The Crumbling Foundation of Our Nation

Americans are learning a hard lesson in the first 10 days of Trump’s Presidency. Votes have consequences. And when people show you who they are and say what they will do if they get into office—believe them. Trump didn’t lie about what he’d do if he was elected. He explicitly, loudly and repeatedly said he would do things that most of us found to be violations of the Constitution. And in 10 days he’s done many of them via Executive Order. That includes banning people based on the religious affiliation of their country of origin an egregious violation of the founding principle of this nation - Freedom of Religion. A dangerous first step for Government sponsored discrimination against a religion.

In the beginning, courtesy of the media, Trump was treated like a joke. An ignorant buffoon who can’t or won’t do what he says. This is partly the reason why voters overlooked his racist, sexist words and agenda dismissing it as talk, and only looking at the few ideas they found to be reasonable to them—like his promise for more working class jobs.

It was a tragic mistake to underestimate Trump’s ability to promote his ideas and himself. He executed his agenda and campaign with expert precision using the media the entire time to do it. Every word, every statement and action was well thought out and calculated to push him ahead of the rest and win. And he won. And he continues to use that strategy to accomplish his goals as President. And he is doing it. Make no mistake, he knows precisely what he needs to do to get things done.

That’s a dangerous and real ability considering what he wants to get done. Take it seriously.

For too long Americans have been complacent in their civics. Counting on others to defend rights and feeling like their leaders won’t really take away fundamental freedoms. Or that things can’t get really bad because we have laws and the Constitution as the guide for our politicians. Or that there is some kind of safety net to prevent real damage. They believed this as they continually saw politicians chip away at fundamental freedoms.

Politicians, in particular the republican party, were pretty savvy at packaging the stripping of rights away to make it look like what is needed and good for us. Sometimes outwardly lying to do it. George W. Bush and his Administration are a very good example of that. They used the vulnerability of Americans after 9/11 to install the Patriot Act which is a fundamental violation of the rights of Americans. Still intact today-not stopped by Obama-in part because it was heralded as what keeps us safe. GWB then sold us a war based on this fear of not being safe and started preemptive war with Iraq saying it was needed for our security. It was a make believe threat created by the Bush Administration for political gain that destabilized the entire middle east. A problem that still plagues us until today. Side effects of the campaign to keep us safe are groups like ISIS who set up shop in the vacuum of the lawlessness of the Iraq war.

This constant encroachment of Constitutional rights we Americans are entitled to, have been chipped away at for years by our leaders. Many within the republican party who have now spoken out against Trump are responsible for Trump’s rise to power. Their recklessness with Constitutional rights and rules set in place to protect against tyranny produced Trump. They are now being heralded as “heroes” for just speaking out against Trump. Their past sins forgotten. Their contributions to the decay of our society forgiven. And those who support Trump, have no shame that this is who their party was, is and always will be. Trump is the republican party, he is everything they have stood for he’s just saying boldly and explicitly without the sugar coating.

The moral and ethical bankruptcy of the republican party has culminated into a Constitutional Crisis in this nation. The very foundation of this country is shaking because of their reckless abuse of power to catapult their political party. We now look to liberal lawyers and groups like the ACLU to defend basic American Constitutional and human rights. Those who defend the law and Constitution are the real heroes in our democracy. They will fight, they will win some battles and they will lose some. Damage however, will be done by the Trump Administration because lawyers can’t stop everything. It also requires a lot of time to reach decisions in a courtroom, nothing is immediate. Couple that with a GOP Congress that is giving Trump a free ride with no resistance, facilitating a very real Constitutional Crisis.

There are only so many times we can have leadership that undermines our freedoms and liberty before it takes root in our Democracy and thrives and becomes the norm. In other words, we are at the point where some of this may be irreversible.

The only real way to defeat this is to educate the American populace and make them understand votes have real consequences. It is the most important civic duty. And while they may not be concerned about the religious persecution of others or attacks on Free Press and the First Amendment because it doesn’t affect them directly-or they may most likely agree with it - they should understand that destruction of Constitutionally protected rights destroys the nation they want to work in, live in and raise their children in. It tears at the fibers of the system that keeps their family afloat. And if they want to continue to do those things they should think of their country and its future before their daily needs when they vote.

JFK famously said “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” And he said this to remind Americans to have love of country and to have a selflessness to preserve our freedom. Those words ring truer today more than ever, because that sentiment has been lost among many of those who voted for Trump.

This is a pivotal learning moment while simultaneously being a destructive one in our history and it will all be worth it, if Americans finally take the responsibility to preserve and not destroy their democracy, Constitution and freedom with their votes.