Pelosi’s heroic protest
Pelosi’s heroic protest
Nancy Pelosi’s heroic tearing up of Trump’s State of the Union speech, “because it shredded the truth,” put to everlasting shame all the cowardly, fawning Republican senators (with the exception of Mitt Romney), to whom truth, honor, and moral integrity mean absolutely Nothing. The tearing up is symbolic of the destruction that Trump is doing to America – tearing up the Constitution and destroying the very foundation of our Republic, by denying any Congressional oversight of his ever-expanding power, his Brown Shirt henchmen senators in craven allegiance to him; undermining the authority of the U.S. intelligence agencies; attempting to suppress all dissent, the hallmark of
any democracy, including the continual harassment and abuse of press and media reporters, especially those of CNN (while FOX News spews an endless stream of Trump propaganda), who have the Constitutional right to inform and enlighten the people, especially regarding government actions; soliciting foreign governments to intervene in America’s electoral process: Russia in 2016, and attempting, in 2019, to get the President of the Ukraine to dishonor himself by publicly lying about Joe Biden, a possible Democratic contender for President – and purges such honorable women and men of dedicated service to their country as Marie Yovanovitch and Lt. Colonel Alexander Vindman, for exposing his lies with their uncompromising dedication to the truth; being an example of indecency, moral degeneracy and dishonor, the like of which America has never seen, his speech and behavior having a coarsening and harmful effect on the nation’s values – violence and threats are increasing against all non-white minorities; and there is a sudden rise in anti-Semitism; women too are being cowardly harassed and sexually abused, not only in the workplace but everywhere – Trump’s disgraceful relations with women further jeopardizing the well-being of all women.
All this, while he separates immigrant children from their mothers, and keeps them locked up in concentration camps under horrible conditions, while, indifferent to their suffering, he plays golf at his mansion in Florida; he raids the homes and work places of immigrant Mexicans, who comprise the vast majority of agricultural workers in the country and are an important part of America’s work force overall, attempting to eradicate “the brown menace”, that he scapegoats for all the ills occurring in the country – and fails to denounce the neo-Nazis and white supremacists, which empowers them as never before – a monumental shame and disgrace to America – and an evil that should be annihilated, after all the sacrifice and suffering American soldiers and nurses went through in World War II, to help stop Hitler’s Nazi Germany from conquering the world; and he permits timber, mining, and oil industrialists to destroy our beautiful public wildlands, the heart and soul of America the Beautiful, as they greedily plunder America’s precious natural resources, from Alaska to Florida and from Maine to California, with no regard for global
warming, future generations, and the demise of a myriad of already endangered wildlife; and shamelessly desecrates sacred Native American lands, including Bears Ears and Grand Staircase – Escalante National Monuments, both of which have been drastically diminished in size – Bears Ears to one quarter of its original acreage and Grand Staircase – Escalante to about one half; and he allows all-terrain vehicles (ATV’s) and utility task vehicles (UTV’s) to run amuck, without restraint, through our fragile public wildlands and ecosystems, like a horde of giant mechanical locusts, ravaging everything in their path, disrupting and endangering wildlife, and shattering the sacred silence and peace of nature.
Many of these injustices and crimes, and many more, are reminiscent of the nightmare years that the German people endured in the 1930’s, during the rise of Adolph Hitler – when few had the courage to protest his relentless destruction of the Weimar Republic and ascent to dictatorial power over all of Germany.
So thank you, Nancy Pelosi, for the courage you displayed by tearing up the lies Trump foisted upon the American people (has he ever done anything else?), in your and the peoples’ House – and he rudely refused to shake your offered hand, after handing you his speech. Your denunciation of Trump’s State of the Union speech is the most honorable and patriotic protest act ever undertaken in the Congress of the United States and is unequaled in
all of American History.
And it was made against the most powerful man in the world, in perhaps the most existentially critical time in the nation’s history - and it was done by one solitary woman of great character, indomitable courage, moral integrity, dignity and honor. (Dante, the author of The Divine Comedy, assures us that the worst places in Hell are reserved for those who are indifferent or neutral in times of moral crises.)
Benjamin Franklin foresaw the nightmare years we are now living: When leaving the Constitutional Convention in 1787, he was asked, “What is it going to be, a Republic or a Monarchy?” “A Republic, if we can keep it,” he declared.
George Washington, the “Father of the Country,” in his Farewell Address in 1796, admonished his beloved nation in these words:
“Respect for its [the Constitution’s] authority, compliance with its laws, acquiescence in its measures, are duties enjoined by the fundamental maxims of liberty.”
“This spirit, [partisanship] unfortunately, is inseparable from our nature, having its root in the strongest passions of the human mind. It exists under different shapes in all governments, more or less stifled, controlled or repressed; but in those of the popular form it is seen in its greatest rankness and is truly their worst enemy.
The alternate domination of one faction [party] over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetuated the most horrible enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. The disorders and miseries which result gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual, and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, [party] more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation on the ruins of public liberty.
Without looking forward to an extremity of this kind (which nevertheless ought not to be entirely out of sight), the common and continual mischief of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it.”
“In proportion as the structure of a government gives force to public opinion, it is essential that public opinion should be enlightened.”
“It is important, likewise, that the habits of thinking in a free country should inspire caution in those entrusted with its administration to confine themselves within their respective constitutional spheres, avoiding in the exercise of the powers of one department [branch of government] to encroach upon another. The spirit of encroachment tends to consolidate the powers of all the departments [branches of government] in one, and thus to create, whatever the form of government, a real despotism. A just estimate of that love of power and proneness to abuse it which predominates in the human heart is sufficient to satisfy us of the truth of this position. The necessity of reciprocal checks in the exercise of political power, by dividing and distributing it into different depositories, [branches] and constituting each the guardian of the public weal against invasions by the others, has been evinced by experiments ancient and modern, some of them in our own country and under our own eyes. To preserve them must be as necessary as to institute them.”
“Observe good faith and justice toward all nations. Cultivate peace and harmony with all. Religion and morality enjoin this conduct. And can it be that good policy does not equally enjoin it? It will be worthy of a free, enlightened, and at no distant period a great nation to give to mankind the magnanimous and too novel example of a people always guided by an exalted justice and benevolence. Who can doubt that in the course of time and things the fruits of such a plan would richly repay any temporary advantages which might be lost by a steady adherence to it? Can it be that Providence has not connected the permanent felicity of a nation with its virtue? The experiment, at least, is recommended by every sentiment which enobles human nature. Alas! is it rendered impossible by its vices?
In the execution of such a plan nothing is more essential than permanent, inveterate antipathies against particular nations and passionate attachments for others should be excluded, and that in place of them just and amiable feelings toward all should be cultivated. The nation which indulges toward another an habitual hatred or an habitual fondness is in some degree a slave. It is a slave to its animosity or to its affection, either of which is sufficient to lead it astray from its duty and its interest.”
“Against the insidious wiles of foreign influence (I conjure you to believe me, fellow-citizens) the jealousy of a free people ought to be constantly awake, since history and experience prove that foreign influence is one of the most baneful foes of republican government.”
“I hold the maxim no less applicable to public than to private affairs that honesty is always the best policy.”
“Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of
patriotism who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness – these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens... A volume could not trace all their connections with private and public felicity... And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.
It is substantially true that virtue or morality is a necessary spring of popular government. The rule indeed extends with more or less force to every species of free government. Who that is a sincere friend to it can look with indifference upon attempts to shake the foundation of the fabric?”
Certainly not you, Nancy Pelosi! Certainly not you! Washington and Franklin would be proud and grateful to you for all you have done for the cause of liberty - and your heroic stand against despotism will endure through the ages as an inspiration to all who face tyranny, oppression, and injustice, whatever their ugly forms.