As the son, brother, and father of U.S. war veterans and a proud American citizen who happens to be “White” and politically “Independent,” I am profoundly abhorrent, ashamed, and outraged by the unconscionable actions of our 45th elected President who dangerously threatens to undermine the very U.S. Constitution and American system of self-government he is dutifully sworn to “preserve, protect, and defend.”
Thankfully, several senior military leaders have publicly spoken out condemning bigotry, intolerance, and violence in wake of the tragic events in Charlottesville, Virginia and in stark contrast to their Commander-in-Chief’s anti-American rhetoric that perilously degrades the morale, welfare, and discipline of the multi-racial, ethnically, politically, religious, and gender diverse U.S. military.
It’s about time military leaders past and present publicly spoke truth to power! The country needs all military veterans, former Commander-in-Chiefs, government officials, business leaders, and concerned American citizens to get off the fence. A handful of congressional and business leaders, and both President Bushes have similarly rebuked Trump’s efforts to equate the violent death and wounding of American citizens by acts of domestic terrorism. What about you other “leaders?” Generals Mattis and Kelley? Colin Powell? President’s Carter, Clinton, and Obama? Former Secretary of Defenses, congressional Armed Forces, leaders of veteran’s organizations, political leaders on both sides of the aisles? How can you remain on the side-lines and not publicly advocate for the men and women serving in the military who may be sent in harm’s way by a man-child clearly emotionally, intellectually, and morally unfit to be Commander-in-Chief? Trump is a walking sack of security risk to the United States.
HOW TRUMP’S CONDUCT IMPACTS THE MILITARY
Currently, I have a son and daughter, who are of Japanese descent, both serving on active-duty. They, like myself, and anyone who has ever served in the U.S. military, fights, bleeds, and dies with a diverse peer group representing every culture, ethnicity, religion, sexual, and gender-orientation on this planet.
However, unlike all past American generations, this military cohort is regularly bombarded by messages from their Commander-in-Chief who overtly or covertly embraces intolerance, discrimination, sexual assault, and prejudicial behavior against the good order and discipline of the American military and citizenry. I cannot imagine how distressing it must for many non-White heterosexual American personnel serving in the military these days with Trump at the top of the chain-of-command. News flash-White service-members and White American citizens in general cannot escape the stain of their Commander-in-Chief’s bigotry, even if they do not subscribe to Trump and his White supremacist crap sandwich. We’re all tainted.
During my own near three decades of military service, I witnessed racial riots and violence amongst military members as well as open discrimination against women and individuals of sexual diversity. By almost anyone’s account, the U.S. military today is the strongest, best trained, best led, and most demographically diverse military ever known. Yes, there are still issues with sexual trauma, racial tensions, and discrimination of mental illness in the military, but there can be no doubt that the American military has come a very long way compared to its all-White male roots. Unquestionably, the greatest strength of our armed forces is the diverse peoples that volunteer to serve and this is now being endangered by its top-leader. Disgraceful.
Today’s Commander-in-Chief erratically spews divisive, derogatory, and intolerant beliefs that run 180 degrees counter to the “core values” of military culture. Trump often espouses his respect and support for the military. But which military is he referring too when he professes to “love the military?” White males only? If Trump’s White supremacist ideologues have their way, the United States and its military would be completely segregated. This is what the Commander-in-Chief implicitly advocates for when he foolishly provides political cover to radical White hate groups. Ignorant.
CORROSIVE INFLUENCE OF TRUMP’S MORALLY VACANT LEADERSHIP
Within the first 7-months of the so-called Trump Presidency, this pathetic, immoral, narcissistic little man, who has no inkling of personal sacrifice and service to one’s country, has steadily eroded the moral fabric of American society starting with his bullshit campaign slogans preaching hatred toward Hispanic immigrants and Hispanic-American Judges, illegally discriminating on the bases of religion, and recent Presidential decree to unlawfully discriminate against service-members on the bases of sexual orientation.
How is such conduct even remotely becoming of a U.S. President and Commander-in-Chief sworn to protect the Constitutional rights of all-Americans?-not just the 30% of mostly White Trump voters? Conversely, name one major action by Trump that has actually made America stronger, more unified and secure? I understand much of the frustration with the political and economic status quo responsible for our “F...U” election of Donald Trump Sr. However, those of us with family members in the military should be worried that our would-be dictator is neither benevolent nor beloved in the world, which places us all in a precarious position, particularly those who might have to fight in a Trumped-up war.
What kind of leadership, core values, and discipline is being modelled for current and future military members and the citizenry at large, by a Commander-in-Chief who openly jokes about sexually assaulting and demeaning women, bullies Hispanic and Muslim-Americans, and curries favor with White hate groups intent on killing African and Jewish Americans? All of which seriously undercuts core American values of decency, equality, fairness, and the rule of law.
Moreover, the President’s persistent efforts aimed to publicly undermine the integrity of key American institutions of an independent judiciary, press, and legislature as delineated in the U.S. Constitution, is clearly anti-American and poses a clear and present danger to the U.S. Constitution and sustainability of the American experiment.
For instance, Trump’s repeated attempts to discredit the American electoral system and the news media, does nothing to preserve and protect democracy, but instead threatens to destabilize it and possibly end our tradition of peaceful transfer of power in future elections? What about the President’s actions to disrupt relationships with traditional American allies, his campaign efforts to collaborate with foreign powers in attacking a political rival, or public threats to incarcerate political opponents, and Trump’s revealing classified secrets to Russian adversaries, do such actions strengthen or weaken the security of the United States?
APPLYING MILITARY LAW TO THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF
According to the military’s Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) any member of the armed services and U.S. government can be charged with a felony of Treason in violation of 18 U.S. Code § 2381 defined as: “Whoever, owing allegiance to the United States, levies war against them or adheres to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort within the United States or elsewhere, is guilty of treason and shall suffer death, or shall be imprisoned not less than five years and fined under this title but not less than $10,000; and shall be incapable of holding any office under the United States.”
To be perfectly clear, President Donald J. Trump Sr. has done more to erode American democracy, destroy lawful civil authority, and end this grand social experiment of self-government, than this country’s most infamous traitor, General Benedict Arnold or any previous foreign adversary we’ve gone to war against. At least Arnold had the courage of his convictions to openly declare his war on America as he donned on a British officer’s uniform. And Arnold wasn’t the President.
To a lesser count, military personnel can be charged with Sedition under UCMJ Article 94 Mutiny and Sedition, if they: “with intent to cause the overthrow or destruction of lawful civil authority, creates, in concert with any other person, revolt, violence, or disturbance against that authority is guilty of sedition.”
In either case, to what extent Trump is guilty of treason by giving aid and comfort to an adversary of the United States like Russia is unknown at this time, but if Trump was in the military and not the Commander-in-Chief, his attempts to destroy the credibility and faith in the American system of laws and government could be construed as acts of Sedition. Fortunate for Trump, the Commander-in-Chief is not legally subject to the UCMJ, so we’re left with only the political solution of impeachment.
END THIS DISHONORABLE CHARADE NOW BEFORE OTHERS ARE HARMED
How much more damage to this country and its Armed Forces are people in positions of power willing to accept before we impeach this bum, and send him and his corrupt family back to Trump Tower for good? Must we wait for mass violence caused by Trump’s continued stoking of racial, political, and economic fires? Or wait for the President to start a major war to deflect public attention? Or wait for a foreign government to successfully discredit our future elections? Can we really afford to wait until a more far-reaching and possibly permanent tragedy unfolds. Time to act is now!
The longer it takes for the Republican-controlled Congress to grow a spine and impeach Trump, those same political leaders, who are also sworn to “preserve, protect, and defend”-and could have averted catastrophe, but instead chose to cowardly sit on their hands, will be held equally responsible and accountable for any future self-inflicted catastrophe. Do the right thing Congress, preserve the union! Lincoln chose country over the politics of hatred, so can you. Your country and our collective future depends on you to protect and defend us from both foreign and domestic enemies by Impeaching Trump Now!
Note: The personal sentiments expressed above represent only the views of the author as a private concerned citizen and not Antioch University Seattle.