Yesterday I caused an uproar on one of my social media channels because I dared to challenge the idea of what the Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence mean in the time of Donald Trump. I will likely make some of your heads explode today! The audacity will be your outrage. It started with Abraham Lincoln’s honoring of the sacrifice made by soldiers when he uttered the “government of the people for the people” statement. Unbeknownst to most, Lincoln and Benito Juárez, a revered Mexican president, discussed the state of politics in their time. My point was that Trump’s order to U.S. citizens, some of them elected officials, to leave the country was un-American. This exploded into the ideals of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights and what it is to be American.
Because I like to create havoc online, today I am going to articulate my thoughts about what it is to be American and the promises made by the foundation of the country in the time of Donald Trump.
So, sit back and buckle up because I am not going to be easy on you today.
Today, I am going to focus on the Declaration of Independence. To be clear, at the time that the Declaration was adopted, there was no such thing as an American citizen. There was the idea of an American but no such thing as an American citizen because the country was yet to be formed. The closest thing to an American is anyone who inhabited the American continent. As such, the ideal of the Declaration of Independence applies even to me who is a resident of the Americas but not a U.S. citizen.
The ladies that Trump ordered back to their country are U.S. citizens and thus the Declaration also clearly applies to them.
So here goes.
The Declaration of Independence starts out:
“That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”
Clearly a group of British citizens felt their government had abandoned them. They disagreed on policy and on process and felt abandoned by the British monarchy.
I submit to you that I, others and the ladies ordered by Trump to leave the country feel abandoned by the Trump Administration.
Let’s continue with the Declaration of Independence.
“But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.”
Again, I submit to you that many of us, including U.S. citizens feel abused by the Trump Administration. I, like others, feel we are living under despotic leader.
Let’s continue with the Constitution.
“Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government.”
Once again, I submit that many of us feel the necessity to “alter” the state of affairs of the country. To be clear, “alter” can be anything including challenging the government by discourse.
Let us continue with the Declaration of Independence.
“Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.”
I know that I feel Donald Trump has a record of “repeated injuries and usurpations”. I am sure others may feel the same way.
The Declaration continues:
“He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.”
I know by the numerous lawsuits against Donald Trump that there are many who feel that Donald Trump has refused to follow the law. He has lost many of the legal cases challenging him.
The Declaration addresses the question of the citizenship in the census. The Declaration says:
“He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.”
I, and many others feel that asking for citizenship in the census is designed to alter the make up of the House of Representatives. Note that I am not advocating for or against the citizenship question just pointed out that many feel it is designed to alter how representatives to Congress are allocated.
The Declaration also makes a very poignant point about immigration. It states:
“He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.”
Obviously, this ties directly to the issues on the southern border, asylum seekers, immigration roundups and the Muslim bans, among other impediments to immigrants by Trump.
It gets even more poignant when the Declaration adds, “For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:”.
As you know Donald Trump has declared economic warfare on many countries with tariffs and threats of tariffs. It has affected the economy of the people living in the U.S.
And, the Declaration of Independence gets to the point with the following:
“A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.”
I really don’t think it necessary to point out the many moral character failures that define the Trump Administration.
As such, it is clearly evident that Donald Trump is “unfit to be the ruler of a free people”.
This is not me saying this. This is the Declaration of Independence making this clear point.
Therefore, I will let the Declaration of Independence layout what the American people should do about Donald Trump.
“We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States”.
A lot of Americans feel abandoned by their government for sure. When they see a million illegals so far this year walk into the country and Dem candidates ushering them across the border saying they should have privileges not available to American citizens like free healthcare and asylum and waiver of our laws, well don’t be surprised when there is pushback.