Author: James P. Shafer

What So Proudly We Hailed . . .

by James P. Shafer, posted in Uncategorized

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Four years ago today my Wife and I were visiting the West coast from our home near Philadelphia.  My niece had gotten married at the end of June and since my Wife had never been to California we took the opportunity to see some of that State’s splendors.

We happened to be staying with my sister and her husband in Cupertino, CA (in the apple red heart of Silicon Valley) over the July 4th holiday and so at dusk we were all dutifully trudging to the municipal park to ooohhh and aahhhh over the local fireworks display.

Even during the walk to the park, and in spite of the diffuse light of dusk, I couldn’t help but notice that our small group of pale-skinned W.A.S.P.’s formed a distinct minority.  The neighbors streaming out of the trim, well-kept homes in the community represented just about every country, culture, and ethnic group on the planet except ours.

Although I grew up in Southern California, I hadn’t spent any appreciable time there for several years and had never made anything other than brief business trips to the San Francisco area.  Of course, I knew about the super-conducting magnet that the tech giants in the area had become for the best educated and most ambitious people on the planet.  It’s one thing to read about this tectonic cultural shift on the printed page, though, and quite another to be walking in the midst of it.

Once we arrived at the park and settled in to await the nightfall, the remarkable variety of the neighboring family groups became even more apparent:

There were California’s ubiquitous Latinos of course, chattering away happily across multiple generations and extended family members.  There were also more reserved but equally large and extended families from India whose sparkling eyes and ready peals of laughter belied their calm and controlled demeanor.  Several large groups of West-Indians, distinguishable by their lilting, musical dialect, were sitting cheek by jowl next to Asians of every persuasion, from golden-hued Chinese with their carefully controlled children, to rambunctious groups of Filipino’s whose waves of raucous mirth soared above the murmur of the rapidly increasing crowd.

I exaggerate only slightly when I say that the nearest island of participants that looked or sounded even remotely like our own small group was probably about 50 feet away through that multi-hued tide of Humanity.  Even more remarkable to me was, apart from the utterly unique composition of the crowd, how similar they were to every other crowd gathered to observe every other display of fireworks I had attended on every other Fourth of July over almost sixty years.

The guys were mostly quiet, exchanging occasional pleasantries with their neighbors.  The women chattered ceaselessly among themselves while keeping watchful eyes on their children.  None of them seemed to be concerned (or even aware) that each family grouping, like our own, was more or less an isolated island in the midst of people distinctly UN-like themselves.  If it mattered to any of them you certainly couldn’t tell from any outward indication.

As the last vestiges of the setting sun faded from the evening sky and an expectant hush settled over the assembled throngs, the reason for this placid demeanor was made dramatically clear (to me, at least, my fellow audience members had probably known it all along):

From the far corner of the park, almost simultaneously with the setting of the sun, came the very faint but unmistakable strains of our National Anthem.  As far as I could tell there was no scratchy recording or strained rendition emanating from a public address system to trigger the event.  This was entirely spontaneous (or maybe an annual tradition, which in my eyes would make it even more powerful).

As the well-worn musical phrases rolled over the crowd, EVERYBODY on that field rose in unison (more like leapt to their feet, actually!) and joined-in.  The Chinese grand-mothers were helped to their feet by their daughters.  The Guatemalan infants were hoisted onto their father’s shoulders.  The Indians and Filipino’s stood tall, they stood side-by-side and they SANG!

This wasn’t the barely audible, mumble-under-your-breath while shifting your eyes self-consciously and hope it ends soon kind of singing (so often displayed by native born Americans at football games and other public events), either.  This was stand tall, breathe deep, let-loose and belt-it-OUT!  The song swelled from the assembled hearts and soared triumphantly into the night sky.

The all-engulfing wave of sound that resulted from thousands upon thousands of unique, disparate voices all united in loudly proclaiming and joyfully affirming the most basic emotions treasured by generations of Americans drove home the sacred ideals of our Nation like nothing else I have ever experienced before or since.

It didn’t matter to ANY of those patriots where their neighbors had come from.  They couldn’t care LESS about what language was spoken in those neighbors homes or whether Allah, Buddha, or God knows who-else was worshiped by them.  It didn’t matter how each individual had come to be there or what they had chosen to leave behind in order to stand proud on that field, that night, and sing their hearts out in sheer gratitude for the opportunity this country represented for their own future and that of the children and grandchildren whom they cradled in their arms.

As one of those aforementioned native born Americans, I have often wondered whether I would have the intestinal fortitude demonstrated by my great-grand fathers to leave EVERYTHING behind, and strike out for an utterly foreign land based only on the hope that it might prove to be a better place for my children and grandchildren.  I honestly don’t know the answer to that.

But, now I DO know, based on personal experience, that there are literally thousands of strong, courageous, and admirable people who DO make that decision every day and every year.  Given the wealth of talent, dedication, and ambition represented by that random assemblage of ordinary citizens (and future citizens), it is also self-evident that we, as a country, are vastly improved by their presence and their unflagging dedication to the ideals upon which our nation was founded almost 250 years ago.

Given the turbulent times in which we are now embroiled, I find one other aspect of this annual event to be of even greater import:  Even more than a country of laws, we ARE a country united by shared ideas and ideals such as: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.  We proudly proclaim that ALL men (& women) are created equal.  Being Human, we often fail to live up to these ideals, but we hold to them, nonetheless.

As we are now witnessing, laws can be subverted.  Entire governments can be hi-jacked and corrupted by those with greed in their minds and hate in their hearts (yes, even in these United States of America, as hard as that may be to believe).  As has been stated many times before, though, “You can’t kill an Idea”.  Noble Ideals have proven to be even more indestructible.

When the current crop of corrupt and conniving politicians have come to their well-deserved and unavoidable end, the ideals expressed in loud, joyful chorus by that multitude of proud citizens will inevitably re-assert themselves and help right the ship of state that has been so badly battered by the storms of ignorance and intolerance which currently threaten us all.

I can claim no more credit for being among them four years ago than I can claim for my incredibly good fortune in being descended from other, earlier immigrants who shared AND demonstrated by deeds the same unshakable commitment to the ideals upon which our nation was founded.

I CAN state unequivocally, though, that I was proud to stand straight and tall among my fellow Americans on that night in that place and express with them, at the top of my lungs, my sheer, unadulterated joy to be living in these United States.

Lady Liberty 2

 

The Peculiar Power of Truth:

by James P. Shafer, posted in Bridges Not Walls, Defending the Constitution, Ethics in Government, Impeach Trump, Resist Trump, Uncategorized

Unobtrusive enough that it is hard to precisely define, yet so pervasive that it directly effects the outcome of EVERY Human endeavor . . .

So unassuming that it can easily be drowned-out by those spouting “Alternate Facts” as the basis for their preferred reality, yet so unrelenting that it eventually outlasts and overpowers ALL falsehoods and fabrications . . .

Often so ephemeral that those who ignore its consequences feel emboldened to deny it entirely, but powerful enough to support the history, institutions and destiny of any Nation committed to its ideals . . .

Quiet and muted in its manifestations but unflinching and overwhelming in the judgements it renders against those who betray it . . .

Easily dismissed as irrelevant by the arrogant, ignorant, poor excuse for a human being that fools himself into thinking he is worthy to lead this great Nation, yet a potent, unrelenting, and omnipotent foe that will inevitably escort Trump, his congenitally corrupt family, and his boot-licking minions in the Republican Party to the ash heap of history where they so rightly belong.

We are now in the middle of a long and arduous struggle to banish these parasites from our Nation’s highest offices.  We seek to reclaim the heritage that previous occupants of these institutions (of every stripe and political party) have fought so nobly to protect and defend.  Given the daily attacks mounted on our collective ideals, it is easy to become discouraged and dis-heartened.

Take heart, though, for:

By now, even Trump knows in his soul that his downfall and disgrace is inevitable.  His ever more tenuous grasp on reality and frantic casting about for others to blame for his own fatal flaws are all the evidence that any of us needs that he WILL eventually be defeated – by the TRUTH!

 

 

 

“For the Want of . . .” (with apologies to Ben Franklin):

by James P. Shafer, posted in Bridges Not Walls, Defending the Constitution, Ethics in Government, Politics, Resist Trump

For the want of a Soul, Honor is lost,
For the want of Honor, Honesty is lost,
For the want of Honesty, Trust is lost,
For the want of Trust, the President is lost,
For the want of a President, the Nation is lost,
And all for the want of a (single) Soul.

You may think it far-fetched (as most of our elected representatives from the Republican party apparently do).

If you think about what has REALLY made America one of the greatest Nation’s in History, though, you may begin to see what I mean:

It has not been our military strength.  With no disrespect intended to the members of our armed forces, we have fought and won most of the wars in our past from the position of the unmistakable under-dog.

The one notable loss, in Vietnam, was despite our vastly superior military power and the horrific sacrifices made by the soldiers we sent to fight on our behalf.

It has not been our economic power.  For most of our history we have been largely an agrarian economy, squarely in the also-ran category.

And even though our Nation’s Founders were uncommonly wise and well-intentioned, our laws and national institutions (often cited as the source of our strength), have frequently proven to be fallible and insufficient.

Think of the blight of slavery and the illegal incarceration of U.S. Citizens of Japanese descent during World War II, not to mention the more recent failing of the Electoral College to function (as intended) as the emergency brake on the disastrous outcome of a general election.

As a Nation we HAVE been favored with tremendous natural resources, a strong tradition of hard work and self-reliance, and a citizen-army that has heroically pulled our fat from the fires of tyranny and destruction more often than we can count or have any right to expect.

What has really distinguished us, though, from the long-line of nation states which have risen (and fallen) before us, is our “Soul” as a Nation.  That is the True source of whatever greatness we have attained in the past (and hope to regain in the future).  It is embodied by our shared ideals and aspirations, even if we don’t always live up to them.

It is not that we are always and infallibly exceptional among the Nations of the World, past and present.  As the degenerate who currently occupies the highest office in the land has delighted in pointing out (and actually exemplifies), we frequently fall far short of the standards by which we measure other nations and their Leaders (or rulers as the case may be).

That Soul, though, is the spark that has fired the courage of countless Minutemen, Infantrymen, Doughboys, and G.I.’s facing overwhelming odds in all corners of the globe throughout our history.

It is the source of the ambition which relentlessly drives our fellow-citizens to improve their own lives in pursuit of a better future for themselves, their children, and the World as a whole.

It is what has drawn countless millions of destitute but strong-willed and stalwart souls to our shores, making themselves and all of us immeasurably richer by any standard you can think of as a result.

It is why we stand up to bullies (individuals or nations) rather than join them – because there are many who have tried to bully US.

It is why we root for the underdog – because we have quite often BEEN the underdog.

It is why we, as a people, are drawn to honest effort, fair play, and civil behavior among and between ourselves and our neighbors – because many of us, directly or through our forebears, have borne the scars of corruption, malfeasance and injustice.

Most of all, it is THE defining trait which, in spite of our many failings and shortcomings, has marked America as an unmistakable and indispensable force for good throughout most of our History.

AND – it is the one trait that our current leader (aided and abetted by the party for which he is the chosen standard bearer) so obviously, irrefutably and catastrophically lacks.

As a Nation we have proven time and time again that we are able to shoulder any burden, overcome any hardship, and defeat any foe of Liberty.  Thanks to that shared “Soul” inculcated in all of us, we have faced those challenges with bravery, steadfast determination and more confidence than a rational people should be able to muster.

The one enemy we have not had to face until now, though, is an elected president who neither shares our commitment to those lofty ideals nor even believes in them.

How we, as individuals and citizens, respond to this threat will surely determine the fate of our Nation – as surely as the want of a horseshoe nail determines the loss of a kingdom.

“The Time To Hesitate Is Through” . . .

by James P. Shafer, posted in Bridges Not Walls, Defending the Constitution, Ethics in Government, Impeach Trump, Resist Trump

No, I didn’t vote for him, but I WAS willing to give him a chance.  Mostly because the stakes were so high and I really did not and still do not relish the thought of watching ANY American President fail.

Responding to one of my letters, the senior Republican Senator from my state wrote to me shortly after the inauguration to say that the newly elected president deserved our respect and the right to choose his cabinet, (although he seemed to be picking people intent on destroying the very institutions they were supposed to be leading).  I had my doubts, but figured that the well-respected and very experienced Senator probably knew more about the situation than I did.

When the Speaker of the House assured the country that the president was just unfamiliar with the legal, moral, and ethical standards required of ANY elected official in this country I was, I admit, more than a little skeptical, put trusted that the Republicans (several of whom I have voted for on many occasions) wouldn’t jeopardize the survival of our Democracy for any perceived short-term political advantage.

As the unyielding assault on every value that we as a Nation share and hold dear continues from the Oval Office, I have been waiting for the fabled “Party of Lincoln” to rise above their partisan bickering and vacuous posturing to take a united stand against the barrage of lies and atrocities being committed daily in their name by their standard bearer.

Until a couple of weeks ago, one true American Hero, John McCain was the only Republican Senator with the courage and conviction to stand consistently against Trump’s malicious lies and mean-minded, dearly held ignorance.  Now, freed from the need to run for re-election, Senator Bob Corker seems to have simultaneously found his moral compass and his voice of reason.

Both of these gentlemen are to be commended for having the courage to face the Truth and address the very real danger that Trump’s continued occupation of the Oval Office poses to our country and the World.

To those timid Republican souls who profess to be our elected representatives but refuse to accept the responsibility implicit in the solemn oath they swore upon taking office:

You may have forgotten your pledge, but “We the People” have not.

Perhaps you have calculated that your egregious abdication of responsibility will be forgiven if only you can continue to deal with the devil in the White House long enough to move ahead with a few favored pieces of your conservative agenda.

Will you still feel the same way when this wreck of a president whom you have been implicitly supporting and enabling finally faces his first serious, Life or Death test as our Nation’s leader?

Whether it be on the Korean Peninsula. in the streets of Tehran, or somewhere else that isn’t even “on the radar” yet,  you know that test is coming and so do I.  You know with the same dread certainty that I feel in my gut, (and that is shared by John McCain, Bob Corker, Rex Tillerson, and most other sentient beings on the planet) that Trump’s abject failure in the face of such a crucial test is a foregone conclusion.

A man so accustomed to and comfortable in the gutter cannot be expected to rise any higher.

As a truly concerned citizen of the Nation that was once considered “Indispensable” for the continued peace, prosperity and well-being of the civilized World, I ask that you dispense (at least temporarily) with your ill-fated quest for short term political advantage.

Act now for the common good and the general welfare of the country.  Use the power that has been vested in you by your fellow citizens.  Break the grip that this unaccomplished parasite has on the very throat of our Democracy and return him to the gutter from whence he came.

“We the People” are waiting and the World is watching.

 

 

We Are Under Attack And Our President Is Leading The Charge Against Us

by James P. Shafer, posted in Bridges Not Walls, Defending the Constitution, Impeach Trump, Resist Trump, Uncategorized

First and foremost, the duty of our Nation’s President is to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States of America.

Polls, politics, policies, and agendas are all faint and far distant priorities compared to that central tenet contained in the solemn oath sworn by this and every other President since the founding of our Republic.

Allegations of collusion between members of trump’s cronies and cyber-forces under the direct command of Vladimir Putin during last year’s Presidential campaign are (as yet) unproven and will not be debated here.

What is beyond dispute, though, in the well informed and carefully considered judgement of our Nation’s Intelligence and Security professionals is that those forces (patriotic individuals according to mobster & murderer in chief Vladimir Putin) launched a prolonged and systematic attack on America’s most cherished and admired birth-right: Free and Fair Elections.

So how does the individual who freely assumed responsibility for defending that right (along with all others enshrined in our Constitution) against all enemies foreign and domestic react to this assault?

By questioning the intelligence, integrity, and motives of those dedicated individuals who have made it their life’s work to make sure that our “President” has the information he needs to protect us all in an increasingly dangerous confrontation with our most implacable foe in decades.

Although the Putin’s mobsters have repeatedly been caught red-handed using the same tactics of massive dis-information, phishing and hacking schemes to challenge and subvert the democratic process throughout the Western Democracies, trump (despite earlier half-hearted admissions to the contrary) continues to push Putin’s party line that “nobody really knows” who is behind the carefully targeted attacks on our most fundamental institution.

The President of the United States said last week that only four of our Nation’s seventeen Intelligence and Security agencies agreed with the assessment that the Putin’s henchmen were behind the cyber-attack that called into question the credibility of last year’s election.  What he declined to mention, though, is that those four agencies (the FBI, CIA, NSA, & DNI) are THE organizations within our Government that are specifically tasked with protecting our Nation and our system of government against such threats.

It is obvious that the stalwart members of those U.S. government agencies take their oaths and responsibilities a LOT more seriously than does their “Commander In Chief”.

This is NOT a matter of party affiliation.  It is NOT a case open to different interpretations or “alternative facts”.  Policy differences and political agendas have no bearing on this matter.

The state sponsored corruption machine designed and operated by Vladimir Putin has attacked the United States and most of our Allies at the very core of our Democratic institutions.  They have been caught doing so repeatedly by those whom we have entrusted with the defense of our Nation.

Our “President” has openly denounced those dedicated patriots who defend us against these attacks.  He has clearly, repeatedly, and unequivocally defended those who would destroy our system of government as well as the U.S. Constitution in which the principles of that system are enshrined.

“Whose side is he on, anyway?” would be a pretty fair question in light of these circumstances.

It is also, unfortunately, an entirely unnecessary question as trump has already demonstrated through both words and deeds that he is leading the charge against us.

 

 

 

We’re So Sorry Eric & Ivanka …

by James P. Shafer, posted in Bridges Not Walls, Defending the Constitution, Emoluments Clause, Ethics in Government, Impeach Trump, Politics, Resist Trump, Uncategorized

That (in Eric’s case) you’ve: “Never seen hatred like this”; Or, in the words of Ivanka: “There is a level of viciousness that I was not expecting”.

It’s just that when you blatantly leverage you father’s name (with his explicit support and encouragement) to increase the revenue and net worth of your family’s business empire in direct violation of the U.S. Constitution which your father took an oath to protect and defend, some folks tend to get just a tad touchy.

When your father goes out of his way to insult world leaders who have stood by us in the darkest of times while warmly embracing the most blood soaked and corrupt dictators alive, some people might forget their manners.

When each of you, personally, feel free to trample the anti-nepotism laws and ethical standards which are designed to protect the rest of us from greedy and rapacious parasites of the type that you now personify, yes, some of us DO get a little hot under the collar.  Try to understand.

When the corrupt, crony capitalists appointed by your father to be the guardians of our democratic institutions use their offices to enrich themselves while systematically dismantling the very agencies they are supposed to be managing for the benefit of the people who pay their salaries, tact tends to fall by the wayside.

When your spouse tries to circumvent the safeguards designed to protect us all by surreptitiously establishing direct contact with what is in-arguably our country’s most dangerous foe, some of us might fail to see the big picture.  We don’t mean to be disrespectful of your obviously superior intellect.

Some of us DO take it personally when your father blithely dismantles long standing international agreements, turns a blind eye to the on-going atrocities committed by his strong-man heroes, and works tirelessly to destroy America’s hard won position as the political, economic and (most importantly) moral leader of the world’s democracies.  Please forgive us.

When the defining moments of your father’s term to date have been the blatant lies, mis-representations and vicious attacks against anyone with the temerity to raise a dissenting opinion, diplomacy might be one of the first victims.

When the very moral precepts upon which this country was founded and for which thousands of our fellow patriots past and present have paid dearly in blood, are heedlessly ignored in your father’s blind pursuit of fame and personal attention, I’ll admit it, even I tend to neglect the niceties of social discourse.

When every day that your father remains in the office for which he is so obviously unsuited brings evermore egregious damage to the reputation and standing of the great nation we all aspire to be part of, patience tends to wear a bit thin.  I understand that’s no excuse for offending your tender sensibilities.

We’ll all try to be more careful and considerate in the future.

Feel better now?

 

 

 

 

“Absolute Right” but still Absolutely Wrong! . . .

by James P. Shafer, posted in Defending the Constitution, Ethics in Government, Impeach Trump, Politics, Resist Trump, Uncategorized

It was bound to happen sooner or later.  The trumpster finally tweeted something that I happen to agree with, stating that he has the “Absolute Right” to divulge any information he is privy to to whomever he chooses.

That is true, any President DOES have that right, as well as many others.  The Constitution grants the holder of that office with incredibly wide latitude to conduct the affairs of state in any way he sees fit.

Which is, of course, precisely why it is so crucially important that the holder of that office has the maturity, judgement, and discipline to wield those awesome powers responsibly.

Since January 20, the entire planet has had a front row seat to the endless series of (mostly self-inflicted) crises and debacles emanating directly from the Oval Office.  The astounding levels of ignorance, arrogance, and ineptitude have caused tremors of genuine, well-founded, fear among concerned citizens and well-meaning allies around the World.

This particular firestorm centered around the bloviator-in-chief’s willingness to divulge highly classified information, provided to the U.S. under the good graces of a genuine ally who shared that information with our own intelligence services with the clear understanding and entirely reasonable expectation that it would not be divulged to other parties.

There are two possible explanations for what happened next:

#1.) Desperately eager to please his Russian handlers, our fearless leader felt compelled to impress them with the top secret intelligence to which he now has full access not realizing that by doing so he would be divulging sensitive information to an avowed hostile power who is actively working against U.S. interests throughout the World.

#2) He knew full well what he was doing and the damage it would cause to the security of our country, but for reasons currently known only to trump himself and Vladimir Putin, chose to divulge that information anyway.

On January 20, 2017, trump stood before a middling sized crowd and the eyes of the World and swore to:

“. . . preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

This unfortunate incident COULD simply be the result of willful ignorance and profound stupidity.  It could also very well be out of deliberate and self-serving malice.  Whatever the root cause, with this single action trump has conclusively demonstrated that he is unfit to fulfill his pledge and unable to responsibly discharge the duties of the office.

If the former cause turns out to be the case, removal under Article 25 of that Constitution is probably the appropriate course of action.  If it is the latter, (as I personally suspect it will be), Impeachment and (long) imprisonment for treason is the best outcome trump can hope for.

Whatever the final outcome, I can only hope that it comes to pass before this ultimate loser has the opportunity to inflict any more permanent damage on our country.

 

Brace for Impact . . .

by James P. Shafer, posted in Bridges Not Walls, Defending the Constitution, Ethics in Government, Impeach Trump, Resist Trump

Have you ever wondered why the Flight Attendants waste 10 minutes of everybody’s time before every flight pointing out all the safety procedures and emergency exits even though we’ve all heard it a million times before and could repeat the whole spiel back to them word-for-word?

They’re not doing it for their own or our amusement.  They’re not doing it for the 999,999 out of 1,000,000 flights for which everything goes as smooth as glass from take-off to touchdown.

They’re doing it for when things GO SERIOUSLY WRONG (as in Miracle On The Hudson level of wrong).

Ever wonder why:

  • There are three separate, distinct, and (theoretically) independent branches of the U.S. Government?
  • Supreme Court Justices are appointed for life?
  • The Attorney General and other senior members of the Executive Branch have to be confirmed by the Legislative Branch?
  • The President doesn’t get to make the laws, but can only carry-out laws that have been passed by Congress?
  • The Constitution prohibits the President from receiving anything of value from a foreign power?

All of these strictures are not needed for the majority of the time when our Government is being run by honest, capable, and honorable men and women.  They are there because the Founders of our Democracy knew from experience that, Human Nature being what it is, sooner or later things would go SERIOUSLY WRONG.  If their cherished experiment in self-governance were to survive, mechanisms to limit and repair the damage would need to be firmly established and adhered to.

Most of us learned the above civics lessons before we were out of the 8th grade.  Our bloviating bigot of a president evidently missed that year.  How else can you explain his constant wailing and bickering about the interfering Judges who won’t let him discriminate to his heart’s content?  Or his impatience with the Legislative Branch which refuses to rubber-stamp his every ill-conceived whim?

Or, even more ominously, his increasingly blatant disregard for the Constitutional limits on the power of the office he currently occupies which are their precisely to protect the rest of us from the excesses and naked personal ambitions of the tyrant he evidently yearns to become.

For the good of us all, though, it appears that he is about to be taught the one responsibility granted to the Congress to be used as a last resort in times of mortal danger to the very fabric of the Republic:

  • The power to remove the President from office.

 

It Is Time.

 

 

 

DOOMED by the TRUTH:

by James P. Shafer, posted in Bridges Not Walls, Defending the Constitution, Ethics in Government, Impeach Trump, Politics, Resist Trump

“We hold these truths to be self-evident . . .”

Unique among the family of nations, America was founded on the bedrock of Truth. Our improbable success as a fledgling Republic, arrayed against a host of hostile and powerful monarchies, was due in large part to the power of that Truth and our predecessors unflinching dedication to defending it.

The intervening two and a half centuries have seen several world-wide empires come and go, brutal dictatorships rise and fall, competing ideologies crumble under the weight of their own fallacies. All the while, guided by the strength and adhering to the veracity of those founding principles, America has risen to its current unique and indispensable position among the nations of the World.

Can you imagine a World where international relations are dominated by the moral code of Putin’s Russia? Where defenseless citizens are left to the tender mercies of thugs like Kim Jong Un and his band of assassins in North Korea? Where peaceful citizens demonstrating for basic human rights are met with iron fisted terror and repression as happens every day in Bashar al-Assad’s Syria.

If you have been following Donald Trump’s words and actions for any length of time you will recognize the scumbags listed above as some of his favorite tyrants. The current leader of the Free World, OUR COUNTRY – founded on the noble ideals of Truth, Justice and basic Human Dignity, is by his own repeated admission, more comfortable with the words and deeds of some of the most corrupt, brutal and bloodthirsty dictators of this (or any other) century.

Trump is doomed.

I can’t tell you exactly how or when it will happen, but I know for certain that he will not complete even his first term in office. Why? Because we are a Nation built on Truth. All of us, Republicans, Democrats, Libertarian or Tea Party member value Truth and Honesty above all else.

Trump has conclusively demonstrated that he has neither respect for the Truth nor any concept of its inherent power. No matter how he and his cronies try to spin it, his presidency will inevitably face the consequences of that moral failure.

The only question of any import is how much damage his ignorance and ineptitude can do to our Nation and its standing in the World before the TRUTH catches up with him.

Disagreement Does Not Mean Disrespect

by James P. Shafer, posted in Bridges Not Walls, Defending the Constitution, Emoluments Clause, Ethics in Government, Impeach Trump, Politics, Resist Trump

“If the intent is not peaceful this is not the event for you,” said Mark Skoda on the stage (in Nashville, TN) . . . According to , and published in USA TODAY, where the following comments were also recorded:

“We are all Americans, we need to come together,” said Richard Saunders of Robertson County (TN) . . .

“We are the silent majority,” said Diane Simpson, of Leonardo (NJ). “We are people that normally don’t demonstrate, but when we have to, we can.” . . . As reported by Craig McCarthy of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

“We need to rediscover the soul of America,” said Ronald Gawronski, in Miami, FL, according to a news report on CBSMiami.com, “The feeling of who we are as a people.”

Sound familiar?  Maybe even inspirational?  These were some of the voices heard at the Pro-Trump rallies held around the country this past weekend.

And while the unfortunate (and bloody) confrontations in Berkeley, CA were what commandeered all the headlines and video coverage, NPR was able to confirm that:

“. . . For the most part, however, the demonstrations have been peaceful — and in Austin, at least, charitable as well. The Austin American-Statesman notes that pro-Trump “attendees are told to bring donations for the homeless and veterans, such as canned goods, clothing, blankets and hygiene products, according to the [organizers’] Facebook page.”

All of the above confirm my strong conviction that among Americans (even those who in good faith and with the best of intentions backed a different candidate than I did), there is much more that unites us then divides us.

A strong moral compass, a deep rooted concept of honesty and fair play, and a shared commitment to the rule of law and peaceful resolution of our legitimate differences are all clearly evident in the sentiments and actions described above.

I’d like to commend these fellow Americans and those who share their views for their dedication to our shared ideals and their commitment to the welfare of the Nation we ALL love.

While I did not vote for the same candidate that you chose, in “normal” circumstances I would willingly give the new President (whether my preferred candidate or not) my loyalty and support.

The reason I respectfully disagree with your well-intentioned support for the current occupant of the White House, though, is that it is becoming increasingly and unavoidably obvious that he does not share the values and ideals to which both you and I firmly adhere.

I ask you:

Would a President worthy of our loyalty have blatantly ignored the U.S. Constitution on his first day in office by violating the Emoluments Clause and refusing to divest himself of his business interests?

Would a President worthy of our support continually trash the ethical standards and safeguards that ALL politicians from ALL parties have adhered to for over 200 years?

Would a President worthy of our respect equate the moral standing of America for which our fellow citizens have fought, bled and died in countless wars throughout our history with that of the most greedy, corrupt and blood-soaked dictator the World has seen in 50 years?

I say this as someone who derives absolutely no satisfaction from witnessing the failure of ANY American President: By every word, deed, and tweet since assuming the Office, Trump has conclusively demonstrated to all of us and to the rest of the World (with the possible exception of Vladimir Putin) that he is completely, utterly, and morally incapable of performing the duties required of the holder of that Office.

This is no longer a political issue.  This is no longer a partisan debate.  This is not a diatribe against Republicans (with whom I have voted on several previous occasions), Conservatives (whose political philosophies I mostly share), or Populists (whose frustrations with the “Status Quo” I currently share).

This has become an existential threat to the country against which we must ALL unite and fight – before the damage to our Nation and its place in the world become irreversible.

I ask that you join the many millions of your fellow countrymen and patriots who clearly see the danger to help us face and defeat the menace we all face.