I ORDER THIS INVESTIGATION ANYWAY!
There is a suggestion being made that Trump may sign an Executive Order to empower such an investigation despite the nearly unanimous agreement from nearly everyone right across the whole country that his accusation is completely unwarranted (except for his closest “yes men” who find themselves in the unenviable position of having to defend or explain everything Thumper says, regardless of the distance from the truth—or face being fired by their boss!) Trump has already relieved from duty a wide range of diplomatic and intelligence personnel without first bothering to find replacements for them! Is this the action of a sane man?
At this point, one gets the distinct feeling that if Senator Joseph McCarthy came back to life and saw Trump in action, he might be forgiven his earthy language if he said something like “What the hell?!” Trump may end up making McCarthy’s foibles look like nothing more than pranks at a Boy Scouts outing. McCarthy lacked the big bucks—billions of dollars—at Thumper’s disposal to damage the nation’s psyche even more, although what he did manage was not inconsiderable, truth to tell.
“IT CAN’T HAPPEN HERE”
Is this how “It can’t happen here” begins? It’s axiomatic that all would-be demagogues fear a free press. Their illogical statements, personal idiosyncrasies, and reactionary aims do not stand up well under the scrutiny of a free press. Thumper’s attacks on the press and individual journalists stand in stark contrast to the dignified respect and integrity we expect from anyone holding the highest political office in the land . . . but he just doesn’t seem to care about such simple old-fashioned values as honesty and intelligent civil discourse.
MAKE NO MISTAKE: HOW GRAVE AND REAL THE DANGER!
While we have witnessed Thumper insulting people from all walks of life, we should not get complacent or fooled into accepting this immature behavior as the new normal. We must not confuse his normally nasty narcissistic personality with his hidden deeper motives; we should not confuse his impulsive habit of striking out at anyone at any time with his far more dangerous policies and schemes still in the making and yet to come.
Attacking the free press poses a far greater threat to the security and traditions of a democratic America than that posed by his vulgar insults toward women, his mocking of reporters, or his snide manner of attempting to be dismissive by expressing personal contempt for his critics.
Trump’s threat toward the press must be considered of a qualitatively different nature than his routine juvenile vulgarity and misanthropic condescension he routinely displays.
A FREE PRESS
A free press, like the Constitution itself, is a fundamental part of America’s history. It represents our nation’s commitment to the highest democratic ideals. A free press reflects our belief in the inherent dignity of every American and respect for our constitutional rights. In the long and varied sweep of world history, of one phenomenon we can be certain: whenever a national leader begins to threaten the press, this deliberate act of hostility is invariably recorded as the first step on the road toward dictatorship.
Make no mistake: all Americans must take this threat seriously. Whether one voted for or against Trump does not matter; no president, regardless of party, must ever be allowed to go unchallenged when he begins to savage the press in the intimidating manner that Trump attempts, time and time again.
We need our information and our facts free from political control emanating from the White House. We need our journalists and researchers free to pursue their craft without arbitrary restraints placed upon them by one man in order to further his own ambitions.
We need our forums of discussion to remain free from meddlesome interference that arises from a mean-spirited showman (and his posse of yes men) who would substitute fear for truth and who would favor arbitrary control over true freedom!
We need to have confidence that our American media can express a wide range of opinions that goes far beyond what Trump believes or approves—for this right, too, is embedded in the same amendment that guarantees us a free press.
We as Americans need to reaffirm our own rights of freedom of belief, conscience, and speech at the same time we defend the rights of a free press: the two, personal and social, are inextricably linked together. In defending the rights of one, we defend the rights of the other. In protecting our own individual freedom, we preserve and protect the freedom of journalists to carry on their work in a responsible and conscientious manner—let the chips fall where they may.
We have the right to think and believe whatever our consciences hold most dear, and we must oppose any attempt to weaken the rights of our free press–and our own rights–with all the soul force we can muster. These rights are inextricably linked and the weakening of one inevitably entails the weakening of the other.
Just as the individual has the right to speak his or her mind freely, so must the press remain unfettered to speak and write a whole wide world of opinions, including even those that might not be to the president’s liking. Thumper misunderstands this most sacred relationship between the American people’s freedom and a free press—and it surely is a sorry commentary on the state of affairs in 2017 that a president of the United States fails to grasp the most basic democratic reality of all, that these principles have served as creative force and foundation cornerstone of our nation since 1776!
