The Constitution...a beautiful document written by our Founding Fathers that is the backbone of our country. From the Separation of Powers to the Amendments, it is a fluid document meant to change with the times. It can be slow to move on certain things, like cyber bullying and security, but it does move.
This election cycle has brought out the worst in people, or just brought them out. Since the election, people have gone to the street to protest Trump's election. It's unprecedented, but it is their right as long as there is no violence. Also within their rights are Trump supporters who criticize the protesters as being immature brats who can't accept the outcome (I'm paraphrasing - what I read was much worse,) and then tells the protesters to either accept it or leave the country. Others are professing that it is the end of our country, our democracy, and all decent life forever in our future. Finally, and a major pet peeve of mine, saying that Trump's election and campaign are the same as how Hitler rose to power.
I'm going to speak of the last one since it is a pet peeve and also absurd. Even if it's off topic. Democracy was forced upon Germany after the Treaty of Versailles. That "democracy" didn't garner a whole lot of interest. They didn't know what democracy was, didn't care and didn't participate. Germany, like the rest of Europe and the United States. was in a depression, and a lot of people were without a job. Along comes this charismatic leader who convinces the current chancellor to retire and give him the title. And that is when the Holocaust began for the Jews.
It was also the 1940's. TVs was the new cool trend and technology. It didn't have remote controls, DVRs, VHS, or even color TV. We didn't care as much about the sanctity of human beings. We didn't think they were like us, and segregation was in effect. We were isolationist until Pearl Harbor.
So Hitler comes to power and starts by winning over the people by giving them jobs and making them proud to be German for the first time in generations. When the war started, they all cheered. Who cares that Jews are being relocated. They didn't care so long as they got jobs.
I had a friend, Harry, who I met at the hospital when I had to be admitted in 2005. He was an Auschwitz survivor. On the train to Auschwitz, Harry's father managed to push him out of the train to save his life. That was the last time he ever saw his family again. He joined the Polish Resistance Army, which was disorderly, violent, and anti-Semitic for the most part at that time. Later he was arrested again and sent to Auschwitz, where he was a slave laborer until he was freed. Like most displaced people, everything in his life was taken away. He languished in the prison camp until he was able to immigrate to Israel...where he served in the army and fought for Israel's right to exist.
Harry was a deeply religious man who thought that comparing anyone to Hitler was an insult to those that died and those that survived but were scarred for life.
So no, Donald Trump is not the next coming Hitler. No one can walk in that man's shoes. They're too evil to even be tried on. And I'm sure that there will be another blog on Adolph Hitler and WWII.
Protests and Trump Supporters. First of all, people have the right to freely protest as long as it's nonviolent. They also have the right to burn the flag, the fact that a lot of people (and I am one of them) find it abhorrent is beside the point. I recognize that I don't like it, but other people do, and that is their right.
Trump supporters are sharing memes and messages about how that the American flag is "their" flag and people should start respecting it or leave the country. These comments usually have racial overtones and hate. Yes, it's their right to say that, but I don't think it's patriotic to tell people something that denies them their rights.
The violence committed against minorities by Trump supporters who think that because their candidate won, and by the things that he said, they are now allowed to commit violence is by far worse than burning a symbolic piece of cloth. Muslim women have had their hijabs ripped off, children have come home crying after other kids (or teachers) said they were going to be deported. A school bus teacher looked at a Puerto Rican child and said: "You're not going to be here long." I also had a person respond to a friend's post that she was going to kick some ass to get to and save "her" flag. And that the Founding Fathers would agree with her actions. Violence should never be tolerated, in any context. It is not "their flag," it's OUR flag.
So there are all these awful things being said about protesters. And then they say "leave the country." They want to kick them out for using their Constitutional rights. That is wrong. If you don't want your Constitutional rights violated then don't violate others.
And when I asked a conservative friend about it, she said that it was disrespectful to the veterans and those that died in the line of duty. When they become a soldier, they have to say what is called a "Soldier's Oath." It states that the person will honor and defend the Constitution. Not the flag, not the anthem, but the Constitution. Soldiers have every right to be offended by burning flags but they fought and gave their lives to uphold ALL of the Constitution. Even those rights which they do not like they defended with their lives. By expressing an opinion and then adding something to the effect that the reason why they believe it is because of veterans actually insults the men and women who have fought to defend it.
Now Trump and the Constitution. It was made obviously clear during the campaign that he didn't know it. But how will it affect his efficacy as a president and the inability to not get what he wants? There are separations of power...judicial, administrative, and congressional. The Supreme Court can only review existing law, not pass any laws. Trump cannot insist that a Special Prosecutor be assigned to investigate, try and put Clinton in jail. He also cannot present a bill to Congress. Someone in Congress sponsors a bill and there are two votes - one for the Senate, and one for the House of Representatives. If the bill passes Congress it is then signed or vetoed by the president. Congress also has the power to allocate funds. Trump has already walked back on his on great wall that was the stalwart of his campaign. He said that we would have to originally pay for it and then he will go and get the money from Mexico. Congress is never going to approve the building of a wall, and since they hold the purse strings, they are never going to agree with that. And I doubt that they will allow him to block access to the country for Muslims, or give a large tariff on companies who go overseas. In fact, this is true of all presidents. Their policies look great, but they can only do what Congress and the Judicial system allows.
There is no excuse to be ignorant of our Constitution.
In closing, all I have to say is this:
GOD BLESS AMERICA!
No comments:
Post a Comment