES as is our GOD GIVEN RIGHT as free American citizens.  When leadership has gone so far astray and has become harmful to the country it was elected to serve, IT MUST BE REMOVED BY THE LAW AND WILL OF THE COUNTRY.

Mueller's Report Did Not Give Trump a Victory, But It Also Fell Short of of Holding Him Accountable

Robert Mueller's final report on the investigations into whether Donald Trump or his campaign colluded with Russia was turned in this past weekend, and on Sunday Attorney General William Barr released his summary findings which revealed no collusion.  Trump and the right wing are immediately claiming victory and lashing back at their accusers, but in doing so that are ignoring some key findings from the report.  But it also appears the Mueller pulled his punches and deferred to the Attorney General for the final conclusions which could allow Trump to walk away from this with no consequences.

The key conclusion from the report, and the one that Trump has been crowing about the most, is the following:

[T]he investigation did not establish that members of the Trump Campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities.

That Trump was not found guilty of collusion should not come as a surprise.  In his campaign as in his business dealings, he plays the mafia boss role quite well as he doles out any shady dealings to his underlings while he keeps himself an arm's length away.  Considering the criminal activity that was uncovered from this investigation carried out by people working directly for Trump, it is quite clear that he surrounds himself with people of questionable morals and ethics while all the time claiming innocence for himself.  This in itself should be concerning to all who are watching.

The fact that Mueller did not call out the actions of Donald Trump Jr. and the others involved in the June 9, 2016 meeting with Russian agents seems like a bad choice considering it is hard to argue they did not cross the line.  But perhaps there is more on that in the body of the report with a suggestion that it be dealt with separately, and I expect that the House of Representatives will be looking further at that.

As for the obstruction of justice charge:

The Special Counsel states that "while this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him."

So Trump's claims that the report is "complete and total exoneration" are incorrect. He escaped any charges of collusion, but the final call on obstruction of justice were left to the Attorney General. And sadly, that was a poor choice because Barr has shown a clear bias against the report in the past, and was not the appropriate person to make the decision in this case.

The fact that Mueller chose not to make a conclusion on the obstruction charge and that he did not carry out any further indictments is disappointing because it essentially makes this is a toothless report.  It has also given the right wing plenty of ammunition and they have immediately moved towards weaponizing what they claim to be Mueller's findings.

Trump's claims that "this was an illegal take down that failed and hopefully somebody’s going to be looking at the other side" certainly sound like a threat and similar declarations have been coming from the right wing media. But there was nothing illegal about this investigation seeing as it was ordered by the Attorney General that was appointed by Trump. The investigation may have taken longer than many expected, but it remained within the bounds of the law.  And the report did turn up plenty of illegal activity linked to Trump.

Mueller has basically punted on the issue and it will be up to the Democrats to pull anything positive from this.  Hopefully the full report will be made public, and perhaps there is further information that will better justify the effort that went into it.  But the Dems must tread lightly now because the public likely does not have much of an appetite for further investigations. And perhaps it's time to put this in the past and focus on which party is best qualified to lead and protect our Democracy while reinforcing our Constitutional government and the rule of law.

You can read the full text of the Attorney General's letter at this link.

Trump Tries to Minimize the Mueller Investigation by Again Attacking Our Democratic Institutions

The results from Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election will be released soon which seem to be causing Donald Trump to grow increasingly more agitated.  In an interview with Maria Bartiromo from FOX Business Network, Trump made the following statements:

It's always interesting to me because a deputy, that didn't get any votes, appoints a man that didn't get any votes, he's going to write a report on me. I had one of the greatest election victories in history. Would you say that's true? They came from the valleys, they came from the rivers, they came from the cities, they came from all over, they voted in one of the greatest elections in the history of our country, and now I have a man, because we have an attorney general who -- nobody can even believe he didn't tell me, but he recused himself -- so I have a man who is a deputy who I don't know, who I didn't know at all, and he appoints a man who had just left my office, I didn't give him the job at the FBI, [James] Comey's his best friend, but listen, you know it better than anybody, you've been very fair in this, but listen, I have a deputy, appoints a man to write a report on me, to make a determination on my presidency? People will not stand for it.

This finds Trump once again attacking--also failing to understand--the institutions of the government he is supposed to be leading.  The Justice Department is part of the Executive Branch and is responsible for enforcement of the law and administration of justice in the United States.  But this department is not subservient to the president, instead acting as one of the checks and balances in our system.  The Justice Department holds no one above the law including the president, and it is their job and their duty to see that justice is done.

It is true that Robert Mueller was not elected to his position as investigator.  But he was appointed by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein who was appointed by Attorney General Jeff Sessions who was appointed by Trump.  Sessions has since stepped down and Trump has expressed his regret over making that appointment, but that is primarily because Sessions carried out his job appropriately and placed his loyalty to the laws above his loyalty to Trump.

Trump is not the monarch he wishes himself to be and he cannot command government officials to fall in line and shield him from any consequences of the law.  The job of the president is to execute the laws of the land, but the person who holds that office is also just as much subjected to those laws.  There is a separation of the Justice Department from the president just as the Judicial and Legislative branches are separated from one another.  And each is responsible for making sure that the other follows the law and does not threaten our Democracy.  This is a fundamental aspect of our government and crucial to protect it from slipping into tyranny as the Founding Fathers intended.

Trump also claims, yet again, that he had the greatest election victory in the history of the country trying to suggest that he has the will of the people on his side.  But this claim is completely false.  He actually had a very narrow margin of victory that came down to three states--Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin--which he barely won.  He also has the lowest overall approval rating of any president since 1937 according to Gallup, even though his numbers have edged up over the past year.  But to suggest that Mueller is thwarting the will of the people as Trump is clearly attempting to do, is another of his many false claims.

This is yet another example of Trump returning to the tactics of a despot, attacking Democratic institutions that he feels are working against him in order to further his own cause.  And this again emphasizes the threat he poses to our constitutional government and our free and democratic way of life with such actions.  We must call him out on this and continue to defend our country from the threats of a person who acts more the part of a dictator than the leader of the free world.

The Republicans Need to Recognize that Bret Kavanaugh is Not the Right Person for the Supreme Court

By P.S. White

With the accusations flying and the Republicans trying to deflect attacks on Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Bret Kavanaugh, there has been much in the way of contentious noise in Washington D.C. the last few weeks (apart from that coming regularly from an erratic White House).  Many among the GOP have claimed that Kavanaugh’s accusers are not credible and that coming forward at this time is politically motivated.  But they have gone so far into the weeds that they can’t see the most important issue here: the fact that the public in general have little confidence in Kavanaugh and that he should not be appointed to the Supreme Court.

The fact that several women have come forward with assault claims against Kavanaugh from as much as thirty years past certainly seems specious and obviously draws suspicion of political motivation (note that I am not doubting the claims, just commenting on the timing).  Of course, the Republicans blocked President Obama’s nominee claiming that such a nomination should not occur in an election year, so they played the game of politics themselves as recently as 2016.  The Supreme Court is the branch of government that should be most shielded from political jockeying, but sadly both parties have typically failed on that point.

While the accusations against Kavanaugh should definitely be addressed, it seems at this point that there is not a legal justification for forcing him to step down.  But that doesn’t mean that he should be confirmed for the Supreme Court, and this is where the Republicans need to do the right thing and cast their votes against him no matter what, if anything, the FBI investigation turns up.  Otherwise, his elevation to the highest court in the land will place a black mark on that institution for the length of his tenure which could be thirty years or more.

The public confidence in the Supreme Court, long considered one of the most stable and trusted branches of government, has already waned in recent years.  A recent Gallup Poll looking at our public institutions found that the confidence level dropped in 2018 after a slight resurgence last year, and that it has been on a downward trend for several years.  The current partisan struggles to get a controversial nominee appointed will likely drive that down even further.

The fact is that after the allegations as well as Kavanaugh’s unhinged response to them, it is unlikely that he will be considered a competent member of the most important court in the land beyond partisan supporters.  That base does not represent the country as a whole and it is important that the general public, not just the Republican loyal, have confidence in this man’s ability to carry out his responsibilities.

If the Republicans insist on sticking with Kavanaugh, it will almost certainly result in a backlash from women voters.  And the GOP is already trying to recover from its highly partisan, unpopular moves from the past year and a half such as corporate tax cuts, failure to support the AHA, hardline immigration policies, and generally poor representation of minorities (who make up a notable portion of the voting public).  They continue to pander to the white, mostly male, wealthy demographic, even though that group fails to represent the country in general.

The Republicans have made more than their share of missteps since the party secured control of the Executive and Legislative Branches in 2016, and they have a president who has become increasingly unhinged and proved quite an embarrassment to the party and the country.  Now they must decide on whether to nominate a man to the Supreme Court who has a checkered past and who has shown erratic behavior similar to that which mars the presidential administration.

A vote for Kavanaugh looks far too much like another partisan move that is in the best interests of the Republican Party, not the country.  It will almost certainly result in a backlash during the coming elections and could have long-term and far-reaching negative consequences to all Americans.  There are better candidates available, and the Republicans should understand that the best move for them at this point is to vote against Brett Kavanaugh when the time comes.

If Trump Should Act on His Threats Against Our Democratic Institutions, Who Will Stand Against Him?

By P.S. White

We find ourselves at a critical point for our Democracy, and the next few months may determine if the country is up to the challenge of facing a clear challenge our Constitutional system.  We have an unstable and potentially dangerous presidential administration in office which presents a high threat level if its current war of words turns to actions that violate our freedoms and Democratic Institutions.  Donald Trump has regularly attacked the free press, the judiciary, the system of check and balances, and has even suggested that violence could arise throughout the country if the upcoming mid-term elections do not go in his favor.  So far, his words have not gone beyond rhetoric, damaging as that may be.  But if he starts to act against these institutions that he sees as threats to his power, who will stand as the barrier against his dangerous and autocratic impulses?

Trump has waged a war against the press since before he was elected, often making the egregious claim of “fake news” against any coverage that does not hold him in a good light (and almost always failing to provide proof that said coverage is “fake” or in any way misleading).  He started to attack the judiciary and the system of checks and balances once the courts began striking down his executive orders shortly after he assumed office.  He has regularly berated any public officials that have opposed him, no matter their party affiliation, and has demanded blind loyalty from government officials he considers to be under his control.  He has whipped up fear against immigrants and has already taken extreme action, including separating children from their families, against those found to be in the country illegally.  And most recently he has potentially raised doubts about the upcoming elections claiming they could lead to violence.

Throughout this, many have criticized his actions, but this has done little to restrain his overreaches of authority, and the officials and institutions who should be stepping up and acting as a check against his abuses have been silent, non-committal, and/or mostly ineffective.

First and foremost, the Republicans—who currently control Congress—have failed in their duty as elected officials to stand against the very clear threats coming from the Executive Branch.  Beyond a few fringe members of the party, they have offered little in the way of rebuke against his words and actions.  Nor have they wielded the Constitutional tools available to them to strong-arm Trump into getting his actions and administration—both of which appear to be spiraling out of control—in order.  A few have challenged certain actions from time to time, but this rarely goes beyond the occasional reprimand.  Instead, the Republicans in general have chosen to place party loyalty above their sworn duty to act as a check against overreaches of power and also to uphold our Constitution and protect our Democratic system of government.

The Democrats have been very vocal in their opposition to Trump, but have also been largely ineffective in restraining him.  They appear be a party without direction and completely lacking the patriotic fire to make a stand against an autocratic leader that represents a serious threat to our Democratic way of life.  Beyond Bernie Sanders, who is considered to be leaning a bit too far left, the party leadership has been largely ineffective and uninspiring.  This party, allegedly dedicated to the people, cannot even unite said people to come together and make a stand against a leader who is openly and proudly supported by Neo-Nazis and white supremacists.  How can we expect them to protect us against the threat that Trump could pose to our Democratic Institutions if he takes his attacks to the next level?

Even the press, despite being under direct and constant attack, has failed to present much of a unified front against a dangerous leader.  The media outlets regularly rebuke Trump’s actions and point out his mistakes in deed and word, but fail to take action against his most direct and damaging attacks.  If the media outlets were to unite together and make an attempt to work with our elected officials, they could provide a strong front calling out Trump’s offenses and using the power of information to make a case against him.  Instead, they allow the misguided “fake news” dialog to continue as they feed on the drama he has created, which may help their circulation but ultimately threatens their long-term viability.

And now we have insider information from Bob Woodward’s book and the anonymous New York Times op-ed which reveals that the Trump Administration is as chaotic and unstable as expected, and also that a group of unelected and unaccountable staffers are running the government to conform to their narrow views.  However, considering the reality-television-like status quo in the Whitehouse, this appears to have drawn a collective yawn amongst the public and those who can really make a difference.  So if this sort of revelation cannot stir people to action, what will happen if Trump starts to act on his dangerous impulses?

There was a critical point in Germany’s history in the early 30’s when Hitler—himself once considered a darkhorse candidate for leadership—and his supporters began to squash the Democratic institutions and Constitutional protections that existed in that country in order to consolidate the power of the Nazi party.  Many Germans believed at that time that a dictator could not take control in their country, but they were a deeply divided people suffering from economic turmoil and Hitler took advantage of the situation.

Economically, the United States is in a much better position than Germany was in the 30’s, but our divisions may be deeper and more irreconcilable.  And Trump has fed off of that as he tries to whip his base into a near-apocalyptic faux-patriotic furor.   A large part of his underlying message is that people should trust him instead of our Democratic institutions, and that without him at the helm his country would descend into chaos.

These are the words of a would-be dictator, and those that love our Democratic way of life—even though it has its flaws—should be wary of his vitriolic rhetoric and be on the alert for when he may turn those words into actions.  Our elected leaders and the free press have done little to keep Trump in check, giving the appearance that if he takes his attacks to the next level that they would provide an insufficient barrier to the oppressive actions that would follow.

That leaves it to the people of this country—the collective sovereigns of our Democracy—to stand up as the defenders of our freedoms and our way of life.  We need to organize.  We need to take to the streets in protests.  We need to make our voices heard and make it clear that an autocratic leader like Trump is not acceptable in this country.  And most importantly, we need to vote in this upcoming election as if its outcome could determine the fate of our country and the continuance of our Democracy.  Because it very clearly could, and we must do everything we can to take our country back.

“It is a hopeless misjudgment to think that one could force a dictatorial regime upon the German nation….The diversity of the German people calls for democracy.”

– Theodor Wolff (German writer and journalist) January 1933

The Warning Signs Are Clear and the Evidence is Alarming, We Must Immediately Address the Danger that Trump Presents to this Country

By P.S. White

Donald Trump continues to find himself mired in one controversy after the next, and recent revelations of the turmoil in the White House emphasize that we have reached a critical point in our country’s history.   Meanwhile, the president’s behavior is growing more irrational and dangerous and we should be seeing the clear warning signs of the threat that he poses to the stability of this country.  His attacks against his opponents and our Democratic institutions become increasingly more severe, and his behavior reveals a man on the edge that is unhinged and volatile who could inflict serious damage on our Democracy.

This has moved far beyond the realm of partisan politics.  The crisis we are facing is not about Republicans or Democrats, Conservatives or Liberals.  This impacts the entire country and has become about a person whose actions pose a clear and present danger.  It is time to look past the party blinders and see that the threat of the person sitting in the White House needs to be quickly addressed before his actions cause irreversible damage.

Just a few days ago, Trump met with evangelical leaders and tried to stir up fear by suggesting a dark outcome from the November elections.  Following was the warning that he gave if the Democrats were to see significant wins at the polls:

It's not a question of like or dislike, it's a question that they will overturn everything that we've done and they will do it quickly and violently. And violently. There is violence. When you look at Antifa -- these are violent people.

Apart from the beginning of the Civil War, never in the history of this country have elections resulted in large-scale violence.  This is just a blatant case of fear-mongering.  Especially by linking the Democrats to the Antifa, and particularly the violent extremists that are not representative of that group as a whole.  Trump is whipping up fear among these religious leaders, who should know better, just as he has done throughout the country by demonizing those whom he and his ever-diminishing base stand against.

In yet another offensive move, Trump again attacked the Mueller probe this past week.  In an interview with Bloomberg, he claimed that he views it “as an illegal investigation”.  But his own Justice Department considers it to be perfectly legal and following proper procedures.  Trump continues to attack this investigation as it hits closer to home, giving every appearance that he could at any moment create a constitutional crisis by trying to shut it down (case in point: he told Reuters in an interview that “I don't have to stay out. I can go in and I could do whatever.”).

But these are only two of the most recent examples.  He has regularly attacked the free press claiming “fake news” on any story that does not put him in a good light.  He has attacked the other parts of the government, particularly the judiciary, when they do not fall in line or demonstrate the proper “loyalty”.  He has attacked and bullied anybody that shows opposition and/or fails to show blind loyalty to him, even members of his own party and his own cabinet.  He has attacked and berated our democratic allies while holding authoritarian leaders such as Vladimir Putin, Rodrigo Duterte, and Kim Jong Un in high regard.  He has claimed that he has the power to pardon himself which suggests he believes himself above the love.

And now we have revelations from behind the scenes of just how chaotic and tumultuous the situation is in the White House.  Highly-respected journalist Bob Woodward, the one who along with Carl Bernstein outed Nixon, has a book coming out with a devastating expose of the chaos that is the Trump Administration.  It is comprised of interviews with anonymous sources in the White House that claim that Trump is unfit for office and that they have worked around him to keep him from doing more damage than he already has.  As a confirmation to this, an Op-Ed article came out in the New York Times penned by an anonymous official in the Trump administration claiming that what is essentially a behind the scenes coup has taken place to hold the president at bay and to thwart his “more misguided impulses”.

This has of course pushed Trump further to the edge and caused him to escalate his attacks on the press such as threatening NBC’s license, suggesting that libel laws should be changed, and demanding that the identity of these anonymous sources be revealed.  He has even gone so far as to accuse the author of the Op-Ed piece of committing treason.

This has brought us to a constitutional crisis and a time that demands actions from those who want to see the United States remain a free and Democratic country ruled by laws and not subject to the whims of an erratic, unstable leader.  The Constitution provides the means to address this either by employing the 25th Amendment upon the assertion that Trump is unfit for office, or going through the Impeachment process, and/or Congress stepping up and clamping down on the president if he continues his attacks on the very system of government he has sworn to lead and protect.

This needs to be a unified action that transcends partisan politics and that has the goal of restoring our country to a stable Democracy that follows the rule of law.  This is not the time to follow one’s party, or to hide behind nationalistic symbols claiming to be a patriot, or to simply stand on the sidelines claiming the issue will work itself out.  This is the time to act in defense of a free and Democratic America.

We tend to look back on historical events such as the rise of Hitler and make bold claims that we would have never stood by and allowed that to happen to our country.  We are presently living through a such a historic event, and the time to act is now.  When the Nuremberg trials of our era occur, we do not want to be the ones who say we were only following our party or we thought that the crisis would pass.