*By Vincent Cavaleri, Contributing Writer, Deputy Sheriff Snohomish County, Mill Creek City Council
In 1791, James Madison penned the first 10 Amendments to the Constitution for the purpose of creating guarantees to its citizens of the now free Republic. The significance of the structure and wording have a direct impact on all rights granted to American citizens through our birth right. It guarantees civil rights and liberties to the individual, like freedom of speech, press and religion. It sets rules for due process of law and reserves all powers not delegated to the Federal Government to the states. Madison had lived under tyrannical rule and understood the importance of establishing the basic framework and far reaching liberties needed for a free society to not only exist, but flourish.
Madison and the framers came from tyranny, so their insight was derived from their historical perspectives. Madison is now regarded as the “Father of the Constitution” for his contributions and visionary intuition. That sort of vision should be powerful in helping to understand the perilous journey America is undertaking today. Those that fail to understand the history, are doomed to repeat it. Permissiveness of free speech abuses seem to be permeating the landscape daily, despite continued Supreme Court rulings protecting it.
When the ACLU launched in 1920, the free speech fight was the bedrock of its foundation. Roughly a century later, these battles have taken on new forms, but they still exist today. Citizens across our nation are rationalizing free speech and censorship abuses if it serves their need or viewpoint. Targeting enemies or creating enemies’ lists have become a current day practice. As tempting as it might be to some, muzzling our counterparts or opponents by sidestepping constitutional rights only serves to destroy the fabric of liberty created by our founders. The essence of Marxism.
Regardless of your view on the 45th President of the United States, the upcoming impeachment of the former White House resident should be frightening to everyone. Twice in 13 months, the impeachment process is being used as a vindictive tool to settle scores with political rivals; and diminishes the actual role of the impeachment process. A process normally used in rare occasions throughout history, has become a reflex reaction of the far left; and has denigrated the House of Representatives and turned it into a worldwide laughingstock.
Constitutional provisions require a Supreme Court Justice to preside over impeachments; however, Chief Justice Roberts has balked at the idea of participating in this debacle. His understanding of the Constitution and the rules therein have forced the Chief Justice to opt out of the unconstitutional proceedings.
What’s really at stake in this sham impeachment? Trump is accused of inciting the Capitol riot with his words during a political rally. I have now listened to his speech and read the transcript (I encourage you to do the same), several times and still cannot fathom the rationale for impeachment charges; especially for a man that has already left office. The Constitution is clear, impeachment is used to “remove a sitting President from office”.
Frederick Douglas said, “Liberty is meaningless where the right to utter one’s thoughts and opinions has ceased to exist”. That is as true today as it was 150 years ago. On January 6th, 2021, then President Trump was speaking to his constituents at a lawfully organized and permitted political rally in the nation’s capital. The subsequent activities in the House of Representatives by violent factions at the rally have now been proven to have been coordinated and planned well before President Trump’s speech; according to the FBI. Knowing this to be true, the sham impeachment continues forward.
Instead of conducting the people’s business, the partisan abusers of the public trust continue to conduct their own vendettas on the public dime; and in full public view. In what’s becoming an all too familiar pattern of misconduct and one-party rule by the left, the vessel of the people has been damaged to a degree we many never recover. This will have consequences going far into the future, yet their foot remains on the gas pedal. The use of the impeachment process is an attempt to silence or vilify political opponents. This will now irreparably damage the peoples house and diminish its stature in world politics.
Thanks, and God bless. Vincent
