OK, so maybe that is not an exact quotation from Thomas Jefferson, but he did say, “Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.” As we witness Trump’s continued attacks on our free press, we can see our so-called President has already forgotten the oath he took on January 20, 2017. As he placed his left hand on the Bible and raised his right hand, he repeated the following words after Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts:
I, Donald John Trump, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, so help me God.
Maybe he didn’t know, or he has forgotten, that free speech is the First Amendment to the Constitution.
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”
As Donald condemns and tries to silence the press every time someone questions his words or actions, he breaks that oath of office. He is not preserving, defending, or protecting the Constitution; he is attacking it.
As Donald recently repeated on several occasions, even Thomas Jefferson had his run-ins with the press. However, he probably doesn’t realize that Thomas Jefferson was also vocal in his belief that there is nothing more important to our country and our freedom than a free press. I am certain he did not know that Thomas Jefferson also once said, “Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost.”
It is going to be a long four years for our country and Donald if he does not toughen up. Having thin skin combined with a fragile ego is a horrible combination for someone who will be under the microscope of the citizens as well as the media. We cannot afford to have spoiled childish leader act this way every time he doesn’t get what he wants. He will not be able to sue his way out of conflicts he creates. He needs to stop blaming others and realize the buck really does stop on his desk.
To complicate the issue for Donald, he has been caught lying to the country regularly. There were not 5 million illegal voters. They didn’t bus people from Massachusetts to New Hampshire to vote. He didn’t have the biggest electoral college win since Reagan. And even though he has a bromance with Mr. Putin, Vladimir is not a good guy. I have heard people defend Donald, saying all politicians lie. Does that mean we have surrendered? Do we simply accept and give him a free pass to say whatever comes in his head? Does truth no longer play a role? The beauty of the First Amendment is that we can still speak out, question our leaders, and demand the truth from them. If that is lost, all is lost.
John McCain had a “profile-in-courage” moment when he bravely sent a message to the American people. In a time when legislators are falling in line lockstep with their parties, we can only hope that they listened to McCain’s message. We can only hope the American people and our legislators find their “profile-in-courage” moments and step up to protect our freedoms and our democracy. McCain sent the message from Germany where they know what happens when people are no longer free to speak out. McCain said, “If you want to preserve democracy as we know it, you have to have a free and many times adversarial press. And without it, I am afraid that we would lose so much of our individual liberties over time. That’s how dictators get started.”
It is now up to the people of America to send a message to Donald John Trump. We need him to know that the people of America will not fall lockstep in line. The press and all Americans have a responsiblity to speak out and both will continue to do so. It is what America is built on. The day we go silent is the day liberty dies. We cannot afford four years of Donald’s “fine-tuned (chaotic) machine.” We cannont afford decisions to be made by a thin-skinned, egocentric person who thinks more about himself and his business dealings than about the American people. We don’t need a so-called fake President. We need a leader who will step up and be a man or step down.